Potential habitat of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus: Reptilia: Crocodilidae) and identification of areas of interaction with humans in Costa Rica

Crocodilians are known to interact substantially with humans. Conflicts are observed when both species share a habitat and are documented worldwide. In Costa Rica, this conflict has been detected along with increases in human activities. For this reason, we undertook a study to identify potential crocodile habitats and the areas of interaction with humans on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and the Northern Zone of Costa Rica. This work was performed during 2019 and 2020 in both regions, and determination of the potential habitat of crocodiles was made through analysis of the elevation, topography, drainage net, flooding areas, mangrove areas, and rivers and their outlets. To identify areas of human-crocodile interactions, a map of the potential habitat was used and changes to those habitats were analyzed (e.g., road density, population density, and the density of the populated core). The relationship between species was established to predict interaction hotspots between humans and crocodiles. The habitats with high potential for crocodiles on the Pacific slope correspond to 18% of the study area, and the medium potential habitat to 54%. Within the Central Pacific, there are few areas at higher elevations or with a large index of urbanism; these low potential habitats represent 27% of the study area. In the Central Pacific, the high and medium potential habitats together represent 72% of the study area. On the Caribbean slope, the high potential habitat was identified in areas closer to the coast mainly in the North and Central Caribbean (corresponding to 29% of the study area), while 66% of the study area was labeled as medium potential habitat. In the Northern area, most of the habitat was identified as medium potential, there being only small fragments recognized as high potential habitat. In the Northern Zone and Caribbean Zone, the areas at higher elevation with some land development were identified as low potential habitat (4%). Importantly, 96% of the area of the Caribbean slope and the Northern Zone were identified as high or medium potential habitat.