Species richness, composition, distribution and conservation status of herpetofauna in a global hotspot: The Mountains of Southwest China

Abstract

Herpetofauna have attracted considerable global attention due to their high risk of extinction. The Mountains of Southwest China are among the 36 global biodiversity hotspots due to their high biodiversity and irreplaceability, and the Shaluli Mountains are the core area of this region. However, the diversity and conservation status of herpetofauna in the Shaluli Mountains remain unclear. In this study, we updated the species richness and composition information of herpetofauna in the Shaluli Mountains based on extensive field expeditions, published literature, and museum specimens. In addition, we identified the local hotspots and key environmental factors limiting species distribution using environmental niche models (ENMs). Furthermore, we evaluated the conservation status of the key species via the Red List Index and gap analysis. Our results revealed a total of 68 herpetofauna species, representing 30 amphibians (21 genera in nine families) and 38 reptiles (19 genera in six families). The amphibian richness showed a hump-shaped pattern along the elevational gradient, while the reptile richness showed a monotonically decreasing pattern. The dry-hot river valley was identified as a local hotspot, and the key environmental factors limiting the richness of herpetofauna species differed. Moreover, the regional Red List indices for amphibians and reptiles were 0.87 and 0.8, respectively, showing that the overall threat level of this region was low. However, there are large conservation gaps in the protection of key species. Our study indicated that new protected areas should be established and the existing protected areas should be upgraded to protect herpetofauna with a large conservation gap.