Phylogeography of Non-Native Spectacled Caimans (Caiman crocodilus) in Florida

The spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) was introduced from Latin America to the US state of Florida in the 1950’s. Given that there are now fully established breeding populations across the southern part of the state with ongoing recent efforts to control their population, there is a need to understand the natural history and introduction pathways of this species. Previous reports and studies have cited the Caribbean Coastal region of Colombia as a primary and possibly exclusive origin of the species in its non-native range in Florida. The Florida populations have also been identified as belonging to the C. c. fuscus subspecies, but genetic sampling has been limited. By using a phylogeographic framework, I examine the genetic origins of the Florida caiman in detail and compare basic population genetic parameters between native and non-native populations. Based on two mitochondrial loci for the CytB and COI genes, I find evidence for multiple introduction events and the taxonomic classification of the Florida caiman as two distinct subspecies (C. c. fuscus and C. c. crocodilus) originating from at least two different countries: Colombia and Brazil. I also found generally reduced genetic diversity among Florida haplotypes compared to haplotypes from native populations, but an overall increased level of diversity in Florida due to the disparate genetic origins. These two lineages appear to remain genetically distinct from each other in Florida. I also find evidence that the C. c. fuscus lineage in Florida originated from the genetically diverse Rio Magdalena Valley. This study helps elucidate the genetic history of the Florida caiman and provides valuable insight into the population management of the species in Florida.

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