02033naa a2200205 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001910000200006024500580008026000090013852015410014765000150168865000120170365000110171565000160172665300150174265300150175770000150177277300400178717877252017-04-04       1995    bl ---       0--  u    #d1 aMAGNUSSON, W. E  aCroccodile Specialist Group. Views, opinion & ideias.  c1995  aPopulation study of paleosuchus. Despite the extensive geographic distribution of the dwarf caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, there are no published studies of populations of this species in the wild. The density, size structure and sex ratio was evaluated for dward caiman in two small tributaries of the Parana river at 600 m north of Corumba, Brazil. The two clearwater streams arise in the nearby mountains and have bottoms of sand and rock and a water depth of 30-120 cm. In June 1993 and August 1994, we walked 4 km streaches of the two streams on two consecutive nights. Dwarf caiman were captured, measured and marked. In 1993, 19 dwarf caiman were captured in each stream. In 1994, we caught 11 dwarf caiman in one stream and 13 in the other. The size structure in one stream was dominated by smaller individuals, white larger individuals were found in the other stream and we found a dead caiman with SVL of 92 cm, larger than any individual measured in previous studies. The sex ratio of one stram was 1 male: 7.5 females and in the other 1 male: 2 females. The change in density from 1993 to 1994, and the low recapture rate (5%) suggests that many animals are not resident in these 4 km stretches of these streams, although the presence of hatchlings in both years indicates reproduction. Caiman populations and their habitat are now reasonably well protected within this study area. However, we also examined two apparently similar streams in Serra Urucum, near Corumba. Both of these streams had been impacted by mining...  apopulation  aJacaré  aManejo  aPopulação  aCroccodile  aManagement1 aMOURAO, G.  tNewslettergv.14, n.4, p.3-5, 1995.