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Project title:
The Herpetofauna of the Peruvian dry forest along the Andean valley of the Marañón River and its tributaries, with a focus on endemic iguanians, geckos and tegus
Description
The present study was organized to contribute to the knowledge of the herpetofauna of the Inter-Andean dry forest valleys. Several field surveys were conducted between July 2005 and November 2010 at 22 different localities along the Marañón River and some of its tributaries.
The results of this dissertation provide a first checklist of the amphibians and reptiles of the interandean part of the equatorial dry forest in Northern Peru. The herpetofauna of this region is characterized by a high diversity and a high endemicity, with about half (29 of 59 species) of the recorded species being only known from this part of the equatorial dry forest. Six new species were discovered (Phyllopezus maranjonensis, Phyllodactylus delsolari, P. thompsoni, Polychrus jacquelinae, Ameiva aggerecusans, and A. concolor), a new country record was discovered (Mastigodryas reticulatus), and range extensions were provided for eight taxa (Leptodactylus labrosus, Rulyrana mcdiarmidi, Phyllodactylus johnwrighti, Pseudogonatodes barbouri, Leptodeira septentrionalis larcorum, Sibynomorphus vagrans, Microlophus stolzmanni, and Phyllopezus maranjonensis). In addition, information on natural history and key literature are provided for most of the recorded dry forest species.
This investigation contributes valuable information on the knowledge of the amphibians and reptiles inhabiting the northern Peruvian dry forest and provides a basis for further studies as well as for the development of conservation strategies for this peculiar habitat and its herpetofauna.
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