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Crocodylus Rhombifer (Cuban Crocodile) Subcaudal Scale Irregularities

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Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 621-623 (2018) (published online on 15 August 2018) Crocodylus rhombifer (Cuban Crocodile) subcaudal scale irregularities Lauren Augustine1,2,*, Adam G. Stern3, Gustavo Sosa Rodríguez4, and Etiam Pérez Fleitas4 The scalation on the ventral portion of the tail posterior the Zapata Crocodile Farm in Cuba were assessed for to the cloaca or the subcaudal region, has been used subcaudal scale irregularities. These animals are known to identify commercial crocodile skins in Morelet’s offspring of genetically pure C. rhombifer (Milián crocodiles, Crocodylus moreletii, as 66% of tail whorls García et al., 2015). Of these, 403 had subcaudal were found to be irregular in this species (King and scale irregularities (62%). These animals represent 51 Brazaitis, 1971), and black caiman, Melanosuchus niger clutches, but are not necessarily genetically distinct as a (Brazaitis, 1986). Proximal lateral caudal irregularities single male could have sired multiple clutches (Milián have been documented in C. moreletii and American García et al., 2016). crocodiles, C. acutus (Ross and Ross, 1974), and Morphological traits have historically been used to midventral inclusions in the subcaudal region are further distinguish species (Platt and Rainwater, 2005) and to typical of Siamese crocodiles, C. siamensis (Brazaitis, identify commercial crocodilian skins (Brazaitis, 1986; 1986). Phenotypic variation in scalation is unknown King and Brazaitis, 1971). There is a growing body for many species of crocodilians, however studies on of evidence that morphology alone is not sufficient in C. acutus have found that interpopulation difference detecting interspecific hybrids (Dever and Densmore, in scalation may occur (Platt et al., 2010). Herein we 2001; Hekkala, 2004; Cedeño Vazquez et al., 2008; document the occurrence of irregular subcaudal scales Weaver et al., 2008; Rodriguez et al., 2008; 2011; in Cuban crocodiles, C. rhombifer, a species previously Machkour M’Rabet et al., 2009; Milián García et al., described as having uniform and uninterrupted 2015). Morphology has been used to distinguishing C. subcaudal scales (Brazaitis, 1973). rhombifer x C. acutus hybrids (Ramos, 2013), however Captive bred C. rhombifer and museum specimens recent genetic evaluation found that morphology was not were evaluated for scale irregularities in the subcaudal sufficient as 57.7% were misidentified (Milián García region for a total of 22 specimens. Of these, 14 et al., 2015). Subcaudal tail inclusions or irregularities, (or 63.6%) exhibited irregularities. Because of the not previously documented in C. rhombifer, in rampant hybridization of C. rhombifer with C. acutus conjunction with other morphological characteristics (Milián García et al., 2015) the genetic identity of may increase the efficacy of utilizing morphology for these crocodilians as pure C. rhombifer could not be species identification in the absence of genetic testing. confirmed. To this end, 654 C. rhombifer juveniles from However, much like for C. moreletii, microsatellites are necessary to confirm the genetic identity of C. rhombifer, particularly those being used for captive propagation. The irregularities exhibited in the subcaudal region of C. rhombifer could be used for individual identification, as all seven of the C. rhombifer hatched at the 1 Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis MO 63110 Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park had unique 2 Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut patterns of subcaudal inclusions (Figure 1). The animals Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008 at the Zapata Crocodile Farm were only assessed for 3 Zoo Miami, Miami 12400 SW 152nd St. Miami, FL 33177 4 Enterprise for Conservation of the Zapata Swamp, Ciénaga de presence or absence of this trait, so the existence of unique Zapata, Matanzas, Cuba patterns is unknown at this time. This characteristic * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] could be used as an identification method for captive or 622 Lauren Augustine et al. Figure 1: Subcaudal scale inclusions in seven captive bred Crocodylus rhombifer at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park. wild crocodilians in lieu of scale clippings, tags or other mummy DNA resurrects a cryptic species within the Nile marking methods. More research is needed to determine crocodile. Molecular Ecology 20: 4199–4215. the prevalence of this characteristic in C. rhombifer and King, F.W., Brazaitis, P. (1971): Species identification of commercial crocodilian skins. Zoologica–New York 56: 15–57. the use of this technique for individual identification. Machkour M’Rabet, S., Henaut, Y., Charruau, P., Gevrey, M., Observations such as this one can provide the basis for Winterton, P., Legal, L. (2009): Between introgression events future studies investigating crocodilian phylogeny and and fragmentation, islands are the last refuge for the American the use of morphological characteristics for individual crocodile in Caribbean Mexico. Marine Biology 156: 1321– identification. 1333. Milián García, Y., Jensen, E.L, Ribalta Mena, S., Pérez Fleitas, E., Acknowledgements. We would like to thank the Zoo Miami, Sosa Rodríguez, G., Guerra Manchena, L., Espinosa López, G., The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Ellen Trout Zoo for Russello, M. A. (2016): Genetic evidence for multiple paternity providing photographs of their specimens, the American Museum in the critically endangered Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus of National History, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural rhombifer). Amphibia–Reptilia DOI: 10.1163/15685381– History and the Florida Museum of Natural History for access 00003056. to their collections. We thank Gordon B. Henley Jr and Robert Milián García, Y., Ramos Targarona, R., Pérez Fleitas, E., Sosa Jackson for their assistance, and Kaycee Fuance for the use of Rodríguez, G. Guerra Manchena, L., Alonso Tabet, M., her photographs. Espinosa López, G., Russello, M.A. (2015): Genetic evidence of hybridization between the critically endangered Cuban crocodile References and the American crocodile: implications for population history and in situ/ex situ conservation. Heredity 114: 272–280. Brazaitis, P. (1973): The identification of living crocodilians. Platt, S.G., Rainwater, T.R. (2005): A review of morphological Zoological Society of New York 58: 59–85. characters useful for distinguishing Morelet’s crocodile Brazaitis, P. (1986): The forensic identification of crocodilian hides (Crocodylus moreletii) and American crocodile (Crocodylus and products. In Crocodiles: Proceedings of the 7th Working acutus) with an emphasis on populations in the coastal zone Meeting of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the Species Survival of Belize. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 40: Commission of the International Union for Conservation of 25–29. Nature and Natural Resources, Caracas, Venezuela. Platt, S.G., Thorbjarnarson, J.B., Rainwater, T.R. (2010): Scalation Cedeño Vazquez, J.R., Rodriguez, D., Calme Sophie, Perran Ross J, Densmore L III, Thorbjarnarson, J. (2008): Hybridization of the American crocodile, (Crocodylus acutus), from the between Crocodylus acutus and Crocodylus moreletii in the coastal zone of Northern Belize. Caribbean Journal of Science Yucatan Peninsula: I. Evidence from mitochondrial DNA 46: 332–338. and morphology. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ramos, R., de Buffrenil V., Ross, J. (2004): Current status of Ecological Genetics and Physiology 309: 661–673. the Cuban crocodile, Crocodylus rhombifer, in the wild. In: Dever, J.A., Densmore, L.D. (2001): Microsatellites in Morelet’s Crocodiles, Proceedings of the 12th Working Meeting of the crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) and their utility in addressing Crocodile Specialist Group. IUCN: Gland, Switzerland. crocodilian population genetics questions. Journal of Rodriguez, D., Cedeño Vazquez, J.R., Forstner, M.R.J., Densmore, Herpetology 35: 541–544. L.D. III. (2008): Hybridization between Crocodylus acutus and Hekkala, E., Shirley, M.H., Amato, G., Austin, J.D., Charter, S., Crocodylus moreletii in the Yucatan Peninsula: II. Evidence Thorbjarnarson, J., Vliet, K.A., Houck, M.L., Desalle, R.O.B., from microsatellites. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Blum, M.J. (2011): An ancient icon reveals new mysteries: Ecological Genetics and Physiology 309: 674–686. Crocodylus rhombifer subcaudal scale irregularities 623 Rodriguez, D., Forstner, M.R.J., Moler, P.E., Wasilewski, J.A., Cherkiss, M.S., Densmore, L.D. III. (2011): Effect of human- mediated migration and hybridization on the recovery of the American crocodile in Florida (USA). Conservation Genetics 12: 449–459. Ross, C.A., Ross, F.D. (1974): Cuadal scalation of Central American Crocodylus. Proceedings of the Biological society of Washington 87: 231–234. Weaver, J.P., Rodriguez, D., Venegas Anaya, M., Cedeño Vazquez, J.R., Forstner, M., Densmore, L. III (2008): Genetic characterization of captive Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer) and evidence of hybridization with the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology 309: 649–660. Accepted by Hendrik Müller.
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    Genetic evidence supports a distinct lineage of American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Greater Antilles Yoamel Milián-García1,2, Michael A. Russello2, Jessica Castellanos-Labarcena1,2, Martin Cichon3, Vikas Kumar3,4, Georgina Espinosa1, Natalia Rossi5, Frank Mazzotti6, Evon Hekkala7, George Amato8 and Axel Janke3 1 Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana, La Habana, Cuba 2 Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada 3 Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main, Germany 4 Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 5 Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA 6 Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA 7 Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA 8 Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA ABSTRACT Four species of true crocodile (genus Crocodylus) have been described from the Americas. Three of these crocodile species exhibit non-overlapping distributions—Crocodylus intermedius in South America, C. moreletii along the Caribbean coast of Mesoamerica, and C. rhombifer confined to Cuba. The fourth, C. acutus, is narrowly sympatric with each of the other three species. In this study, we sampled 113 crocodiles across Crocodylus populations in Cuba, as well as exemplar populations in Belize and Florida (USA), and sequenced three regions of the mitochondrial genome (D-loop, cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase I; 3,626 base pair long dataset) that overlapped with published data previously collected from 25 June 2018 Submitted Colombia, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.
  • Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter Alternative-Energy Guru Dr

    Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter Alternative-Energy Guru Dr

    CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER VOLUME 27 No. 4 • OCTOBER 2008 - DECEMBER 2008 IUCN • Species Survival Commission CSG Newsletter Subscription The CSG Newsletter is produced and distributed by the Crocodile CROCODILE Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The CSG Newsletterr provides information on the conservation, status, news and current events concerning crocodilians, and on the SPECIALIST activities of the CSG. The Newsletter is distributed to CSG members and to other interested individuals and organizations. All Newsletter recipients are asked to contribute news and other materials. The CSG Newsletterr is available as: GROUP • Hard copy (by subscription - see below); and/or, • Free electronic, downloadable copy from “http://iucncsg.org/ ph1/modules/Publications/newsletter.html”. Annual subscriptions for hard copies of the CSG Newsletterr may be made by cash ($US40), credit card ($AUD55) or bank transfer NEWSLETTER ($AUD55). Cheques ($USD) will be accepted, however due to increased bank charges associated with this method of payment, cheques are no longer recommended. A Subscription Form can be downloaded from “http://iucncsg.org/ph1/modules/Publications/ VOLUME 27 Number 4 newsletter.html”. OCTOBER 2008 – DECEMBER 2008 All CSG communications should be addressed to: IUCN - Species Survival Commission CSG Executive Offi ce, PO Box 530, Sanderson NT 0813, Australia. Fax: (61) 8 89470678. E-mail: [email protected]. PATRONS CHAIRMAN: We thank all patrons who have donated to the CSG and its Professor Grahame Webb conservation program over many years, and especially to PO Box 530, Sanderson, NT 0813 donors in 2007-2008 (listed below).