Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro: Paraguay’s First Important Area for the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles?

Paul Smith, Karina Atkinson, Jean-Paul Brouard, Helen Pheasey

Abstract


Geographical sampling bias and restricted search methodologies have resulted in the distribution of Paraguayan reptiles and amphibians being patchily known. Available data is almost entirely based on brief collecting trips and rapid ecological inventories, often several decades apart, which inevitably struggle to detect more inconspicuous species and patterns of abundance. This has led to a deficit in our knowledge of the true distribution and abundance of Paraguayan reptiles and amphibians. The establishment of the NGO Para La Tierra at Reserva Natural Laguna Blanca (RNLB), Depto. San Pedro, Paraguay allowed the first modern sustained, multi-method inventory of Paraguayan reptiles and amphibians to be performed at a single site. Despite the small size of the reserve (804 ha), a total of 57 reptiles (12 of national conservation concern) and 32 amphibians (one of national conservation concern) were collected during five years of random sampling, qualifying RNLB as the most biodiverse reserve for reptiles and amphibians in the country. Six species occurring at RNLB have been found at no other Paraguayan locality. Legal protection for this private reserve expired in January 2015 and the conservation implications of the inventory results are discussed. It is proposed that the long term legal protection of the reserve be considered a national conservation priority and that the diversity of the herpetofauna be recognized with the designation of RNLB as Paraguay’s first Important Area for the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Keywords


amphibians; inventory; Neotropics; Para La Tierra; reptiles

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2016-23-1-25-34

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