SSC Specialist Group Profile: The Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) Profile

The second in the series of SSC Specialist group profiles takes a look at the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG).To promote conservation of the fascinating animals under its remit, the CSG, like the Shark Group, faces the challenge of dispelling the myths and fears surrounding the species: in this case, all crocodilians (alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and gharials).

Crocodile Group overview  
The members  
The species

Overview of the Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG)
The Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) is an active worldwide network of biologists, wildlife managers, government officials, independent researchers, NGO representatives, farmers, traders, tanners, fashion leaders, and private companies involved in the conservation of the world's 23 crocodilian species.

The CSG's 350 member experts advise governments and wildlife management agencies, evaluate the conservation needs of crocodilian populations, initiate research projects, conduct surveys of wild populations, provide technical information and training, and initiate conservation programmes.

A number of crocodilian species are an important natural resource because of their valuable skins, a commodity that earns over US $200 million annually in international sales. The high fashion leather goods made from the skins earn 10 times that amount in retail sales. The CSG actively monitors this trade, identifies legal and illegal crocodilian skins and products, and participates in national and international fora to develop laws and regulations that support crocodilian conservation.

In 1971, when the CSG was created, all 23 species of crocodilian were endangered or threatened. By 1996, after 25 years of effort, eight were sufficiently abundant to support well-regulated annual harvests, eight were no longer in danger of extinction but are not harvested, and seven remain endangered. No other group of vertebrate animals has undergone such a dramatic improvement in its conservation status.

The key to this success is the cooperation of companies involved in the international reptile skin and leather trade, crocodilian farmers and ranchers, skin traders, tanners, manufacturers, fashion designers, and major retailers. Today, the crocodilian skin industry views conservation as an investment in the future that is equivalent to investing in new equipment and technology. Many of the companies contribute to conservation projects and actively curtail illegal trade.

However, the conservation efforts of the CSG are not over. The seven endangered species, and some threatened populations of the more abundant species, require further conservation. Additional populations of all species need protection in national parks and other protected areas. And, vigorous efforts continue to suppress any and all illegal trade.

To find out more see the Group's website

CSG Member Profiles
Dr Alison Leslie - South Africa
Dr Alison Leslie of South Africa is working on the ecology, physiology and conservation of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, a project funded by Earthwatch, Inc.

"My love for reptiles, a desire to work on a species not traditionally known to be 'cute and cuddly', and the immense conservation challenge led me to research on crocodiles. Now there is absolutely no turning back! Any form of research in Africa is challenging, not to mention studying a species that is, understandably, detested by 90% of rural people," she says. Alison believes one of her biggest hurdles is getting people to understand the value of a crocodile. "This is far more difficult than trying to remove the stomach contents from a live five metre animal!" she adds.

Alison gained her first degree from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, a BSc majoring in Zoology and Botany. She then undertook a masters degree at Drexel University, USA working on nesting ecology of the leatherback turtle in the Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica. "Strangely enough, as a young kid I was scared to touch lizards and snakes (and other reptiles in general!) but my love for reptiles developed when I started working with sea turtles". Alison went on to gain a PhD, also at Drexel University, on the ecology and physiology of the Nile crocodile, in Lake St. Lucia, South Africa. After that she spent three years in a post-doctorate position working on endocrine disrupting contaminants in waterways of the Western Cape area, South Africa before returning to crocodile research. She is currently senior lecturer at the Department of Conservation Ecology, University of Stellenbosch, teaching courses in land-use and hydrology, aquatic conservation and limnology, among others.

Alison is also Chair elect of the Herpetological Society of Africa. She is a qualified pilot and does all her own survey flying.

Dr Alejandro Larriera - Argentina
Dr Alejandro Larriera has been working on the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) since 1982, when he joined the Agricultural Ministry in Santa Fe, Argentina, as a veterinarian. "At the beginning, I was aiming just to cure sick animals, and to breed a few, but soon I realized that something had to be done about habitat conservation," he said. At that time, thousands of animals were dying every year through habitat loss by drying marshy lands for cattle.

"The sustainable use of wild animals and plants of commercial interest, leading to economic benefit and the stimulus of in situ conservation, clearly is, nowadays, the realistic approach to conserving natural ecosystems. The Proyecto Yacare, on which I have been working for the last 20 years, stands as an example of that being possible," says Alejandro. Proyecto Yacare aims to achieve sustainable use of the wild wetlands of Northern Santa Fe in Argentina, through caiman ranching, benefiting the local inhabitants who are usually employees of the cattle ranches. Alejandro leads a team of 10 people who work on different aspects of the biology of the broad-snouted caiman including reproduction, growth, and eating habits in the wild. He is also working on an ecotourism project where tourists can take part in the field work such as night counting and catching animals in the wild for the different research activities. Transport is usually by horseback as this is the only way to get around much of the region.

When the project started, the broad-snouted caiman was considered technically extinct in the Province of Santa Fe, and those who eventually found an animal in the wild would kill it immediately through fear, says Alejandro. "Today, thanks to the communication of our work, and to the transfer from Appendix I to Appendix II of CITES, which occurred in 1997, Santa Fe commercialises caiman skins, nationally and internationally, its meat is sold in restaurants, and it is possible to see the animals very near populated areas without people disturbing them." Since its beginning, Proyecto Yacare has released 12,000 juveniles into the wetlands of Santa Fe, and there are now healthy breeders in the wild. "The most important thing is the detected population recovery and the commitment of the local residents and landowners to the protection of the natural ecosystems from which eggs are harvested, generating income and sustainability of the programme".

Alejandro is also the Regional Vice Chairman of the Crocodile Specialist Group.

Ana Maria Trelancia - Perú
Ana Maria Trelancia is a Peruvian biologist working on the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). "I wasn't always interested in crocodiles," says Ana Maria. "I had done some research work mainly in the tropical rainforest when a colleague invited me to join him on an expedition to northern Perú on the border with Ecuador where we were to do research on the mantled howler (Allouatta palliata), the only primate found along the coast of Perú. Once in the field, we learnt about other endemic species and I got interested in the precarious situation of the American crocodile. Decades of habitat destruction and illegal hunting had pushed the species to the border of extinction.

"We spent our first week in the field searching for monkeys in the forest and camping in the sandy beaches along the river. One night, I was wading in the river when my flashlight caught the reflection of a crocodile's eyes. We saw four crocodiles basking on the beach the next day. Two of them were more than two metres long and I was really surprised by their apparent tameness after all the wild stories local farmers had told us about them. As the weeks passed, they grew used to our presence and we could observe them very closely. When I came back to Lima, I was already a 'crocodile fan' and so, on and off, I've been working on this species since the first night I saw those crocodile eyes, 21 years ago."

The American crocodile reaches its southernmost distribution in northern Perú, (see species profile below). A small population is being protected at the Cerros de Amotape National Park and the Mangroves Sanctuary, but habitat destruction elsewhere is threatening the survival of the species.

"The main challenges I have faced while working with crocodiles have been ignorance and prejudice. Working in conservation in a developing country is no easy task because it is difficult to explain long-term management plans - no matter how promising these may be, to people who have an urgent need to find short-term survival strategies.

"We once set up an education programme aimed at changing the way local farmers viewed the crocodiles and at the first meeting one farmer said: 'Lady, your crocodiles eat my goats and my goats feed my children. how then, can you ask me to stop killing those pests?' Now, try explaining market-driven conservation to that angry guy."

Species Profiles (photographs courtesy of the CSG photogallery)

Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris)
The broad-snouted caiman is a medium-sized crocodilian with a maximum reported size of 3.5m. Its distribution includes the drainages of the Paraná and Sao Francisco River systems, spreading over regions of northeast Argentina, southeast Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Uruguay. It also includes many small Atlantic coast drainages from Natal, at the eastern tip of Brazil, to northeast Uruguay.

Little is known about the behaviour and ecology of this species. Much of what is known about its reproduction has come from individuals in captivity. The species is a mound nester, laying 18-50 eggs during the wet season. As its name suggests, the broad-snouted caiman, has, proportionally, the broadest snout of any crocodilian. Its skin is considered better for manufacturing goods than that of the other species of the genus Caiman and commercial hunting began in the 1940s and 1950s throughout most of its range.

Although still occurring in some places, illegal hunting is no longer the major problem for this species. On the other hand, habitat destruction has significantly increased in recent years in the form of damming natural wetlands and rivers for hydroelectric stations, wetland drainage for agriculture, and pollution.

American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
The American crocodile is the second most widely distributed of the New World crocodiles, ranging from the southern tip of Florida, both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, as well as the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. It is found largely in freshwater or brackish water coastal habitats such as the saltwater sections of rivers, coastal lagoons, and mangrove swamps. However, populations are known from freshwater areas located well inland, including a number of reservoirs. Also, one of the largest known populations is in Lago Enriquillo, a landlocked lake situated 40m below sea level in the arid southwestern Dominican Republic.

The American crocodile is a relatively large species, with males reaching lengths of 5-6m although some 7m individuals have been reported. Throughout most of its range the American crocodile is a hole-nesting species but in areas where access to well drained nesting beaches is limited, females will form mound-type nests. This species produces a commercially valuable hide and the main reason for past declines in population size can be attributed to the extensive commercial overexploitation that occurred from the 1930s into the 1960s. Current threats are habitat destruction, and in some areas continued hunting. The collection of adult breeders to stock farms could become a serious problem in some countries if not closely regulated by the appropriate management authorities.

Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis)
The Philippine crocodile is one of the most severely threatened crocodile species. It was once widely distributed throughout the Philippines Archipelago, but has been eliminated from 80% of its former range. Efforts are being made to increase public appreciation of the species in the hope that new protected sanctuaries can be established and restocked with captive-bred crocodiles.

The Philippine crocodile is a relatively small (maximum 3m), little known freshwater species. Its preferred habitats include freshwater marshes, the tributaries of large rivers, small lakes and ponds. Very little else is known about the ecology of wild populations. In captivity females are known to make mound nests and lay 10-20 eggs.

Initial population decline was associated with commercial over-exploitation. Now the principal threats are habitat loss and killing by local people. Very high human population density and intolerance of crocodiles are the major problems. Current re-occupation of agricultural land abandoned during political strife may cause continued declines. Surveys in 1980-1982 reported extremely depleted wild populations, with perhaps no more than 500-1000 individuals remaining.

A small captive breeding programme is being run by the Silliman University and the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, operated by the Philippines Government, is breeding the species for commercial and conservation purposes. The Crocodile Specialist Group has reviewed this programme and made extensive recommendations for improved operations. Two overseas breeding programmes were initiated with stock from the Silliman University project. Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, USA, has two pairs and two excess males and has repatriated some of its hatchlings to the Philippines. Melbourne Zoo in Australia received a pair in 1993 and will cooperate with the Philippine programme. It has also developed a public education programme. In addition, a small number of Philippine crocodiles are held by zoos and private collections in the USA and Europe.

An intergovernmental task force for recovery of the species was recently formed, and a national recovery plan drafted. Several new localities in the Sierre Madre mountains of Luzon were discovered in 1999. The immediate conservation needs for the species are to stabilise financial support for the captive breeding programmes and develop protection of both existing populations and potential release sites for re-introduction.

List of Specialist Group Profiles