Amphibians of Santa Teresa, Brazil: the hotspot further evaluated

By

Ferreira, Rodrigo Barbosa
Tamanini Mônico, Alexander
Silva, Emanuel Teixeira da
Lirio, Fernanda Cristina Ferreira
Zocca, Cássio
Marques Mageski, Marcio
Riva Tonini, João Filipe
Beard, Karen
Duca, Charles
Silva-Soares, Thiago

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

857

Pages

139-162

Subjects

Anura , Atlantic forest , Caecilians , diversity , Espirito Santo , inventory

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.857.30302

 

Abstract

A checklist of the amphibians of Santa Teresa municipality, in southeastern Brazil is presented based on fieldwork, examination of specimens in collections, and a literature review. This new amphibian list of Santa Teresa includes 108 species, of which 106 (~98%) belong to Anura and two (~2%) to Gymnophiona. Hylidae was the most represented family with 47 species (43%). Compared to the previous amphibian lists for Santa Teresa, 14 species were added, 17 previously reported species were removed, and 13 species were re-identified based on recent taxonomic rearrangements. Of the 14 species added, 11 (79%) were first recorded during our fieldwork and specimen examination. It is also the first list of caecilians for Santa Teresa. This list suggests that Santa Teresa has 0.16 species per km2(i.e., 108 species/683 km2), one of the highest densities of amphibian species in the world at a regional scale. This richness represents 78% of the 136 anurans from Espírito Santo state and 10% of the 1,080 amphibians from Brazil. We highlight the need for long-term monitoring to understand population trends and develop effective conservation plans to safeguard this remarkable amphibian richness.