Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
caiman lizard
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)
Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
Animal Factoids
Quick Facts
Related Topics:
Teiidae
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

caiman lizard

reptile
Also known as: Dracaena
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

caiman lizard, any member of a genus (Dracaena) of lizards in the family Teiidae. These lizards (D. guianensis and D. paraguayensis) are found streamside in forested areas of South America. D. guianensis reaches a maximum length of 122 cm (48 inches).

Caiman lizards spend much of their time in the water. They feed mainly on snails, crushing them with their strong teeth and spitting out the shell pieces before swallowing. Caiman lizards are olive green in colour and have flattened tails with a double crest for swimming. They are egg-layers.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.