Herpetofaunal Species Research Articles

New host and locality records of helminths' infection of seven lizards from Morocco.

Morocco has a great diversity of reptiles; more than 26% of the herpetofauna species are considered to be endemic. Nevertheless, there is little information available on helminth parasites of Moroccan lizards. The purpose of this article is to establish a helminth list using non-invasive methods for natural populations of seven lizard species: Acanthodactylus maculatus, Chalcides mionecton, Chalcides montanus, Chalcides polylepis, Quedenfeldtia moerens, Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus, and Tarentola mauritanica. For each species, prevalence and intensity of infection were given as well as their relationship to some determinant parameters (sex, age class, size, altitude, and seasons). Four species of nematodes, Parapharyngodon micipsae, Pharyngodon mamillatus, Spauligodon auziensis, Thelandros alatus, and unassigned Spauligodon were found. Mean helminth intensity for the seven lizard species was 7.3 ± 16.2 SD (range = 1-92 in infected lizards), with total infection prevalence of 5.6%. Mixed infections were observed in Chalcides montanus and Chalcides polylepis co-infected by Pharyngodon mamillatus and Spauligodon sp. Furthermore, the intensity of infection by nematodes were significantly different among the seven studied species. The nematode infection in Chalcides mionecton were related to sex, host size, and altitude; in Chalcides polylepis to the host age; in Quedenfeldtia trachyblepharus to elevation, age, and host size; and in Tarentola Mauritanica to age, body size, seasons, and altitude. In conclusion, our study provides data about nine new host and locality records and the effect of some determinant factors on host parasitism.

A Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Nusa Kambangan Island, Central Java, Indonesia.

An inventory of herpetofauna species from western part of Nusa Kambangan Island, Central Java, Indonesia, is presented. There are 43 herpetofauna species reported (16 amphibians and 27 reptiles). This study confirmed new distribution record and list some of threatened species. In light of the imminent human disturbances on Nusa Kambangan Island, a conservation plan is urgently needed.

KOMPOSISI JENIS HERPETOFAUNA DI AREAL KONSESI PT. HUTAN KETAPANG INDUSTRI KABUPATEN KETAPANG

PT. Ketapang Industrial Forest is a national private company engaged in the exploitation of industrial forest plantations (HTI) located in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan Province with an area of ± 100,150 Ha. PT. The Ketapang Industrial Forest has several types of ecosystems, one of which is the open wetland forest ecosystem. PT. Ketapang Industrial Forest is an Industrial Plantation Forest Company with the type being cultivated is rubber. The purpose of this study was to examine the composition of herpetofauna species in the open wetland forest ecosystem type and rubber plantations in the open wetland ecosystem. The method used is the VES (Visual Encounter Survey) method or a visual encounter survey combined with a 600 m long line system (Transect) in both areas. The width of the observation transects is 5 meters each on the left and right and is carried out by walking in a zikzak manner following the observation path. Observations showed that herpetofauna species consisted of amphibians and reptiles in natural ecosystem types and rubber plantations. Types of herpetofauna in both areas found 17 species from 12 species of amphibian class and 5 species of reptile class, with a total number of 38 individuals consisting of 8 families. The amphibians found consisted of the Ranidae, Dicroglossidae, Bufonidae and Rharcophoridae families. The reptiles found were the Colubridae, Natricidae, Geomydidae and Varanidae families.

Occurrence patterns of herpetofauna in different habitat types of western Terai Arc Landscape, India

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) is an important region of biodiversity in India. Situated in the foothills of the Himalaya, it is spread across India and Nepal. We describe the herpetofauna of the western part of TAL encompassing Ramnagar Forest Division, which falls in Uttarakhand state of India. We primarily used visual encounter survey method for sampling. A total of 47 species of herpetofauna belonging to three orders, 17 families and 36 genera were recorded from 10 habitat types (6 terrestrial and 4 aquatic). Highest species richness (n=32) was recorded from the human settlement and least (n=4) species richness was reported from pond habitat. In this paper, the diversity of amphibians and reptiles in each habitat type is discussed.

Comparative Morphology and Ecology of the <i>Pelophylax ridibundus</i> (Pallas, 1771) in Two Artifical Lakes (Krupac and Slano) from Montenegro

In Montenegro, a herpetofaunal species richness has not translated into detailed ecological studies. An example is the marsh frog, one of the most common amphibians in Montenegro, which has insufficient information on its population and ecological structure, including feeding ecology. This study compared the morphological and ecological (diet, type of growth and condition) profiles of marsh frogs from two artificial lakes (Krupac and Slano) located in the central region of Montenegro. The comparison of morphometric ratios between localities revealed that two indices show the weak discrimination between populations. The dietary composition of the marsh frog, from studied artificial lakes, is similar to that of populations from natural habitats. Obtained results showed that marsh frogs from Lake Krupac have a higher growth rate than those from Lake Slano.

An updated herpetofaunal species inventory of Iona National Park in southwestern Angola

Angola has experienced an incredible increase of the knowledge of its herpetofauna over the past decade. However, accurate biodiversity inventories remain deficient for certain regions of particular conservation interest. We therefore provide an updated checklist of Iona National Park’s herpetofauna, with 75 recorded species, including five amphibians and 70 reptiles, 40 of these recorded for the first time in Iona National Park. These species comprise ~80% of the reptile diversity of Namibe Province. Therefore, this work recognises Iona National Park as the most reptile-diverse protected area in Angola and is potentially one of the richest in southern Africa. Consequently, this work enhances the importance of specific conservation plans in the area and the need for further investigation into the hidden biodiversity of this region.

Herpetofaunal diversity in Chitradurga district, Karnataka: A Semi-Arid Landscape in Southern India

Herpetofauna, both amphibians and reptiles have been dealt with at length by biodiversity studies as part of studying animal groups. Among all animal groups, herpetofauna is a flagship group in both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and play an important role in the food chain. In this context, a study was conducted in the semi-arid Chitradurga district located in the state of Karnataka, India. This semi-arid region experience high temperatures with moderate annual rainfall. The semi-arid environment plays a major role in the distribution and diversification of taxa. The present study was aimed at compiling an inventory and the diversity status of the herpetofauna of Chitradurga district to understand the structure and composition of herpetofaunal communities. Data collection was carried out from August 2014 to July 2016. Standard ecological method i.e. Visual Encounter Survey (VES) was adopted for enumerating the Herpetofaunal species. We documented 29 herpetofaunal species belonging to nine families. Among these species, six were amphibians and 23 were reptiles. Among amphibians and reptiles Dicroglossidae and Gekkonidae were the most dominant families. Amphibian diversity was more during and after rainy seasons. Whereas, reptiles diversity was more during summer and rainy seasons. Most of the herpatiles were observed in and around agricultural and barren habitats. The region was subjected to enormous pressure on natural resources due to human activities. As Chitradurga district is located in the heart of Deccan plateau under a semi-arid region of the country, this could be one of the promising regions for undertaking detailed herpetological studies.

Influence of landscape and vegetation characteristics on herpetofaunal assemblages in Gulf Coastal Plain pine forests

AbstractLongleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savanna characterized by open‐canopy, diverse herbaceous vegetation, and high amounts of bare soil once covered much of the southeastern United States Coastal Plain. The unique structural and vegetative conditions of this ecosystem support endemic reptiles and amphibians that have declined as longleaf pine forests have been lost or degraded. Private working pine (Pinusspp.) forests managed for timber production now occur throughout the southeastern United States and have replaced much of the historical longleaf pine savanna. The examination of herpetofaunal (reptile, amphibian) communities in private working loblolly pine (P. taeda) landscapes, particularly in the western Gulf Coastal Plain is lacking. Using repeated field surveys and hierarchical community occupancy models, we examined occupancy and species richness of herpetofauna across 81 sites spanning gradients of management practices, vegetative conditions, and soil composition in northwestern Louisiana, USA, 2017–2019. Young pine stands (<6 yr) exhibited structural characteristics most similar to mature longleaf pine reference sites (>30 yr), while mid‐aged stands (13–26 yr) often featured closed canopy and dense midstory. Vegetation conditions varied widely depending on landscape characteristics and site‐specific disturbance regimes. We documented 43 species of herpetofauna, including 9 open‐pine‐associated species. Occupancy of open‐pine‐associated herpetofauna was positively associated with open‐canopy and understory conditions, and sandy soil area. Sites providing open‐canopy conditions were often occupied by open‐pine‐associated species regardless of overstory type and disturbance method. Overall richness of herpetofauna was greatest at sites with moderate canopy cover outside of sandy soil regions. Working pine landscapes in the western Gulf Coastal Plain can support diverse herpetofaunal assemblages, including open‐pine‐associated species, when management practices maintain open‐canopy conditions on sandy, upland soils. More broadly, our results provide insight into how forest management practices affect herpetofauna and may guide practices that can contribute to conservation value of working pine forests.

A rapid survey of herpetofaunal diversity in Nijhum Dwip National Park, Bangladesh

The ecological effects of habitat use by herpetofaunal species vary widely and recognizing relative habitat value will help to improve conservation theory and practice in a particular landscape. To understand how different habitat uses influence diversity in riparian landscapes, we studied reptile and amphibian assemblages across major habitats (agricultural land, forest, human habitation, and waterbodies) in Nijhum Dwip National Park, Bangladesh. A total of 35 herpetofaunal species were found; among them, 17 were directly observed and 18 were reported from a questionnaire survey. Among the observed species, the Asian Common Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus was the most commonly seen (relative abundance 0.32). We found that forest habitat contained a greater diversity of herpetofauna than other habitats followed by agricultural land, human habitation, and waterbodies. We also found 8 habitat specialist species and 9 generalist species in this study. Our results show that different habitats support different species assemblages in Nijhum Dwip National Park, signifying the importance of diversified habitats for the herpetofaunal population. Understanding this importance is crucial for identifying matrix environments that can complement the forest habitats of sensitive as well as specialist herpetofaunal species.

Diversity of herpetofauna at restored cranberry bogs: A comparative survey of herpetofaunal diversity at a restored wetland in comparison to a retired cranberry bog to assess the restoration success

Wetlands perform critical ecological functions and provide wildlife habitats. Yet, wetland degradation continues at a global scale. In Massachusetts, USA, wetland restoration has reached remarkable heights, partly promoted by the retirement of cranberry bogs. In this study, to assess the effectiveness of cranberry-farm restoration for conservation of native herpetofauna, we surveyed both retired and restored cranberry bogs in south-eastern Massachusetts. Using both visual encounter surveys and baited aquatic traps, we documented herpetofaunal species and their relative abundance. Both survey methods combined, the cumulative herpetofaunal species richness at the restored bogs (16) exceeded that of the retired bogs (11). Our trap surveys indicated that the amphibian species richness at the retired bog was significantly greater than that of the restored bog. In contrast, reptilian species richness as well as the relative abundance of both amphibians and reptiles were significantly greater at the restored bog compared to the retired bog. Subsequent analyses we performed identified that greater habitat heterogeneity emerging from active restoration intervention was the underlying driver of elevated richness and abundance. Most frequently encountered herpetofauna at the restored versus retired bogs were habitat generalists with broader geographic ranges and are not of conservation concern. Our findings suggest that the restored bog we monitored is still in the early-recovery phase after active intervention. We urge the need for long-term herpetofaunal inventories via systematic, standard surveys to assess restoration success.

To Registrations of Bottom Macroinvertebrates, Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles of the upper Tskhenistskali River Basin (Georgia, Lower Svanetia)

This paper contains information on the records of bottom macroinvertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles collected during a fi eld expedition to the valley of the river Tskhenistskali (in the vicinities of town of Lentekhi and village of Sasashi) in April 2018. According to the results of the study, three fish species (Actinopterigii) of three families (Salmonidae, Cyprinidae and Nemacheilidae) inhabits three studied rivers (Kheledula, Devashi and Tskhenistskali Rivers). Seven species of reptiles (Squamata: Anguidae — 1, Colubridae — 1, Viperidae — 1, Lacertidae — 4), and five species of amphibians (Anura: Hylidae — 1, Bufonidae — 1, Ranidae – 2; Caudata: Salamandridae — 1) were registered within the investigated area. Around Lentekhi town three species of the genus Darevskia Arribas, 1999, namely Darevskia rudis svanetica (Darevsky & Eiselt, 1980), Darevskia brauneri brauneri (Mehely, 1909) and Darevskia derjugini abchasica (Bischoff , 1982) were found to live almost sympatrically, with only river serving as a natural barrier between the species. The paper also contains descriptions of habitats characteristic of the region for the species found and the results of route surveys with D. d. abchasica and P. ridibundus being the most numerous species of herpetofauna (sensu lato) — up to 35 and 20 individuals per 100 m of route. In order to illustrate the feeding base of the registered vertebrates, the study of species composition (n = 114) of bottom macroinvertebrates, that form the main component of food source for them. The recorded invertebrates belong to 16 taxonomic groups of the higher rank (up to 98.1 % of all benthic invertebrates appeared to be insects, including Ephemeroptera — 51 %, Plecoptera — 17.4 % Сhironomidae — 14.2 %, Trichoptera — 11.5 %, Diptera — 3 %). Other groups, namely Turbellaria, Nematoda, Oligochaeta, Araneida, Acarina, Collembola, Heteroptera, Coleoptera, in total form a little less than 3 % of all recorded species. Registrations of fauna from mountain regions will help to update actual maps of natural ranges of the species within the country and tend to be a valuable addition to the data that can be potentially used in GIS-modelling of species’ distribution according to predicted climate changes.

A first approximation for the Herpetofauna species composition of the Taiamã Ecological Station, Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

A first approximation for the Herpetofauna species composition of the Taiamã Ecological Station, Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Squamates and amphibians from the Natufian cemetery of Raqefet Cave, Israel: taphonomy, paleoenvironments and paleoclimate

ABSTRACT We present the herpetofauna from Raqefet Cave, a Natufian (terminal Pleistocene) cemetery site in Mount Carmel, Israel. We provide a systematic description of the findings. By using intra-site comparisons of diversity and bone fragmentation, we identify possible agents of deposition and modification. To reconstruct the paleoenvironment, we conducted a habitat-weighting analysis and compared our results to the herpetofauna assemblages of a contemporaneous residential site in Mount Carmel, to modern herpetofauna sightings from Mount Carmel and to the micro-mammal assemblages of Raqefet Cave. Furthermore, we attempted to reconstruct the paleoclimate according to the modern presence of the identified herpetofauna species in different geographic zones in Israel with regard to their mean annual precipitation and temperature. Our analysis shows that all the Raqefet faunal assemblages originated from a mosaic of open and wooded Mediterranean habitats, similar to present-day Mount Carmel, albeit in slightly different proportions, which may be indicative of different depositional histories and possibly different accumulation agents. Paleoclimate reconstruction also indicates similarities to present-day Mount Carmel. Our analysis joins others in suggesting that the postulated climatic fluctuations of the latest Pleistocene did not have a considerable impact on the environments surrounding Raqefet Cave during the Natufian use of the site.

Variation of amphibian and reptile composition in forest fragments of Veracruz highlands, Mexico

The central mountain region of Veracruz is one of the richest areas of herpetofauna in Mexico. The steep topographic gradient of this region is associated with climatic gradients that enable the occurrence of highly diverse herpetofauna communities. We tested differences among habitats to herpetofauna in an urban area, pine forest, oak forest, and riparian forest of municipality Camerino Z. Mendoza, Veracruz, Mexico. We conducted two-day monthly surveys between 2015 and 2017 in 69 sites from fragments of an urban area, riparian forest, Quercus forest, and Quercus-Pinus forest and tested for differences in herpetofauna species among these fragments. We found a total of 11 amphibian and 33 reptile species, and a high composition dissimilarity and species replacement among the sites. Our results amplified significantly the species-records within Camerino Z. Mendoza, and showed a great variation of amphibian and reptile composition among sites, highlighting the current role of these forests as a reservoir for herpetofauna and their importance for future conservation strategies in the region.

Soundscapes predict species occurrence in tropical forests

Accurate occurrence data is necessary for the conservation of keystone or endangered species, but acquiring it is usually slow, laborious and costly. Automated acoustic monitoring offers a scalable alternative to manual surveys but identifying species vocalisations requires large manually annotated training datasets, and is not always possible (e.g. for lesser studied or silent species). A new approach is needed that rapidly predicts species occurrence using smaller and more coarsely labelled audio datasets. We investigated whether local soundscapes could be used to infer the presence of 32 avifaunal and seven herpetofaunal species in 20 min recordings across a tropical forest degradation gradient in Sabah, Malaysia. Using acoustic features derived from a convolutional neural network (CNN), we characterised species indicative soundscapes by training our models on a temporally coarse labelled point‐count dataset. Soundscapes successfully predicted the occurrence of 34 out of the 39 species across the two taxonomic groups, with area under the curve (AUC) metrics from 0.53 up to 0.87. The highest accuracies were achieved for species with strong temporal occurrence patterns. Soundscapes were a better predictor of species occurrence than above‐ground carbon density – a metric often used to quantify habitat quality across forest degradation gradients. Our results demonstrate that soundscapes can be used to efficiently predict the occurrence of a wide variety of species and provide a new direction for data driven large‐scale assessments of habitat suitability.

TERRESTRIAL VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF ASSIS’ STATE FOREST: A CERRADO REMNANT IN THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

In the current scenario of environmental changes, anthropic pressures on biodiversity are in constant increase, stressing the importance of assessing the distribution and occurrence of organisms in natural regions, especially in protected areas. Here we surveyed the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of Assis State Forest and updated the existing species list. Reptiles were sampled using pitfall traps and active search, birds by transects and listening points, while terrestrial mammals were sampled using camera traps, linear transect census, active search, pitfall and live traps. Four samplings were conducted, totaling 28 days of sampling effort. We recorded a total richness of 230 terrestrial vertebrate species: 21 amphibians, 17 reptiles, 164 birds, 23 medium and large-sized mammals and 25 small mammals. Of these, seven species are considered endangered at the state and / or federal level. Our results led to the inclusion of 78 bird species and six medium- and large-sized mammals to the species list of ASF’s Management Plan, in addition to three new species of herpetofauna that were not reported by other fauna surveys carried out in the region. Our data shows that the area is highly diverse, with some differences in species composition between sampled phytophysiognomies. These data can also be used to update the management plan for the area, as well as for the zoning of the unit.

Black-eye malformations in two herpetofaunal species from the Central Region and Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Black-eye malformations in two herpetofaunal species from the Central Region and Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Diversity of Herpetofauna in Kadamaian, Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia

A survey on amphibians and reptiles or herpetofauna in Kadamaian, Kota Belud was carried out on 21st to 25th October, 2019 during the Borneo Geographic Expedition jointly organized by the Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ITBC) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Sabah Parks. The main purpose of the survey is to update the list of herpetofauna in the study area. Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method was applied and transects were established at the waterfall near the expedition base camp, Pinolobu River, Kipungit River in Melangkap Noriou and Meliawa River, resulting in 15 species of amphibians from five families and six species of reptiles from three families recorded. Significantly, the survey recorded 10 species of herpetofauna that are endemic to Borneo, including one Endangered (EN) frog species namely Leptobrachella sabahmontana of the family Megophryidae and one new record for Sabah which is Ansonia minuta of the family Bufonidae. Two reptiles out of the recorded list were Bornean endemics namely Cyrtodactylus baluensis and Tropidophorus micropus. Fejevarya limnocharis and Polypedates leucomystax seemed to be the common species of amphibians recorded whereas Eutrophis rudis was the common reptile species found in the area. The result, in term of species number was low especially for reptiles due to the short survey period. However, this report managed to update the list for herpetofauna species in Kadamaian, Kota Belud. Nevertheless, this study contributes to Borneo’s herpetofauna database specifically in Sabah and serves as reference for more studies and research in future.

Biodiversity hotspot revisited: reptile and amphibian assemblages of the Uluguru Mountain Forest Reserves, south-eastern Tanzania

ABSTRACT Although the knowledge about the Tanzanian reptiles and amphibians has drastically increased in recent years, the knowledge on the amphibian and reptile fauna of the remaining forest reserves of the Uluguru Mountains (UMs) is only partially known. Amphibians and reptiles were studied in 17 forest reserves and sampled using diurnal and nocturnal time-constrained visual encounter surveys, acoustic surveys and opportunistic searches. A total of 51 quadrats of 25 × 25 m were randomly established on the forest floor, totalling 459 person-hours of sampling effort. Overall, 54 herpetofauna species (27 amphibian and 27 reptile species) were recorded from the area, including two anurans and seven reptile species, which are new records for the region. The estimated Chao1 species richness for the study region was 51 for amphibians and 76 for reptiles. Amphibian and reptile species composition did not differ significantly across the forest reserves, but similarities in species composition of different levels were evident across the reserves. For both communities, α-diversity and relative abundance did not vary significantly across the reserves. Based on multiple regression analyses, leaf-litter anuran species richness was positively influenced by percentage canopy cover, whereas abundance was negatively influenced by total fragment size. Partial correlations showed that variation in leaf-litter anuran abundance was explained by relative humidity, percentage canopy cover and soil moisture, while controlling for altitude. Percentage canopy cover was also the best predictor of species richness of leaf-litter anurans. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of protecting the UMs forest reserves for herpetofauna conservation.

Herpetofauna diversity and distribution based on the elevational range in West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Erawan TS, Jauhan J, Husodo T, Wulandari I, Fauzi DA, Megantara EN, Shanida SS. 2021. Herpetofauna diversity and distribution based on the elevational range in West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 4308-4319. The herpetofauna discovery in West Java is still low and has not yet described the herpetofauna community's species diversity entirely and thoroughly in West Java. It experiences high anthropogenic impacts both from infrastructure and tourism activities. If left further, herpetofauna species will become extinct locally because of anthropogenic factors. Therefore, it is essential to reveal the diversity and distribution of herpetofauna species. This study aimed to show diversity and distribution based on the elevational range in West Java. Visual Encounter Survey in combination with the Auditory Encounter Survey was applied in this study. We found 74 species where the Colubridae family were found most commonly in the study sites. Of 74 species, four species have high conservation status, including Rhacophorus reinwardtii, Ophiophagus hannah, Varanus salvator, and Malayopython reticulatus. Besides, ten species were found to be endemic to Java and Java-Bali. Based on elevation, herpetofauna is mainly located at elevations < 1000 m asl. The higher the height, the fewer the number of species found. In Amphibians, the highest number of species tend to be found at 400-1200 m asl and 1400-1700 m asl, while reptiles tend to be located at 400-900 m asl. Keywords: Auditory Encounter Survey, West Java