Gama Gabriela Mota, Passos Luiza Figueiredo, Paglia Adriano Pereira, Coutinho Marcos Eduardo
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, James Parsons Building, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol. 2025 Apr;343(3):383-399. doi: 10.1002/jez.2897. Epub 2025 Jan 13.
The Atlantic Forest broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) inhabits regions within one of the world's most ecologically diverse ecosystems, yet few studies have explored the relationship between body condition, blood biochemistry, and environmental factors in the wild. Our study investigated the effects of sex, ontogeny, habitat, and environmental variables on the body condition and blood biochemistry of free-ranging caimans from the state of Alagoas, Northeast Brazil. From 2020 to 2022, we captured 75 caimans across three sites in different seasons. Results revealed sex-specific responses to seasonal and Interannual weather changes, with females showing higher body condition in the wet season, while males peaked in the dry season. Elevated glucose, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, and fructosamine were linked to higher body condition and larger individuals, while elevated aspartate aminotransferase to low body condition. Seasonal rainfall influenced blood parameters, with the dry season associated with higher creatinine, calcium, and alanine aminotransferase levels, and the wet season with higher total protein, sodium, and potassium. Differences in glucose, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase across sites pointed to physiological effects of human activities. Blood biochemical values varied widely, with some exceeding reported species ranges. These findings highlight the need to interpret physiological data within the context of local habitat and environmental conditions. Conservation strategies should go beyond species presence and habitat preservation, incorporating pollution control. Our study advances understanding of Caiman latirostris ecophysiology, offering valuable insights for the conservation and management of crocodilian populations in both wild and captive environments.
大西洋森林宽吻凯门鳄（Caiman latirostris）栖息于世界上生态最为多样的生态系统之一的区域内，但很少有研究探索野生环境中身体状况、血液生化指标与环境因素之间的关系。我们的研究调查了性别、个体发育、栖息地和环境变量对来自巴西东北部阿拉戈斯州的野生凯门鳄身体状况和血液生化指标的影响。在2020年至2022年期间，我们在不同季节的三个地点捕获了75只凯门鳄。结果显示，它们对季节性和年际气候变化存在性别特异性反应，雌性在雨季身体状况较好，而雄性在旱季达到峰值。血糖、总蛋白、白蛋白、甘油三酯和果糖胺升高与较好的身体状况和较大的个体有关，而天冬氨酸转氨酶升高与较差的身体状况有关。季节性降雨影响血液参数，旱季与较高的肌酐、钙和丙氨酸转氨酶水平相关，而雨季与较高的总蛋白、钠和钾相关。不同地点间血糖、碱性磷酸酶和γ-谷氨酰转移酶的差异表明了人类活动的生理影响。血液生化值差异很大，有些超出了已报道的物种范围。这些发现凸显了在当地栖息地和环境条件背景下解读生理数据的必要性。保护策略应超越物种存在和栖息地保护，纳入污染控制。我们的研究增进了对宽吻凯门鳄生态生理学的理解，为野生和圈养环境中鳄类种群的保护和管理提供了有价值的见解。
