Abstract
The State of Mexico has a unique combination of geographic characteristics and topography that promotes a high biodiversity. Unfortunately, continued human population growth of the metropolitan areas of Mexico City and Toluca have degraded the environment of the State of Mexico, which threatened its wildlife. An updated checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of the State of Mexico is provided and their conservation status summarized. The State of Mexico has 49 species of amphibians and 101 species of reptiles. The majority of the amphibians (73.5%) and reptiles (70.3%) found in the State of Mexico are endemic to Mexico. Of the amphibian and reptile species in the State of Mexico, 20.1% are IUCN listed (i.e., Vulnerable, Near Threatened, or Endangered), 18.4% are placed in a protected category by SEMARNAT (excluding NL and Pr, this last category is equivalent to the LC category of IUCN), and 34.9% are categorized as high risk by the EVS. The importance of forested habitats for the protected amphibians and reptiles in the State of Mexico suggest that management of these habitats to maintain or expand them needs to be considered.
Highlights
Relatively small, the State of Mexico bears unique geographic characteristics that combined with its topography create conditions that promote a high level of biodiversity
Five of the 147 native species of the State of Mexico are endemic to the state: the Delicate-skinned Salamander (Ambystoma bombypellum), the Granular Salamander (Ambystoma granulosum), the Lake Lerma Salamander (Ambystoma lermaense), Roberts’ False Brook Salamander (Pseudoeurycea robertsi), and the Herrera Alligator Lizard (Barisia herrerae)
The species accumulation curves for the total herpetofauna, reptiles, and amphibians all show a steep increase in the number of species documented in the State of Mexico in the second half of the 20th century, and that trend appears to be continuing, albeit at a somewhat slower rate in the 21st century (Fig. 7)
Summary
The State of Mexico bears unique geographic characteristics that combined with its topography create conditions that promote a high level of biodiversity.
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