Species diversity, composition, and distribution of the herpetofauna in the Northwestern Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

<p>Species diversity is an important parameter for monitoring ecology that can accelerate conservation planning. A study on the diversity, composition, and distribution of the herpetofauna in four districts of northwestern Bangladesh was conducted through direct field observations and plot counting during day and night from April 2017 to March 2018. A total of 33 species of herpetofauna were recorded, representing 20 reptiles and 13 amphibians, and the estimated species richness was 37. The highest number of species (22) was found in both Kornai (Thakurgaon) and Mollapara (Nilphamari), while the lowest (10) was in Nolabari (Nilphamari) and Koyagolahat (Nilphamari). The highest number of amphibian species (11) was recorded in Singra forest and Kornai, while Mollapara harbored the most reptilian species (12). Based on the Shannon Wiener index of diversity, the highest diversity was in Kornai (H' = 2.562) while the lowest was in Singra forest (H' = 1.304). The Jaccard similarity index varied from 0.33 to 0.71, indicating the variations of species compositions among different sites. Among the 2,421 herpetofauanal individuals recorded, Common Toad, Duttaphrynus melanostictus (n = 639) represented the highest number among the amphibians and Yellow green House Gecko, <i>Hemidactylus faviviridis</i> (n = 130) represented the highest number among reptiles. The baseline data on herpetofaunal diversity reported here will help the scientific community and policymakers to effectively accelerate the conservation plans for this region.</p>