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Yacare Caiman
Caiman yacare
Silhouette: Berrucomons · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassCrocodylia
- FamilyAlligatoridae (Alligators and Caimans)
- GenusCaiman (Typical Caimans)
- SpeciesCaiman yacare (Yacare Caiman)
In 3 days >90%
416 Verified sightings at Iberá National Park From 2019 to 2026
642 In all 2 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the 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. The yacare caiman was hunted heavily for its skin to use for leather in the 1980s, which caused its population to decrease significantly. However, trading restrictions placed since have caused its population to increase. Its population in the Pantanal is about 10 million, and it is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.
Its specific name, “yacare” (also written... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:08
Argentina · 2025
© pabloscazzina · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 3 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Jardín Botánico y Zoológico de Asunción | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 3 | Curitiba Zoo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Aquarama Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Amaru | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 8 | Bauru Zoo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Bioparque Los Ocarros | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | Guyana Zoo | 🇬🇾 Guyana | |
| 11 | Reserva de Fauna y Flora Pan de Azúcar | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 12 | Alligator Adventure | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Zoológico de Fauna Sudamericana | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 14 | Crocodile Bank | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 15 | Parc Merveilleux | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | |
| 16 | St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | La Serena Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 18 | Sao Paulo aquarium | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 19 | Vancouver Aquarium | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 20 | Pantanal Aquarium | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 21 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Aquário de Ubatuba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 23 | Acqua Mundo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 24 | Montreal Biodome | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 25 | Wiwa Quito | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Closest Relatives at Iberá National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park?
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Yacare Caiman sighting in Iberá National Park on a given day, based on 416 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 10 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park?
April and July
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Yacare Caiman in Iberá National Park on a given day, against about 70% in January and September, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Yacare Caiman?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yacare Caiman sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Iberá National Park the best place to see a Yacare Caiman?
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Yacare Caiman sightings, Iberá National Park ranks 2nd at about 80%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas (Brazil, about 80%).
Where does the Yacare Caiman sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yacare Caiman is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Iberá National Park (416 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
