Abstract
We summarize all available amphibian and reptile species distribution data from the northeast Mindanao faunal region, including small islands associated with this subcenter of endemic vertebrate biodiversity. Together with all publicly available historical information from biodiversity repositories, we present new data from several major herpetological surveys, including recently conducted inventories on four major mountains of northeast Mindanao, and adjacent islands of Camiguin Sur, Dinagat, and Siargao. We present species accounts for all taxa, comment on unresolved taxonomic problems, and provide revisions to outdated IUCN conservation status assessments in cases where our new data significantly alter earlier classification status summaries. Together, our comprehensive analysis of this fauna suggests that the greater Mindanao faunal region possesses distinct subcenters of amphibian and reptile species diversity, and that until this area is revisited and its fauna and actually studied, with on-the-ground field work including targeted surveys of species distributions coupled to the study their natural history, our understanding of the diversity and conservation status of southern Philippine herpetological fauna will remain incomplete. Nevertheless, the northeast Mindanao geographical area (Caraga Region) appears to have the highest herpetological species diversity (at least 126 species) of any comparably-sized Philippine faunal subregion.
Highlights
Recent efforts to conduct comprehensive herpetological surveys of the various islands of the Philippines have provided near-complete estimation of the amphibian and reptile diversity and endemism of several islands, mountain ranges, or other conspicuous geographical subcenters of diversity in the northern reaches of the archipelago (Brown et al 2013a)
We focus on the regional diversity and endemism of amphibians and reptiles from one subcenter of the biogeographically distinct Mindanao Pleistocene Aggregate Island Complex (PAIC)
Until taxonomic studies have properly been undertaken, surveys for genetic variation are conducted throughout its range, and populations at high elevations have been studied, we argue that this species should be treated as “Data Deficient” (DD; IUCN 2016) and that field-base conservation efforts be focused on the Mt
Summary
Recent efforts to conduct comprehensive herpetological surveys of the various islands of the Philippines have provided near-complete estimation of the amphibian and reptile diversity and endemism of several islands, mountain ranges, or other conspicuous geographical subcenters of diversity in the northern reaches of the archipelago (Brown et al 2013a). The perception that southern portions of the Philippine archipelago are sufficiently studied and/or reasonably understood may derive in part from proximity-based expectations of faunal similarity between Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan versus the islands of Sundaland and Wallacea (Boulenger 1920, Inger 1954, 1999, Leviton 1963a, Brown and Alcala 1970) Some of this perception stems from the fact that Taylor worked extensively in the region, lived on Mindanao for over two years, collected more than 2,000 specimens from 1912–1915, and returned to survey sites in southern portions of the Philippines periodically until 1924 (Taylor 1975; Duellman 2015). Few modern systematic treatments have revisited the southern Philippine endemics with modern collections-based technologies
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