Nesting of Morelet’s crocodile, Crocodylus moreletii (Dumeril and Bibron), in Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Nidificação de crocodilo do Morelet, Crocodylus moreletii (Dumeril e Bibron), em Los Tuxtlas, México

Abstract

We evaluated the nesting by Crocodylus moreletii in Lago de Catemaco, Veracruz, southeastern, Mexico. During the nesting and hatching seasons, we searched for nests along the northern margins of the lake and small associated streams. We investigated egg mortality by weekly monitoring each of the nests found, recording sign of predation (tracks and holes dug into the nest) and the effect of water level fluctuations. We not found differences to nest between inland or flooded zones. However, we found that egg size varied among nests. In nests built inland, predation was the major cause of egg mortality whereas flooding resulted in more deaths of eggs in the flooding zone. Flooding killed 25% of eggs monitored in this study. We suggest that to increase nest success in the Morelet’s crocodile it is necessary to promote conservation of nesting areas around the lake, recently occupied by urban or tourist developments.

Keywords:
crocodile; egg mortality; flooding; Mexico; predation