Species Checklist and Diversity of the Herpetofauna of Tun Razak Agricultural Research Center, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia

• Published in: Malaysian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences
• Main Author: Nazri F.I.A.; Farinordin F.A.; Alias N.A.A.; Musrizal N.N.; Azuar N.A.N.Z.; Salleh M.H.M.; Razak I.; Nasir D.M.; Rashid Y.; Izam N.A.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penerbit UTM Press 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85208366715&doi=10.11113%2fmjfas.v20n5.3585&partnerID=40&md5=d39af8b04c063a32f912849067a9bcdb

Herpetofauna represents a significant portion of global biodiversity. Understanding their distribution, ecology, and behavior is essential for conservation efforts. Many reptile and amphibian species are threatened or endangered due to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and disease. A study was conducted to explore the herpetofauna in Tun Razak Agricultural Research Centre from 22 February 2023 to 17 March 2023 through Visual Encounter Survey (VES), covering four types of habitats; ponds, forest, oil palm and residential. A total of 23 species of herpetofauna were recorded, representing 14 amphibians and nine reptiles. Hylarana erythraea emerged as the most dominant species, followed by Fejervarya limnocharis. These species were found abundantly in ponds due to its suitability for breeding and ample food sources. The presence of these species indicates that the ecosystem has various habitat niches. Most of the species found were globally classified as Least Concern. However, the survey also recorded Ophiophagus Hannah and Cuora amboinensis, listed as Vulnerable and Endangered respectively. The study highlighted the importance of clean water in ponds for frog breeding, as it ensures proper oxygenation and minimizes exposure to harmful substances. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the potential of herpetofauna as a bioindicator, with changes in their populations reflecting environmental changes or disturbances. The species rank abundance curves showed that the oil palm habitat exhibited the highest species evenness, suggesting a balanced distribution of species within the ecosystem. However, further surveys are needed in the area to determine the full extent of herpetofauna composition. Overall, the findings emphasise the necessity of preserving various habitats to support herpetofauna populations while also maintaining ecosystem health and balance for human-animal coexistence. ©Copyright Nazri.