WIDHOLZER, F. L. et al. (1986)

WIDHOLZER, F. L., BORNE, B. & TESCHE, T. (1986)

Breeding the Broad-nosed caiman, Caiman latirostris, in captivity.

Int. Zoo Yearb. 24/25: 226-230. ISSN 0074-9664.

Conclusions:

From our observations, Broad-nosed caimans are easily bred in captivity as long as adequate materials for nest building are provided together with a relatively secluded area close to a reasonably large body of water. Co-operative nest building commences some days before the start of mating, which takes place under water, and eggs are laid just over a month later; incubation has been found to  last 70 days. There appear to be four well-defined phases  in the behaviour of the adults during incubation an rearing:

1. although both adults build the nest, the male plays no part in guarding it and ignores or avoids the female who becomes increasingly aggressive;
2. when the young hatch, only the female carries them to the water where they are guarded by the male; either adult will attack anything, apart from their own young, which approaches too closely;
3. both adults watch the neonates  which do not move far from the nest site, and protect them for several months;
4. once a new clutch has hatched the adults lose all interest in the previous year's young, although they are never aggressive towards them.

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