Abstract
We used radio-telemetry to record how Caiman yacare (Cy) and Melanosuchus Niger (Mn) responded to the intrusion of the Maniqui river into Cedral Lagoon in the Bolivian Amazon. Nine M. Niger and 3 C. yacare were followed between December 2015 and May 2016. Both species showed a gradual reduction in mean monthly range from December (19.96 ha Mn and 1.74 ha Cy) to May 2016 (0.08 ha Mn and 0.24 ha Cy). Habitat use was fairly constant throughout the months for both species, Melanosuchus Niger used mainly open swampy forests and Cyperaceae Marshes, while C. yacare used more islands and flooded grasslands. This study shows that both species of caimans responded to changes in depth and vegetation types, as their habitat as a whole was changed by river intrusion.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 115-123 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Amphibia - Reptilia |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank Aroldo and his family, who were our field guides. We also thank the EBB’s park rangers for all their support. Zilca Campos, Bill Magnusson, and Jesus Rivas commented on an earlier version of this manuscript. Funding was provided by IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group and the MacArthur Foundation, via Instituto de Ecología (UMSA).
Publisher Copyright:
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2020.
Keywords
- Behavioral response
- Bolivia
- Caimans
- Habitat changes
- Movements