Herpetofauna of the Amarkantak Plateau in central India

Abstract

I conducted herpetofaunal surveys in poorly explored sections of Central India: The Amarkantak Plateau; The Son, Johila, and Narmada river lowlands; parts of the Maikal Mountain Range; and pockets of the core zone area of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. I recorded a total of 61 species (17 amphibian and 44 reptilian). Noteworthy findings included the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Sacred Grove Bush Frog (Philautus sanctisilvaticus) at its type locality after 54 years, new state records for Dobson’s Burrowing Frog (Sphaerotheca dobsonii) and Beddome’s Grass Skink (Eutropis beddomii), and significant new distributional records for a number of species. This study highlights the importance of landscape-level, long-term fieldwork to untangle the hidden diversity of the Amarkantak Plateau.