Geographic distribution and conservation status of Caiman latirostris (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) in Uruguay

Abstract

Geographic distribution and conservation status of Caiman latirostris (Crocodylia, Alligatoridae) in Uruguay. Populations of Caiman latirostris are known to occur in Uruguay but their geographic distribution remains uncertain. This work presents an update of the species distribution and conservation status in Uruguay. Surveys conducted by the authors confirmed the presence of this species in the previously known distribution range of northwestern Uruguay, where it seems to be widespread and relatively abundant in contrast to earlier reports. We report new localities for C. latirostris, most relevant being those of the Cebollatí and Tacuarí Rivers, and the Pelotas, India Muerta and San Miguel stream basins, which significantly expand its distribution through important wetlands in the eastern part of the country. The overall distribution is coincident with different landscape types, where lagoons, artificial impoundments, livestock waterholes, rivers, streams, creeks and marshes are inhabited by caiman. Illegal non-commercial hunting was detected all over the country.

Conservation status assessment of the amphibians and reptiles of Uruguay

“…It is important to point out that 12.7 % of the Uruguayan amphibian species were recorded or described during the last six years (Scinax aromothyella Faivovich, 2005, Melanophryniscus pachyrhynus (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920, Rhinella achavali (Maneyro, Arrieta & Sá , 2004); Physalaemus cuvieri (Fitzinger, 1826), Hypsiboas albopunctatus (Spix, 1824), Leptodactylus furnarius Sazima & Bokermann, 1978) (CANAVERO et al, 2001;KWET et al, 2002;MANEYRO et al, 2004;BORTEIRO et al, 2005;PRIGIONI et al, 2005;MANEYRO & BEHEREGARAY, 2007). The above mentioned species are known from very few localities, but their categorization was very different because of the unequal knowledge about their life history and local populations.…”

“…This fact allows us to categorize Hypsiboas albopunctatus, Leptodactylus furnarius, and Physalaemus cuvieri in the CR category. On the other hand, species such as Melanophryniscus pachyrhynus (with one record, BORTEIRO et al, 2005) and Scinax aromothyella (PRIGIONI et al, 2005;KOLENC et al, 2007), also recently recorded (as mentioned above), were categorized as DD because of the lack of knowledge of their life history traits and the absence of other local data.…”

“…The single rattlesnake species present in Uruguay (Crotalus durissus terrificus (Laurenti, 1768)) constitutes an example of a species that, like those mentioned above, shows no apparent conservation threats at a global level, while at the national scale its distribution has been notoriously reduced, presently restricted to a few localities in the north of the country (CARREIRA et al, 2005). Habitat destruction and fragmentation are repeatedly invoked factors in species categorization, whereas information regarding population sizes and dynamics is very scarce, except for the sea turtles and Caiman latirostris (BORTEIRO et al, 2006). Sea turtles comprise a particular case because they do not reproduce in Uruguayan beaches, although the Uruguayan maritime space is an important feeding area for the sea turtle populations of the southern Atlantic (LÓPEZ-MENDILAHARSU et al, 2006).…”

Estado sanitário do jacaré-de-papo-amarelo (<i>Caiman latirostris</i>) em paisagens antropizadas no Estado de São Paulo

“…Figura 1 -Distribuição geográfica do jacaré-de-papo-amarelo (Caiman latirostris) Fonte: Coutinho et al (2013) Como todos os crocodilianos, a espécie tem hábitos semiaquáticos, sendo primariamente encontrada em águas lentas, que incluem pântanos, várzeas e mangues ao longo da costa atlântica brasileira (MEDEM, 1983), porém a espécie parece ter se adaptado bem a outros tipos de hábitats, como lagos, rios, riachos e açudes (BORTEIRO et al, 2006), incluindo aqueles considerados artificiais, construídos como reservatórios de água para agricultura ou para a criação de gado, o que de certa forma, está favorecendo a dispersão deste crocodiliano (SCOTT et al, 1990;LAVORENTI, 1990;BORTEIRO et al, 2001BORTEIRO et al, , 2008PIÑA, LARRIERA, 2003;BORTEIRO, 2005 (VAC et al, 1992;LARSEN et al, 1992;VERDADE et al, 1992aVERDADE et al, , 1992bVERDADE et al, , 2003LAVORENTI;PACKER, 1993;SARKIS, 1998;VERDADE, 1995VERDADE, , 2001b, à nutrição (SARKIS-GONÇALVES; CASTRO; VERDADE, 2002;SARKIS-GONÇALVES et al, 2002), ao comportamento social (VERDADE, 1992(VERDADE, , 1999PIFFER;VERDADE, 2002), ao comportamento de termorregulação (VERDADE et al, 1994;FINCATTI;VERDADE, 2002;BASSETTI, et al, 2005, à morfometria (VERDADE, 2000(VERDADE, , 2003PIÑA et al, 2007), à biologia molecular (ZUCOLOTO; VERDADE; COUTINHO, 2002;ZUCOLOTO;COUTINHO, 2002;VILLELA et al, 2008;ZUCOLOTO et al, 2009), ao uso do espaço (VERDADE; PIÑA; ARAÚJO, 2006;MARQUES et al, 2014), à ecologia isotópica (MARQUES et al, 2013)…”

Distribution of populations of broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris, Daudin 1802, Alligatoridae) in the São Francisco River basin, Brazil

“…It is distributed throughout the Paraná, Paraguay, São Francisco and Uruguay River basins (Borteiro et al, 2006), being the crocodilian with the southernmost distribution among neotropical species. The species distribution within Brazil ranges from the north-eastern state of Rio Grande do Norte reaching the south of the Rio Grande do Sul state (Verdade and Piña, 2006 …”