Philodendron bipinnatifidum without external stimulation, though it is unclear if this is because of them being housed with tegu or a natural behaviour. A later study by another group also concluded that C. latirostris'' and its relatives are obligate omnivores, and play an important role in the dispersal of plant seeds in their habitats. Reproduction The female lays 18 to 50 eggs at a time. While rare, up to 129 eggs have been found within a single nest, presumably from several layings. They lay their eggs in two layers, with a slight temperature difference between the two layers. This will result in a more even ratio of males and females. The caiman does not have sex chromosomes, but instead depends on temperature to determine the ratio of male and female offspring. Eggs at warmer temperatures ( or higher) develop into males and eggs at cooler temperatures ( or lower) develop into females. There are more important factors that contribute to the sex determination of the eggs. Estrogen levels and stress levels of the mother can have an effect. There was a study conducted that concluded that every nest was different in sex although they contained the same temperature. This indicated there are other factor that contribute to a nest having all male or females eggs. Conservation Hunting of the species began in the 1940s. Its skin is greatly valued for its smooth texture. Until most countries have made hunting them illegal, this was the largest threat to the broad-snouted caiman. This helped them to regain their population. The new threat is habitat destruction. Deforestation and pollution run-off are the two leading causes to the destruction of their habitat. It is a very well-known species in the lagoons of the urban areas of Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in Rio de Janeiro.1990 – Endangered (E) 1988 – Endangered (E) 1986 – Endangered (E) 1982 – Endangered (E) Notes References Alligatoridae Crocodilians of South America Extant Miocene first appearances Reptiles of Argentina Reptiles of Bolivia Reptiles of Brazil Reptiles of Paraguay Reptiles of Uruguay Fauna of the Pantanal Mangrove fauna Reptiles described in 1801 Taxa named by François Marie Daudin