A preliminary survey of herpetofauna at Delta Tumpat Mangrove Forest, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

A rapid survey on the diversity of herpetofauna species at Delta Tumpat Mangrove Forest (DTMF) was carried out from July to September 2017 (36 days). The objective of the study is to determine the diversity of herpetofauna species in five main location sites in DTMF. Amphibians (frogs and toads) and reptiles (lizards) were collected by pitfall trapping within a terrestrial transect utilising active searching and direct observation while reptiles (snakes) were collected by chance during observation. All herpetofauna species were observed and identified by referring to books and journals. The results show three species of amphibians from three families and eight species of reptiles from seven families were present on DTMF. Of all the amphibians, only two species of frogs and one species of toad were collected. Of all the reptiles, only six species of lizards and two species of snakes were collected. The most commonly encountered reptiles were the Bell’s butterfly lizard (Leiolepis belliana), water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) and garden lizard (Calotes versicolor). The number of amphibians and reptiles is considerably low due to the relatively close distance to the sea, which limits herpetofauna species at the sites to disperse despite these animals being hard to find due to their indescribable habits.