A rapid survey of herpetofaunal diversity in Nijhum Dwip National Park, Bangladesh

Abstract

The ecological effects of habitat use by herpetofaunal species vary widely and recognizing relative habitat value will help to improve conservation theory and practice in a particular landscape. To understand how different habitat uses influence diversity in riparian landscapes, we studied reptile and amphibian assemblages across major habitats (agricultural land, forest, human habitation, and waterbodies) in Nijhum Dwip National Park, Bangladesh. A total of 35 herpetofaunal species were found; among them, 17 were directly observed and 18 were reported from a questionnaire survey. Among the observed species, the Asian Common Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus was the most commonly seen (relative abundance 0.32). We found that forest habitat contained a greater diversity of herpetofauna than other habitats followed by agricultural land, human habitation, and waterbodies. We also found 8 habitat specialist species and 9 generalist species in this study. Our results show that different habitats support different species assemblages in Nijhum Dwip National Park, signifying the importance of diversified habitats for the herpetofaunal population. Understanding this importance is crucial for identifying matrix environments that can complement the forest habitats of sensitive as well as specialist herpetofaunal species.