Survey Of Herpetofauna Research Articles

Inventory of Herpetofauna in the Buffer Zone of Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, San Isidro, Davao Oriental, Philippines

The Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary (MHRWS) is a declared national park and a wildlife sanctuary located in the province of Davao Oriental in the Philippines. Most of the herpetofauna surveys conducted in the MHRWS were located in the protected areas of the mountain. Thus, this study was done to assess the surrounding buffer zone in the northwestern part of the mountain as a crucial step toward enhancing conservation and management policies for these taxa and reinforcing the importance of buffer zones as protective barriers around the core zones. Standard sampling technique for herpetofauna survey such as the cruising method in a 1-km transect line per study area was used. Pitfall trapping was also employed for reptile fauna. A total of 25 species of herpetofauna were documented in the survey, 10 species of which are anurans and 15 species are reptiles. The majority of the species documented are endemic to the Philippines. Moreover, threatened and near-threatened species were also observed in these areas. This only shows the importance of buffer zones in providing habitats to diverse herpetofauna aside from the core zones. Hence, proper conservation and sustainable practices shall be planned in order to maintain the biodiversity in the area while also serving the people in the nearby community.

Estimating the effectiveness of using wildlife cameras versus visual-encounter surveys to detect herpetofauna

Context Efficient monitoring of herpetofauna can prove challenging to agencies and NGOs responsible for their management. Wildlife cameras have been proposed as a method to monitor herpetofauna; however, estimates of detection rates and factors affecting detection by cameras are generally lacking and therefore limiting their application. Aims We determined the effect of body size and temperature differential on the detection of snakes and frogs by passive infrared (PIR) wildlife cameras. We hypothesised that detection would differ among models and be positively correlated with body size and surface-temperature differential between the animal and substrate. We then conducted a field study to compare the detection of herpetofauna by a traditional method with PIR cameras. Methods We tested 10 cameras of seven models on five snakes and one camera on six frogs. Photographs were downloaded to determine the detection rate of each species by each camera. We then chose a camera model to compare two herpetofauna survey methods, namely, drift fences equipped with cameras and visual-encounter surveys. Surveys were conducted monthly over 12 months in Irwin County, GA, USA. Key results The highest mean detection rates of snakes were 0.65 (s.e. = 0.33), 0.50 (s.e. = 0.34), and 0.49 (s.e. = 0.34) for the Browning Dark Ops, Reconyx Hyperfire 2, and Mossy Oak Covert Scouting Camera respectively. The detectability of larger snakes was greater than that of smaller snakes and increased as the absolute temperature differences between the snake and the substrate increased. The detectability of frogs was influenced by absolute temperature differential alone. PIR cameras generated five times more observations, documented more herpetofauna species, and were seven times more efficient than traditional surveys. Conclusions The effectiveness of PIR cameras to detect herpetofauna varies among models and depends on the likelihood that the animal will have a body temperature significantly different from the temperature of the substrate. PIR cameras generated observations far more efficiently than traditional sampling methods. Implications PIR wildlife cameras may be most effective at detecting larger, diurnal herpetofauna and least effective at detecting smaller, nocturnal species. Wildlife cameras have the potential to efficiently monitor some herpetofauna, providing a means to better evaluate management objectives.

A three-year Herpetofauna survey from one of the largest remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest Biome (Reserva Natural Vale)

Here we present a three-year survey of amphibian and reptile species registered in the Vale Natural Reserve (VNR), located in the north of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The VNR, along with the Sooretama Biological Reserve (SBR) and other surrounding areas, form a forest block that constitutes one of the largest remnants of continuous forest in the Atlantic Forest biome. We systematically sampled the herpetofauna community from 2015 to 2018, using the method of active search method in 27 plots of RAPELD distributed in the different types of vegetation present in the area. We recorded 39 species of amphibians belonging to the order Anura, distributed in seven families and 40 species of reptiles belonging to 20 families distributed in three orders: Crocodylia, Testudines and Squamata. The supplementation the samplings with those records from occasional encounters was important for the survey of the region's herpetofauna, mainly for reptiles. We added four species (two lizards, one amphisbaenid and one snake) to the known list for the VNR-SBR forest block: Micrablepharus maximiliani, Strobilurus torquatus, Amphisbaena alba and Tantilla sp. We demonstrated that VNR contains a high species richness of amphibians and reptiles, with a high number of anurans being endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome. The present species inventory provided the most current approximation of known the richness and composition of species of the existing herpetofauna at Vale Natural Reserve, since the period of the gathering of records is quite recent (2015-2018). Also, it brings the knowledge of some community parameters as species richness and composition not only for the whole area of the Vale Natural Reserve, but also for its different vegetation types, with no inclusion of environments outside this reserve. Furthermore, the presence of threatened species, the addition of four species to the current list, and the potential for new species to occur, reinforce the role of VNR as an important area for the protection of amphibian and reptile biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest.

The THE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN KOMODO NATIONAL PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA

The Komodo National Park in the Wallacea region is the komodo dragon’s primary habitats. Published report on the herpetofauna of this national park is mostly concentrated in Komodo island. To increase our knowledge of amphibian and reptile communities in Komodo National Park, we conducted a herpetofauna survey in Komodo and Rinca Island and the nearby coastal area to assess diversity and community similarity and developed a complete checklist of the herpetofauna of Komodo National Park. We conducted a Visual Encounter Survey and put glue traps from February-April 2018 at six locations on Komodo Island (Loh Liang, Loh Wau dan Komodo Village) and Rinca Island (Loh Buaya, Loh Baru, and Rinca Village); and three locations on coastal areas of Flores (Labuan Bajo and Cumbi Village) and coastal area of Sumbawa (Sape) adjacent to Komodo National Park. We found seven species of amphibians and 22 species of reptiles and, however, only two species of amphibians and 18 species of reptiles were found in Komodo and Rinca Island. The highest diversity (H’ = 2.14) is in Loh Buaya (Rinca Island), and the highest evenness (E=0.58) is in Loh Baru (Rinca Island). The highest similarity occurs between Komodo Island and Rinca Island (IS = 0.8). Using data from other research, we have compiled a list of four species of amphibians and 39 species of reptiles occurring at three main islands of Komodo National Park: Komodo island, Rinca Island and Padar Island.
 
 Keywords: Herpetofauna diversity, Komodo National Park, Lesser Sunda Islands

Dietary niche breadth of endemic and introduced anurans (Amphibia: Anura) in Lombok, Lesser Sunda Islands– Indonesia

Anurans are important organisms as components of faunal community structure in ecosystems because of their roles as secondary and tertiary consumers in food webs. Anurans are opportunistic organisms that will consume any resources in their habitat. In this study, we dissected thirty-nine specimens of anurans from Museum Universitas Mataram (MUM) reference collection, it consists by three endemic (Ingerophrynus biporcatus, Limnonectes dammarmani and L. kadarsani) and one introduced species (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) of anurans. These reference collections were collected by authors during herpetofauna survey at Pusuk Forest, western Lombok in 2018. Based on stomach content analysis, both endemic and introduced anurans are generalist arthropod predators where hymenoptera, coleoptera, orthoptera and chilopoda are the most important food. In this study, we found positive correlations between body size and dietary niche breadth in which each anuran species has a high overlap of dietary niches. Anurans with large body size have a variety of prey than the small one.

Parasitism by Amblyomma rotundatum Koch, 1844 (Acarina: Ixodidae) on Rhinella marina Linnaeus, 1758 (Anura Bufonidae) in the Amazon Forest: geographic expansion across Madeira River

Host-parasite interactions between ticks and wild species are important for examining the ecology and distribution of ticks, as well as the consequences of these interactions for hosts and diseases. Ticks have medical importance because they are vectors of microorganisms and pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, that can be transmitted to humans and other animals, causing serious disease. Like other anuran species, Rhinella marina also harbors a wide variety of parasites. This occurs mainly because of its large body size and because it occupies terrestrial environments, but also because it has direct contact with aquatic environments (larval and reproductive stages), thus presenting several opportunities for parasitic infections. This work has as main objective to describe the occurrences of host-parasite interactions between the species Rhinella marina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Amblyomma rotundatum (Koch, 1844) geographically expanding their occurrence in the Amazon rainforest through the Madeira River. During a herpetofauna survey, the first individual of R. marina was observed at 08:37 PM on September 20, 2020. The location is near a transect within a primary forest. This individual was parasitized by a single tick identified as Amblyomma rotundatum. On a second expedition, a second individual of R. marina was observed at 11:38 PM on January 5, 2021. The location is rural road C-01 in the municipality of Porto Velho-RO, which passes within a primary forest and deforested private properties. This individual was parasitized by nine ticks identified as Amblyomma rotundatum. An important observation to be made is that the occurrences of A. rotundatum parasitizing R. marina are 57 km apart and cross an important geographical barrier, the Madeira River of the Amazon basin. This work geographically expands the occurrence of A. rotundatum parasitism on R. marina and describes the natural histories of this host-parasite interaction of these species.

Comparing camera traps and visual encounter surveys for monitoring small animals

Amphibian and reptile species face numerous threats including disease, habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, and global climate change. However, effective management and conservation of herpetofauna largely depends upon resource-intensive survey methodologies. Recent research has shown promise in the use of camera trapping techniques, but these methods must be tested alongside traditional methods to fully understand their advantages and disadvantages. To meet this research need, we tested two herpetofauna survey methods: a modified version of the Adapted-Hunt Drift Fence Technique, which combines a drift fence with camera traps; and a traditional method of visual encounter surveys (VES) with cover boards. Between June and August 2020, we conducted two VES and installed one drift fence with camera traps at ten sites in Monterey County, CA, USA. The drift fence/camera setup outperformed the VES in terms of number of observations and herpetofauna species detected. Drift fences with cameras produced a mean of 248 images of three to six species per site, while VES and cover objects produced a mean of 0.6 observations of zero to one species per site. Across all sites, we detected seven reptile and one amphibian species with the drift fence/camera setup, while VES resulted in identifications of two reptile and one amphibian species. In addition, drift fence/camera setups recorded a minimum of nine nonherpetofauna species including small mammals, birds, and invertebrates. Our research supports that drift fences combined with camera traps offer an effective alternative to VES for large-scale, multi-species herpetofauna survey efforts. Furthermore, we suggest specific improvements to enhance this method’s performance, cost-effectiveness, and utility in remote environments. These advances in survey methods hold great promise for aiding efforts to manage and conserve global herpetofauna diversity.

Diversity of Amphibians and Reptiles in Various Anthropogenic Disturbance Habitats in Nantu Forest, Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Nantu Forest in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, Indonesia holds one of the few remaining pristine habitats in the island. The reserve is surrounded by human habituation which provide opportunity to study the impact of forest lost on biodversity. In addition, data on Nantu mostly focused on big mammals, as there is no previous herpetofauna survey at the area. Sampling of amphibian and reptile was conducted in June 2013 and in May–June 2014 using Visual Encounter Survey method, glue traps and transect sampling in seven different sites at the eastern part of Nantu. We categorized four habitat types based on human disturbances: high disturbed habitat (HDH), moderate disturbed habitat (MDH), low disturbed habitat (LDH) and pristine habitat (PH). A total of 680 individual amphibians (4 families; 17 species) and 119 individual reptiles (9 families; 29 species) were recorded. Species richness and species composition for amphibians and reptiles differs according to the level of human disturbances. Low level disturbances habitat demonstrated the highest diversity of amphibians and reptiles, whereas as expected, high distubed habitat showed the lowest diversity. Anthropogenic pressures in forest will decrease species richness of amphibian and reptiles. Although most amphibian and reptiles will be able to persist in low disturbances habitat, forest-dependent species will be lost when pristine forests are disturbed.

Exploration of Herpetofauna Habitat as Tourism Attraction: Ecology, Preferences, and Potentials

Herpetofauna (Class: Reptilia, Amphibia) has potential value as tourist attraction and its sustainability could be preserved by ecotourism program. We propose a new fauna-based tourism attraction by conducting herpetofauna survey in a few locations inside Sukamade, Meru Betiri National Park (MBNP), and using their habitat as spots for ecotourism potential sites. Visual Encounter Survey method was conducted in 6 locations (200 m transect pathway). We found 166 individuals, belonging to 32 species in 15 families. Leptobrachium hasselti has the biggest Important Value Index (16.55%), making this species potentially become one of the potential herpetofauna as a tourist attraction. Chelonia mydas, an endangered species, is one of the interesting species to be observed in Sukamade.This species is full migrant and does long migration in its feeding ground in Borneo, Australia, and Pacific, then back to Sukamade to lay eggs. Sumbersari and Glintungan forest became a habitat for amphibians that need clean water, such as L. Hasselti and Leptophryne borbonica, and potentially become the location of herpetofauna observation. Occidozyga lima, Fejervarya limnocharis, and Limnonectes microdiscus were found in four survey sites (Sumber Langsep, Glintungan, Estuary, and Jungle Track). Keywords: Herpetofauna, Sukamade, Tourism

Herpetofaunal diversity in Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepal

Herpetofauna is the least studied subject in the Nepal Himalaya. Most of the studies in wildlife are focused on mammals and birds. This paper presents the results of the herpetofauna survey in Manaslu Conservation Area in the Central Nepal, conducted with the aim of establishing the baseline on herpetofauna species diversity. The study recorded 16 species of herpetofauna, indicating a highly potential abundance of herpetofauna in the region. The study is first of its kind in establishing the baseline. The information, thus, obtained can be useful for implementing a biodiversity monitoring activities, and current and future conservation efforts. The study also underlines a need of an extensive study of herpetofauna in this region. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Rapid survey of the herpetofauna in an area of forest management in eastern Acre, Brazil

Timber exploitation is the most profitable and popular use of forest. To evaluate how this activity affects biodiversity is of crucial importance for conservation. Therefore, we carried out a herpetofauna survey in a forest area under a reduced–impact management, in Sena Madureira municipality, state of Acre (Brazil). We used active searching, both day and night, and pitfall traps. In the pre-exploitation phase the search was conducted basically in forests and forest edges; in the post-exploitation phase we also searched in sites such as secondary roads, skid trails and timber storage yards. We recorded 38 amphibian species and 28 reptile species; 17 snakes, nine lizards and two crocodilians. It is expected that this survey can contribute to programs of environmental monitoring in forest management areas in Amazonia.

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF HERPETOFAUNAL DIVERSITY IN RADHANAGARI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (WLS), KOLHAPUR, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA

The present study was undertaken to the survey of Herpetofauna carried out in the selected area of Radahanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), Kolhapur district, Maharashtra during June 2013 to May 2014. The Radahanagari Wild Life Sanctuary is located between 16°10” to 16°30” north latitude and 73°52” to 74°14” east longitude. During survey, we reported 56 species of herpetofauna which represents about 6.5% of all known Herpetofauna from India. All reported species belong to 42 genera distributed among the 20 families in which 34 species of Reptiles belonging to 12 families are distributed over 26 genera and 22 species of amphibians belonging to 8 families are scattered over 16 genera. The present study indicates that species count at Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary is likely to increase with additional surveys and systematic work.

Herpetofauna da floresta do baixo rio Moa em Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre - Brasil

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar o resultado de um levantamento herpetofaunístico realizado na floresta do baixo rio Moa, em Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre. O estudo foi realizado entre fevereiro de 2008 e setembro de 2009, sendo as espécies registradas através de armadilhas de interceptação e queda (AIQ), procura limita por tempo (PLT), busca ativa (BA), amostragem em sítios reprodutivos (ASR) e encontros ocasionais (EO). A herpetofauna foi amostrada em uma área de aproximadamente 256 hectares em áreas de propriedades particulares, incluindo área aberta antropizada, adjacente a floresta, composta principalmente por pastagens. Na área florestada a amostragem foi realizada em duas trilhas com fisionomias diferentes (Mata de Terra Firme e Mata de Várzea). Foram registradas 103 espécies, sendo 50 de anfíbios anuros e 53 de répteis (35 serpentes, 17 lagartos e um crocodiliano). A curva do coletor atingiu a assíntota para os anfíbios anuros, mas não para os lagartos, serpentes e a herpetofauna (todos os grupos). Nas áreas florestadas foi registrada a maioria das espécies de anfíbios anuros, o mesmo sendo observado para os répteis, sendo que a maioria destes foi registrada na mata de terra firme. A maioria dos anfíbios foi registrada durante a PLT e a ASR, enquanto os répteis foram através de EO e também por PLT. Espera-se um número maior de espécies de serpentes para a localidade do que a riqueza registrada (35 espécies). Salienta-se a importância da preservação de áreas florestadas particulares abrangendo tanto habitats nas margens de rios sujeitos a alagação periódica como de terra firme, uma vez que existem diferenças na composição herpetofaunística em relação a estrutura das florestas. A preservação das áreas de floresta é fundamental para manutenção da diversidade de anfíbios e répteis na Amazônia, que tem sua riqueza diminuída com a transformação de florestas em pastagens e também com a retirada de madeira e abertura de clareiras.

The vertebrate fauna along the Hantangang (river) of Korea

Before the construction of Hantangang dam, we surveyed vertebrate fauna along the Hantangang River and collected samples. We collected 248 specimens (1,394 individuals) of 41 fish species from 10 families in four orders, including 17 endemic species and 5 endangered species. In our herpetofauna survey, we collected 47 amphibian samples of 10 species from 5 families in 2 orders, and 19 reptile samples of 5 species from 2 families in 1 order. We observed 25 species of bird (6 orders, 14 families) inclulding collection of 51 bird specimens (10 species from 5 families in 1 order). We collected 91 mammals of 6 species, and identified 7 species from field sign and direct observation from a total of 10 families in 5 orders. This collection and list comprise the final vertebrate faunal survey of the Hantangang region, and will provide basic scientific information for future research on conservation and restoration of the region.

A new species of Paramesotriton, Paramesotriton longliensis (Caudata: Salamandridae)

A new species of Paramesotriton longliensis sp.nov. (Holotype: No.0705015, adult male; Allotype: No.0705019, adult female; Paratypes: 10 ♂♂, 10♀♀) was discovered during a survey of herpetofauna in Shuichang village, Longli County, Guizhou Province between May 4 to May 12, 2007. This new species can be distinguished by the following characteristics: the back part of the upper branchial bone points upwards, an obvious bulge presents on both sides of the branchia vestiges on the head, high edges stick out on the back, there is no fringe on the side of the fingers and toes, but there is a black cuticle at the end, the fold of the tail fin behind the anus is reddish orange, which fades away, while that of the adult male is purplish red, and has no stripes.

Taxonomy, Natural History, and Distribution of the Snakes of the Nicobar Islands (India), Based on New Materials and with an Emphasis on Endemic Species

During an extensive survey of herpetofauna of the Nicobar Islands, a total of 15 islands were sampled for snakes. A total of 14 species of snakes belonging to 11 genera and five families were recorded. The colubrid Oligodon woodmasoni was recorded for the first time since its description. We also confirm the occurrence of the pitvipers Trimeresurus albolabris and Trimeresurus andersoni . More than 50 new geographical localities have been identified for the species recorded. For the first time ecological and distributional data are provided for the endemic species Trimeresurus labialis , Trimeresurus cantori , Oligodon woodmasoni , Dendrelaphis humayuni , Lycodon tiwarii , and Boiga wallachi . A compilation of the past-confirmed records of snake species and the results of the current study indicate the Nicobar Islands snake fauna is composed of 19 species of non-marine and three species of marine snakes. The highest number of species was observed in forest and the encounter rate was greater in streams, ponds and caves. Grasslands, though extensive in the Central Nicobars, supported very few species. Trimeresurus cantori was identified as the most commonly encountered species in the Central Nicobars. The encounter rate for T. cantori was more than twice the next common species, Trimeresurus labialis .

Importance of Waisali Reserve, Vanua Levu for herpetofauna conservation in Fiji

A two day herpetofauna survey of Waisali Reserve was conducted between 4-6th March, 2004. The survey consisted of timed active diurnal surveys for lizards and nocturnal surveys for frogs. Seven herpetofauna species were found during the survey including four endemic species. The most significant find was the confirmation of a population of the endangered Fiji ground frog (Platymantis vitianus), a species previously thought to be extirpated from mainland Fiji due to the presence of mongoose. The other significant finding was that of Emoia mokosariniveikau, only the third location known for this species. Our survey results identify Waisali Reserve as an important site for herpetofauna conservation in Fiji and we propose several management actions to facilitate conservation of herpetofauna in this area.