Characteristics: Smallest alligator in Brazil, measuring only 1.45m to 1.70m long. It has very stiff, strong skin that gives it protection. His head is small, smooth and concave, with prominent and pointy eyelids, hence its name in Portuguese (Jacaré-Coroa, or Crown Alligator). Its nose is flat, long, and straight. Juveniles are brown with white stripes, while adults have dark ones.

Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guianas, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Habitat: Flooded environments, rivers, streams, lagoons, clean and clear perennial lakes, marshes, swamps, and bogs.

Habits: Daytime, crepuscular, nocturnal, terrestrial, aquatic, and can be found alone or in pairs. Its low metabolism allows it to stay underwater for more than an hour.

Diet: Juveniles feed mainly on invertebrates, while adults eat fish, crabs, clams, shrimp, and terrestrial invertebrates. It may feed on small birds and mammals.

Breeding: Oviparous, females mold nests with vegetation and mud. They lays 10 to 30 eggs per cycle and hatching lasts about 90 days. The adults then open the nests and move the hatchlings into the water.

Threat: Considered threatened with extinction due to pollution, habitat destruction, and poaching.

UFRA: Species sighted in Wetlands with Herbaceous Plants, Wetlands with Riparian Forests and in bodies of water.