Northern caiman lizard

The northern caiman lizard is a species of lizard found in northern South America.

The caiman lizard is built similarly to its cousin the tegu, with a large heavy set body and short but powerful limbs. Its head is bulky and often a red or orange color. Their jaws are heavily muscular to help aid in eating its normal prey of snails, crawfish and fresh water clams. It also has a few adaptaions that help it in its watery habitat. It has a long and flattened tail, similar to its namesake, the caiman. The long tail helps the caiman lizard to successfully swim and dive. A clear third eyelid is thought to act like a pair of goggles underwater.

The body of the caiman lizard is very similar to that of a crocodile. It is typically a bright green with slight dark green banding. There are horned raised scales along the dorsal of the back. This help to provide some protection against predators.

These lizards can reach up to 4 ft (1.2 m) long and weigh up to 10 lb (4.5 kg).