The Nest Environment of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
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Material Information

Title:
The Nest Environment of the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) Report T-671
Creator:
South Florida Natural Resources Center/South Florida Research Center, Everglades National Park
Peter L. Lutz
Ann Dunbar-Cooper
Place of Publication:
Homestead
Florida
Publisher:
National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
Publication Date:

Notes

Abstract:
The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) population in southern Florida has shown a steady decline over the last century, and it has been suggested (~gden, 1978) that recent protective efforts may not have been successful in reversing this trend, although the population may be stabilizing in recent years (~ushlan, in press; Kushlan and Mazzotti, in prep.). On the assumption that adults are adequately protected, any decline would most likely be due to inadequate recruitment from younger stock. Causes for the latter could be a decreased reproductive success resulting in fewer eggs laid, or an increased mortality at some stage in development between the embryo and the juvenile. The small population of crocodiles in southern Florida (estimated at 100-400 nonjuvenile adults by Odgen, 1978) live at the northernmost limits of the range for that species and are probably near the limit of certain ecological tolerances (~ushlan, in press). Ogden (1978) suggested that embryonic mortality was an important factor in population limitation. The conditions found in the nest microhabitat are likely to have a significant influence on embryoni c development such that inappropriate changes or circumstances could be a major cause of egg mortality. For example, Ferguson (1981) has shown that alligator eggs (Alligator mississippiensis) incubated without nesting media fail to hatch. Unfortunately, there is little in£ ormation on the nest environment of 5. acutus in its natural habitat and therefore no objective grounds for assessing this risk. ( English )
Issuing Body:
SuDoc number: I 29.95: T-671

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
Holding Location:
South Florida Natural Resource Center
Rights Management:
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