Paleosuchus trigonatus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
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.
The smooth-fronted caiman was first described by the German classicist and naturalist Johann Gottlob Schneider in 1801. The genus name Paleosuchus is derived from the Greek palaios meaning "ancient" and soukhos meaning "crocodile". This refers to the belief that this crocodile comes from an ancient lineage that diverged from other species of caimans some 30 million years ago. The specific name trigonatus is derived from the Greek trigonos meaning "three-cornered" and Latin atus meaning "provided with" and refers to the triangular shape of the head.
At present... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manaus | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aquarium of Genoa | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 6 | Chapultepec Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | bioparco | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 8 | Krefelder Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | Salzburg Zoo | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 10 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 11 | Oasi Naturalistica di Sant'Alessio | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 12 | Bioparque Los Ocarros | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 13 | Touroparc Zoo | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Sacramento Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Refugio Silvestre Yanacocha | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 17 | Yanacocha Animal Rescue Centre | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 18 | Kobe Animal Kingdom | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 19 | Dierenpark De Oliemeulen | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 20 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 21 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth-fronted Caiman sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 47 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth-fronted Caiman in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–February, the lowest months. Those are among Tambopata National Reserve's driest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 420 mm in February.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Smooth-fronted Caiman sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Smooth-fronted Caiman sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 20%), Manu National Park (Peru, about 20%) and Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador, about 20%).
Same family: Alligatoridae
The closest relatives of the Smooth-fronted Caiman that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Alligatoridae, Alligators and Caimans) are Common Caiman (about 40%) and Black Caiman (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Smooth-fronted Caiman is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tambopata National Reserve (12 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.
