title: Herpetofauna of an Atlantic rainforest area (Morro São João) in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.
abstract: We studied the herpetofaunal community from the Atlantic forest of Morro São João, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and present data on species composition, richness, relative abundance and densities. We combined three sampling methods: plot sampling, visual encounter surveys and pit-fall traps. We recorded sixteen species of amphibians and nine of reptiles. The estimated densities (based on results of plot sampling) were 4.5 ind/100 m2 for amphibians and 0.8 ind/100 m2 for lizards, and the overall density (amphibians and lizards) was 5.3 ind/100 m2. For amphibians, Eleutherodactylus and Scinax were the most speciose genera with three species each, and Eleutherodactylus binotatus was the most abundant species (mean density of 3.0 frogs/100 m2). The reptile community of Morro São João was dominated by species of the families Gekkonidae and Gymnophtalmidae (Lacertilia) and Colubridae (Serpentes). The gymnophtalmid lizard Leposoma scincoides was the most abundant reptile species (mean density of 0.3 ind/100 m2). We compare densities obtained in our study data with those of other studied rainforest sites in various tropical regions of the world.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-011, Brazil. almeida.gomes@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almeida-Gomes
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vrcibradic
authors.forename: Carla C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Mara C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: Thaís
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klaion
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Almeida-Santos
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Cristina V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Ariani
authors.forename: Vitor N T
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Borges-Junior
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Freitas-Filho
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Sluys
authors.forename: Carlos F D
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000663:Amphibians / Q000145:classification*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D017753:Ecosystem; D011156:Population Density; D012104:Reptiles / Q000145:classification*; D014197:Trees; D014329:Tropical Climate