An annotated checklist of amphibians in and around Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram, India
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Abstract
Amphibians are an integral part of the ecosystem and act as an ecological indicator. As several species are added to the list of threatened species every year due to loss of habitat, it is important to understand the role of unmanaged landscape for sustenance of amphibian diversity. In this study, 28 amphibian species were recorded from different modified habitat including 19 new records for Dampa Tiger Reserve (DTR) and its surrounding areas. Further, six species, Amolops indoburmanensis, Limnonectes khasianus, Microhyla mukhlesuri, M. mymensinghensis, Raorchestes rezakhani, and Sylvirana lacrima are new distribution records for the state of Mizoram and out of these, two species, Raorchestes rezakhani and Sylvirana lacrima, are new country records for India. Amongst the recorded species, four species are Data Deficient, two Vulnerable, 14 Least Concern, and eight species are not assessed as per the IUCN Red List. Within the core and buffer areas of DTR, we found that natural perennial stream, puddles, canals, natural ponds, fish ponds, roadside, primary forest, secondary forest, paddy fields, and human settlement areas are excellent microhabitats for amphibian population and need to be conserved for their rich ecological niches.
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