The Status and Ecology of the American Crocodile in Haiti

Abstract

The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is the most widely distributed of the New World crocodiles. Due to a combination of hunting for its hide, habitat destruction, and malicious killing, the American crocodile is currently in danger of extinction, with isolated populations existing for the most part only in relatively undisturbed areas. Conservation and management programs are sorely needed to protect this species, but are hampered by a lack of knowledge concerning the current status of many of the extant populations and biological data concerning many aspects of the crocodile's natural history.

In Haiti, crocodiles were once widely distributed throughout coastal and lowland areas where suitable habitat was available. Today, the range of the crocodile in this country has been greatly reduced, and the few extant populations have been severely depleted, remaining only in those areas that have a combination of relatively low human population density and sufficient mangrove habitat.

Presently, no commercial hide hunting is occurring, and the taking of crocodiles for food or the use of their by-products are restricted to two areas bordering the Dominican Republic. Habitat destruction and incidental killings, primarily by fishermen, represent the greatest threat to crocodiles in Haiti today.

The largest remaining population is found in Etang Saumâtre, Haiti's largest lake (113 sq km). Etang Saumâtre is a brackish lake, located in a sparsely inhabited region only 30 km from the capital of Port-au-Prince. The total crocodile population in the lake is estimated at 450. Over a 13-month period, various aspects of the demography, reproductive ecology, diet, and habitat selection of these crocodiles were investigated. The results are discussed in the light of other work which has been done on crocodilians.

The final section outlines several recommendations for the conservation of crocodiles in Haiti.