Check List 16(6): 1433-1456, doi: 10.15560/16.6.1433
A survey of the reptiles and amphibians at the University of Georgia Costa Rica field station in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica
expand article infoJohn David Curlis, Elliot Convery Fisher§, W. Kody Muhic|, James Moy, Martha Garro-Cruz, José Joaquín Montero-Ramírez
‡ University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America§ University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom| Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America¶ University of Georgia Costa Rica, Santa Elena de Monteverde, Costa Rica
Open Access
Abstract

Reptiles and amphibians are experiencing declines across the globe. In Monteverde, Costa Rica, these declines and their underlying causes have been relatively well studied since the early 1990s, and many protected areas have been set aside to conserve these species. However, thorough surveys of the herpetofaunal diversity in these areas have been scarce over the last 20 years. We conducted a survey of all reptile and amphibian species at the University of Georgia Costa Rica (UGACR), a field station in San Luis de Monteverde. Herein, we present an annotated checklist of the 48 species (35 reptiles and 13 amphibians) that we encountered. While we did not find any exceptionally rare or endangered species, the number of species we encountered is disproportionately high given the small plot of land occupied by UGACR. This underscores the importance of conducting regular diversity surveys in biodiversity hotspots as a means to better inform conservation efforts.

Keywords
Biodiversity, frogs, herpetofauna, lizards, salamanders, snakes