Present/Future Caiman Lizard

The Caiman Lizard lives in the tropical rainforests and freshwater rivers of South America, mainly Brazil, Peru, and Venezuela. It lives near slow-moving rivers, swamps, and flooded forests where it hunts snails, fish, and crustaceans. Its molar-like teeth crush snail shells, and its scales help it camouflage with the riverbank environment. In the future, the Amazon may become hotter and drier because of climate change and deforestation. If rivers dry up, the caiman lizard would need to adapt to survive. It may spend more time on land and hunt insects and small mammals instead of aquatic prey. It could evolve longer, stronger legs to run across dry ground and sharper teeth and claws to tear prey. Armored scales would reduce water loss, and the species may lose its tail since it would swim less. These changes could happen because animals evolve traits that help them survive when their environment changes.