The caiman lizard is a semi-aquatic lizard native to South America. This lizard is a large reptile with a green body and reddish-orange head. It has a long, laterally flattened tail and raised, horn-like scales along its back. The scales offer some protection from predators. The caiman lizard has a forked tongue for locating prey and powerful jaws with short, rounded teeth.
The diet of the caiman lizard is almost exclusively composed of snails and clams. It uses its large, flattened teeth to crush the shells and then spit out the undigestible fragments.
The photo was captured at Basel Zoo yesterday.