What is the common name of the largest caiman in the Amazon?

The common name of the largest caiman in the Amazon is the black caiman. Its scientific name is Melanosuchus niger, and it is native to freshwater habitats across Amazonia, including rivers, lakes, swamps and seasonally flooded savannas.

Black caimans are the largest living members of the alligator family. Large individuals may reach roughly 5 to 6.5 metres and weigh more than 450 kilograms. Their dark greenish-black adult coloration explains the common name, while young animals show stronger pale bands that gradually fade as they mature. A broad, heavy head gives the species the ability to take relatively large prey.

As an apex predator, the black caiman eats fish, reptiles, birds and mammals and helps shape the food web of Amazonian wetlands. Females build mound nests during the dry season and guard their hatchlings, which gather in pods. The species was once hunted heavily for its valuable hide and was driven close to extinction in parts of its range, but conservation measures have supported a recovery.