2026/06/09 by Edmund W. Basham, Matteo D. Masotti, Iris E. Schmeder +8
paper · doi:10.1670/2644616
Madagascar faces extensive deforestation and habitat loss that threaten its endemic herpetofauna. However, many Malagasy reptile and amphibian species lack basic natural history data (e.g., vertical habitat use) and reliable information on their geographic distribution (i.e., data verified by mitochondrial barcodes), which could inform conservation efforts. These efforts are especially important in isolated patches of remnant forests, such as the Ivohiboro Protected Area, which may act as a refuge for imperiled endemic species. Using both vertical and horizontal sampling methods in Ivohiboro, Madagascar, combined with a molecular characterization of encountered specimens via sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, we recorded a total of 32 reptile and 22 anuran species, including one newly described species of Boophis, one candidate species of Anodonthyla, and a recently described Guibemantis species. By surveying from ground to canopy, we found anuran abundance and richness to be strongly weighted toward the ground, possibly because of dry conditions during sampling periods, whereas reptiles were found consistently across the full vertical gradient. qPCR-based screening of skin swabs from 362 frog specimens did not reveal evidence for the presence of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis at Ivohiboro. Our biodiversity inventory contributes to ongoing discoveries at Ivohiboro and underscores an urgent need for conservation measures to protect this unique ecosystem. Additionally, the discrepancy we observed between DNA–based identification of species and field identification demonstrates the importance of DNA sampling approaches to obtain reliable faunal inventories in poorly studied regions that often harbor numerous morphologically cryptic species.