Green Caiman
Description
Native to the swampy terrain of The Zoquitla Marshes, green caimans are a species of crocodilian averaging around 12 feet long and weighing in at around 600 to 800 pounds. Although there are fairly credible reports of individuals reaching sizes up to 20 feet long and weighing over 2 tons. Incredibly patient ambush predators they'll often lie in wait for days, even weeks, at a time with the hopes that eventually a tasty meal will either wander by or directly land on them, mistaking it for a piece of floating detritus. In fact they tend to stay so completely still for so long that various species of aquatic plants, moss, and algae begin to take root within the various cracks and crevices of the caiman's scaly skin which only serves to add to the illusion. This can build up to the point where it actually gets difficult for the caiman to maintain buoyancy, forcing it to scrape off any excess on the rough bark of a tree or fallen log.
Basic Information
Behaviour
If one is trudging through the muddy soils of The Zoquitla Marsh and happens to find abrasions and what appears to be left-over plant matter on the ground level of trees, then caution should be exercised proceeding forward as they are in green caiman territory. Should an ignorant animal or unwary adventurer not heed these warnings and happen to stumble across them, then with an uncharacteristically lightning speed they spring forth grabbing their prey with their extraordinarily powerful jaws, dragging them towards their watery demise.
Displaying an odd form of social behaviour groups of green caimans will coalesce within a small peninsular body of water, their mossy backs overlapping with eachother giving the impression of apparently solid ground. This allows the caimans to take down groups far larger than one could alone and it's not uncommon for entire flocks of birds to land on these masses of moss and monster thinking it a haven, only to be swallowed up in a frenzy of tooth and twig in mere seconds. As is often the case with mother nature, it's the seemingly safest path that's usually the most fraught with danger.
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