Population status of the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (Reptilia: Crocodilidae) and the caiman, Caiman crocodilus (Reptilia: Alligatoridae), in the Central Caribbean of Costa Rica

Two species of crocodilians have been described in Costa Rica, American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (Cuvier, 1807), and caiman, Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus 1758). In Costa Rica, data has been generated on both species, but populations in the Pacific have received more attention from researchers; presumably due to the fact that the Pacific slope has a greater development, which brings greater social pressure on the attention of the incidents generated by the encounter between humans and crocodiles. This study, performed during 2017, was done in an area of approximately 400 km2, characterized by having a wide and dense network of water courses, which includes the Matina, Pacuare, Reventazón …