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A close-up of a spectacled caiman’s head. UF/IFAS Photo by Edison Bonilla-Liberato. UF researchers pieced together the first comprehensive review of the spectacled caiman, a small invasive crocodile-like reptile.
- Introduced into South Florida more than 45 years ago, researchers have suspected caimans compete with native species for food and habitat.
- Scientists say the species could complicate the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, the largest hydrologic restoration in U.S. history.
In the canals, wetlands and marshes of the Florida Everglades, the spectacled caiman has quietly expanded its foothold threatening an already-vulnerable ecosystem.
A University of Florida study synthesizes more than 70 years of research on the invasive species native to Central and South America that has firmly established itself across the most vulnerable part of the Sunshine State – the Florida Everglades.
Researchers at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in Fort Lauderdale say the reptile may further complicate the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) – the largest wetland project in the history of the United States.
For more on this research, please visit UF News.
Para accesar a esta comunicación en español, por favor utilice este enlace.
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By Lourdes Mederos, rodriguezl@ufl.edu
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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