With their huge jaws, scaly skin, and sharp claws, these cold-blooded creatures are top predators in the animal kingdom. Let’s learn more about the alligator and the corresponding Spanish word caimán.
Latin American Pronunciation
European Pronunciation
The origin of caimán is unknown, but it’s believed to have come from acayuman, a word from the Taíno language spoken in the Caribbean, later known as kaimán. Eventually, the Real Spanish Academy entered the word into the dictionary as kaymán.
Caimán is a masculine noun and takes the following definite and indefinite articles:
- el caimán = the alligator
- los caimanes = the alligators
- un caimán = an alligator
- unos caimanes = some alligators
El río estaba lleno de caimanes.
The river was full of alligators.
The alligator has many parts. Below are some of the main ones:
- escamas = scales
- cola = tail
- colmillos = fangs
- patas = feet
- vientre = belly
- hocico = snout
- ojos = eyes
- fosa nasal = nostril
- cabeza = head
Caimanes are reptiles (reptiles) and are related to cocodrilos (crocodiles). They live in the wild in North America, mainly in the states of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and parts of México. An endangered type of caimán is also found in the Yangtze River Valley in China.
Since caimanes don’t have glándulas de sal (salt glands) as crocodiles do, they live in aguas dulces (freshwaters) such as ríos (rivers), lagos (lakes), pantanos (swamps), and estanques (ponds).
Cuando visité Luisiana, vi muchos caimanes.
When I visited Louisiana, I saw many alligators.
Interesting Fact:
In English, we usually hear about crocodiles and alligators, but did you know there is another large reptile called a caiman? A caiman is a subfamily of the alligator, but in Spanish, it’s also called a caimán just like the alligator.
A caimán (caiman) is a smaller reptile that grows about 1.4 meters. They live in South and Central America. The other caimán we know as an alligator is found in North America, parts of Mexico, and the Yangtze River Valley in China. It grows to about 4 meters in length.
Caimanes are a top depredador (predator) in their environment and will eat almost anything. When they are younger, they mainly eat smaller things like pez (fish), gusanos (worms), caracoles (snails), and insectos (insects).
Once they grow and become stronger, they eat bigger animals such as tortugas (turtles), venados (deer), other reptiles (reptiles), serpientes (snakes), and mamíferos (mammals) such as big cats in the wild.
El caimán se comió una tortuga.
The alligator ate a turtle.
Although many humans are afraid of caimanes, they don’t usually attack humans unless they feel amenazados (threatened). It’s rare to hear about an alligator chasing a person, but it’s still best to steer clear and back away slowly if you encounter one.
Fun Fact: Did you know caimanes have roamed the Earth for millions of years? It is believed the first species emerged as early as 250 million years ago, around the time dinosaurios (dinosaurs) were around. That’s a very long time!
They adapt well to changing environments which helps these reptiles (reptiles) survive through the ages.
Spanish idiomatic expressions featuring ‘caimán’
Estar como caimán en boca de caño
Literal translation: to be like an alligator in the mouth of a pipe
English meaning: to be alert in a situation and take advantage of an opportunity / also used to describe a person who’s ready for someone to make an error so they can criticise.
Fun Fact: El Hombre Caimán (The Alligator Man or The Crocodile Man) is a legendary figure from Colombian folklore, particularly popular in the coastal regions. The tale recounts the story of a man who transformed into a caimán as a result of a magical spell. Motivated by a desire to spy on women bathing in the river, he sought the aid of a witch, who gave him a potion that allowed him to morph into the reptile. However, the spell went wrong, trapping him in his caimán form and forcing him to live out his days as a creature of the water.
