A checklist of the reptiles and amphibians found in protected areas along the South African Wild Coast, with notes on conservation implications

Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science

 
 
Field Value
 
Title A checklist of the reptiles and amphibians found in protected areas along the South African Wild Coast, with notes on conservation implications
 
Creator Venter, Jan A. Conradie, Werner
 
Subject Conservation Herpetology
Description We surveyed six protected areas along the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to determine general herpetofaunal diversity as well as the representation of species of special conservation concern. Visual encounter survey methods and standard Y-shape trap arrays were used to conduct surveys from 2011 to 2013. A total of 59 species (22 amphibians and 37 reptiles) were recorded. A number of previously unknown populations of threatened species and one potential novel species were discovered in these protected areas, and the known ranges of several other species were extended. A total of 243 quarter-degree grid-cell unit records were documented, of which 90 (23% amphibians and 50% reptiles) represented the first records for the area. Amphibian and reptile diversity increased along the coast and a number of species of conservation concern were well represented in current protected areas. Our study provides a comprehensive amphibian and reptile checklist for an under-sampled region and highlights the importance of baseline data for improving conservation management.Conservation implications: Small protected areas play an important role in conserving a number of threatened herpetofaunal species along the Wild Coast. The region is currently under significant and increasing pressure from anthropogenic-induced environmental degradation, which affects biodiversity and subsequently the local inhabitants. The information presented here represents an important baseline for future conservation management.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, Port Elizabeth Museum, Pensylvania University
Date 2015-11-17
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Survey
Format text/html application/octet-stream text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/koedoe.v57i1.1247
 
Source Koedoe; Vol 57, No 1 (2015); 25 pages 2071-0771 0075-6458
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1247/1855 https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1247/1856 https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1247/1857 https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1247/1833
 
Coverage Eastern Cape, Wild Coast, Mkambati NR, Silaka NR, Hluleka NR, Dwesa NR, Manubi SF, Cape Morgan NR, Double Mouth NR Current Species richness
Rights Copyright (c) 2015 Jan A. Venter, Werner Conradie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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