High genetic diversity and demographic history of captive Siamese and Saltwater crocodiles suggest the first step toward the establishment of a breeding and reintroduction program in Thailand.

Sorravis Lapbenjakul,Yosapong Temsiripong,Watcharaporn Thapana,Sasimanas Unajak,Kornsorn Srikulnath,Thiti Kanchanaketu,Narongrit Muangmai,Surin Peyachoknagul,Panupon Twilprawat

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184526

Abstract

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) and Saltwater crocodile (C. porosus) are two of the most endangered animals in Thailand. Their numbers have been reduced severely by hunting and habitat fragmentation. A reintroduction plan involving captive-bred populations that are used commercially is important and necessary as a conservation strategy to aid in the recovery of wild populations. Here, the genetic diversity and population structure of 69 individual crocodiles, mostly members of captive populations, were analyzed using both mitochondrial D-loop DNA and microsatellite markers. The overall haplotype diversity was 0.924–0.971 and the mean expected heterozygosity across 22 microsatellite loci was 0.578–0.701 for the two species. This agreed with the star-like shaped topology of the haplotype network, which suggests a high level of genetic diversity. The mean ratio of the number of alleles to the allelic range (M ratio) for the populations of both species was considerably lower than the threshold of 0.68, which was interpreted as indicative of a historical genetic bottleneck. Microsatellite markers provided evidence of introgression for three individual crocodiles, which suggest that hybridization might have occurred between C. siamensis and C. porosus. D-loop sequence analysis detected bi-directional hybridization between male and female individuals of the parent species. Therefore, identification of genetically non-hybrid and hybrid individuals is important for long-term conservation management. Relatedness values were low within the captive populations, which supported their genetic integrity and the viability of a breeding and reintroduction management plan. This work constitutes the first step in establishing an appropriate source population from a scientifically managed perspective for an in situ/ex situ conservation program and reintroduction of crocodile individuals to the wild in Thailand.

Highlights

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater species that is commonly found in swamps and sheltered portions of rivers and streams in Thailand [1], whereas the Saltwater crocodile (C. porosus) inhabits more marine environments and typically resides in saline and brackish mangrove swamps, estuaries, deltas, lagoons, and lower stretches of rivers [2]
This sequence region was located in D-loop domain III, which is commonly used for the analysis of genetic diversity and population structure [56]
All C. siamensis haplotypes clustered in a group that was distinct from the C. porosus haplotypes by at least 34 mutational steps with a missing haplotype (Fig 1)

Summary

Introduction

The Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater species that is commonly found in swamps and sheltered portions of rivers and streams in Thailand [1], whereas the Saltwater crocodile (C. porosus) inhabits more marine environments and typically resides in saline and brackish mangrove swamps, estuaries, deltas, lagoons, and lower stretches of rivers [2]. Reintroductions of captive-bred individuals and in situ/ex situ management are necessary for the recovery of wild populations of C. siamensis and C. porosus, with decisions made at the national policy level. No new individuals have been introduced into these captive populations subsequent to their establishment and no historical information on the captive populations is available, which might lead to the loss of genetic variation. This might hamper the adaptability of a captive-bred population to a new environment, the long-term sustainability of the population, and increase the probability of species extinction [7]. Evaluation of the genetic diversity in captive populations provides important information for prospective breeding and reintroduction programs, and in situ/ex situ management

Methods

Results

Conclusion