WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSIRCF REPTILES • VOL 15,& NAMPHIBIANSO 4 • DEC 2008 •189 25(2):104-114 • AUG 2018 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Reptilian. Chasing Bullsnakes Diversity (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: of the Bhopal Region in On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 the State. The Shared Historyof of TreeboasMadhya (Corallus grenadensis) and HumansPradesh on Grenada: in Central India A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198 1* 2 1 RESEARCH ARTICLESAmit Manhas , Rajni Raina , and Ashwani Wanganeo . 1Department of EnvironmentalThe Texas Horned Sciences Lizard in andCentral Limnology, and Western Barkatullah Texas ....................... University, Emily Bhopal, Henry, Jason Madhya Brewer, Pradesh, Krista Mougey, India and (amitmanhas1986@gmail Gad Perry 204 .com) . The 2KnightDepartment Anole (Anolis of Zoology, equestris) inGovernment Florida Science and Commerce College, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India .............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 CONSERVATION ALERT Photographs by the senior author. World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 . Abstract.—The wideThe “Dow range Jones ofIndex” habitats of Biodiversity in the ............................................................................................................................... Bhopal Region of Madhya Pradesh in central India............ support225 a rich reptil- ian fauna. ConductingHUSBANDRY visual surveys, we recorded 34 species of reptiles (2 species of crocodilians, 3 species of turtles, 13 species of lizards,. Captive 16 Care species of the Central of Nettedsnakes) Dragon. Observations ....................................................................................................... were made during the monsoon Shannon Plummer period 226 from mid-June to mid-SeptemberPROFILE in 2014–2015. Herein, we present baseline data regarding the reptilian fauna of the Bhopal Region. Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234 eptiles comprise a significant component of Earth’s bio- Chambal River, Pasha et al. (2000) reported nineteen spe- COMMENTARY diversity, but populations of many species are declin- cies of snakes from Pench National Park, Ingle (2002) docu- R . The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238 ing, with habitat destruction the principal cause (e.g., Gibbons mented 30 species of snakes from the Malwa region, Chandra et al. 2000; Krauss BOOKet al. 2010; REVIEW Manhas et al. 2016a). India is and Gajbe (2003) recorded the presence of Uropeltis ocellata . Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, home to more than 500 R.reptilian Berridge, P. speciesRamani, and in B.E. 28 Young families. .............................................................................................................. These from the Pachmarhi Biosphere Robert PowellReserve, 243 Chandra and Gajbe include 279 species of snakes, 202 species of lizards, 34 species (2005) listed 76 species of reptiles from different parts of the of turtles and tortoises, CONSERVATION and three species RESEARCH of crocodiles REPORTS: (Aengals Summaries of Publishedstate, Conservation Chandra Research (2009) Reports .................................documented 245 eight species of snakes NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 et al. 2011). In the stateNEWBRIEFS of Madhya ............................................................................................................................... Pradesh, Kalalurasam et in six families .......................................................from the Pachmarhi 248Biosphere Reserve, and al. (1991) documented EDITORIAL 21 species INFORMATION of reptiles from ............................................................................................................................... the Narmada Fellows (2014) recorded 31...................... species 251of snakes in six families Valley, Sanyal (1995) FOCUS recorded ON CONSERVATION 12 species from: A Project the Indra¯vatiYou Can Support ...............................................................................................from the Satpura Tiger and Pachmarhi 252 Biosphere Reserves. In Tiger Reserve, and Rao (1998) listed nine species from the the city of Bhopal, Manhas et al. (2015a) recorded 16 species Front Cover. Shannon Plummer. Back Cover. Michael Kern Totat et velleseque audant mo Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Fig. 1. Google Earth© map of the Bhopal District, Madhya Pradesh, India showing sampling sites. Copyright © 2018. Amit Manhasa. All rights reserved. 104 IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians ISSN 1098-6324 MANHASA ET AL. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 25(2):104-114 • AUG 2018 of reptiles from the Barkatullah University campus, Manhas in two consecutive years (2014–2015). We made most et al. (2015b) provided mortality data for 17 species of snakes, observations by day (mostly in the morning), but conducted Manhas et al. (2016a) studied 40 individual Indian Ratsnakes nocturnal surveys whenever possible and included oppor- (Ptyas mucosa), and Manhas et al. (2016b) documented an tunistic sightings at any time. We collected no specimens increase in the number of reptilian species from the university during the study. We photographed animals using a digital campus to 22. Herein we provide a list of 34 species of rep- camera (Sony HX-300), recorded localities using GPS coor- tiles from the Bhopal District with the intention that these dinates, and identified species using the available literature data serve as a baseline for future studies in the region. (e.g., Smith 1931, 1935, 1943; Daniel 2002; Whitaker and Captain 2004). Subsequently, we determined the conserva- Methods tion status of each species by consulting the IUCN Red List Bhopal (23°14›01’’N, 77°23›36’’E; average elevation 527 m of Threatened species (version 2017-3) and the Wildlife Act asl) is the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central of India, 1972. India (Fig. 1); it is known as the “city of lakes” because of its many natural and artificial lakes. The climate is subtropical Results with warm summers and a humid monsoon season. Summers We encountered 34 species of reptiles (2 species of crocodil- extend from late March until mid-June, with temperatures ians, 3 species of turtles, 13 species of lizards, and 16 spe- averaging ~30 °C but regularly exceeding 40 °C during the cies of snakes) in 14 families during the study period. Details peak of summer in May. The monsoon season extends from for each species are listed below. IUCN Red List status late June through late September. (IUCN 2017) is NE (Not Evaluated), LC (Least Concern), We conducted visual field surveys in and around Bhopal VU (Vulnerable), EN (Endangered), and CR (Critically during the monsoon periods (mid-June to mid-September) Endangered). Mugger Crocodile, Crocodylus palustris (Lesson 1831) cies basking in the catchment area of the Upper Lake, (Crocodylidae) VU — We recorded this species from the including VanVihar National Park, in August–September catchment area of the Upper Lake, including VanVihar 2014 and 2015 at elevations of 511–512 m (23°13’15.40”– National Park, and the Kaliyasote Dam. All observations were 23°15’28.00”N, 77°21’47.20”–77°21’59.24”E) and air tem- of basking individuals in July–September 2014 and 2015 at peratures of 23–27 °C. elevations of 497–512 m (23°11’40.90”–23°15’24.60”N, 77°21’37.89”–77°23’48.79”E) and ambient air temperatures of 21–29 °C. Chandra and Gajbe (2005) listed the species as occurring in Madhya Pradesh, and Meshram (2010) reported it from the National Chambal Sanctuary. Taigor and Rao (2010) noted Vyas and Singh (2004) recorded this species from the the presence of this species in the Chambal River. Gandhisagar Reservoir and Chandra and Gajbe (2005) reported it from Jabalpur, Shivpuri, and Seoni. Ramakrishna Indian Flap-shelled Turtle, Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre et al. (2006) and Meshram (2010) documented the species in 1789) (Trionychidae) LC — We recorded this species from Pench, Madhav, and Satpura National Parks, and Meshram the catchment