The caiman, a reptile that lives in rivers, is one of Mexico's fiercest animal predators. Some caimans will eat nearly anything they can catch--even a jaguar or a person.

Mexican fishermen fear caimans for a different reason: caimans eat the fish that people need for food. To drive them away, the fishermen do the "Fish Dance" wearing costumes decorated with caiman heads, like this one.

In the dance, the caiman is caught in a net and defeated - ensuring good fishing for the next year.

 

A caiman is an alligator-like animal that lives in South and Central America. Caimans have narrower snouts than alligators and are not considered dangerous to people.
 

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