Smooth-fronted Caiman
Smooth-fronted CaimanSmooth-fronted CaimanSmooth-fronted CaimanSmooth-fronted Caiman

Smooth-fronted Caiman

Paleosuchus trigonatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Manu National Park
29 Verified records at Manu National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

The smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus), also known as Schneider's dwarf caiman or Schneider's smooth-fronted caiman, is a crocodilian from South America, where it is native to the Amazon and Orinoco Basins. It is the second-smallest species of the family Alligatoridae, the smallest being Cuvier's dwarf caiman, also from tropical South America and in the same genus. An adult typically grows to around 1.2 to 1.6 m (3.9 to 5.2 ft) in length and weighs between 9 and 20 kg (20 and 44 lb). Exceptionally large males can reach as much as 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in length and 36 kg (79 lb) in weight. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth-fronted Caiman sighting in Manu National Park, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Manu National Park

Cuvier's Smooth-fronted Caiman
LC

Cuvier's Smooth-fronted Caiman

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Paleosuchus palpebrosus

Insufficient data
Common Caiman
LC

Common Caiman

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Caiman crocodilus

20–30% · Possible
Black Caiman
LC

Black Caiman

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Melanosuchus niger

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
<5
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
5–10
Sep
10–20
Oct
20–30
Nov
10–20
Dec

🌙 When They're Spotted

Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)

🌙Nocturnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
20–30%
2 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
10–20%
3 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
10–20%
4 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
10–20%
5 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
Insufficient data
6 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
7 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
8 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
9 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Smooth-fronted Caiman in Manu National Park?

About 13% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth-fronted Caiman sighting in Manu National Park, based on 29 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Smooth-fronted Caiman in Manu National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Smooth-fronted Caiman in Manu National Park in our monthly data.

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