# Smooth-fronted caiman (*Paleosuchus trigonatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-fronted-caiman  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) is a crocodilian reptile in the family Alligatoridae and the genus Paleosuchus. It falls in the medium size class, with a representative adult body mass of 7.5 kg. Its lifespan is listed as 23.6 years, with values up to 30.9 years, and the IUCN Red List places it in the Least Concern category, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7.5 kg |
| Length | 1.2 m – 1.6 m |
| Lifespan | 23.6 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 30.9 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Egg incubation | 114 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 10 – 15.1 |
| Age at maturity | 11 years – 15 years |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Reptilia
- order: Crocodylia
- family: Alligatoridae
- genus: Paleosuchus
- species: *Paleosuchus trigonatus* (Schneider, 1801)

Synonyms: *Crocodilus trigonatus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the smooth-fronted caiman?

The smooth-fronted caiman is a crocodilian, a reptile in the order Crocodylia and the family Alligatoridae.

### How heavy is the smooth-fronted caiman?

An adult smooth-fronted caiman has a representative body mass of 7.5 kg, placing it in the medium size class.

### Is the smooth-fronted caiman endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List assesses it globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the smooth-fronted caiman live?

Its lifespan is listed as 23.6 years, and the highest value reported by sources is 30.9 years.

### How many eggs does the smooth-fronted caiman lay?

It lays 15 eggs per clutch, with 1 clutch per year, and the eggs incubate for 114 days.

### When does the smooth-fronted caiman reach sexual maturity?

It reaches sexual maturity at 15 years, and the lowest value reported by sources is 11 years.

### Who named the smooth-fronted caiman?

Its scientific name, Paleosuchus trigonatus, carries the authority (Schneider, 1801).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4), CC BY 4.0, v1-2. Oskyrko, O., Mi, C., Meiri, S. et al. (2024) ReptTraits: a comprehensive dataset of ecological traits in reptiles. Scientific Data 11: 243. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03079-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24572683.v4
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/smooth-fronted-caiman