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Artisanal fishing is an important subsistence practice in freshwater habitats worldwide, but overexploitation threatens the conservation of several nontarget species including crocodylians. We investigated the effects of artisanal fishing on the distribution of a population of broad‐snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) inhabiting the Tapacurá reservoir, within the highly altered and threatened Atlantic Forest biome.We conducted spotlight surveys to detect caimans and gillnets deployed in the reservoir from April 2015 to June 2022. We evaluated temporal differences in gillnet encounter rates and the relationship between caimans and gillnet distribution.Gillnet encounter rates remained consistent year‐round, while caiman encounter rates were highest near gillnets, especially in the river channel and in forested margins. Caimans are opportunistic predators attracted by tangled fish in gillnets and likely prefer habitats with increased fish abundance.Future research should continue monitoring the interaction between caimans and fishing and include local communities in conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematological studies in crocodilians are important tools in the evolutionary diagnosis and control of sicknesses, such as anaemia, malnutrition, dehydration, inflammation, and parasitism, among others. We aimed to obtain reference intervals for the hemogram of Caiman latirostris in wild populations that inhabit Recife's Metropolitan Region, Pernambuco. We obtained blood samples from 42 caimans, from different sexes (22 males and 20 females) and ages classes (eight hatchlings, 24 subadults and 10 adults) in two areas of Atlantic Rainforest domain. We found that hematological parameters were included within the reference intervals for other crocodilian species. It was possible to observe differences between the areas for the mean corpuscular volume values, suggesting a possible difference between adult and juvenile individuals in the two study areas. When comparing sexes, there was no significant difference between the study parameters, but it was possible to observe differences in the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and hemoglobin in the Estação Ecológica de Tapacurá region. Although small differences have been observed between the two populations, we can infer that the hematological parameters are similar. We can use this information to evaluate animal's health in nature and for comparations with captive individuals, allowing the establishment of ideal maintenance conditions and assisting in the identification of possible pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]