The spectacled caiman was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, originally as Lacerta crocodilus.[1] It has since been redescribed several times, including as Caiman sclerops by Schneider in 1801.[2] Although Caiman crocodilus is now the scientific name of the species, some scientists still prefer using sclerops, as having crocodilus as the scientific name for a caiman may cause confusion.[7]