different between caiman vs crocodilian

English

Alternative forms

• cayman

Etymology

From Spanish caiman or Portuguese caimão, from Galibi Carib acayouman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ke?.m?n/
• Rhymes: -e?m?n

Noun

caiman (plural caimans)

1. Any of the relatively small crocodilians of genus Caiman, within family Alligatoridae.
   • 1995, Laurie Agopian, Extended Thematic Unit: Rain Forest, page 32,

     Caimans are reptiles that are closely related to their Central and South American neighbors, the alligators. Adult caimans are usually four to six feet (1.8 m) in length.

   • 2002, International Wildlife Encyclopedia: Brown bear - Cheetah, 3rd Edition, page 358,

     The caimans are found in South America, mainly in the Amazon basin, with one species extending into the southern part of Mexico and another reaching northern parts of Argentina.

   • 2010, Carrol L. Henderson, Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Field Guide, page 164,

     Newly hatched caimans eat insects. Young caimans are eaten by Jabirus, Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and raccoons. Adult caimans have no predators except human poachers.

2. A semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America. To differentiate from caimans, they are referred to as caiman lizards.

Derived terms

• caiman lizard

Translations

See also

• alligator, gator
• crocodile, croc
• gavial, gharial

References

Further reading

• caiman on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• -maniac, Mancia, mancia, maniac

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /k?j?man/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /kaj?man/
• Rhymes: -an

Noun

caiman m (plural caimans)

1. caiman

Romanian

Etymology

From French caïman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaj?man/
• Hyphenation: cai?man

Noun

caiman m (plural caimani)

1. caiman

Declension

English

Etymology

From crocodile +? -ian; compare translingual Crocodilia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k??k??d?li?n/

Noun

crocodilian (plural crocodilians)

1. Any reptile of the order Crocodilia; a crocodile, alligator, caiman or gavial.
   • 1989, Walter P. Coombs, Jr., Modern analogs for dinosaur nesting and parental behavior, James Orville Farlow (editor), Paleobiology of the Dinosaurs, Issue 238, page 47,

     Mound-nesting crocodilians and megapodes appear to be indifferent to nest-site parameters, but susceptibility of crocodilian mound nests to predation or drowning may be altered by site selection.

   • 2001, Patricia Pope Bartlett, Billy Griswold, Richard D. Bartlett, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates: An Identification and Care Guide, page 191,

     Crocodilians are essentially lizard-like in basic shape and are adapted to a largely aquatic life. ln water, they hunt and eat their prey and advertise their size and location by bellowing.

Translations

Adjective

crocodilian (not comparable)

1. of, pertaining to, or resembling crocodiles