Storage of Caiman latirostris (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) eggs in harvest containers: Effects on hatchability

Abstract

In crocodilian ranching operations wild eggs are collected from the field, and delays between collection and transportation to incubators are usually minimized in the hope of maximizing embryo survival. In the ranching program for Caiman latirostris in Santa Fe, Argentina, gauchos do not collect eggs on the day nests are found, but rather on the day before the collectors arrive to pick them up and transport them to incubators. This is based on the untested assumption that the probability of increased mortality in the wild nests would be less than that likely to be encountered if eggs were collected on the day they were found and stored in the gaucho's house. This study tested whether storing the eggs in the houses for between 0 and 16 days, had any significant effect on hatching success. None could be demonstrated, suggesting that eggs should be collected when they are found, thereby avoiding risks of predation and flooding in the field prior to collection.