Relationship between body condition and reproduction

EVANGELINA VIOTTO; PAMELA ML LEIVA; MELINA S. SIMONCINI; CARLOS I. PIÑA

CHETUMAL

Congreso; XXV Working Meeting CSG-UICN; 2022

CSG

To know patterns of energy destined to reproduction is necessary tounderstand reproductive ecology of species. In this work we calculated body condition(BC) index of reproductive and non-reproductive Caiman latirostris adult females, asan indication of stored energy. We have calculated FULTON and Scaled Mass Index(SMI) of 96 adult females, captured since 2001 to 2018 (except 2009). Females wereconsidered reproductive (R) if they were captured defending a nest or were gravid (n=75) and non-reproductive (NR) confirmed by echography (n= 21). We tested difference inBC between R and NR females with T test. We also evaluated minimal BC to guaranteedthat females beyond that line are reproductive. Reproductive females had better BCthan non-reproductive ones (in both FULTON and SMI). Our line separate 70% of thenesting females. Based on our results we could guarantee that a female will reproduceif her BC is beyond the line, but not all the females under the line are non-reproductive,indeed a few females under the line nests.