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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 01:42 PM

Jacaré Açu (Melanosuchus niger)

I've been working alot on creating this thread for months already that will be All About Black Caimans including sizes, studies, accounts, videos, pictures, behavior, conflicts with humans, intra/inter specific interactions and more. It'll be all about this very underrated Reptile Species and its more than about time to show more of them to the world as they're also one of the very Top predators of Brazil and South America.

I will share all about the Jacaré Açu here and Feel free to share anything related to this specific Species and the other Caimans species in the already existing Caiman thread.

BLACK CAIMAN ( JACARÉ AÇU )

From the study: DYNAMICS AND POPULATIONAL STRUCTURE OF JACARÉ-AÇU (Melanosuchus niger) IN AMAZÔNIA.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3faf/7b...8e71e4.pdf

Natural history of Melanosuchus niger.

Etymologically, the name Melanosuchus nigerderiva from the Greek "melanos" (black), "souchus" (crocodile) and "niger" (black), given predominant accordion of this species (Vasquez, 1991). In Brazil, it is popularly known as Jacaré-Açu, a word that comes from the tupi guarani and means large caiman or larger caiman.

Melanosuchus niger is one of the 23 species of the order Crocodylia. Black Caiman is considered the largest predator of the Amazon basin. Males reach an Average of 4 meters of total length (Vasquez, 1991), although there are records of specimens measuring up to 6 meters long (Medem, 1983; Plotkinet al., 1983). Females reach sexual maturity at 2 meters in total length and their average size when adult is 2.8 m. The generation time, that is, the time in which individuals reach sexual maturity is from 10 to 15 years. The nests are made of leaves, branches and twigs in hillocks, where they are placed between 35-50 eggs. The nestlings measure approximately 30 cm in length when they are born and receive their mother's care for a while (Thorbjarnarson, 1996).

Figure 1. Stages of Melanosuchus niger's life cycle (egg, calf, adult).

*This image is copyright of its original author

Cubs/Calves measure approximately 30 cm in length when they are born and receive their mother's care for a while (Thorbjarnarson, 1996).

The black caiman has a wide, smooth snout and a bony prominence that extends from above the eyes down. Its dorsal coloration is predominantly black when adult, it has 3 to 5 round and black spots on the sides of the jaws and the belly is totally white or yellowish. The iris is yellowish green. cubs and juveniles are black with yellowish stripes on the body (Rueda-Almonacidet al., 2007).

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION

It is distributed throughout the whole Amazon and they can be found in the rivers of the Amazon basin and those that drain to the Atlantic coast.
It is also found in the backwaters of rivers and mainly in lakes and wetlands.

There is register of the species in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana and Peru (Plotkinet al., 1983). In Brazil, it is distributed in the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins (Medem, 1983; Plotkinet al., 1983; Ross, 1998). Vasquez (1991) describes the occurrence of black caimans in the rivers Juruá, Purus, Madeira, Tapajós, Xingu, Araguaia, Tocantins, Negro, Trombetas and Amazonas including the islands near the mouth of the Amazon River. It is most frequently found in waters with little current so it can be observed in river remnants and especially in lakes, flooded woods and shallow marshy areas (Medem, 1963).

Map Figure 2. Distribution of the species Melanosuchus niger. Source: (Thorbjarnarson, 2010).

*This image is copyright of its original author

CONSERVATION AND STATUS OF BLACK CAIMAN

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3faf/7b...8e71e4.pdf

https://www.iucncsg.org/365_docs/attachm...b37cab.pdf

This species was very abundant in the Amazon. Bates (1863; in (Plotkinet al., 1983)) was impressed by its high densities in the Solimões River. But during the last century its populations were reduced and some extinct in its natural range. Today it is unusual to see the black caiman in the main channel of the Solimões River (Plotkinet al., 1983). The main cause of its decline was the commercial interest to obtain leather suffering overexploitation given the superior quality of its leather (Plotkinet al., 1983; Brazaitiset al., 1996; Thorbjarnarson, 1998; Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson, 1999; De Thoisyet al., 2006). The Black Caiman was the preferred Amazonian species due Melanosuchus niger to its larger size and the superior quality of its skin.

The commercial hunting of M. niger began in the 1930s but reached its peak in the 1950s when approximately 1,200,000 specimens were hunted per year (Ojasti, 1996). Between 1950 and 1965 more than 7.5 million Black Caiman's hides were exported from the state of Amazonas - Brazil alone (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson, 1999).

The great demand for skins in Europe and in the United States together and subsequently used to manufacture luxury items including belts, wallets and shoes. With the loss of habitat affected natural populations to the limit of extinction between 1960 and 1969 reaching a high level of fragmentation (CSG, 1995; Britton, 2012). Only after Law No. 5,197 of 1967 the wildlife in Brazil was officially protected but the illegal hunting of Black Caimans continued until 1980 (Plotkinet al., 1983).

In many parts of the species’ range a period of recovery likely began with the demise of commercial skin hunting. In the 1970's a major shift in caiman hunting occurred in the western Brazilian Amazon (Amazonas State) with hunters selling caiman meat instead of skins. By the early 1980's a trade in salted meat from Amazonas State to Pará State in Brazil and to Colombia was reported by Best (1984). In the mid-1990's an estimated trade in excess of 100 tons of caiman meat per year was coming from the region of the Mamirauá Reserve (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson 1999). The trade has flourished and expanded in various areas as described in the Brazil and Peru country accounts. The biggest conservation challenge for the species now is not one of fostering population recovery but rather developing science-based management programs that foster the sustainable use of caiman skins and meat and provide economic benefits for communities that share Amazon riparian habitats with both Black and Spectacled Caimans.

Recent surveys have been conducted throughout most of the range of the M. niger (see country accounts), including some areas where spotlight counts and nest monitoring are being done as part of plans for sustainable harvest programs. (Ortiz van Halle 1995; Alvarez 1995)

The species has recovered substantially in Brazil due to strategies for the conservation and use of caimans that included research on biology, genetics, population density and size structure, habitat selection, movement patterns, ecology, feeding and reproduction, which generated appropriate recommendations for management (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson, 1999).

But the natural populations of this species continue to be affected by anthropic actions such as dam construction, deforestation and hunting. The increase in the construction of hydroelectric plants (HPPs) may have an effect on the conservation status of the caiman due to the environmental and ecological impacts they generate in the regions where they are installed (Marioniet al., 2013). The fragmentation of rivers and therefore the loss of connectivity is one of the greatest impacts; the power plants may also cause the flooding of forest areas for the creation of reservoirs as well as deforestation due to road construction (Finer and Jenkins, 2012).

In addition, the use of Black Caiman's, Spectacled Caiman's and River Dolphin's meat as bait to capture Piracatinga (Calophysus macropterus) is a new form of fishing developed in the Amazon. Although this activity possibly began in the 1990s, it was first reported in 2000 when it drew attention to ecological problems due to the impact on populations of caimans and river dolphins (Estupiñánet al., 2003; Brumet al., 2015). It is estimated that in 2013 alone, some 2,300 caimans were killed in the Solimões and Japurá rivers. Recently the Brazilian government created a regulation banning Piracatinga hake for five years, which came into force in January 2015 (Botero-Ariaset al., 2014).

The State of Amazonas is the largest producer of salted and dried caiman meat. Between 1980 and 1999, it is estimated that 65 tons of meat were extracted per year from the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve. In 2005, approximately 50 tons (5000 individuals) were extracted from the Piagaçu-Purus Sustainable Development Reserve (Marioniet al., 2013).

In Brazil as in other Amazonian nations the Black caiman was intensively hunted for its skin in the 20th century. Skin hunting was particularly intense in the early 1950s, and between 1950 and 1965 a total of 7.5 million caiman skins were exported from Amazonas State alone (Carvalho 1967). Commercial hunting of all wildlife, including caiman, was banned in 1967 (Federal Law 5.197), but reports suggest that some illegal skin hunting continued into the l970s and l980s (Medem 1983). By the late 1960s the caiman skin trade had shifted almost entirely to the less commercially valuable C. crocodilus, indicating that hunters were finding it diffi cult to locate M. niger. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the scarcity of Black caiman was evident in the fact that only approximately 10% of the confiscated caiman skins in Brazil were of M. niger (Rebelo and Magnusson 1983).

While Black caiman were near commercial extinction, breeding populations of wary animals remained in isolated fl oodplain habitats throughout their historic distribution. While some reports in the 1980s suggested that Black caiman was a highly threatened species (Plotkin et al. 1983; Brazaitis et al. 1992), this was due in large part to the inaccessible nature of the areas where the breeding populations remained, and the wary nature of the surviving animals. In areas of prime habitat in the western Brazilian Amazon, the species recovered relatively quickly following the end of widespread commercial skin hunting, and by the early 1980s there was an emerging industry of hunting caiman for their meat (Best 1984). As populations of caiman grew so did meat hunting until by the 1990s in some areas (such as the Mamirauá SDR region) there was a large network of hunters and traders dealing in caiman meat (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson 1999).

Today, M. niger is common throughout much of the Brazilian Amazon, and there are no reports of populations being locally endangered in the last 15-20 years. In 2007, the population was transferred to CITES Appendix II (Brazil 2007), a move that will facilitate managed commercial use (Dacey 2007). Nevertheless, the abundance of Black caiman is not uniform throughout the Amazon Basin. The highest densities and largest populations occur in the nutrient-rich varzea habitat located along white water river systems with Andean origins, including the Solimoes, Juruá, Japura and Purus. Aside from the sediment-rich white water rivers, Amazonian rivers are classifi ed as blackwater, such as the Rio Negro, or clearwater river systems, such as the Tapajos. These river systems tend to have lower levels of productivity and lack the productive varzea forest floodplains whose lakes are favored by Black caiman. While these types of river systems and their associated wetlands are also inhabited by Black caiman, the latter are typically found at much lower densities (Da Silveira 2002).

In most of the habitats used by M. niger, their abundance is poorly represented by spotlight counts because the species prefers heavily vegetated wetlands and locations relatively inaccessible for motorboats. Ecological studies in the Mamirauá SDR have shown that only once breeding populations in isolated fl oodplain lakes reach levels approaching carrying capacity do Black caiman start appearing in more accessible fl oodplain wetlands and rivers channels where spotlight counts are usually conducted.

However, in areas of varzea habitat in the western Brazilian Amazon, Black caiman can be seen in extremely high densities in the seasonal dry period when many of the temporary floodplain wetlands dry up and caiman move into areas of more permanent water. For instance in some sectors of the Mamirauá SDR, dry season densities in excess of one black caiman per meter of shoreline have been reported (>1000 caiman/km). However, it is unlikely that densities of Black caiman from areas like Mamirauá can be used for extrapolation to estimate the population for the entire Brazilian Amazon, as was done to derive population estimates of 8 million M. niger in Brazilian Amazon varzea habitats (300,000 km2) and 16 million in the entire Brazilian Amazon (Brazil 2007).

*This image is copyright of its original author

IN BOLIVIA.

Black caimans were historically widespread throughout northern and eastern Bolivia, in the Departments of La Paz, Pando, Santa Cruz, Beni and Cochabamaba, but were heavily impacted by skin hunting during the period 1942-1960 (Plotkin et al. 1983). Surveys in 1986-1987 found M. niger to still be distributed throughout most of its historical range, but in very low numbers (King and Videz Roca 1989). Of the very few individuals that were encountered, most were juveniles or sub-adults. Recent surveys in certain parts of the Beni and Santa Cruz lowlands indicate that populations in some areas are still locally abundant. The species was found to be relatively abundant within the Beni Biological Station protected area (Pacheco 1993a). Encounter rates in six lagoons ranged from 0.47 to 19.5 individuals/km. The numbers of M. niger in rivers were lower (to 1.4/km), but Pacheco (1993a) considered the Beni Biological Station to harbor an important population of this species.

IN COLOMBIA.

Melanosuchus niger was once abundant throughout the Colombian Amazon region in the upper Amazon River and its major affluents, the Putumayo and Caquetá, as well as in the Atacuari, the Loreto Yacu and the Apaporis Rivers, among others. According to Medem (1981) commercial hunting for M. niger skins began in the upper Amazon River around 1945 and spread to the rest of the country, causing a rapid decline in its populations. By the late 1950s Black caiman was rare, but it wasn’t until 1968 that the Ministerio de Agricultura limited hunting and egg collection (Resolution 411); a complete ban was put in place in 1969 (Resolution 573) (Medem 1981; Brieva 2002). However, due to poor law enforcement, an estimated 61,116 skins and 259 live animals were exported through Leticia, Bogota, Barranquilla and Cali in 1970 and 1972 (Medem 1981). Medem (1981) concluded that M. niger had virtually disappeared from the Colombian territory.

IN ECUADOR

Asanza (1992) reported that M. niger heavily exploited in Ecuador between 1930 and 1970, with approximately 500,000 skins being traded, mostly through Leticia and Manaus. In the 1970s, Medem (King 1973) believed that Ecuador was the only place where M. niger not on the verge of extinction. In the late 1980s, an illegal trade in small (40-120 cm) live M. niger was reported. Although M. niger was reported. Although their final destination is unknown, numbers of these animals were reported to be exported illegally over the Colombian and Peruvian borders (Asanza, pers. comm.).

Populations are known to exist in several parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon, particularly in isolated oxbow lakes. Hines and Rice (1992, 1994) conducted surveys in Ecuador during the early 1990s along 18 survey routes (131.2 km total) of optimal habitat. Black caiman were observed at 16 of 17 locations and densities ranged from 0/km to 13.25/km, with a mean value of 4.65/km. The highest densities were found at Challuacocha (11-13/km), Imuya (<13.25/km), and Limoncocha (10.25/km). In a total of 28 surveys, 309 M. niger and 188 M. niger and 188 C. crocodilus were observed. The size class distribution reflected an abundance of juvenile animals. In Limoncocha, Asanza (1992) reported a decline in the population of M. niger between 1983 and 1990. Recent surveys in the same locality report densities of up to 8.27/km, suggesting that the population has been stable during the last few years (Villamarin 2006a).

IN FRENCH GUIANA.

In French Guiana, M. niger is restricted to the coastal region in the northeast of the country. Habitats are the seasonally flooded grasslands of the Kaw River, Angélique and Pointe Béhague, and the mangroves of the lower parts of the Kaw and Approuague Rivers. Before extirpation by poaching during the 20th century, M. niger in French Guiana had a wider distribution, estimated to be two-fold larger than now.

Surveys in the central part of the Nature Reserve of Kaw, which is remote and inaccessible, showed high densities and age-structure compatible with a healthy population. In contrast, surveys in borders of the areas revealed absence of hatchlings and large animals, and dramatically decreased densities (B. de Thoisy, unpublished data). Analysis of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA suggested a high genetic diversity and a significant recovering potential (Farias et al. 2004; de Thoisy et al. 2005; Vasconcelos et al. 2008). Nuclear markers suggested that gene flows are important between Angélique and Kaw River. On the other hand, animals from the Approuague would be related to breeders from Pointe Béhague, another large swamp inaccessible area located in the East of the river, close to the border with Brazil.

IN GUYANA.

Medem (1983) reported that M. niger was restricted to the upper and middle Essequibo, Rupununi, Rewa and Berbice Rivers, as well as to two Amazon basin rivers (the Takatu and the Ireng) in Guyana. Gorzula and Woolford (1990) noted a similar distribution but were unable to confirm the reports from the Berbice River. Medem’s (1983) survey found Black caiman to be close to extinction in Guyana following a period of intensive skin hunting. During the period of peak hunting, Guyanese residents would apply for permits, then have Brazilian skin dealers from Boa Vista cross the border and organize hunting parties of local Amerindians (Plotkin et al. 1983). Gorzula and Woolford (1990) reported that large-scale commercial hunting took place from 1955 to 1965, and that most of the skins went out via Brazil. Some hunting was reported into the 1970s.

IN PERU.

Historically M. niger was common throughout the upper Amazon drainages in Peru, but was depleted by hunting which began around 1950 (Plotkin et al. 1983). Surveys by Otte (1974) found no M. niger along the Sotileja, Heath and Pariamanú Rivers, but some were observed in the upper Río de las Piedras. Based on information from caiman hunters and skin buyers, Otte (1974) concluded that exploitable populations were only found in the upper regions of the Tambopata, Manú, Piedras and Amigo Rivers. As in other parts of the species’ range, Black caiman were rare in Peru in the 1970s and 1980s, and Plotkin et al. (1983) considered the species to be on the verge of extinction in Peru, but numbers of animals began rebounding soon thereafter. Population surveys were conducted in Cocha Cashu in Manú National Park beginning the early 1970s. Otte (1974) estimated a population size of 37 in 1971-1972. Similar counts carried out in 1978 suggested a 50-60% increase in population size. A census in 1982 estimated population size to be 213 (Vasquez 1982). During nocturnal counts in Cocha Cashu (4.0 km) by Herron (1985), 99-111 black caiman were sighted (uncorrected population estimate; density= 24.74-27.75/km shoreline), with a population heavily skewed towards juveniles.

IN VENEZUELA.

The presence of M. niger in Venezuela has not been confirmed and appears to be unlikely. The southernmost portion of Amazonas State in Venezuela includes part of the upper drainage of the Rio Negro, and M. niger is known from downstream sections of this river. However, the habitats along the upper Rio Negro do not appear to be favorable for M. niger (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson, pers. obs.). There are two reports that suggest there may be, at least periodically, some M. niger in this region of Venezuela. Donoso-Barros (1966a, M. niger in this region of Venezuela. Donoso-Barros (1966a, M. niger1996b) reported M. niger in Venezuela, citing a specimen from the Rio Negro originating from the region south of Cocuy. Gorzula and Paolillo (1986) noted the imprecise locality data, and cited Medem (1983) for a lack of confirmed specimens from Venezuela. Based on their observations in Bolivar and Amazonas States they concluded that there was no firm evidence indicating M. niger was found within Venezuela.

King (1991) reported a Black caiman killed just southeast of Puerto Ayacucho (presumably in or around the Rio Cataniapo) in 1967 by Jay Wilson, a caiman skin dealer. King (1991) suggested that this area and other sites in the upper Orinoco be revisited to confirm this record. The basis for some prior accounts of M. niger in Amazonas State may also originate in species lists compiled by anthropologists who erroneously considered the local name of “caiman negro” as referring to M. niger whereas it is typically used for Paleosuchus trigonatus.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3faf/7b...8e71e4.pdf

There is no information about M. niger's adaptability to dams (Marioniet al., 2013), but in a few years we will know their effects and consequences. We can intuit that the modification of the natural characteristics of the system will have effects on connectivity or isolation, which are recognized as fundamental factors that determine the distribution of species (Pringle, 2003); but these effects will be directed towards the loss of genetic variability, given that the populations upstream of the rapids are already isolated but contribute with individuals that have different genetic characteristics. However, based on the results of this work, we can say that the greatest consequences of the construction of hydroelectric dams for Black caiman populations will be environmental and ecological. The hydrologic regime will change affecting the cycles of flooding and ebbing of rivers that are related to the reproduction, feeding and distribution of the species; and the nesting areas will decrease or disappear due to the flooding of forest areas for reservoir construction. Thus, it is recommended that genetic monitoring be done over the years so that in the future we can mitigate any effects of these barriers to the genetic health of M. niger populations.

Therefore, in this work we have defined seven important areas for conservation that cover almost the entire distribution of the species. The Western, Central, Eastern, Guyana, Bolivia, Napo and Araguaia groups are the areas where there should be operational units to implement management plans (Figure 17). There are a few locations left blank where it would be important to make sampling efforts to complete the definition of conservation areas. Likewise, it is important that all the areas chosen are large enough (mega reserves: larger than a megahectar), taking into account the displacement capacity of individuals, calculated at least 38 km (Da Silveira et al., 2011); well conserved, because the maintenance of populations by migration in degraded areas is not feasible; and with nesting areas, since areas with high densities of nests also have high densities of adults and sub-adults (Da Silveira et al., 1997). All these factors will allow the development of large populations that are a source of individuals to areas less suitable and subject to strong anthropic pressure.

Figure 17. Map of the seven areas defined for the conservation of the Black caiman (M. niger) along its distribution. The questions indicate lack of data. The distribution of the species is delimited by the white area. Layer of distribution taken from (IUCN, 2000).

1 - Grupo Napo = Napo Group, 2 - Grupo Oeste = West Group, 3 - Grupo Bolívia = Bolivian Group, 4 - Grupo Centro = Central Group, 5 - Grupo Guina = Guyana Group, 6 - Grupo Leste = East Group, 7 - Group Araguaia = Araguaia Group.

*This image is copyright of its original author

CONCLUSION

The populations of black caiman (M. niger) present patterns of distribution of genetic variability due to differentiation by isolation by distance and structuring by presence of geographical barriers, which are the most important population dynamics for the species.

The Madeira/Guaporé river rapids act as a barrier for the species restricting gene flow between populations that are above, between and below them, and is only given in a unidirectional way, upstream and downstream.

The Isolation by distance determines a West-East pattern, which means that it is necessary to define operational units, such as reserves, to conserve the genetic variability of the species.

The North-South differentiation highlights an old connection between the lower Negro River and the lower Madeira River. These two areas constitute a center of genetic variability species. Therefore, the definition of operational units will allow the conservation of genetic diversity as well as the evolutionary and historical processes that led to the development of this pattern.

The populations of the Araguaia, Guaporé and Uraricoera rivers constitute differentiated management units because they are isolated biological groups that share a reproduction system within each of them and do not receive individuals from other populations.

The genetic diversity of the species is high when compared to other crocodilian species, although there are isolated populations with reduced diversity.

For species with a wide distribution it is important to cover a large part of it to have more complete information about its dynamics and genetic variability
The current threats such as habitat destruction by hydroelectric construction can affect the distribution patterns of the species. Other threats such as illegal hunting can affect it demographically by decreasing its genetic variability.

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 01:45 PM

SKULL SIZES MORPHOLOGY AND BITE FORCE ESTIMATION.

From the Study ( Intraspecific variation in the skull morphology of the Black Caiman Melanosuchus niger (Alligatoridae, Caimaninae) )
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/d...eS1-S2.pdf

Table S1. List of specimens of Melanosuchus niger used in the geometric morphometric analysis with information on sex, skull length SL, bite force, and data sets in which in was included (dorsal, ventral and lateral views). The bite force BF estimation based on the equation of Ericksonet al.(2003): LogBF = 2.75 x LogSL –0.65; j = juvenile, j*= juvenile specimens, which were x-rayed; f = female, m = male, m* = identification of males by one of the authors (CF) based on the large size compared to the largest female. SMF Senckenberg Natur museum Frankfurt (Germany); ZFMK Zoologisches Forschungs museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (Germany);NHMW Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Austria); ZMH Zoologisches Museum Hamburg (Germany); ZSM Zoologische Staatssammlung München (Germany).

NOTE: Follow the Skull table by the photos order.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Anatomical description of the landmarks (the landmarks are visualized in Fig.1 of the main text; LM = landmark; semi-LM = semi-landmark)

DORSAL VIEW

1 most anterior contact between both premaxillae

2 midpoint of the posterior margin of the skull table

3 contact between the supraoccipital and parietal along the posterior margin of the skull table

4 most posterolateral point of the squamosal (contact with the exoccipital)

5 most posterolateralpoint of the quadrate

6 contact of jugal process of the postorbital with skull table

7 most posterolateral point of the orbit8most anterior point of the orbit

9 contact between the premaxilla and maxilla along the lateral margin of the skull

10 one semi-LM on the anterolateral margin of the skull between LM 1 and LM 9

11-12 two semi-LMs on the medial margin of the orbit between LM 8 and LM 6, from anterior to posterior

13-15 three semi-LMs on the lateral margin of the skull between LM 9 and LM 5, from anterior to posterior

LATERAL VIEW

1 most anteroventral point of the premaxillae

2 contact between the maxilla and jugal along the ventral margin of the skull

3 most posterior point of the quadratojugal at the jaw joint

4 most posterior point of the skull roof surface

5 postorbital foramen

6 most ventral contact between the jugal and postorbital

7 most anterior point of the orbit

8 contact of the premaxilla and maxilla along the margin of the tooth row

9 one semi-LM on the ventral margin of the premaxilla between LM 1 and LM 8

10-12 three semi-LMs on the ventral margin od the maxilla between LM 8 and LM 2, from anterior to posterior

13-14 two semi-LMs on the ventral margin of the jugal between LM 2 and LM 3, from anterior to posterior

15-21 seven semi-LMs on the dorsal margin of the skull between LM 1 and LM 4, from anterior to posterior

Error testafter Singleton (2002)

For the error test, estimating the methodological error of plotting landmarks on the skulls, Procrustes distances of the Procrustes coordinates to the respective consensus coordinates of each landmark were calculated. Then, the relation of these distances to the mean distance of the consensus landmarks to the centroid of the consensus shape was calculated as a percentage of the former from the latter.Based on the test all landmarks possess only a small percentage errorfor plotting landmarks(≈0. 08-1.27%).

Table S2.Percentageerror for each landmark for both photographed (ZSM 2416/2006) and the X-rayed specimens (ZSM 3/1971)(in dorsal and lateral view) with n = 10.

*This image is copyright of its original author

References
Erickson, G. M., Lappin,A. K. andVliet,K. A. 2003. The ontogeny of bite-force performance in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Journal of Zoology260: 317-327.Singleton, M. 2002. Patterns of cranial shape variation in the Papionini(Primates: Cercopithecinae). Journal of Human Evolution 42:547-578.

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 01:49 PM

Summary of Diet study with Stomach content of Black caiman and Spectacled caiman from Cuniã Lake - Amazon - Brazil.

From the study ( Characterization of the diet of Melanosuchus niger (Spix, 1825) and Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Resex Lago do Cuniã, Rondônia )

http://portal.amelica.org/ameli/jatsRepo...149014.pdf

ABSTRACT:

The aim of this study was to characterize the diet of male individuals of Melanosuchus niger and Caiman crocodilus in a lake at the Reserva Extrativista do Lago do Cuniã, Rondônia. We collected guts of the animals in November/2016, rainy season, provided by the local Cooperative (COOPCuniã). Caimans abdominal cavities were opened and their stomach were removed, after the gut contents were stored in 70% alcohol, and food items were analyzed. We analyzed 82 stomachs, 42 of M. niger and 40 of C. crocodilus. Food items such as fragments of birds, amphibians, crustaceans, insects, and plant material were ingered by the species studied. However, the most representative items in the diet of M. niger and C. crocodilus were fishes from the Characifomes and Siluriformes order of no commercial importance.

STUDY AREA:

Study area with indication of Caniã Lake, Rondônia, Brazil.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Cuniã Lake is an important protected area located in the Cuniã Lake Extractive Reserve (RESEX Cuniã), which has over 140 species of fish, supports local fisheries subject to an environmental management plan and other activities of sustainable use of natural resources such as the capture and killing of caimans. With a surface area of 18,000 ha, Cuniã Lake is located in the lower part of the Madeira River, and comprises a complex of approximately 60 lakes and canals, which are interconnected during the flood season of the river, housing large areas of aquatic macrophytes, submerged litter, marginal trunks and being one of the few floodplain lakes of large size with turbid waters, promoting a great structural complexity, which contributes to the great animal biodiversity in the area.

Cuniã Lake presents the population of caimans with the number of males higher than the number of females. The Cooperative of Resex (COOPCuniã) was founded in April 2011 in order to market the products of RESEX. The Resex Cuniã produces flour, açaí, Brazil nuts and explores the management of some species of fish and two species of caimans, C. crocodilus and M. niger. The cooperative is managed by a group of managers who are responsible for activities within and outside the RESEX, but the objective of all the activities of the cooperative is to ensure the fulfillment of its mission: "carry out the management of resources with a focus on sustainability". The production model followed in the RESEX is of the harvesting type, authorized in 2011 by IBAMA for the purpose of population control.

RESULTS:

A total of 82 stomachs, 42 M. niger and 40 C. crocodilus stomachs were analyzed. The average length and mass of M. niger were 1.8 ± 0.1 m and 17.0 ± 5.5 kg, and of C. crocodilus were 1.7 ± 0.1 m; 19.0 ± 5.0 kg, respectively. Both species ingested a total of 14 food items, varying in items of animal origin,such as bird fragments, fish fragments, amphibians, crustaceans and insects and items of plant origin such as Brachiaria sp. (IAi = 0.20) and feathers (IAi = 0.11) were the most ingested by C. crocodilus while for M. niger the most important items were Brachiaria sp. (IAi = 0.39), Characiformes sp 1 (IAi = 0.19) and Loricariidae (IAi = 0.17; ).

Figure 4: Dietary items of M. niger and C. crocodilus in Resex Lake Cuniã, Rondônia. A: Fish skeleton of the Siluriformes Order. B: bones and epidermis of anuro. C: feathers. D: Brachiaria sp. with presence of nematoides.

*This image is copyright of its original author

DISCUSSION:

The fish were the most consumed item by both species studied in Lake Cuniã. C. crocodilus and M. niger ingested a total of 14 food items, however C. crocodilus consumed a greater variety of invertebrate items while M. niger ingested more items from the vertebrate group.
Crocodilians are generalist predators, feed on a variety of animal prey and their diet can vary according to species, habitat, prey availability and environmental conditions such as temperature and water levels. The species M. niger and C. crocodilus feed mainly on insects (coleoptera), spiders, crabs, molluscs and vertebrates such as fish, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Approximately 82% of food items recorded in the diet of M. niger and C. crocodiles in this study are the same as those recorded for these species in the Amazon and Venezuelan Llanos. The high incidence of fish in the diet of the species is according to previous information and may be related to the fact that the animals analyzed are males, considering that they use the aquatic habitat more frequently when compared to females, which in the reproductive period go through long incubation periods of the eggs on land. Studies of Da Silveira and Magnusson, in the archipelago of Anavilhanas, Amazonas, point to a higher proportion of fish consumed by C. crocodilus in lakes of the region, and this result is probably related to the higher availability of fish, lower depth and current in this environment which increases the vulnerability of prey to crocodilians when compared to lotic environments, which present greater depth and current.

Preliminary researches has suggested that M. niger may ecologically affect C. crocodilus. However, although both species use similar food items in their diets, the research cannot indicate the existence of trophic competition, considering that it is necessary to evaluate the structural complexity, presence of microhabitats of Lake Cuniã and availability of prey for the analyzed species. We highlight the higher consumption of fish by the caiman species studied, so management and conservation measures of regional ichthyofauna are important to maintain the survival and prevalence of M. niger and C. crocodilus and promote other sources of income for communities living in Resex Cuniã.

Summary of Diet study with Stomach content of Black caimans in the Peruvian Amazon.

From the study ( Feeding Ecology of the Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) in Manu National Park, Peru )

https://www.researchgate.net/publication..._Park_Peru

ABSTRACT:

During 1992 and 1994, eighty eight individuals of the endangered species Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger ) were captured in an oxbow lake in Manu National Park located in the Peruvian rainforest. Stomach contents and body dimensions were collected and recorded from the captured animals. A total of 15 items among invertebrates and vertebrates were found in the stomachs. Snails (Pomatia spp) and fish were the main items of the diet composition. The category snails was the most abundant in the stomachs of juvenile black caimans while the category fishes was the most common in the stomachs of adult animals. Vertebrates such as frogs, birds and mammals were found in few stomach content samples. The results of the statistical and descriptive analyses indicated that there was a significant effect of ontogeny on diet composition. Also significant seasonal differences were recorded in the composition of the diet suggesting that black caimans modify their feeding behavior according to changes in prey ocurrence.

The study of habitat distribution in the study area allowed the determination of natural habitats like oxbow lakes, river margins and flooded floodplains that host a high diversity of organisms that represent prey items for the Black Caiman. The conservation of this species that has been heavily exploited in the past should consider the protection of ist natural habitat in Amazonia.

STUDY AREA:

Cocha Cashu lies in the Manu National Park area and is located in the Western Amazonian Floodplain of the Rio Manu, Peru. Cocha Cashu is a shallow oxbow lake located within large old-growth stands of pristine tropical lowland rain forests. The weather in the area follows a cyclic pattern with the strong period of rain occurring between January and April (Terborgh et al.1985). Precipitation is scarce between July and September and the rainy season starts in October. The rains are frequent and sometimes on a daily basis from November to December. Annual mean precipitation for Cocha Cashu is about 2080 mm. The lake has an approximate area of 20ha, a perimeter of 4 km, and a maximum depth of 2.95 m (Otte 1978, Herron 1985, Terborgh et al. 1985)

Figure 1. Geographic location of the study area in Manu National Park, Peru.

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STOMACH CONTENT COLLECTION:

During three consecutive years, eighty-eight individuals of the endangered species Melanosuchus niger (Black Caiman) were captured in Cocha Cashu. Small caimans were captured at nighttime from a boat by catching the animal by hand at the neck, while large animals were capture using a lace placed on the neck of the animal and rapidly tightened (Vasquez 1981). For all individuals of Black Caiman we measured total lenght, snout-vent length, head length, weight, and determined the sex for each individual. The caimans were marked by cutting off one of the caudal crest scales following a binary code according to Vasquez (1981). Stomach contents were collected using the stomach flushing method (Webb et al. 1982). The collected stomach content samples were preserved in ethanol. The caimans were released to their habitat immediately after investigation.

HABITAT IDENTIFICATION:

The habitat determination was done from a composite Synthetic Aperture Radar image taken by a side looking airborne during 1993 by a NASA’s AIRSAR mission over the area of the Manu River.

RESULTS:

Diet Composition

About 15 different remnants of invertebrates and vertebrates were found as stomach contents. Snails (Pomatia spp) and various fish species were the main items observed in the diet. Snails were more abundant in juvenile caimans and fish in the adult animals. Vertebrates such as frogs, birds, and mammals were also eaten by Black Caimans (Table 1). The most numerous item found in the diet, independent of the caiman size, were snails, mainly Pomatia spp., which are very abundant at the Cocha Cashu lake and constitute an important food supply for other vertebrates such as fishes, wading birds, and aquatic mammals.

CAIMAN SIZE AND DIET COMPOSITION:

The diet composition had a strong positive and significant relationship with size classes of Black Caimans (r = 0.887; df = 1; p < 0.003). Therefore, the results of MDS analysis clearly suggests that the diet composition changes as Black Caimans grow older. There was a tendency to increase the frequency of fish with increasing size class. The opposite tendency was observed for snails and aquatic beetles. For the rest of the prey items there was no clear tendency.
Table 1. Diet composition items according to different size classes of Black Caimans in Cocha Cashu, Manu National Park, Peru. Numbers are mean number of the diet items. The numbers in parenthesis are the sample sizes (number of stomachs analysed).

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SEASONAL VARIATION OF THE DIET:

The results of a post-hoc multivariate test suggested that there were significant seasonal differences in the diet composition of Black Caimans (Pillai Trace F = 3.736; df = 4, 166; p = 0.006. Some individuals of Black Caiman had significantly more snails, spiders, aquatic beetles, and other insects in their stomachs during the wet season than during the dry season.

HABITAT DISTRIBUTION:

The floodplain area along the Manu River offers a variety of habitat conditions for Black Caimans (Figure 3). Oxbow lakes like Cocha Cashu are one of the most important habitats, because they provided a mix of open water and well protected lake shores were adult females build their nests. This habitat undergoes an annual transition from low to high water levels which also means that the lake is either isolated from or connected with the main river channel of the Manu River. As it was observed from the seasonal variation of diet composition the seasonality in the habitat also determines the availability of different preys.
During the rainy season the floodplain of the Manu River offers a large area were caimans are moving easily between adjacent flooded areas and take advantage of a broader variety of prey items. The main river banks are also habitat for black caimans, but mainly for larger size animals.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results from both, descriptive statistics and multivariate ordination analyses, indicate a significant effect of ontogeny on diet composition. There was a clear tendency in diet change with caiman age and growth.
The significant seasonal differences in the diet composition suggest that Black Caimans adjust their feeding behavior according to changes in prey abundance and occurrence. Although Black Caimans are top predators, they depend on both, invertebrates and vertebrates to satisfy their energetics needs during their development.

The conservation of this heavily hunted species has to consider the protection of natural areas such as lakes, cochas, and rivers containing a high diversity and abundance of organisms at various trophic levels. Also, experiments aimed to monitor controlled harvesting in protected areas are urgently needed for developing realistic management plans for Black Caimans in the Amazon.

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 01:57 PM

PREDATION OF LARGER ANIMALS.

https://pt.qaz.wiki/wiki/Black_caiman

''Black caimans are top predators on a generalist diet and can attack virtually any land and river animal found in their range. Similar to other large crocodilians black caimans have been observed catching and eating smaller species such as spectacled caimans and sometimes cannibalizing smaller individuals of their own species. The youngsters eat mainly small fish, frogs and invertebrates such as crustaceans and insects but with time and size they start to eat larger fish including piranhas, catfish and perch which remain a significant source of food for all caimans. Dietary studies focused on young caimans (due to the fact that they are often more common than large adults and are easier to handle), the largest specimen examined for stomach contents in a study having only 1.54 m (5.1 ft), notably below sexual maturity size, which is at least 2 m (6.6 ft) in smaller females. Although it is known that several prey are captured by young caimans, dietary studies have shown that snails generally dominate the diet of young caimans followed by very small fish. Fish were the main prey of sub-adult-sized caimans in Manú National Park, Peru.

Several prey will be taken according to availability including snakes, turtles, birds and mammals, the latter two especially when they come to drink on the banks of rivers. The prey of mammals includes mainly common species of the Amazon such as several monkeys, sloths, armadillos, pacas, cutias, quatis and capybaras. Larger specimens can catch virtually any terrestrial or riverine vertebrate in South America with the misfortune of finding them. Large prey may include other species of caimans, deer, peccaries, tapirs, anacondas, giant otters and domestic animals including pigs, dogs and even cattle. Scars on Amazon River dolphins suggest that they may occasionally be attacked by black caimans.

EYE WITNESS CASE OF PREDATION ON TAPIR.

Back in 2001 it aired on globo reporter here in Brazil an edition about the amazon with a case of predation on tapir explained by the local resident Geovan Sales at 22:08min of the video bellow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUqlP3dCQ2w

The big tapir was found 4 years ago in a lagoon when it was still a baby, it was abandoned cause it lost its mother.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Geovan Neves - ''The caiman caught its mother.''

Reporter - ''a Black Caiman?''

Geovan Neves - ''Yes, a black caiman of around 4 meters long caught its mother then they brouth him to the inn here. and we took care of it feeding with bread and milk''

Despite docile this Tapir still got wild habits it spends all day in the forest it only comes to the inn at night to eat and to receive caress before returning to the wild.

Geovan Neves - ''Ever since he was little he lost fear of humans and have been taken care of by us.''

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Reporter - ''But the jaguars don't treat this tapir well look its all scratched by jaguar claws.''

Geovan Sales - '' Yes, this one happened probably this week, the jaguar attacked him back here on this recent mark, and when the jaguar attacks it it will come from back here and the first time he was attacked we accostumed him when he appears with a serious injury that is hard to heal we apply remedy with the vets.''

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Well fed and fed up with the caress. the animal go for a bath and enjoy the full moon, it was exact in this same river that the Black Caiman attacked and left him orphan but he doesn't care about the danger, after the bath he returns back to the forest to meet his partner and continue the fight for the survival in the wild.

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Massive Black Caiman show up thrashing and tearing apart an unknown animal in a man's backyard in the Brazilian flooded Amazon.

Black Caiman predating on Amazonic river Dolphin.

Black Caiman tearing Deer apart in Ecuador.

credits: Dominika Milek

''In the gloomy forest of the beautiful Yasuní National Park I had a chance to experience the most extraordinary encounter of my life. I sat in a canoe while my guides were slowly paddling back to our lodge, when we suddenly spotted a shiny eye sticking out of the water. The canoe stopped. We watched in complete silence yet unaware of the amazing spectacle which was about to take place before our eyes. A quite large size black caiman rose up, revealing the lifeless body of a little deer. My heart began to speed up. This huge reptile started banging the little body against the shore with incredible strength. I was trying to control my shaking hands in order to take a picture, smelling the odour of the deer's guts, hearing the body shattering on the ground and seeing the blood flowing out. I was scared and excited. Naturally part of me felt sorry for the poor little deer, but the other one understood it was just the simple circle of life. I felt so grateful to witness the real power of nature.''

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Black Caimans feeding and competing for fishes.

VIDEO

Black Caiman predating on Domestic Dog.

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Black Caiman with Capybara kill.

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Black Caiman cannibalizing a juvenile Black Caiman that seems to be hooked by fishermen in Cururu river - Pará - Brazil.

Black Caimans predating and ripping apart Pirarucu ( Arapaima gigas ).

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:01 PM

ACCIDENTS WITH HUMANS AND THE HUNTING OF LARGE SPECIMENS IN ORDER TO AVOID RISKS OF ATTACKS AND FISH PREDATION GALORE.

*This image is copyright of its original author

posted in 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07rwve3CxiE

''Careiro da Várzea is located 21 km away from Manaus ( Amazonas captal ) - Brazil. Around here the fishermen want a technical study to create a management plan to be concluded, on this work the plan is Caimans over 2 meters long to be slaughtered, its an way to diminish the risks in the water, who were victim of the animal agrees.

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The marks of violence of the largest predator of the Lagos dos Reis ( Lake of the Kings ) are in the minds and bodies of the locals who work over the waters here.
Traumas hard to overcome, the fisherman Francisco had a chunk of his left leg bit by a black caiman.''

Francisco das Chagas (fisherman)- ''We, at least me only fish because its my work but its kinda hard all the time I think about it somehting like ''will this happen again??'' I don't wish this for anyone ''

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Around the Igarapé dos Reis banks where there is abundance of food, Assis which is a survivor was working at , he had his right arm bit off.

Francicsco de Assis ( retired fisherman) - ''Very early in the morning at 5:00 AM, I grabbed my canoe and went to the lagoon, when I was letting go the ''maradeira'' the caiman came and attacked me, it jumped over me grabbed my arm and threw me into the water then I only recall me in the bottom bleeding already missing an arm. ''

*This image is copyright of its original author

About the Identification work of the large black caimans in the area: (From the same Video above).

Aroldo Xavier (biologist) - ''The management is not gonna diminish the black caiman population we're gonna be making a control, we're gonna be removing a quantity per year that the enviormental organizations will give us to control the population of large animals which are the most dangerous.''

In Amazonas 2 studies are in the process one in Reserva Extrativista do Piranha in Manacapuru - Brazil and this one in the Permanent Protection Area of Lagos dos Reis in Município of Careiro da Várzea - Brazil.

Waldemir Falcão (President of Colony Z-53) - ''We have as an efficent result to the Amazonas state which we're proud of in terms of management is the Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) management in Mamirauá Reserve which will be done similarly with caimans here in Careiro da Várzea's County.''

In the area of enviorment and permanent protection, fishing sustains more than 500 families.

Specialists believe the planning is the key word of elaboration of a management plan for a wild animal whatever the species.

Black Caiman Expert Ronis da Silveira's thoughts about it.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Ronis da Silveira (Caiman Expert) '' The problem they got there is that the Caiman's management is only allowed in Brazil within the a few areas specially delimited such as Sustainable Development Reserves and Extractive Reserves, The Lago dos Reis despite having all of these biological and sociable components that are favorable to the management, the legislation yet don't allow this management there, what is needed to do is to change the legislation into a state level.''

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:07 PM

Biologist attacked by 4m+ Black Caiman.

https://uc.socioambiental.org/noticia/89543

Year: 2010

''The Mamirauá Reserve in the Amazon concentrates one of the largest caiman populations in the region. A biologist who left São Paulo in search of a dream - to live in one of the largest wildlife conservation units in the Amazon - ended up being a victim of this animal, lost a leg, but survived in a surprising way.

Some researchers assure that in Mamirauá there are 90 caimans for each inhabitant of the reserve. The Black Caiman is the largest predator in South America: Some measure more than 6 meters of length.

When such an animal bites someone, it is difficult for the victim to survive. In December, on New Year's Eve in Mamirauá, biologist Deise Nishimura from São Paulo was cleaning fish on the edge of the floating house where she lived, when she was dragged into the water by an over 4 meters long Black Caiman. Even unarmed, she decided to fight for her life.

Deise Nishimura : - "By that time, I thought I was dead, its gone. But then I remembered that I saw in a documentary that when you're attacked by a shark, the most sensitive part of the shark is its your nose. Then I thought: what will be the most sensitive part of the Black Caiman? I recall his head was right behind me then I put my hand on its head and I found two holes, I don't know if it was the nose or the eye, then and I stuck my fingers and squeezed it really really hard. That's when it let go of me and by that time I realized I was already without my leg" recalls the biologist.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Deise swam to the edge of the house but she could not climb. She had to climb a log/trunk to get out of the water. Exhausted, she screamed for help but there was no one around. So she dragged herself to the radio room and asked for help. "15 minutes later, the reserve workers arrived. They wrapped a tourniquet around her leg and took the Biologist to Tefé. At the hospital, one hour later, the doctor was surprised.

Adalberto Villa Lobos (Doctor who operated on Deise): - ''That day Deise arrived at the hospital in shock. If it was someone else without Deise's resistence and luck wouldn't have survived this type of attack. ''

What drew the doctor's attention the most was that Deise's femoral artery remained blocked, even without the tourniquet. This prevented her from dying of hemorrhage.

Deise Nishimura: - "Arriving in the hospital the doctor was even surprised that I had not lost much blood. He (the doctor) thinks that during the attack in the moment the Black Caiman was spinning me around it twisted the artery as well and that stopped the blood.''

*This image is copyright of its original author

In the eight months that she worked in the reserve, Deise took several pictures of the Black Caiman, it liked to sleep under the floating house where the biologist lived.

*This image is copyright of its original author

The Black caiman even had a name, although it was a huge male it was called Dorotéia. On The following day after the attack, the Ribeirinhos (local residents) of the reserve killed the animal and found Deise's leg and took it to the hospital in Tefé. But according to the doctor, there was no way to try a reimplant.

"The reimplant was discarded because of the kind of injury the Caiman causes on a leg or any limb it attacks," says the doctor. But thank God, we were able to do a very good surgical intervention, we were able to clean everything and there was no infection at all".

The biologist returned to live in São Paulo, where she undergoes physiotherapy to receive a prosthesis and learn to walk again.
Despite of everything, she says she was sad when she heard that the Black Caiman was killed. She is against the liberation of hunting.

Deise Nishimura: - "If we allow the Ribeirinhos population kill the black caimans, They will exterminate all caimans because they already don't like caimans and If we allow them to, they will wipe them out" she says.

With the courage of who already faced a Beast and survived, Deise talks about the attack with calmly, and says she can't wait to go back to the jungle.

Deise Nishimura: - "I really want to go back to the Amazon to return doing the research that I was doing with the Red River Dolphin and a friend of mine who researches caimans will take me to see caimans during the night time he said that if we throw the strong light in their eyes, it shines. It's gonna be very cool." says the biologist.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Another case of attack in Amazon.

''Caiman attacks on humans are extremely rare and as dangerous as they are terrifying. No one knows this better than Sebastian Gonzalez who was 8 when an accidental encounter with a Caiman nearly killed him.''

Sebastiasn Gonzalez - ''I was fishing with my dad and we were coming home, the caiman hit the paddle got my leg and pulled me into the lake, then it left''

*This image is copyright of its original author

''Sebastian lost his leg but only a handful of attacks on humans have been recorded and many involves a caiman going after a human's catch a fish or a person getting too close to a nest.''

Attacking canoe

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Fisherman attacked by 4m long Black Caiman in Manacapuru.

https://portalcm7.com/amazonas/jacare-at...ens-fortes

Manacapuru- The case happened last Wednesday morning (24), in the community of Botafogo, while the man was fishing with his son.

According to preliminary information, the victim was going fishing with his son, until the canoe where they were hit a Black Caiman. The animal then attacked the man from behind. Sebastião Pinheiro Rozas, a 58-year-old fisherman was seriously injured in the attack of the Caiman which was approximately 4 meters long.

*This image is copyright of its original author

According to the victim's relatives, the Caiman of the species Jacaré-Açu, bit him and shaken Sebastião around until his son pushed the animal away striking it in the head. The man was hospitalized at the Manacapuru hospital.

photo: Erisson Araújo

*This image is copyright of its original author

Source: Amazonas é Assim.

Man gets lacerated arm attacked by Black Caiman in the Guaporé river - Brazil.

he got attacked while bathing in the high tide river and received other peoples help and was rushed to the hospital.

He is lucky to be alive.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Tests confirm that the remains found in Black Caiman's belly are from adult human's.

https://www.nortedotocantins.com.br/08/2...e-humanos/
''The remains found in the belly of a Black Caiman are of human's, he pointed out expert examinations made by the Scientific Police. The information is from the Tocantins Department of Public Security. The animal was killed in the municipality of Lagoa da Confusão on the 30th of last month after a man disappeared in the Javaé River - Brazil. The Civil Police said they are following the investigations to clarify the case.

The SSP has yet to report who the human parts found inside the Black Caiman is according to residents of the region the remains are of 47 years old Adilson Bernardes de Oliveira. He disappeared in July 28th while camping with friends by the river.''

"The owner of the place said he went to sleep around 10 p.m. [on July 27th] and when he woke up he didn't see Adilson. He looked for him and found his slippers and a lighter by the river," said Firefighter Sergeant Ronaldo Barbosa who helped with the search.

The military was called in and searched by land on the bank and along the river for two days. On the site the military saw more than seven Black Caimans, four of them adults with over 4 meters long.

Without success in the search, the firemen reported that the residents decided to capture one of the Black Caimans and killed the animal. Inside it bags and remains were found.

"The villagers believe that the animals devoured man. The Black Caiman had a full disproportionate belly. Inside the caiman were found bags and Adilson always carried bags in his pants."

*This image is copyright of its original author

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:12 PM

NESTING PERIOD.

https://bdtd.inpa.gov.br/handle/tede/2243

''In the Amazon floodplain, the nesting period of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) occurs in the dry season, when land areas are available. The incubation period can extend up to 90 days. The main threats to the success of nesting of black caiman are flooding and predation of nests. The main predators of black caiman eggs are jaguars (Panthera onca), tegu lizards (Tupinambis teguixim), capuchin monkeys (Sapajus macrocephalus) and humans (Homo sapiens). In this study, we investigated the relationship between predator attacks on nests and incubation period, and evaluated the influence of initial predation on subsequent predation in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve. We also evaluated the influence of presence of females near the nests and manipulation of nests on the occurrence of attacks.

We compared results from data obtained with camera traps and vestiges left by predators on estimates of rates of predation by different predators. Egg predation was recorded in 32% of the 658 black caiman nests monitored for two years. Our results suggest that the probability of predation on black caiman eggs is relatively constant throughout the incubation period and that predation on eggs was lower when adults, presumably females, were present. The opening of nests and handling of eggs did not increase the number of attacks on black caiman nests. Nest opening by a predator appeared to increase the chances of a subsequent attack because most of the attacks on nests occurred soon after a predator first opened the nest. However, attacks by another species of predator do not appear to be necessary to initiate attacks by any of the species of predator. Results based on camera traps and vestiges were generally similar, but of vestiges underestimates the number of species that attacked the nest in more than one predation event. This making the method ineffective for studies that seek information on all species of predators involved.''

INSTITUTO MAMIRAUÁ.

CONSERVATION ( MAMIRAUÁ INSTITUTE )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK8WQtuKdtI

In 1967 with the species already on the edge of extinction, poaching was forbbiden but in the last few years even with no fundamental datas such as adult age and reproduction period of the animal, there were many attempts of management in the Mamirauá region with hundreds of black caimans slaughtered.
Robinson Botero Arias - Researcher and Biologist of Instituto Mamirauá.

''Mamirauá reserve is a Sustainable Use Conservation Unit which means inside the ecosistem, the human is part of it so the community helps to conservate and in this management strategy they will also receive an incentive to continue this conservation.''

Robson talking to the cameraman about Female Black Caiman with her nest and what to do if she attacks.

*This image is copyright of its original author

While observing filming a female Black Caiman the Cameraman asks Mamirauá biologist Robson.

Cameraman - ''She is moving, What if she comes up here what would we do?''

Robson - ''Run, we don't have another option but to run, she is a very fast animal whithin a few secs she'd be here and despite being fast she's very strong and we'd have a serious problem.''

Cameraman - ''I may not run as fast as her but I am sure I can run faster than you.''

VIDEO

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:16 PM

COEXISTENCE WITH JAGUARS.

https://bdtd.inpa.gov.br/handle/tede/2243

''In the Amazon floodplain, the nesting period of the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) occurs in the dry season, when land areas are available. The incubation period can extend up to 90 days. The main threats to the success of nesting of black caiman are flooding and predation of nests. The main predators of black caiman eggs are jaguars (Panthera onca), tegu lizards (Tupinambis teguixim), capuchin monkeys (Sapajus macrocephalus) and humans (Homo sapiens). In this study, we investigated the relationship between predator attacks on nests and incubation period, and evaluated the influence of initial predation on subsequent predation in the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve. We also evaluated the influence of presence of females near the nests and manipulation of nests on the occurrence of attacks. We compared results from data obtained with camera traps and vestiges left by predators on estimates of rates of predation by different predators. Egg predation was recorded in 32% of the 658 black caiman nests monitored for two years. Our results suggest that the probability of predation on black caiman eggs is relatively constant throughout the incubation period and that predation on eggs was lower when adults, presumably females, were present. The opening of nests and handling of eggs did not increase the number of attacks on black caiman nests. Nest opening by a predator appeared to increase the chances of a subsequent attack because most of the attacks on nests occurred soon after a predator first opened the nest. However, attacks by another species of predator do not appear tobe necessary to initiate attacks by any of the species of predator. Results based on camera traps and vestiges were generally similar, but of vestiges underestimates the number of species that attacked the nest in more than one predation event. This making the method ineffective for studies that seek information on all species of predators involved.''

JAGUARS PREDATION ON BLACK CAIMAN'S EGGS.

From the study by Emiliano Ramalho ( USE OF THE HABITAT OF THE HABITAT AND DIET OF THE Jaguar (PANTHERA ONCA) IN A VARZEA AREA, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RESERVE MAMIRAUÁ, CENTRAL AMAZÔNIA, BRAZIL. )

PAGE 31 - http://livros01.livrosgratis.com.br/cp010195.pdf

''In other areas caimans and arboreal mammals were not represented by more than 13 % and 14 % of the items, respectively. During this study, the predation of black caiman's eggs by jaguar was also observed. Out of a total of 52 nests found, 14 were predated by jaguars (27% of the nests), another five were predated by people (9%) and 3 by Tupinambis sp. (jacurarú - 5%).''

There are other studies that includes jaguars predating on black caiman's eggs.

Amazonic Jaguar looking for Black Caiman Eggs while the Mother Black Caiman is away.

credits: Mamirauá Reserve

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Amazonic Jaguar feeding on Black Caiman Eggs

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Other animals stealing the Eggs.

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That's why Female Black Caiman stays alert and most of the time near its nest to protect it.

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Black Caiman cub teaching a lesson to a naive curious Jaguar cub.

What a power and speed of that Black Caiman cub.

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:20 PM

INTERSPECIFIC PREDATORY RELATIONS.

https://pt.qaz.wiki/wiki/Black_caiman

''Many predators, including various fish, mammals, reptiles and even amphibian species, feed on eggs and caiman calves. The black caiman shares its habitat with at least 3 other semi-anphids considered apex predators and is generally able to coexist with them by focusing on different prey and micro-habitats. They Giant Otters which are social and obligatory aquatic foraging and fish eaters, Green Anacondas that slowly feed on mammals and medium sized reptiles and Jaguars which are the most terrestrial of them and concentrate their diet mainly on relatively larger mammals and reptiles.

Black caimans can eat around the same prey as the other species. They are possibly the most opportunistic, but despite being the largest predator in the area, they may live metabolically from their food longer and therefore may not need to hunt as often. Normally each predator avoids encounters of adults of other species, but battles, which can be lost almost anywhere, rarely occur. Even more than otters and anacondas, jaguars and black caimans are indisputably at the top of this food chain. Once the caiman reaches a few meters long, it has few natural predators. The large anacondas can catch the occasional young caiman of this species. The jaguar being a known predator of all other caiman species is the only primary predatory threat to black caimans with some records of predation on young black caimans and eggs and one single reported case of an adult male black caiman measuring 3.8 m (12 feet) having fallen as prey to a large jaguar. However black caimans of 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in.) or longer have no natural predators as with other species of crocodilians of similar size given the size, weight, thick skin and immense strength and could even them themselves on rare cases prey on the jaguar or puma.''

Interspecific Conflic between a young Black Caiman named Pepe (up front of camera) and Pantanal Caiman (Caiman yacare) in Bolivia.

Both repitiles are used to people around and have been fed by humans.

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:23 PM

Black Caiman scares the hell out of Steve Backshall.

credits: Steve Backshall

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:32 PM

CASE OF THE 4,20 M LONG SPECIMEN WHO KILLED A CHILD AND EXPERTS THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS TRAGIC CASE AND ALSO THE MENTIONING AGAIN OF THE ALREADY KNOWN AVERAGE OF 4M LONG FOR MALES AND LARGE ONES REACHING AND SURPASSING 6M LONG IN LENGTH.

A Fatal Attack on a Child by a Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger)

Vidal Haddad Jr MD, PhD; Waldicléa Cardoso Fonseca, MD

https://www.researchgate.net/publication...chus_niger

We describe a fatal attack by a black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) on an 11-year-old child with comments on the reptile’s aggression mechanisms and the conditions under which this kind of incident takes place in the Amazon region.

INTRODUCTION

Brazilian fauna has 6 species of caimans (family Alligatoridae) and no species of crocodiles (family Crocodilidae). The broad-snouted caiman or jacaré-de-papo-amarelo (Caiman latirostris) is found in the Southeast and Southern regions and all coastal areas of Brazil and can reach up to 10 ft (3.5 meters) in length; the Pantanal or Yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) is very common in the Midwest region only, and measures up to 3 meters in length. The Spectacled Caiman or jacaretinga (Caiman crocodilus) is a species of the Amazon and Midwest regions that measures up to 3.0 meters. In contrast, the small Cuviers dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) and the smooth-fronted caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus), do not exceed 2 meters in length. The black caiman or jacaré-açu (Melanosuchus niger) is a much larger animal and there are specimens that can reach more than 6 meters in length which are found in the Amazon and Araguaia/Tocantins Rivers Basins. Caimans and other crocodilians prey on ﬁsh and other aquatic animals, but on occasion may take larger animals from river margins.

There are a great number of reports of fatal and non fatal attacks on humans caused by crocodiles throughout world, but reports of attacks by Alligatoridae are less common. Most have been reported in the US, and are caused by the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis.

The spectacled and especially the black caiman are associated with most predatory attacks on humans seen in South America. The others rarely cause serious accidents and sporadic attacks are mainly on ﬁshermen and generally occur in situations in which the animals were provoked or defending their nests.

Currently, the black caiman is not included on endangered species lists, but there is a demand for its meat and leather. It has a reputation as a man-eater among river bank residents. Reports of accidents are rare but black caimans can attack humans under unusual situations and are large enough to feed on 40 kg capybaras. Small humans can therefore easily become prey. The black caiman can cause death or serious injury through physical trauma, blood loss, and severe secondary infections (especially in attacks by large-scale specimens). In the Amazon region, attacks are mainly on ﬁshermen, when they dive to retrieve nets.

Attacks by caimans are not common. There are numerous reports of caimans inﬂicting human injuries, including fatalities, in the Amazon region. However, there are no quantitative data to reinforce the idea that attacks may be common in high density areas of caimans and humans.

CASE SUMMARY

Seven children were bathing on a Sunday (February 7, 2010) using an area ﬂooded by seasonal water in the First Igarapé (Igarapés are small channels bound to large rivers that crisscross the woods and are major transport routes for locals). The site is located on the riverside at the conﬂuence of the Mamoré and Novo Pacaás Rivers, in Guajará-Mirim, a town in Rondônia State in the Brazilian Amazon. Around noon, 1 of the children was attacked by a black caiman, previously unobserved. The victim was an 11-year-old girl who lived in the neighborhood. A ﬁsherman who was nearby said that he “saw the reptile with a girl trapped in the mouth but that soon disappeared.” Police, ﬁreﬁghters, and members of the community tried to recover the victim's body during the afternoon and part of the night. At approximately 8 PM, noting underwater movements and bubbles on the surface of the river, a local resident spotted the animal about 100 m from where the attack took place (Second Igarapé of the Triângulo).

At the ﬁrst shot of a ﬁrearm, the animal emerged with the victim still trapped in its mouth and was killed by 7 shots from a 12 caliber riﬂe. The reptile was identiﬁed as a black caiman measuring 13 ft (4 meters and 21 cm) and weighing around 350 kg. The animal was then lead to the town of Guajará-Mirim by the Environmental Police Command (Figure 1). The child’s body was sent to the Morgue of the Regional Hospital.

Figure 1 : The Black Caiman measuring 4.21 meters long responsible for the attack. The first image shows the animal at Environmental Police headquarters.
Photo: Guajará Mirim Environmental Police Group.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Certiﬁcation of death and the child’s initial autopsy performed by one of the authors (WCF), revealed different cutting/perforating wounds of about 2–3 cm in length, more evident in the thorax, lower limbs, and buttocks. There were no large lacerations or tearing of extremities. The victim sustained a fracture of the right femur with teeth marks from the animal on the thighs (Figures 2 and 3). The lungs were ﬁlled with water, and cause of death was identiﬁed as drowning.

Figure 2 : The specimen's maxilla and mandible. showing its large powerful teeth adapted for gripping, not masrication.
Photo: Guajará-Mirim Environmental Police

*This image is copyright of its original author

Figure 3 : The victim's body at autopsy showed bruises and cuts in the thigs that follow the distribution of the repitile's teeth. This initial attack was probably in this area; the victim also suffered a fracture of the femur.

Photo: Guajará-Mirim Environmental Police

NOTE: Click on the link to see the image, I decided not to show it openly due to graphic image.

https://i.imgur.com/umLama2.png

DISCUSSION

Injuries caused by caimans have a similar clinical proﬁle to those of sharks due to the potentially large wounds, blood loss, and secondary bacterial infections. The method of attack is different as alligators and other crocodilians come close to the victim using their camouﬂage ability, then attack suddenly and swallow small prey whole. If the victim is a large animal, it is dragged into deep waters and drowned. When death occurs, the reptile holds the victim in the river bottom or the victim remains stuck in the mouth for some time (still submerged), waiting for the decomposition and softening of tissues. The reptile then disarticulates it with a rotary movement of the body, swallowing body segments whole as its teeth are not adapted for chewing.

The victim should be treated as soon as possible, with copious irrigation of wounds, immediate surgical debridement, containment of bleeding, ﬂuid resuscitation, treatment of possible fractures (the jaws are closed by powerful adductor muscles), and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

A Black Caiman is a fearsome predator; it can reach 6 m in length, weigh half a ton, and is extremely fast in the aquatic environment. An attack by one of these animals is almost always fatal, especially when it is an adult specimen (average length of 4 meters). Its 70 – 80 teeth, suitable for clamping down on its prey, add to the force of the jaw and prevent any reaction from the victim. The accident in question partly illustrates the predatory tactics of crocodilians. The attack occurred without anyone present aware of the caiman’s presence, illustrating the silent form of approximation. With the victim trapped in its mouth, the animal submerged to drown her and remained under the water for hours, presumably allowing early decomposition to facilitate the later disarticulation of the victim.

Probably due to the animal’s death before devouring its victim, the autopsy revealed that the child’s body only had teeth marks from the animal and a fracture of the femur in the bite line, possibly caused by the initial attack. There were no large lacerations or torn limbs, common in corpses eaten by crocodilians.

This case stimulates reﬂection on the uncommon incidence of caiman attacks. Throughout the Amazon region, the seasonal ﬂooding period increases the risk of snake bite accidents and attacks by caimans due to the proximity to human habitats. The use of igarapés and other ﬂooded streams as recreation areas carries risks, especially to children. Consideration should be given to banning human access to these sites, especially in highly populated areas, as this may be an effective preventive measure against the type of tragic accident reported in this communication.

Acknowledgments:

The authors wish to thank the Environmental Police Group of Guajará-Mirim town for their assistance, and especially Commandant SGT PM Gilmar Nunes de Oliveira for releasing information and images regarding the attack. We would also like to thank Regional Chief of Guajará-Mirim Civil Police, Dr. José Marcos Rodrigues Farias, for his guidance and information.

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:35 PM

SIZE OF CAIMANS KILLED BY HUMANS AT A HYDROELECTRIC DAM IN THE MADEIRA RIVER, BRAZILIAN AMAZON.

https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/HER_28_1_2_0101-0104.pdf

Crocodilians face conflicts with humans where they use aquatic environments to seek food, leisure and housing. The Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus LAURENTI, 1768, and the Saltwater Crocodile, Crocodylus porosus SCHNEIDER, 1801, are among the species that most frequently attack humans (BOYLE et al. 2009; WEBB et al.2010), but also other species are killed by local people, who believe that the crocodilians compete with them for food, principally fish. Killing of crocodilians has intensified with habitat loss caused by fishing, sand mining, hydropower, tourism and housing in areas close to rivers and other aquatic environments (FERGUSSON 2010). This has caused an increase in the likelihood of attacks on humans (WALLACE et al.2012).

Four species of crocodilians occur in the Amazon region, and one, the Black caiman, Melanosuchus niger (SPIX, 1825), can reach 6.0 meters in length (MEDEM 1983). There are many reports of attacks on humans during activities, such as fishing, onthe shores and rivers ( DA SILVEIRA & THORBJARNARSON 2010; HADDAD & FONSECA 2011 ). Fishing with fixed hooks is not prohibited under Brazilian law and fishermen make use of this practice in many Amazonian Rivers ( BARTHEM 1987; BAYLEY et al. 1989 ). Crocodilians are attracted by fish caught on the lines. Hydroelectric dams change river shorelines and often force caimans into closer contact with people. In this study, the author recorded crocodilians killed by humans in the newly flooded Santo Antônio dam, Madeira River, Amazon Basin.

*This image is copyright of its original author

From September 2010, to May 2013, dead caimans floating near the banks of the Madeira River and its tributaries were recorded (Fig. 1). The reservoir area of the Santo Antônio dam (8°47’S, 63°57’W), Madeira River, was formed in October/November 2011 and extends to 100 km at inundation periods. Each dead caiman was inspected to determine the cause of death based on physical evidence, such as bullet wounds or the presence of a hook. The length of the head (tip of snout to posterior end of cranial plate, HL cm) of dead individuals was measured using a measuring tape. This measure was used to estimate snout-vent length (SVL cm) since decomposition negatively affects correct measurement of trunk and tail. The relationship between HL and SVL for the four species was calculated by measuring numerous individuals captured in the area and released at the site of capture immediately after measuring. The following equations were computed: for Melanosuchus niger SVL = -4293 + 3927 *HL (N = 94, r2 = 0997, p<0.001); for Caiman yacare (DAUDIN, 1802) SVL = -3126 + 4033 * HL (N = 118, r2 = 0993, p< 0.001); for Paleosuchus palpebrosus (CUVIER, 1807) SVL = -3350 + 4121* HL (N = 97, r2 = 0.995, p< 0.001); and for Paleosuchus trigonatus (SCHNEIDER, 1801) SVL = 0986 + 3504 * HL (N = 121, r2 = 0882, p< 0.001). Analyses were done in the SYSTAT Program (Systat Software Inc., San Jose, california, USA).

Over the period of two years, the author encountered the following dead crocodilian individuals (estimated snout-vent length [SVL] in parentheses): 42 M. niger (58.6 - 247.0 cm), six C.yacare (68.4 - 89.6 cm), three P. palpebrosus (74.9 - 82.4 cm) and three P. trigonatus (36.0 - 78.1 cm). The caimans had been killed by gun shots (36), hooks (9), water turbulence near the dam walls (4) and unidentified causes (5). Most dead Black caimans were longer than 2.0 m SVL (Fig. 2) and had gun-shot wounds. The estimated maximum SVL of the Black caimans was 247.0 cm.

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Accordingly, all four species of Amazonian crocodilians suffer from contact with people where they share aquatic environments, even though most caiman species do not pose threat to humans. In particular Melanosuchus niger, which occupies large rivers and lakes, is hunted by people in the region of the Madeira River. They frequently regard these biggest Amazonian caimans as an imminent danger and kill them, as is known for two large Old World crocodilians, C. porosus (WHITAKER 2008) and C. niloticus (WALLACE et al. 2011). There are however only marginal reports of illegal hunting of M. niger in the Amazon region (RÊBELO & MAGNUSSON 1983; DA SILVEIRA & THORBJARNARSON 1999).

In the Bolivian Mamoré River, which is a tributary of the Madeira River, the maximum total length of M.niger was estimated to be 4.94 m based on a head length of 58.8 cm (THORBJARNARSON & MCINTOSH 1987). In this latter study, 52 % of the killed M.niger individuals had an estimated total length of more than 4.00 m (i.e., SVL> 2.00 m). In conclusion, with regard to the region of the Madeira River, the conflict between humans and crocodilians is focused on large individuals of M.niger.

Most dead caimans had gun-shot wounds, however no meat had been taken from the body. One M. niger and one C.yacare were lacking tails, indicating that the individuals had been killed (also) for food. Many caimans died because they swallowed hooks or drowned in gill nets. Flooding by the dammed river makes the crocodilians come into closer contact with fishermen andothers, which will probably increase conflicts in the future. For the benefit of all parties involved, downstream translocation is thus recommended for caimans approaching hydroelectric dams to prevent the reptiles’ deaths both in the area of the turbines and floodgates.

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:37 PM

Wild Black Caimans being fed by local residents and fishermen in the brazilian Amazon.

VIDEOS

Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:43 PM

Captures, Sizes and Measurements.

FEMALES

40 kg female.

*This image is copyright of its original author

13.5 cm on skull measurement.

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40 kg.

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This female lost one of her limbs possibly attack of another Black caiman or Piranhas.

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Researchers will cut pieces of its tail scales as an way of identification in case that caiman is captured again.

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Robinson Botero Arias - Researcher and Biologist of Instituto Mamirauá

''Initially we're monitoring females and collecting infos on whats thesize a female black caiman starts to put eggs, in this specific case here we possibly got the smallest female we've registered on our activities on the field and then we're gonna mark her, with that mark in around 1-2-10 years from now, we'll return to this region and capture the female with that mark we'll know her and how much the grew within that period of time and if she is still a breeding female in the region.''

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55.6 kg and 2.55 meters long female.

Capture procedure is done in less than 20 minutes in order to reduce the stress of the animal, maximum time for the caiman return to the river.

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Female with 15 cm on Skull.

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Black Caiman Egg.

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Dark Jaguar · 12-13-2020, 02:47 PM

58.8 kg female.

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Measurement

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3.8 meters female (Size confirmed by IBAMA).

https://globoplay.globo.com/v/3719428/
http://g1.globo.com/ap/amapa/noticia/201...amapa.html

YEAR: 2014

Black caiman of almost four meters was found in the city of Calçoene - Amazon - Brazil

The Animal suffered three gun shots, one in the head during capture action.

The Animal was captured in the river of the city and was removed from the water with the Backhoe.

The Jacaré-açu is immobilized and will be evaluated by Ibama veterinarians.

"We identified that it was a female, and we asked the city promoter's authorization to pick her up because of the risk she offered to the population. In rounds through the water, we found her near the seaside resort of the Calçoene River. We had to tie the caiman and pull it to the riverbank." said Lieutenant Pedro Costa.

She is Massive.

*This image is copyright of its original author

But this 3.8 meters female unfortunately didn't survive.

http://g1.globo.com/ap/amapa/noticia/201...do-ap.html

The 400 kilos Black Caiman captured on Wednesday (22) died in the early hours of this Monday (27) in the river that cuts the municipality of Calçoene, 374 kilometers from Macapá. The information was confirmed by the acting superintendent of the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Resources (Ibama), Márcia Bueno. According to her, the cause of her death was most likely cause the animal did not resist the three shots it took during the capture one of them in the head. The official report of the death of the reptile comes out on Wednesday (29).

The environmental analyst at Ibama Mirella Vasconcelos believes that the animal approached the city because of the food supply in the stretch of river that cuts the city. For her, the fact that the city is a fishing pole makes it easier to dump carcasses and fish remains in the river.

*This image is copyright of its original author

ANOTHER BLACK CAIMAN IN THE AREA.

Another mobilization is being made in the city for the capture of a male Black Caiman that would have been seen by residents along with the imprisoned animal. The reports show that he would be larger than the captured female.

The Military Police Lieutenant Pedro Costa Silva said "For this new action, we are recommending that the residents avoid bathing in the river for the time being, because we cannot measure the level of aggressiveness of the male Black Caiman next to the (compared to) capture of his mate." warns the military.

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