Caimans are alligatorid crocodylians within the subfamily Caimaninae. Caimans inhabit Central

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. They are relatively small crocodilians, with most species reaching lengths of only a few meters, although one species, the Black caiman

Black Caiman

The black caiman is a crocodilian. It is a carnivorous reptile that lives along slow-moving rivers and lakes, in the seasonally flooded savannas of the Amazon basin, and in other freshwater habitats in South America. Once common, it was hunted to near extinction primarily for its commercially...

, can exceed 4 metres (13.1 ft) in length.

Brain

In Caiman the dura

Dura

Dura may refer to:* Dura , a Palestinian town in the southern West Bank located eleven kilometers southwest of Hebron in the Hebron Governorate* Dura language, a critically endangered language of Nepal...

 covering the medullary region of the brain is proportionally thicker than the dura covering the forebrain, although this might not impact the ratio in volume between the regions.

Taxonomy

• Genus Caiman
  Caiman (genus)
  Caimans are alligatorid crocodylians within the subfamily Caimaninae. Caimans inhabit Central and South America. They are relatively small crocodilians, with most species reaching lengths of only a few meters, although one species, the Black caiman, can exceed in length.-Brain:In Caiman the dura...
  
  
  • Yacare Caiman
    Yacare Caiman
    The Yacare caiman is a species of caiman found in central South America, including northeastern Argentina, Uruguay eastern Bolivia, central/south-west Brazil, and the rivers of Paraguay...
    
    , Caiman yacare
  • Spectacled Caiman
    Spectacled Caiman
    The spectacled caiman , also known as the white caiman or common caiman, is a crocodilian reptile found in much of Central and South America. It lives in a range of lowland wetland and riverine habitat types and can tolerate salt water as well as fresh; due in part to this adaptability it is the...
    
    , Caiman crocodilus
    • Rio Apaporis Caiman, C. c. apaporiensis
    • Brown Caiman, C. c. fuscus
  • Caiman lutescans (extinct)
  • Broad-snouted Caiman
    Broad-snouted Caiman
    The broad-snouted caiman is a crocodilian reptile found in eastern and central South America, including southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. It is found mostly in freshwater marshes, swamps, and mangroves. Usually, in still or very slow moving waters...
    
    , Caiman latirostris