Morelet’s crocodile predation by jaguar in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in southeastern México

Researchers document the first photographic evidence of jaguar (Panthera onca) predation on Morelet’s crocodile (Crocodylus moreletti) within the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Mexico. This discovery expands the known diet of jaguars, which, while extensively studied, had not previously been observed preying on crocodiles. The study relied on photographic evidence to confirm this predatory behavior, contributing new insights into the ecological dynamics of this apex predator and its interactions with reptilian species in tropical forest ecosystems.

Simá-Pantí, D. E., Contreras-Moreno, F. M., Coutiño-Cal y Mayor, C., Zúñiga-Morales, J. A., Méndez-Saint Martin, G., & Reyna-Hurtado, R. A. (2020). Morelet’s crocodile predation by jaguar in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in southeastern México. Therya Notes, 1, 8–10. https://doi.org/10.12933/therya_notes-20-3