Distribution of broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) in the Rio Doce State Park, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Evaluating the population status of crocodylians in protected habitats and providing more information on their distribution and population structure are of utmost importance for conservation strategies for these organisms. Although Caiman latirostris is widely distributed throughout Brazil and South America, information on its populations is still scarce, particularly within protected areas. In this study, we sampled various water bodies within the protected area of Rio Doce State Park (RDSP), to investigate patterns of density and population structure of C. latirostris. We assessed the caimans' density through spotlight night counts across five lakes within the RDSP, capturing the animals whenever possible for biometric measurements. Our results showed a relative abundance (encounter rate) of 4.01 individuals per kilometer across the water bodies in the RDSP. We found significant differences in the relative abundance of caimans between the studied lakes (p < 0.01). Our findings reveal a heterogeneous distribution of C. latirostris across the study area, which can result from the combined effect of resource availability, anthropogenic impacts, and caiman social hierarchy. The resource availability, historical human activity, and caiman social hierarchy of the different water bodies may have influenced the observed distribution of C. latirostris inside the protected area, but future long-term studies can clarify this pattern.