Allometry of Reproduction in Wild Broad-Snouted Caimans (Caiman latirostris)

Abstract

We studied 20 nesting female Caiman latirostris and their clutches in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. We regressed clutch and egg parameters and hatchling size with several measurements of female size (ln-transformed) to evaluate the allometry of reproduction in the wild. Larger females produced relatively smaller clutches. Larger females produced larger eggs and hatchlings. Egg width, not length, limits egg size relative to female body size. Future studies should address the relationship between female fecundity and hatchling fitness.