Compared to its body size, the broad-snouted caiman has the widest snout of any crocodilian. Its powerful jaws can easily crush the shell of a turtle.
Its dark coloration helps it absorb more heat from the sun than if it were lighter. The warmth is transferred through the skin into the bloodstream, which circulates it throughout the body and keeps the caiman warm.
Unlike most other crocodilian species, several females sometimes build one large communal nest, where each lays between 18 and 50 eggs. The eggs are laid in two layers, resulting in an equal number of males and females — because temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings. Eggs kept warmer than 32 °C produce males, while slightly cooler eggs (below 31 °C) produce females.