First record of twin hatchlings in Caiman latirostris (Daudin, 1802) in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Autores

  • Rafael Sá Leitão Barboza UFRPE https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4421-6068
  • Mayara Gabrielly Negromonte da Silva Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9419-4146
  • Carlos Fernando Rodrigues de Souza Neto Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4828-7680
  • Paulo Braga Mascarenhas-Junior Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR; Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE, in Animal Biology Graduate Program, Laboratório de Herpetologia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1292-9904
  • Malu Monteiro Caminha Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0774-8295
  • Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9214-1131
  • Jozelia Maria de Sousa Correia Federal Rural University of Pernambuco - UFRPE, Biology Department, Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Anfíbios e Répteis - LIAR https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0320-4490

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24221/jeap.10.3.2025.6916.176-180

Palavras-chave:

Broad-snouted caiman, nest, crocodilians

Resumo

Embryo twinning is quite common in reptiles, possibly due to atypical incubation conditions, although few specimens hatch and reach adulthood, especially in the wild. In crocodilians, eggs with double yolk or monozygotic twins are usually produced by young females and laid at the beginning or end of oviposition. This scientific note aimed to report the first record of twinning caimans in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest from a Caiman latirostris clutch, found during the 2021 nesting season in Tapacurá Ecological Station. Both twins were healthy and without deformities, just slightly lighter and smaller than the average of the nest. However, this may compromise their survival until sexual maturity, as larger hatchlings tend to have a higher survival rate than smaller ones. This is despite nesting females reacting more to the vocalization of smaller specimens, which promotes more maternal care. This study advances the understanding of crocodilian reproductive biology by documenting the first record of wild Caiman latirostris twins, highlighting the crucial role of field research in uncovering ecological, genetic, physiological, and evolutionary insights.

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Referências

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Publicado

2025-09-18

Como Citar

Barboza, R. S. L., Silva, M. G. N. da, Souza Neto, C. F. R. de, Mascarenhas-Junior, P. B., Caminha, M. M., Santos , E. M. dos, & Correia, J. M. de S. (2025). First record of twin hatchlings in Caiman latirostris (Daudin, 1802) in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Journal of Environmental Analysis and Progress, 10(3), 176–180. https://doi.org/10.24221/jeap.10.3.2025.6916.176-180

Edição

v. 10 n. 3 (2025): Journal of Environmental Analysis and Progress

Seção

Scientific Note - Nota Científica

Licença

Copyright (c) 2025 Rafael Sá Leitão Barboza, Mayara Gabrielly Negromonte da Silva, Carlos Fernando Rodrigues de Souza Neto, Paulo Braga Mascarenhas-Junior, Malu Monteiro Caminha, Ednilza Maranhão dos Santos , Jozelia Maria de Sousa Correia

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