Influence of Climatic Variables on Corporal Attributes of Adult Female Caiman and Their Relationship with Reproductive Success

Leiva, Pamela M.L.; Labaque, María Carla; Piña, Carlos I.; Simoncini, Melina S.

doi:10.2994/sajh-d-21-00033.1

Cited by 1 publication

(10 citation statements)

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“…It is generally speculated that ectothermic animals such as reptiles in general, and crocodilians in particular, are highly dependent on capital reproduction [ 1 , 8 , 9 ]. Therefore, studying the mechanisms and patterns of energy allocation to reproduction can provide valuable information on the life history of these reptile species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been reported that there is a strong relationship between the weight and size of the clutch and the females’ sizes [ 10 , 11 , 12 ], so that the metabolic cost of reproduction would not be the same among adult females. Leiva et al [ 8 ] even mentioned that in unfavorable years, in Caiman latirostris , only the larger females are able to reproduce, making it possible to categorize reproductive fitness according to the animal’s size. The species in our study is Caiman latirostris , which inhabits warm to temperate climates, in Santa Fe province (Argentina).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At present, there are several body condition indices (e.g., K-Fulton, SMI, regression), and the choice is related to different criteria, as they are rooted in the field of study, making comparison with other research possible. In crocodilian ecology, the K-Fulton is generally the most widely used [ 5 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], although it is gradually migrating to more appropriate indices such as the SMI [ 8 , 24 , 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, body condition indices are useful and used in several crocodile studies, where these indices are related to environmental variables [ 8 , 28 , 31 , 32 ], to life history patterns–reproduction [ 3 , 8 ], survival, health [ 24 ], juvenile migration [ 3 , 33 ], and to ecological interactions–parasite load, social dominance, diet [ 34 ], and density [ 35 ]. Indices have also been used to evaluate ecological restoration programs and the management of natural populations [ 26 , 36 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, the use of body condition indices can provide valuable information on the life history of these reptile species. In this sense, body condition indices are good indicators of reproductive capacity, as they provide information on the fitness of individuals [ 3 , 5 , 8 , 37 ]. Also, the existence of a threshold in the body condition indices (a minimum level of body reserves), which is necessary for reproduction, could show the link between the storage of maternal reserves and the ability to reproduce [ 38 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Body Condition of Reproductive and Non-Reproductive Broad-Snouted Caiman Females

Viotto,

Leiva,

Pierini

et al. 2023

Animals

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In this work, we calculated the body condition indices, K-Fulton and scaled mass index (SMI), of reproductive and non-reproductive Caiman latirostris adult females as an indication of stored energy. We considered 87 adult females captured from 2001 to 2018, both reproductive and non-reproductive. The body condition was calculated considering two scenarios: (a) only the weight of the female, and (b) the sum of the weight of the female and the average dry weight of her nest. We tested the difference in body condition between reproductive and non-reproductive females. We also evaluated the minimal body condition required to guarantee that females above it are reproductive by drawing a line that separated the body condition of strictly reproductive individuals from those that may or may not be reproductive. Reproductive females had better body condition than non-reproductive ones. Our SMI.S line separated almost 70% of the reproductive females. Based on our results, we can guarantee that a female whose body condition is above the line will reproduce, although not all those females below the line are non-reproductive, as a few of those under the line will nest. With this information, we have one more biological indicator to take into account when making management and conservation decisions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%