Check List 8(3): 469-490, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island (Philippines), PECIES S VII: Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, Northern OF Cordillera Mountain Range ISTS L Rafe M. Brown 1,2*, Carl H. Oliveros 1, Cameron D. Siler 1, Jason B. Fernandez 2, Luke J. Welton 1, Perry Archival C. Buenavente 2, Mae Lowe L. Diesmos 3 and Arvin C. Diesmos 1,2 1 University of Kansas, Lawrence, Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. KS 66045-7561, USA. 2 National Museum of the Philippines, Zoology Division, Herpetology Section. Rizal Park, Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita 1000, Manila, Philippines. * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] 3 University of Santo Tomas, Department of Biological Sciences. España 1015, Manila, Philippines. Abstract: We report new distribution records for amphibians and reptiles from 20 localities within the northern Cordillera from past surveys, our new data result in a total of 58 amphibian and reptile species for Ilocos Norte Province and the extremeMountain northern Range of Cordilleras—all Ilocos Norte Province, of which Luzon constitute Island, major Philippines. geographic Together range with extensions. opportunistic We utilize collections new data of specimens and IUCN formalized conservation assessment criteria to revise the conservation status of many species. Our results highlight the degree to which fundamental distribution data are lacking for Luzon amphibians and reptiles and emphasize the manner complex biogeography of Luzon’s herpetofauna remains poorly understood, providing opportunities for future research andin which conservation many current efforts species once distribution assessments patterns are based and on local incomplete abundances data are and, properly as a result, documented. may be sorely misleading. The Introduction b; 2012) on separate paleoisland precursors that have only recently accreted into the Luzon Island of today diverse amphibian and reptile fauna (Inger 1954; Brown (Auffenberg 1988; Defant et al. 1989; Yumul et al. 2003; andThe Alcala northern 1970; BrownPhilippine 2007; island Siler etof al.Luzon 2011a; supports Diesmos a 2009; Hall 1996; 1998; Brown and Diesmos 2009). Finally, and Brown 2011) that remains poorly known despite a more recent body of work has documented convoluted patterns of biogeography on Luzon, with repeated bouts 1922a, b, c, d, e; 1923; Inger 1954; Leviton 1962; 1963a, b; of colonization and faunal exchange between Luzon, 1964a,many historical b; 1965a, taxonomic b; 1967; 1970;studies Brown (Taylor and 1920a, Alcala b, 1974;1921; Mindoro, Visayan (central) islands, and even the northern 1980), and a few intensive faunistic surveys conducted at edge of the Mindanao faunal region (northern Samar selected sites (Brown et al. 1996; 2000a; Diesmos et al. Island), giving rise to an assembled fauna of varying and 2005; Siler et al. 2011a; McLeod et al, 2011; Devan-Song and Brown 2012). 2009; Esselstyn et al. 2009; Linkem et al. 2010; Siler et al. Montane microendemism on the island’s distinct 2011b,unpredictable c). systematic affinities (Brown and Diesmos geological components has become an expectation One poorly understood component of Luzon’s et al. 2002) borne out by a wealth amphibian and reptile fauna is the amphibian and reptile of empirical studies (Alcala et al. 1998; R. Brown et al. communities of the northern regions of the Cordillera 1996;(Taylor 1999; 1922a; 2000a, Brown b; 2007; 2010a; W. Brown et al. 1997a, Mountains (Ilocos Norte, Apayao, Abra and Kalinga b, c; 1999a, b; Diesmos 1998; Diesmos et al. 2005; Siler et al. 2009; Siler and Brown 2010; Fuiten et al. 2011). in April 1920, and recognized as harboring numerous Biogeographers now assume that patterns of localized speciesProvinces; with Figure ranges 1). apparentlyAlthough visited restricted briefly to by the E. northernH. Taylor species distributions within Luzon are related to several key factors associated with geography, atmospheric yet been presented to summarize the unique assemblage ofCordillera herpetological (Taylor species1922a, b,in c; this 1923), area. no Only synthetic a single work study has geological events (reviewed in Brown and Diesmos 2009). from a high elevation site in Kalinga Province (Balbalan- variation, recent climatic fluctuations, and ancient Balbalasang National Park; Diesmos et al. 2005) has been during recent times (mid- to late Pleistocene), by cyclical These include numerous periods of isolation, afforded have described low- to mid-elevation herpetological communities,published since nor the synthetically work of Taylor, reviewed and no the faunal faunas studies of the ofsea the level, past atmospheric, two million andyears floral (Brown community and Diesmos composition 2002; extreme northern end of the Cordillera Mountains (but see 2009).fluctuations Additionally, that accompanied it is clear thatglacial–interglacial more ancient periods cycles Ota and Ross 1994; Brown et al. 2008; 2009; and Oliveros of isolation gave rise to “old endemics” of Luzon (Brown et al. 2011, for faunal studies of the islands just north of et al. 1996; 2000a, b; 2010a; Esselstyn and Brown, 2009; Welton et al., 2010; Linkem et al., 2011; Siler et al. 2011a, Luzon). Although Taylor described a total of nine species that appeared unique to the area (Taylor 1920; 1922a, 469 Brown et al. | Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, northern Philippines b, c; 1923; 1925; 1963), the subject of a range-restricted in some cases, surrounding provinces (Figure 1). From Cordillera amphibian and reptile community has not yet been considered, except in passing during the descriptions Norte Province and conducted biodiversity surveys in the of several new species derived from the Diesmos et al. mountainsMay–June, surrounding2011, a large the team Municipality of biologists of Adams visited (Figures Ilocos (2005) surveys (Wallach et al. 2007; Brown et al. 2010a, b). elevation,2–14). The Mt. following Pao, Barangay sites were Adams, surveyed Municipality for herpetofauna of Adams herpetological surveys conducted in Ilocos Norte Province, (cordinate datum type = WGS 84), Location 1: 720–750 m northwestIn this Luzon.paper we We present include speciesresults accountsof the first for intensive our own data from surveys at nine sites and summarize all available Mt.(18.438° Pao, Barangay N, 120.878° Adams, E; surveyed Municipality by usof Adamson 15–20 (18.430° June, 2011; Figures 6–11); Location 2: 1,150–1,200 m elevation, which past collections were taken in Ilocos Norte Province. Figures 12, 13); Location 3: 350-400 m elevation, Adams Finally,historical we museum canvassed records museum from collections five additional for information areas from N, 120.859° E; surveyed by us on 19–23 June, 2011; from the surrounding provinces and report these records Town Proper, Barangay Adams, Municipality of Adams new data provide an ideal opportunity to review and, in Pao,(18.460° Barangay N, 120.910° Adams, E;Municipality surveyed byof Adamsus on 23–25 (18.449° June, N, manyto provide cases, biogeographical revise the formal context conservation for our report. status (IUNCThese 2011; Figures 3, 4); Location 4: 475–510 m elevation, Mt. 4); Location 5: sea level, Municipality of Bangui, northwest coast120.894° of Luzon E; surveyed (18.533° by usN, on120.766° 25 June–1 E; surveyedJuly, 2011; by Figure E. H. of2010; Ilocos 2011) Norte of all Province included species.and to Thisconsider paper the represents unique assemblagethe first attempt of amphibian to synthetically and reptile review species the herpetofauna inhabiting west coast of north Luzon (18.006° N, 120.510° E; visited the mountains of extreme northwest Luzon Island. byTaylor, G. F. June Lopez, 1919); date Location unknown); 6: Municipality Location 7: ofMunicipality Currimao, of Solsona, east of Laoag City (18.099° N, 120.765° E; Materials and Methods visited by G. H. Lopez, April 1934); Location 8: vicinity of Santa Praxedes, coastal road along N. Luzon coast, at of new distribution records for Ilocos Norte Province, and, approximate boundary between Ilocos Norte and Cagayan The collections summarized in this inventory consist Figure 1. Map of northwestern Luzon Island, Philippines. Elevation contours are indicated with darkened incremental shading. On the left panel, the of Ilocos Norte Province, with each sampling locality marked with numbered circles, corresponding to localities listed in the Materials and Methods. general position of the Municipality of Adams is marked with a large black dot (encompassing sampled localities 1–4 on middle panel). Middle: close-up Provincial boundaries are indicated with dashed lines. The inset (at right) shows the location of Luzon Island (darkly shaded) within the Philippines. 470 Brown et al. | Herpetofauna of Ilocos Norte Province, northern Philippines Provinces (18.583° N, 120.988° E; surveyed by RMB and ACD, May 2000); Location 9: Municipality of Cabugao (17.813° N, 120.438° E); Location 10: Danao Barrio, 18 km NE of Vintar City, Municipality of Vintar (18.273° N, 120.592 E; surveyed by C. A. Ross and M. Lorenzo, 1985); Location 11: Barangay Santa Maria, La Paz Road, Municipality of Laoag, Laoag City (18.200° N, 120.579 2011); Location 12: Barangay 25, Municipality of San Matias,E; surveyed Laoag by CityACD (18.199° and MLDD, N, 120.60029 August–1 E; surveyed September, by 13: Barangay Nagbalacan, Municipality of Batac (18.011° ACD and MLDD, 29 August–1 September, 2011); Location September, 2011); Location 14: Barangay Barong, Figure 4. View (to the southeast) of the southern end of the Municipality MunicipalityN, 120.631 E; of surveyed Dingras (18.117° by ACD N,and 120.700 MLDD, E; 29 surveyed August–1 by of Adams, from foothills east of town. Mt. Pao is visible at right. Photo by RMB. N,ACD 120.617° and MLDD, E; Location 29 August–1 16: Barangay September, Bobon, 2011); Municipality Location of15: Burgos Barangay (18.348° Tulnagan, N, 120.647° Municipality E); Location of Pasuquin 17: Barangay (18.333° Paayas, Municipality of Burgos (18.335° N, 120.629° E); Location 18: Barangay Magarutung, Municipality of Davila V.