Aproximación al estado de conocimiento de Caiman crocodilus Linnaeus, 1758 en Colombia

Abstract

Caiman crocodilus is a species of alligator that is distributed throughout the American continent, from the southern United States to the north of Bolivia. It currently has three valid subspecies C. crocodilus fuscus, C. crocodilus chiapasius and C. crocodilus crocodilus, because it was recently described that the subspecies C. crocodilus apaporiensis really is a morphological variation of the subspecies C.c. crocodilus. This species is commonly called as ‘’ spectacled caiman’’ due to the edge that forms in the anterior part of its eyes, in Colombia it is known as ‘’Babilla’’ and is usually recognized in practically all the departments of the country due to its commercial use and its extensive distribution. Despite the recognition of the species throughout the territory, its study focuses on production, trade, and use, leaving aside its study in wild populations and its interaction and importance in the habitats in which it is present, therefore, a bibliographic review is necessary to evaluate the state of knowledge of the species in Colombia and effectively understand the key points for its use and conservation. To achieve this, an exhaustive review of databases, research tools, web pages, software was carried out and a map of the current distribution of the species was generated. 198 documents associated with the species were collected and divided into the following categories: general, application and use, conservation, distribution, ecology and systematics. Most of the information was associated with the category of application and use. The results indicate that most of the documents at the regional level come from the Caribbean, where zoocria processes are largely developed. It seems that the main interest generated by the species is its commercial value which makes it essential to prioritize studies in the wild because, although the species is not threatened, its historical mismanagement could be affecting its conservation.