Herpetofauna of the Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve, State of Goiás, Central Brazil

Abstract

Data on species occurrence and richness are important to support conservation actions for strategic areas. To increase knowledge about the herpetofauna of the Cerrado biome, we present a list of amphibians and reptiles' species from the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Serra do Tombador (RNST). The fieldwork was performed in November 2016 and the samplings were carried out through pitfall traps, active search, occasional encounters, and third-party records. We also consider the species recorded in the RNST Management Plan. We recorded 34 amphibians and 55 reptiles, and expanded the known distribution of some species. The observed and estimated amphibian species curves showed a tendency to stabilize, with the observed richness representing 89% of the number of species expected. On the other hand, observed and estimated reptile species curves did not show a stabilization trend. Even considering the smallest sample period in this study, the richness of amphibian and reptile species was similar or greater to those found in protected areas in the Cerrado, close to the RNST. The presence of species with restricted endemism, recently described, and data deficient highlights the importance of the RNST for the conservation of the Cerrado herpetofauna.