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Spectacled Caiman vs. American Alligator

Spectacled Caimans live in canals and lakes around Homestead and the Everglades edge in Miami-Dade, among American Alligators. A: A bony ridge across the snout in front of the eyes, like the bridge of spectacles in the Spectacled Caiman; no ridge; a smooth, broad snout in the American Alligator. B: A more triangular head with a slightly more pointed snout in the Spectacled Caiman; a broad, rounded snout; only the upper teeth show with the mouth shut in the American Alligator. C: Dark brown or olive in the Spectacled Caiman; blackish in the American Alligator. Report any caiman to IveGot1: they are not native.

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Spectacled Caiman

Caiman crocodilus

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis
Spectacled Caiman vs. American Alligator: comparison sheet with the differences marked

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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