Yacare Caiman
Caiman yacare
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassCrocodylia
- FamilyAlligatoridae (Alligators and Caimans)
- GenusCaiman
- SpeciesCaiman yacare (Yacare Caiman)
The yacare caiman (Caiman yacare), also known commonly as the jacare caiman, Paraguayan caiman, piranha caiman, red caiman, and southern spectacled caiman, is a species of caiman, a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae. The species is indigenous to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Brown in color and covered with dark blotches, males grow to a total length (including tail) of 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) and weigh around 40–50 kg (88–110 lb); while females grow to 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) long and about 15–20 kg (33–44 lb). Typical habitats of this caiman include lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Its diet primarily consists of aquatic animals, such as snails, and occasionally land vertebrates. Mating occurs in the rainy season and eggs hatch in March, with young fending for themselves as soon as they hatch. Wikipedia →
80–90% of wildlife watchers report a Yacare Caiman sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 262 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Iberá National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Noel Kempff Mercado National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 4 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park?
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Yacare Caiman sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 262 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park in our monthly data.