Herpetofaunal Species Research Articles

Corrections on recent herpetofaunal species records from Gujarat State, western India

Corrections on recent herpetofaunal species records from Gujarat State, western India

Wildlife assessment of the Chandragiri hills, Kathmandu: Potentiality for ecotourism

Wildlife assessments can provide crucial information regarding species richness, relative abundance and spatial, temporal, and ecological information on wildlife habitat associations. The assessment’s information can in turn be used for developing management policies including for establishing touristic zones. We investigated wildlife occurrences in the Chandragiri Hills, Kathmandu Nepal from 2015-2019 to provide baseline data to inform the potential sites for ecotourism. During the study period, we recorded 30 mammal species, 199 bird species, 34 herpetofauna species and 77 butterfly species. The area harbors three globally and six nationally threatened mammal species, two globally and seven nationally threatened with one endemic bird species, one globally and nationally threatened herpetofauna, and one nationally threatened butterfly species. We also explored four potential hiking routes for observing wildlife and providing scenic views of the Himalayan range and Kathmandu city. Therefore, we expect Chandragiri Hills can become one of the hot spot for tourists to observe both common and threatened wildlife species in Nepal.

Herpetofaunal responses to intensification of woody bioenergy production in a global biodiversity hotspot

Bioenergy produced from woody biomass in managed forest systems represents a substantial portion of the global supply of renewable energy. As societies transition to renewable energy and demand for wood-based bioenergy increases, timber-producing forests and other agricultural and marginal lands may transition to bioenergy management regimes. Limited empirical information exists regarding how wildlife communities will respond to bioenergy intensification. We investigated herpetofaunal occurrence across 75 study sites located in two types of bioenergy feedstocks (corn and pine) to evaluate effects of bioenergy alternatives in a global biodiversity hotspot in the southeastern United States: the North American Coastal Plain. We found that removing harvest residue following clearcut management in pine forests as a source of woody biomass resulted in either neutral or positive effects for six of the seven herpetofaunal species examined. Other bioenergy alternatives, such as mid-rotation thinning and short-rotation practices, resulted in highly variable effects among individual species and generally contrasting effects between amphibians and reptiles. Similarly high variability was observed when comparing species occurrence patterns between corn and managed pine bioenergy feedstocks. Our study suggests herpetofaunal community responses to changing land-use practices in the era of bioenergy may be taxa- and species-specific. Some land-use practices (e.g., residue removal following clearcuts) may be generally compatible with conservation of most species examined, but conserving herpetofaunal diversity within the Southeast as bioenergy production increases may involve promoting heterogeneous managed landscapes in which a diversity of harvest approaches are used.

The Biodiversity of Flora and Fauna in the Re-vegetation Area in The Post-Mining Area of Pongkor

The Pongkor post-mining area is designated as one of the ecotourism areas in Bogor. This area has biodiversity of flora and fauna. This study aims to: (1) analysis the importance value index (IVI) of flora types; (2) analysis species richness index, species diversity index, and relative species abundance index; (3) analysis the beauty, the uniqueness and the rarity of the flora and fauna types. The method used in this research is quantitative descriptive. Based on the identification results, 185 species of flora are distributed in this region. During the rainy season, 15 species of herpetofauna were identified, 32 types of aves, and 4 types of mammals, while in the dry season 19 species of herpetofauna were identified, 23 types of aves, and 2 types of mammals. Based on the results of the analysis conducted on these flora and fauna, there are flora species that have high IVI values and some beautiful and unique flora species that are in the category of endangered species. Besides that, there are also fauna species which have a value of species richness index, species diversity index, and relative species abundance index, as well as some beautiful, unique, and fauna species that are in the category of endangered species.

The impact of fire on herpetofauna species diversity : case study in PT Waimusi Agroindah, Sumatera Selatan

PT Waimusi Agroindah (PT WMA) is one of the oil palm companies that experienced land fires in 2015 with the burning estimated arround 400 ha. This caused PT WMA to be accused of reducing biodiversity in the area. Therefore, this research was conducted to identify the impact of fire on herpetofauna diversity, community similarity and percentage species loss or gain. The observation was done by using visual encounter survey (VES) method in 2017 and 2019 in 2 types area, that is Unburnt (UBA) and post-burnt area (PBA). The result of the study showed that PBA 2017 has the highest of species and individual number, and also richness index (S = 15; N = 61 individuals; Dmg = 3.41). Meanwhile, the similarity index (IS) increased from 0,54 in 2017 to 0.87 in 2019. In addition, the percentage of loss in 2017 was 36.36% to 23.08% in 2019. In addition, the percentage of loss decreased from 36.36% in 2017 to 23.08% in 2019. The impact of a fire is not always negative, this can be seen from the presence of herpetofauna species found in post-burnt areas that are not even found in unburnt areas.

Herpetofauna of Shuklaphanta National Park, Nepal

We present 71 herpetofauna species in Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and its buffer zone based on field surveys, rescue records, photo, and literature records. The list comprises 15 currently known species of amphibians and 56 species of reptiles. We recorded Laudanka Vine Snake Ahaetulla laudankia as a new species record for Nepal. Likewise, four frog species, namely, Uperodon globulossus, Polypedates taeniatus, Hoplobatrachus crassus, and Minervarya peirrei; and one skink, Sphaenomorphus maculatus; one agamid, Laudakia tuberculata; one turtle, Pangshura tentoria circumdata; and 10 snakes, Eryx conicus, E. johnii, Coelognathus helena, C. radiatus, Chrysopelea ornata, Dendrelaphis tristis, Lycodon striatus, Oligodon arnensis, Psammophis cf condanarus, and Ophiophagus hannah are new records for ShNP. Unregulated and illegal collection, road mortality, intentional killing are the observed threats to the herpetofauna. Our aim of this study is to compile species richness and advocate for more rigorous inventories in future providing updated information of herpetofauna of ShNP.

Expert-Informed Habitat Suitability Analysis for At-Risk Species Assessment and Conservation Planning

Abstract The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for reviewing the biological status of hundreds of species to determine federal status designations under the Endangered Species Act. The longleaf pine Pinus palustris ecological system supports many priority at-risk species designated for review, including five species of herpetofauna: gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus, southern hognose snake Heterodon simus, Florida pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus, gopher frog Lithobates (Rana) capito, and striped newt Notophthalmus perstriatus. To inform status decisions and conservation planning, we developed habitat suitability models to 1) identify habitat features that best predict species presence and 2) estimate the amount and distribution of suitable habitat across each species' range under current conditions. We incorporated expert judgment from federal, state, and other partners to capture variation in ecological settings across species' ranges, prioritize predictor variables to test in models, mitigate data limitations by informing the selection of pseudoabsence points, qualitatively evaluate model estimates, and improve the likelihood that experts will trust and use model predictions for conservation. Soil characteristics, land cover, and fire interval strongly influenced habitat suitability for all species. Suitable habitat was distributed on known species strongholds, as well as private lands without known species records. Between 4.7% (gopher frog) and 14.6% (gopher tortoise) of the area in a species' range was classified as suitable habitat, and between 28.1% (southern hognose snake) and 47.5% (gopher frog) of suitable habitat was located in patches larger than 1 km2 (100 ha) on publicly owned lands. By overlaying predictions for each species, we identified areas of suitable habitat for multiple species on protected and unprotected lands. These results have direct applications to management and conservation planning: partners can tailor site-level management based on attributes associated with high habitat suitability for species of concern; allocate survey effort in areas with suitable habitat but no known species records; and identify priority areas for management, land acquisitions, or other strategies based on the distribution of species records, suitable habitat, and land protection status. These results can aid regional partners in implementing effective conservation strategies and inform status designation decisions of the USFWS.

Assessing multi-scale habitat relationships and responses to forest management for cryptic and uncommon herpetofauna in the Missouri Ozarks, USA

Behaviorally cryptic or uncommon herpetofauna are often understudied due to the extensive effort it requires to obtain adequate data for statistical analysis. Additionally, potential impacts from forest management on these already small or difficult to study populations may have a dissimilar effect in comparison to more common species. To address this, we examined species-specific responses of uncommon herpetofauna within the Missouri Ozarks to even-aged and uneven-aged silvicultural systems at multiple scales, as well as their habitat relationships. Using capture histories collected over 23 years (1992–2014) on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) we examined the cumulative effects of two harvest entries (1996 and 2011) at both the local- (stand-level) and landscape-scale (compartment-level) for eight uncommon herpetofauna, which includes one toad, two salamanders, one skink, and four snakes. We modeled capture probabilities with respect to multiple habitat- and harvest-related covariates. Three species showed compartment-level declines in the post-treatment period, however only two of the declines appeared to be related to forest management; the decline for the third species was observed in both treatment and control compartments suggesting that the cause was environmental related. In contrast to compartment-level responses, we observed stand-level responses in five species, mostly positive. In general, our observed declines were minimal and currently we have no concerns that forest management will lead to the loss of any of the uncommon herpetofauna species considered here. Our models showed habitat relationships for multiple species, which aids our understanding of species’ life history strategies and can also guide future management efforts.

Herpetofauna community structure and distribution of Watu Joglo cave area, Gunung Kidul, Special Region of Yogyakarta

Watu Joglo is one of the caves located in the row of the Sewu mountains, Gunung Kidul, Special Regency of Yogyakarta. Watu Joglo has various suitable microhabitats for herpetofauna. So far, the study about herpetofauna’s community structure and distribution has not been carried out in Watu Joglo. This study aimed to study and map the diversity, richness, evenness, and distribution of herpetofauna in Watu Joglo. Herpetofauna’s data sampling was carried out for three days. The study was conducted on 6-8 April 2018. The data of herpetofauna community were analyzed with Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Margalef richness index, and Pielou Evenness Index. The data of herpetofauna distribution were mapped and analyzed with Avenza and ArcGis. Based on the research conducted, we found 11 species of herpetofauna which consisted of five species from Ordo Anura, four species from Subordo Lacertilia, and two species from Subordo Serpentes. Herpetofauna in Watu Joglo was widely distributed around the river. According to diversity analysis, Watu Joglo has moderate diversity index, 1.667. Besides, Watu Joglo has high evenness index which is 0.85 but low richness index which is 2.83.

Herpetofauna Diversity at Munggu Village, Landak Regency, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

A large number of forests at Munggu Village, Ngabang District, Landak Regency have been converted into oil palm and rubber plantations. As consequences, natural habitats in the region have been fragmented and species diversity, including herpetofauna, has been decreased. This study aimed to assess herpetofauna diversity in four different habitats in Munggu Village: (1) forests, (2) Landak river, (3) tourist areas, and (4) rubber plantations. Data collection used Visual Encounter Survey (VES) for 8 days.[u1] The results showed that the total of 24 herpetofauna species: 15 amphibians’ species (4 families) and 9 reptiles species (6 families) have been recorded from the four sampled areas. Of the four locations 11 species were found in river habitat in the forest, 4 species in the location of Landak river, 8 species in tourism sites and 9 species in rubber plantations. The Shannon-Wiener (H') diversity index in all four habitats was classified as moderate. In the river location in the forest, H' was 2.14, in the Landak river it was 1.28, in the tourism sites it was 1.71 and in the rubber plantation it was 1.87. However, the evenness index (E) for the herpetofauna community in all four locations was >0.80. Habitat loss and habitat destruction are among the causes of decline in amphibian and reptile populations. Knowing the diversity of herpetofauna, it is hoped that the community and stakeholders can collaborate to secure the herpetofauna in Munggu Village.

Herpetofaunal diversity in a tropical dry forest on the Central Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico

The dry forest is an ecosystem with a relatively high diversity of species. It is also one of the most threatened habitats. This research was carried out between January and November 2010 aiming to describe species richness, composition, and conservation status of the herpetofauna in the Yerbasanta micro-basin in the Central Coast of Oaxaca. Standard visual encounter surveys were used to observe herpetofaunal community in four locations of the micro-basin. Five amphibian species and 37 reptiles species were found. The Shannon-Wienner index showed that Pueblo Viejo had the highest value of diversity, followed by Unión, and the remainder localities had lower values. The similarity index was moderate between locations. Among the registered species, 12 can be classified under some conservation status. These results also suggest that this region can maintain a significant number of herpetofauna species. Additionally, this research represents baseline information that contributes to other studies.

Inventarisasi Ekosistem Mangrove di Pesisir Randutatah, Kecamatan Paiton, Jawa Timur

Mangrove ecosystem is a region that acts as a transition between land and sea. This ecosystem has ecological, socio-economic and physical functions. The decline in the quality and quantity of mangrove forests has resulted in very alarming impacts, such as increased abrasion, reduced fishing catches, seawater intrusion, and others. This study aims to analyze the biodiversity of mangrove ecosystem in the Randutatah coal. The results showed that mangrove ecosystems were dominated by Rhizophora stylosa species with the highest INP values in tillers and tree categories. Observations of fauna in the area found 2 types of mammals, 34 species of birds, 7 species of herpetofauna, and 9 species of insects. the wealth of bird species in this region is high. Phytoplankton composition is dominated by Bacillariophyceae class, zooplankton is dominated by crustacean class, and nekton is dominated by Mugilidae class. Mangrove conditions in Randutatah can increase biodiversity in these locations, as well as the condition of the waters around the mangrove ecosystem that become fertile so that it can be used by the community to catch fish or crabs that have an impact on the growth of the economic value of the community.

Amphibians and Reptiles of Imbak Canyon Study Centre and Batu Timbang Camp

Amphibians and reptiles of Imbak Canyon Study Centre and Batu Timbang Camp have never been studied and this expedition was organised to produce an inventory of the species. The herpetofaunal animals were searched actively using the visual encounter survey method. A total of 84 specimens of amphibians and reptiles were obtained, comprising 75 amphibians and nine reptiles. The total number of species obtained during the expedition was 33 (26 amphibian species and 7 reptilian species). Twenty species were obtained from Batu Timbang Camp (BTC) and 21 species were recorded from Imbak Canyon Study Centre (ICSC). The updated compiled list of species of herpetofauna at ICCA is now 73 species (37 amphibian species and 36 reptilian species).

Impact of oil palm plantation on mammal and herpetofauna species diversity

Since 2008, Indonesia has succeeded in becoming the largest palm oil producer in the world. However, this success has drawn some accusations that oil palm plantations come causing deforestation and decreasing biodiversity. The research has been carried out in the topic of "the origin of the status and type of land cover and variations in the wildlife species diversity in oil palm plantations” in Province of Riau, South Sumatra, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan. The results of the interpretation of Landsat imagery coverage of 1 year before being oil palm plantation and interviews with resource persons showed that the type of land cover of the 8 study locations was 5 in the form of secondary forest, 2 bushes and the rest in the form of rubber plantations. The status of the land as a whole APL or customary land. Furthermore, the results of the comparison of the number and composition of species of mammals and herpetofauna before and after being oil palm plantations show that the impact of oil palm plantations on these two variables of diversity species according to the origin of land cover types. For the origin of the type of land cover in the form of shrubs or rubber plantations, the impact of oil palm plantations is positive because it increases the number of species both mammals and herpetofauna (except the number of species of herpetofauna on KJNP estate plantations). As for the origin of the type of land cover in the form of secondary forest, the existence of oil palm plantations increase the number of mamalia in 2 locations and herpetofauna in 4 locations The presence of oil palm plantations is thought to have caused changes in the composition of species with a range of 50 to 100% for mammals and 23 to 76% for herpetofauna.

Impact of oil palm plantations on herpetofauna species diversity in KGP and CNG, West Kalimantan

Palm oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is one of the fastest growing in the tropics so that the development of oil palm plantation is the one threats of the decrease of biodiversity including herpetofauna. That is why this research becomes important to study the impact of oil palm plantation on diversity and composition of herpetofauna. This research was conducted in July 2018 in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan Province in two oil palm plantation companies (KGP and CNG). Data collecting were using Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method combined with Strip Transect Method, in five lands covers (young-aged, middle-aged, old-aged oil palm plantation, high conservation value, and shrubs area) taken simultaneously with three repetitions. The results of this study showed that the establishment of oil palm plantations has impacted species diversity and species composition of herpetofauna. This research showed that the species number of herpetofauna in oil palm plantations is higher than the baseline area. The result of this study also showed that the species diversity and richness of herpetofauna in the high conservation value area is higher compared to another land cover. However, the overall results showed that oil palm plantation has positive impacts to increased and loss of herpetofauna species, there are losing one species and gaining seven species in CNG oil palm plantation, and losing two species and gaining fifteen species in KGP oil palm plantation.

Impact of oil palm plantation on herpetofauna species diversity at PT Waimusi Agroindah South Sumatera

Oil palm plantation playing an important role in Indonesia’s economic development, whereas generates the largest foreign exchange and boosts communities’ economic sector, also absorbs the workforce. However, there are some accusation to oil palm plantation that it caused biodiversity decreased in the minimum of 60%. The study was done to identify the impact of oil palm plantations on herpetofauna diversity, community similarity and percentage loss or gain of community. The observation was done using Visual Encounter Survey (VES) method in the 6 land cover types which classified into 2 land areas. Rubber plantation and shrubs were considered as the land cover before the oil palm plantation establishment. While, young, intermediate, old oil palm plantation and high conservation value forest were considered as the land covers after the plantation establishment. The study was conducted in May 2017 in the South Sumatera Province. The data analysis showed that old palm plantation had a higher species number (19 species) compared to rubber plantation (11 species) and shrubs land cover (3 species). However, rubber plantation and old oil palm plantation had the highest species composition similarity (IS = 0.62). While the lowest happened in both shrubs-old oil palm plantation and shrubs-conservation area (IS = 0.19). The transformation land cover into oil palm plantations led to the gain of herpetofauna species as many as 8 species for rubber plantation and 17 species for shrub, while on the other hand only cause loss of 1 species from shrub and no one species loss for rubber plantation.

Differential responses of amphibian and reptile assemblages to size of riparian buffers within managed forests.

Streamside management zones (i.e., riparian buffers; SMZs) are commonly implemented within managed forests to protect water quality but may also provide habitat for riparian-associated wildlife. Yet, little research has rigorously addressed the value of SMZs for wildlife, particularly for cryptic species such as amphibians and reptiles. Previous studies of herpetofauna within SMZs have focused on one or a few stream-associated species, and questions remain regarding variation among species or guilds and what role SMZs serve toward conservation of herpetofaunal diversity in managed forests. However, recent statistical advances have improved our ability to analyze large multi-species presence-absence data sets, accounting for low detection rates typical for some herpetofaunal species. Our study represents an extensive landscape-scale examination of herpetofaunal communities within SMZs using a multi-species occupancy approach. We conducted four replicate surveys at 102 headwater streams, spanning a gradient of SMZ widths and adjacent forest stand ages, within the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA. We used a hierarchical Bayesian community occupancy model to estimate species richness and species-specific occupancy responses to SMZ and overstory characteristics, accounting for variation in occupancy and detection attributable to site and sampling covariates. We documented high richness (37 species) within SMZs. Across the herpetofaunal community, occupancy and species richness were consistently positively associated with SMZ width, with maximum predicted richness of 30 species occurring at sites with buffers extending 51m on either side of the stream. However, we documented considerable variation among groups and species within groups, underscoring the potential for different responses to forest management among taxa. Reptile predicted richness increased more rapidly up to SMZs of ~35m, whereas maximum salamander predicted richness was not seen until an SMZ width of 55m. Estimated salamander richness was highest within SMZs embedded in mature managed pine stands and was higher in SMZs comprised of a deciduous or mixed overstory vs. a pine overstory. Compared to salamanders, more anuran species showed high mean estimated occupancy (>75%) at narrower SMZs (<30m). Collectively, our results indicate that SMZs surrounding small first-order streams in intensively managed forests not only protect water quality, but also can support diverse amphibian and reptile communities.

Updated distribution and species composition of the amphibians and reptiles along the Lower Danube, Bulgaria

In a recently published paper (Popgeorgiev et al. 2019), we compiled for the first time published and unpublished data on localities of the herpetofaunal species observed up to ca. 10 km south of the Bulgarian Danube River. Overall, we identified 687 published records belonging to 62 cells of the 10×10 km MGRS grid. Another 1918 records with real coordinates of our unpublished data from the past ca. 13 years belong to 1269 cells of the 1×1 MGRS grid. As a result, 34 native species – 15 amphibians (4 salamanders and 11 frogs) and 19 reptiles (1 turtle, 2 tortoises, 8 lizards and 8 snakes), and one invasive turtle, have been recorded; further species findings are unlikely. This study further identifies areas that are under-sampled and species such as Pelophylax lessonae that are cryptic. Our data are especially relevant concerning the high economic incentives to change the hydrology of the Danube, which will likely negatively impact the biodiversity along the river and its surrounding.

Animal utilization based on local knowledge in Ciletuh Geopark, Ciemas Subdistrict, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Wulandari I, Shanida SS, Husodo T, Megantara EN, Tresna D. 2019. Animal utilization based on local knowledge in Ciletuh Geopark, Ciemas Subdistrict, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 20: 2781-2789. Ciletuh Geopark has high biodiversity but has not been supported by local knowledge about the use of animals to support sustainable development. This study aims to investigate: (i) the number of species that are used, (ii) distribution of local knowledge about animals using, and (iii) the dependency of communities on creatures in Ciletuh Geopark, Ciemas Subdistrict, Sukabumi. Mixed methods of qualitative (semi-structured interviews) and quantitative methods (proportional random sampling) were applied in this study. The community uses 153 species, consisting 58 Avifauna species, 13 mammals species, nine Herpetofauna species, three insects species, 16 species of freshwater fish, 43 species of seawater fish, two Mollusca species, and nine crustacean species. Utilization of fauna is not distributed in each village. Animals using of Avifauna, Herpetofauna, insects, and mammals tend to be utilized by people of Girimukti Village. Seawater fish, Mollusca, and crustaceans tend to be utilized by Ciwaru Village, while freshwater fish tend to be used in each village, except Girimukti and Cibenda Village. Utilization of fauna in Ciemas Subdistrict has begun to be abandoned, although several people still use them.

Reappraisal of Herpetofauna Recorded from Jaffna Peninsula in Northern Sri Lanka with Remarks on Conservation, Diversity, and Distribution

Jaffna peninsula is quite an unexplored area of Sri Lanka’s lowland dry zone. We constructed a species checklist for all herpetofauna of this area based on a short-term field survey, a comprehensive literature review, museum specimens, and observations made by field herpetologists. Based on 200 × 10 m belt transects, we surveyed herpetofauna both during day and night time, in 10 different types of habitats. The species checklist we compiled comprised 44 species of reptiles (including three nationally threatened, one globally threatened, and eight endemic species) and 15 species of amphibians (including one nationally threatened and three endemic species). Based on published literature, museum specimens, expert opinions, and current field survey, we documented 85 species of herpetofauna in this area. Of this entire list, we were unable to record the presence of 25 species through our field survey. Our field survey documented 18 species that were not previously reported from Jaffna Peninsula. Our study revealed that inland water bodies, cultivated lands, home gardens, and coastal beaches are of high importance for native herpetofauna of Jaffna peninsula. Many human disturbances, such as habitat alterations, vengeful killing, consumption overexploitation, and road mortality are the key threats encountered by herpetofauna in Jaffna. Our intention of this study is to compile baseline information on diversity of amphibians and reptiles to support more detailed studies in future and assist conservation and management decisions within the region. We believe that our study will provide a basic foundation for conservation planning and future research.