HERPETOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF SOUTH-WESTERN AND SOUTH-EASTERN REGIONS OF NIGERIA
ONADEKO, A.B., RODEL, M.O., EGONMWAN, R.I. 1 and SALIU, J.K.
Keywords: herpetofauna, amphibian diversity, south-western region, south-eastern region, invasive species.
Published in Volume 8
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Abstract:
The herpetofauna of part of the south-western (Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States) and south-eastern (Cross River State) regions
were investigated. Specimens were located opportunistically during visual surveys. Both regions fall in the tropical zone, and
the south-western region surveyed, was mostly lowland, degraded forests (mostly secondary) and savanna. The south-
eastern regions surveyed were of primary forests, montane, sub-montane and plateau habitats. A total of 35-38 amphibian
species were recorded in south-western Nigeria and over 49 species in the south-eastern region. Higher amphibian diversity
was observed in the south-eastern region due to the diversity of habitat types. The difference in species diversity was due to
the presence of Werneria mertensiana, Didynamipus sjoskedti, Cardioglossa gracilis, C. leucomystax, Astylosternus batesi,
A. djedematus, A. montanus, Amietophrynus superciliaris, Petropedetes johnstoni, Leptodactylodon bicolor, L. polycanthus
among others, regarded as forest and montane species. A few farm-bush and savanna species were also observed and they
include Haplobatrachus occipitalis, Amietophrynus maculatus, Phrynobatrachus accraensis, Arthroleptis variabilis and
Silurana tropicalis which may indicate that the primary forests are being degraded, hence the emergence of these invasive
species. The lower amphibian diversity observed in the south-western region is believed to have resulted from the high
amount of degradation and conversion of the natural forests into the impoverished faunal region. Future intensive surveys of
both regions especially the degraded areas of the southeastern region would undoubtly reveal existing species not encountered
in this study or even undescribed species.