“…Habitat selection in crocodylians is influenced by many factors, such as foraging, water depth, and vegetation cover and type (Van weerd et al, 2006;Villamarín et al, 2017). Furthermore, responses of crocodylians are directly related to the suitability of environmental conditions and hydrological dynamics (Mazzotti et al, 2009), so unpredictable fluctuations in water level can make the ecosystem less attractive to crocodiles (Mazzotti et al, 2009;Eversole et al, 2015). For Alligator missisipiensis, Melanosuchus niger, and Caiman crocodilus, it has been found that larger individuals use deeper waters than smaller ones (Herron, 1994;Webb et al, 2009;Lewis et al, 2014;Eversole et al, 2018).…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Home ranges of crocodylians depend on the habitat characteristics (Lang, 1987;Rosenblatt and Heithaus, 2011;Eversole et al, 2015;Strickland et al, 2016). Portions of Cedral lagoon dried up and others were flooded in a matter of days or weeks.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The way in which intra and inter-specific relationships between crocodylians are expressed depend on habitat and water fluctuations (Hocutt et al, 1992;Da Silveira, 2011;Eversole et al, 2015). These parameters limit or regulate physiological factors such as thermoregulation, foraging demands, reproduction, predator avoidance, and territorial defense (Eversole et al, 2018), which in turn define habitat selection (Strickland et al, 2016).…”
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.
“…Habitat selection in crocodylians is influenced by many factors, such as foraging, water depth, and vegetation cover and type (Van weerd et al, 2006;Villamarín et al, 2017). Furthermore, responses of crocodylians are directly related to the suitability of environmental conditions and hydrological dynamics (Mazzotti et al, 2009), so unpredictable fluctuations in water level can make the ecosystem less attractive to crocodiles (Mazzotti et al, 2009;Eversole et al, 2015). For Alligator missisipiensis, Melanosuchus niger, and Caiman crocodilus, it has been found that larger individuals use deeper waters than smaller ones (Herron, 1994;Webb et al, 2009;Lewis et al, 2014;Eversole et al, 2018).…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Home ranges of crocodylians depend on the habitat characteristics (Lang, 1987;Rosenblatt and Heithaus, 2011;Eversole et al, 2015;Strickland et al, 2016). Portions of Cedral lagoon dried up and others were flooded in a matter of days or weeks.…”
mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The way in which intra and inter-specific relationships between crocodylians are expressed depend on habitat and water fluctuations (Hocutt et al, 1992;Da Silveira, 2011;Eversole et al, 2015). These parameters limit or regulate physiological factors such as thermoregulation, foraging demands, reproduction, predator avoidance, and territorial defense (Eversole et al, 2018), which in turn define habitat selection (Strickland et al, 2016).…”
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.
“…Alligator occurrence and relative abundance across a heterogeneous habitat is multifaceted and complex, especially when considering variation between size classes and across study areas 31 . Overall, our study suggests that urban development adjacent to large river systems produces unfavorable habitat for alligators.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…We only performed surveys when rainfall was absent and wind speeds were below 16 km/h since these factors have been shown to affect alligator detection probability 24 . Quasi-random sampling over the span of a year was best suited to randomize environmental conditions that affect nighttime spotlight survey counts, such as water level, temperature, moon phase, and moon illumination 24 , 31 , 35 , 36 . Figure 1 Map of the tributaries surrounding the lower St. Johns River that were surveyed as part of our study (white areas).…”
Urbanization impacts wildlife, yet research has been limited to few taxa. American alligators (Alligatormississippiensis) are apex predators that have received minimal attention within urban areas. We investigated potential effects of urban land use on alligators through surveys of relative alligator abundance in nine tributaries of the lower St. Johns River within Jacksonville, FL. We then explored the potential effects of urban development on alligator spatial distribution and habitat selection at coarse and fine scales. At the coarse scale, we found no correlation between percent developed land and alligator abundance across tributaries; instead, salinity was the primary driver. However, at the fine scale alligators preferred habitats with more open water and vegetated shorelines and avoided anthropogenic structure. Surprisingly, only one of 93 sighted individuals was an adult. Hunting and nuisance alligator data suggests that adults are relatively rare in Jacksonville because they have been targeted for removal. Thus, smaller alligators still occupy urban habitats because they are not targeted and face no competition from adults. Increasing urbanization and human activity may further degrade alligator habitats and limit the distribution of breeding adults, potentially leading to local population declines.
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