SIZE STRUCTURE OF ILLEGALLY HARVESTED AND SURVIVING CAIMAN CAIMAN CROCODILUS YACARE IN PANTANAL, BRAZIL

The Yacare caiman Caiman crocodilus yacare is protected by law in Braz il but is hunted illegally. Until now, few authorities have had access to data that might allow analysis of the effect of hunting. We used m easurements from 2978 confiscated hides and 1358 skulls found in hunte rs' camps between October 1987 and September 1990 to reconstruct the s izes of harvested caiman. Hunters preferentially took large caiman and probably harvested mostly males. Some reproductive-sized animals rema ined in residual populations in heavily hunted areas, and often succes sful reproduction was known to have occurred in these areas.