Reptiles on two Caribbean islands are genetically unique
Genetic analysis has revealed two new species of crocodiles on small islands off the Yucatan coast of Mexico. What was once thought to be just populations of the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) have turned out to be two completely separate species living on the island of Cozumel and the atoll reef of Banco Chinchorro near Mexico’s border with Belize, as reported in the study published recently in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. “These results were totally unexpected,” said lead author José Avila-Cervantes, a graduate student at McGill University. Both populations have fewer than 1,000 individuals, meaning there are conservation implications for the recent discovery. The authors of the study said wildlife managers need to take steps to limit development in their native habitats. The discovery also has implications for other populations previously assumed to be American crocodiles, which ranged from Baja California all the way down to Venezuela. There may be more cryptic species that are currently unrecognized in some areas.
