Diversity and distribution of reptiles in Romania

By

Cogălniceanu, Dan
Rozylowicz, Laurentiu
Székely, Paul
Samoilă, Ciprian
Stănescu, Florina
Tudor, Marian
Székely, Diana
Iosif, Ruben

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

341

Pages

49-76

Subjects

biodiversity data , rarity , Reptilia , species distribution , species range , species richness

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.341.5502

 

Abstract

The reptile fauna of Romania comprises 23 species, out of which 12 species reach here the limit of their geographic range. We compiled and updated a national database of the reptile species occurrences from a variety of sources including our own field surveys, personal communication from specialists, museum collections and the scientific literature. The occurrence records were georeferenced and stored in a geodatabase for additional analysis of their spatial patterns. The spatial analysis revealed a biased sampling effort concentrated in various protected areas, and deficient in the vast agricultural areas of the southern part of Romania. The patterns of species richness showed a higher number of species in the warmer and drier regions, and a relatively low number of species in the rest of the country. Our database provides a starting point for further analyses, and represents a reliable tool for drafting conservation plans.