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Amphibians and Reptiles of the Montagne des Français: An Update of the Distribution and Regional Endemicity

Herizo Oninjatovo Radonirina,Bernard Randriamahatantsoa,Nirhy H C Rabibisoa,C. Raxworthy

Published 2023 in Animals

ABSTRACT

Simple Summary In 2014 and 2020, we conducted research in the Montagne des Français Protected Area. This area is recognized for its remarkable fauna and high rate of endemism. The objective of this study was to prioritize areas and determine the diversity and distribution of herpetofauna species, as well as their conservation status, endemism, and threats. In this study, we compared species richness between two surveys conducted in 2014 and 2020. We found that three species of amphibians and one reptile species had a new distribution. The 2020 survey also discovered Langaha pseudoalluaudi, a snake that has not been observed since 2007. The information gathered from this survey could be of use to site managers in the revision of conservation management plans. Abstract The harmonious landscape of Montagne des Français is a protected area in the far north of Madagascar. Our herpetofauna surveys were conducted on the eastern and western slopes according to habitat variations within the massif for 2014 and 2020. Our research updates the herpetofauna species richness, spatial distribution ranges, and ecological guilds within the protected area. We used direct opportunistic observations, systematic refuge examinations, and pitfall traps with drift fences at three sites to sample animals. Nineteen amphibian and fifty reptile species were recorded during this study. Three amphibian species and one reptile species, in addition to the snake Langaha pseudoalluaudi, last recorded in 2007, were discovered at Montagne des Français. Here, we present a database update for the herpetofauna species from Montagne des Français and provide a specific morphological description of the morphospecies considered as a new extension or localized distribution. This new database can help site managers develop new strategic conservation plans in response to habitat modification.

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