The amphibians of the relict Betampona low-elevation rainforest,eastern Madagascar: an application of the integrative taxonomy approach to biodiversity assessments |
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| Authors: | Gonçalo M Rosa Franco Andreone Angelica Crottini J Susanne Hauswaldt Jean Noël Nirhy H Rabibisoa Miora O Randriambahiniarime Rui Rebelo Christopher J Raxworthy |
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| Institution: | 1.Departamento de Biologia Animal, Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciências,Universidade de Lisboa,Lisbon,Portugal;2.Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation,University of Kent,Canterbury,UK;3.Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali,Turin,Italy;4.Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute,Technical University of Braunschweig,Braunschweig,Germany;5.Dipartimento di Biologia, Sezione di Zoologia e Citologia,Universita’ degli Studi di Milano,Milan,Italy;6.CIBIO, Centro de Investiga??o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos,Vair?o,Portugal;7.Madagascar Fauna Group,Toamasina,Madagascar;8.Département de Biologie Animale,Université d’Antananarivo,Antananarivo,Madagascar;9.Department of Herpetology,American Museum of Natural History,New York,USA |
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| Abstract: | The Strict Nature Reserve of Betampona protects one of the last remaining relicts (about 2,228 ha) of low elevation rainforests
in eastern Madagascar. Yet little has been previously published about the amphibian fauna of this rainforest. During 2004
and 2007, Betampona was surveyed over a total period of 102 days. Frogs were searched by opportunistic searching, pitfall
trapping and acoustic surveys. The survey work confirmed the occurrence of 76 taxa, of which 36 are currently candidate species
and about 30% were first considered as undescribed species. The identification of species included a multidimensional and
integrative approach that links morphology, bioacoustics, ecology and genetics. Of these taxa, 24 species are potentially
endemic to this low elevation eastern region. Considering the relatively small area of the Betampona forest, and its narrow
elevational range, 76 amphibian species represents an unusually high richness compared to other sites in Madagascar. Although
the eastern region is now largely deforested, our results reveal the importance of this relict forest, which is protecting
a diverse amphibian fauna that includes many potentially endemic species. |
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