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Spectacled Caiman

Preview A spectacled caiman patrols a salty pond at a Smithsonian research station in Panama.
(Steven Paton, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)

A spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodiles) patrols a salty pond at the Smithsonian Institution’s research station in Bocas del Toro, Panama. A bony ridge between its eyes gives it the appearance of wearing glasses—and its common name.