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- Title
Herpetofauna of Mount Capistrano, a Fragmented Limestone Karst Forest in Central Mindanao, Philippines.
- Authors
Venturina, Russell Evan L.; Diesmos, Mae Lowe L.; Maglangit, Erl Pfian T.; del Prado, Yñigo Luis C.; Ordas, Jorge Anton D.; Fernandez, Jason B.; Dans, Maria Flordeliza G.; Warguez, Dennis A.; Diesmos, Arvin C.
- Abstract
The island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines has the richest herpetofauna presently documented for any one island in the archipelago, although many regions on the island are yet to be explored. Limestone karst habitats, in particular, are poorly surveyed and are also the most threatened ecosystems in the Philippines. We conducted field surveys on the herpetofauna of Mount Capistrano, a low-elevation limestone karst habitat and an ecotourism destination in the central Mindanao Province of Bukidnon. Our study is the first biodiversity assessment of the area. We recorded a total of 32 species consisting of 10 frogs, nine lizards, and 13 snakes. Nine are Philippine endemic species, whereas seven are found only in the Mindanao faunal region. Three are invasive alien species. We also provide preliminary information on a putative new species of limestone frog of the genus Platymantis. Our study shows that despite disturbance, limestone karst forests in Mindanao harbor significant levels of herpetofaunal species richness, including undiscovered micro-endemics. This study reinforces the biological significance of karst habitats and the critical need to conduct comprehensive biodiversity inventories of this unique, naturally patchily distributed, and highly threatened ecosystem throughout the Philippines.
- Subjects
MINDANAO Island (Philippines); PHILIPPINES; KARST; HERPETOFAUNA; LIMESTONE; INTRODUCED species; ENDANGERED ecosystems; FROGS; ECOSYSTEMS
- Publication
Philippine Journal of Science, 2023, Vol 152, Issue 6A, p2031
- ISSN
0031-7683
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.56899/152.6a.01