Fauna associated with the nests of Crocodylus moreletii and Crocodylus moreletii × acutus in Belize

Abstract

ABSTRACT Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii) and hybrid crocodiles (C. moreletii × acutus) are mound-nesting crocodilians found in the lowlands of northern and southern Belize, respectively. Nests of both crocodilians consist of large mounds of soil, vegetation, leaf litter, and in some cases sand. We here report on the fauna associated with nest mounds of C. moreletii and C. moreletii × acutus, and describe the associations between crocodiles and commensal fauna. Our data were collected during various ecological studies conducted from 1992 through 2000, and we examined 138 active (containing eggs) nests of C. moreletii and 11 active nests of C. moreletii × acutus. We noted the occurrence of at least 14 species of fauna associated with 45 (32.6%) C. moreletii and three (27.2%) C. moreletii × acutus nests. Nest-associated fauna included ants, bees, termites, turtles, squamates, birds, and mammals. Associations included five species dwelling within crocodile nest mounds, four species that deposited eggs in crocodile nest mounds, and five species nesting in close proximity to crocodile nests. Nest-associated fauna presumably benefit from the protection afforded by nest attendance and aggressive defence behaviour of female crocodiles, although these benefits have yet to be empirically established.