The Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is a crocodilian reptile found in much of Central and South America. It lives in a range of lowland wetland and riverine habitat types and can tolerate salt water as well as fresh. Males of the species are generally 1.8 to 2 m (5.9 to 6.6 ft), while females are smaller, usually around 1.2–1.4 m (3.9–4.6 ft).

The caiman resembles and is more common than the crocodile in Costa Rica. This species is much smaller than the American Crocodile, and is not a threat to humans. In addition to size, a distinguishing trait is the bony ridge between and in front of the eyes, resembling spectacles, granting its common name.

The spectacled caiman forages more or less opportunistically, eating all animals that are in its habitat. Juveniles mostly eat insects and crustaceans, but larger adults consume fish, amphibians, birds, and corpses of birds or mammals that they find.

A mother caiman will lay 15 to 40 eggs in a nest of plant materials that is close to water. She tends to the nest for the next 73 to 90 days. Within the egg, the sex of the caiman is controlled by incubation temperature, known as temperature-dependent sex determination. Meanwhile, parents stay near the nest to ward off egg predators (particularly raccoons) with growling, hissing, and lashing at the water with tail and head. When the babies are ready to hatch, they may scream from within their eggs, calling the mother to open the nest and help the hatchlings to water. She will care for and protect them over the next four months, guarding them from large waterbirds. Adults are only vulnerable to anacondas, large wild cats, and humans.

The illegal market for crocodile and caiman skins was active up until the early 1980s. Thousands of caimans were killed for their skin, and babies were sold alive for the pet trade or killed and mounted. Some populations of caimans in Costa Rica still suffer from hunting pressure, but overall the caiman is common and has several healthy populations.