A community-driven checklist: Snakes of the Paraíso Canton, Cartago, Costa Rica

Abstract

Declining amphibian and reptile populations in Costa Rica, particularly at mid-elevations, underscore the
urgent need for updated herpetofaunal inventories in vulnerable, anthropogenically disturbed areas like the Central
Valley. This study documents the snake assemblage of the Paraíso Canton, Cartago Province, Costa Rica, utilizing primarily
citizen-science data to assess diversity, distribution patterns, and the effectiveness of this data-collection method.
Data were collected from June 2022 to February 2025 via Facebook groups, iNaturalist, personal communications,
and visual surveys by the author. All that were used had precise locality data and photographic identification. Alpha- and
beta-diversity were estimated using Simpson and Wilson-Shmida indices, respectively, and species richness was
assessed with rarefaction curves and Chao1 estimates. The canton exhibits high snake diversity, probably reflecting its
heterogeneous topography. A total of 51 species of snakes were recorded from 526 observations, most from citizen scientists.
Species accumulation curves suggest that the inventory is relatively complete, although rare species continue to
be detected. Alpha diversity indicated low species dominance and even distribution. This study substantially enhances
our understanding of snake diversity in Paraíso, increasing recorded species from eight to 51.