Herpetofauna of the Reserva de la Biósfera Estación Biológica del Beni and the Chimane Reserve Indigenous Territory, Bolivia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Identifying patterns of herpetofaunal diversity is imperative to the conservation of these species and the ecosystems on which they rely. In this study, we determined species occurrence and composition of the herpetofauna at the Reserva de Biósfera Estación Biológica del Beni and the Chimane Reserve Indigenous Territory. Combined data resulted in documentation of 97 species belonging to 22 families and 50 genera. Reptiles were represented by 14 families and 47 species, while amphibians were represented by eight families and 50 species. This study provides a robust inventory and report of the herpetofauna at this site and delivers data that can be used in future studies. Our results indicate that this site harbors many species, which likely contributes to the collective maintenance of biodiversity in the Bolivian lowlands. Conservation initiatives should consider the collective uniqueness of vertebrate communities maintained by habitat mosaics in this area and strive to implement strategies that preserve and manage landscape-level biodiversity.