Does Time Spent in the Harvest Containers Affect Caiman latirostris Egg Hatchability ?

PIÑA, C.I.; SIMONCINI, M.; SIROSKI, P.; LARRIERA, A.

Montélimar, Francia

Congreso; 18th Working Meeting of the IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, Montélimar, France (20-23 Junio 2006); 2006

Grupo de Especialistas en Cocodrilos de la UICN/SSC

In an attempt to improve egg-harvesting efficiency. We tested whether harvested eggs could be left for longer periods of time within containers without reducing hatching success. We maintained Caiman latirostris eggs collected by ‘gauchos’ within the harvest containers in the gaucho’s house for different time periods (< than 1 day, 2-7 days and more than a week) simulating the same procedures as if we were harvesting the eggs commercially. We found no effects of time on hatching success. This result means that gauchos involved in the program can harvest eggs on their first visit to the nest, and hold them in containers until they can be sent to, the incubation facilities, thus reducing the chances of losing eggs through predation or flooding.