6/22/2023 0 Comments Crocodile or alligator growlWe got some really cool and interesting results. We had an intern come and watch them all day for all of the breeding and nesting season. We could see some differences-two of the females built mound nests, one digs a hole nest and developmental rates within the eggs varied-so we wanted to see if there was something going on socially or dominance-wise to dictate those differences. I was curious to see if I could use their behavior to predict their reproductive output. How did your research on the Cuban crocodiles start? Ours is some of the very first social research on Cuban crocs. Nine species out of the 23 have had at least some research on some kind of social behavior, but there’s a lot still to learn. There is some documentation of courtship behavior in the wild, and there’s been extensive research done on American alligators. Primarily on species like American crocs, saltwater crocs and American alligators. They’re hard to study in the wild, so a lot of behavioral research on alligators and crocodilians has been in human care. Alligators and crocodiles aren’t animals that people typically think of as having much of a social life. This research has recently been published in recent scientific papers, including one this year in the Herpetological Review. And, it's a species on which very little social and behavioral research has been done.Īugustine’s research began as a way to track the reproductive cycles of the Zoo’s three female Cuban crocodiles, but has since expanded to include social interactions, dominance behavior and even play behavior. The Zoo is fortunate to have several species of crocodilians, including the Cuban crocodile-a critically endangered species native (as its name suggests) solely to Cuba. A majority of that research, though, has focused on only a handful of the 23 existing species of crocodilians: predominantly the American alligator, American crocodile and the saltwater crocodile. Consequently, much of what scientists know about crocodilian behavior and biology comes form animals in human care. Research on crocodiles and alligators in the wild is often difficult and dangerous. Keepers at the Reptile Discovery Center, including animal keeper Lauren Augustine, are upholding that proud tradition with ground-breaking research on social behavior, reproduction and play in a species not typically associated with any of those words: a crocodile. The Smithsonian's National Zoo is well known for advancing conservation science.
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