Rapid ecological assessment of herpetofauna in the Cordillera Chongón-colonche, Ecuador

Abstract

In this investigation it was carried out the evaluation of the herpetofauna in five towns of the mountain range "Chongón Colonche". Toe five chosen places to carry out this study were: The "Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco", the "Reserva Ecologica Comunal Loma Alta", the Sanctuary of wildlife "Cantalapiedra", the forest of the Commune "Casas Viejas" and The Forest of the Commune "Dos Mangas". The techniques used for the sampling were Transects for lnspection for Visual Encounter and Complete lnventory of species. Of the total of registered individuals, 418 were observed and of these 88 they were collected, more the registrations obtained by bibliographical revision and. The amphibians are contained in a single Order: Anura, with 9 families and 20 species; the reptiles are contained in two Orders, 12 families and 23 species. The Diversity (Shannon) had a value of2.8 bits, what represents an ecosystem with a value halfofbiodiversity. In general terrns, the state of conservation of the herpetofauna of the mountain range "Chongón-Colonche" is stable; although species exist inside the categories ofthreat of IUCN and the redlists of Ecuador.