Authors: Patricia Khosa Venancio Edward ImbayarwoChikosi Vimbai Hamandishe
Publish Date: 2011/09/25
Volume: 44, Issue: 4, Pages: 905-909
Abstract
The Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus is a large aquatic reptile predominant in the tropics in Africa and Zimbabwe in particular Clutch sizes and hatching rates of Nile crocodile eggs collected from the wild and onfarm in Lowveld Highveld and Kariba regions of Zimbabwe were evaluated A total of 274 egg records for the period 2000 to 2008 from 39 farms were collected from the Crocodile Farmers Association of Zimbabwe The effect of source of eggs was analysed using the nonparametric one way analysis of variance procedure of SAS Version 913 Wilcoxon signed rank test for independent samples was used to compare the mean hatching rates and clutch sizes for eggs collected from the different sources by region The degree of association between clutch sizes and the hatching rates by source and region was determined using the Spearman’s rank correlation test Source of eggs had no effect P 005 on hatching rates in all the regions but significantly influenced P 005 clutch sizes in Lowveld and Kariba In these regions clutch sizes in the wild were significantly P 005 higher than those onfarm Correlation estimates between clutch size and hatching rates were weak and nonsignificant P 005 for the different sources of eggs in all regions Full utilization of the wild resource would reduce challenges relating to shortage of captive breeders and high cost of rearing breeders and hence increase productivity
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