Cocodrilos en la Región Litoral: especies, distribución geográfica, modo de vida

C. PIÑA, A. LARRIERA Y P. SIROSKI

Temas de la Biodiversidad del Litoral Fluvial Argentino

Insugeo. CONICET

Lugar: San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina; Año: 2004 vol. 12 p. 317 - 322

1514-4836

Crocodiles have been in the earth for 220 MY. On their evolution they have occupied a wide variety of  habitats, from terrestrial to sea habitats. They are ecologically beneficious for their habitats. Benefits are selective depredation, nutrient recycling, and maintenance of  wet refuges during severe droughts. Presently, the most endangered species are in such situation because of habitat loss, not poaching. Of the 23 species of the order Crocodylia, ten can be found in LatinAmerica, included in Caiman, Crocodylus, Melanosuchus, and Paleosuchus  genera, but only two can be found Argentina, Caiman latirostris (Broad Snouted Caiman) and Caiman yacare (Yacare Caiman). Both species share most of  their distribution, but C. latirostris goes further south than C. yacare because it’s wider temperature tolerance. In recent years there were records of nesting as south as El Rico Island (32° 16’S; 60° 40’ O; Natural Reserve of Santa Feprovince) in the Paraná River, but there are no censuses of those marginal populations in Santa Fe and Entre Ríos provinces. Conservation programs, based on sustainable use, act as tool of protection for natural ecosystems, and produce a considerable amount of scientific information for the species and their habitats. In January 2002 we trapped  nesting females that have been released in the wild by Proyecto Yacaré in 1991 and 1992 as part of  the self-recovering population program for the species.