an animal that can be found circling the lakes, ponds and lagoons of greater rio de janeiro is the jacaré, whose scientific name is ‘caiman crocodilus', and known in english as the caiman.

jacarés are reptiles belonging to the same family as alligators and crocodiles - their heads are shorter and wider than their alligator cousins', they have webbed feet which facilitates swimming and their skin is covered in hard scales, or ‘plates' - they vary in size, between 1 and 3.5 metres, and can weigh as much as 300 pounds.

they are carnivorous, with a penchant for fish, birds, shellfish and small mammals and are not considered a major threat to humans - however, female jacarés lay eggs in the water, over which they are very protective, with a tendency to attack if approached - they have full sets of very sharp teeth which they use to tear apart prey, but if their captive is small enough they are knwon to eat it in one gulp.