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thumb|right|Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) thumb|right|Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) thumb|right|Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) thumb|right|Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) thumb|right|Smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus)

A caiman (), also spelled cayman (from Taíno kaiman), is an alligatorid belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators. Caimans are native to Central and South America and inhabit marshes, swamps, lakes, and mangrove rivers. They have scaly skin and live a fairly nocturnal existence. They are relatively small-sized crocodilians with an average maximum weight of depending on species, with the exception of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger), which can grow more than long and weigh more than . The black caiman is the largest caiman species in the world and is found in the slow-moving rivers and lakes that surround the Amazon basin. The smallest species is the Cuvier's dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus), which grows to long. There are six different species of caiman found throughout the watery jungle habitats of Central and Southern America. The average length for most of the other caiman species is about long.