Herpetofauna of protected areas in the Caatinga V: Seridó Ecological Station (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)

By

Caldas, Francis Luiz Santos
Costa, Taís Borges
Laranjeiras, Daniel Orsi
Mesquita, Daniel Oliveira
Garda, Adrian Antonio

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2016-7-17

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

12

Series / Issue

Issue: 4

Pages

1929--14

Subjects

anurofauna , Chelonians , Conservation , Distribution , endemism , squamate reptiles

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/12.4.1929

 

Abstract

We provide a list of lizards, snakes, chelonians, and amphibians collected during a 30-day expedition to the Seridó Ecological Station (ESEC Seridó), Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil. We sampled species using thirty-seven pitfall trap stations composed of four buckets each, along with glue traps and active searches. We recorded 13 species of lizards, eight snakes, 19 amphibians, and one chelonian. Rarefaction curves suggest local biodiversity is still underestimated. Sampling during rainy season was crucial to stabilize rarefaction curve for amphibians. Comparisons of our results with data from literature show we did not capture some arboreal and semifossorial lizards known for the area. Seridó Ecological Station fauna is characterized mainly by generalist species common to lowland Caatinga sites. Still, several Caatinga endemics species are found, which underscore the importance of this small but representative protected area.