Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 1051-1065 (2021) (published online on 09 August 2021)

Amphibians and of a proposed iron ore mining concession in southern Cameroon

Nono L. Gonwouo1,*, Arnaud M.F. Tchassem1, Thomas M. Doherty-Bone2,3, and Mark-Oliver Rödel4

Abstract. We present a checklist of and that occur in the Ntem Iron ore mining concession in southern Cameroon, compiled as part of a broader impact survey during a two-week herpetofaunal survey. Visual and acoustic encounter surveys were carried out during day and night, covering the entire area of mining exploration. We document the presence of 38 amphibian and 28 reptile species. The most notable observation was a 150-km southward range extension of Didynamipus sjostedti. Other species of conservation concern include Conraua goliath, Leptodactylodon albiventris, L. ventrimarmoratus, Osteolaemus tetraspis, Varanus niloticus, and Kinixys erosa. These and numerous other forest-dwelling species indicate the intact nature of herpetofauna forest assemblages at the study sites. Efforts to conserve the herpetofauna at these sites should focus on protecting and monitoring the intact forest corridors linking the concession to a neighbouring forest reserve, as well as plans for restoration once extraction is completed.

Keywords. Species richness, , fragmentation, management, rainforest

Introduction influenced by microclimate, such as temperature and humidity, as well as by the presence of microhabitats (e.g., Anthropogenic habitat change is a major factor driving forest leaf litter; Wake, 1991; Blaustein et al., 1994; Ernst species and population declines (Stuart et al., 2004; et al., 2006), making them vulnerable to forest alteration Reading et al., 2010; Böhm et al., 2013; Pimm et al., and clearance (Ernst and Rödel, 2005; Ernst et al., 2006; 2014), and it has been identified as a primary threat to Barrett and Guyer, 2008). Many investigations provide 85% of species classified as threatened in the IUCN Red strong support for differences in species composition List (IUCN, 2015). Among vertebrates, and among human-modified landscapes (e.g., Thompson and reptiles are considered the groups most impacted by Donnelly, 2018) and, as such, management practices that various anthropogenic land use changes (Gibbons et al., alter habitat characteristics may have long-term effects 2000; Stuart et al., 2004; Barrett and Guyer, 2008; Böhm on amphibian and reptile community composition. et al., 2013; Nori et al., 2015). Habitat disturbance and Mining is one form of land use change that imposes degradation are known to impose positive and negative primary and secondary impacts on biodiversity, starting effects on herpetofauna, species richness, abundance and from exploration, through extraction and infrastructure composition (Lea et al., 2003; Adum et al., 2013; Guerra establishment, to restoration (Rödel and Bangoura, 2004). and Ar’aoz, 2015; Thompson et al., 2016). Herpetofauna As in most other parts of western Africa, deforestation in general, but amphibians in particular, are strongly rates in Cameroon are high (Mayaux et al., 2004; Hansen et al., 2013; Mallon et al., 2015). Cameroon is subject to severe forest degradation, fragmentation, and other forest 1 Laboratory of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of area loss, mainly due to growing small to large-scale Yaoundé I, PO Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon. agricultural development and timber exploitation. This 2 Conservation Programmes, The Royal Zoological Society of habitat loss is cause for concern for biodiversity in the Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh region, with mining exploration a further emerging form EH12 6TS, Scotland, United Kingdom. of land use change that could affect amphibian and reptile 3 Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, diversity in the region. Several studies have reported Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, United Kingdom. mining to significantly impact herpetofauna worldwide 4 Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, (Hillers et al., 2008; Sasaki, 2015; Mayani-Parás et al., Germany. 2019), but there have been few reports from Africa, * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] despite a rapidly growing number of mining projects on © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. the continent (see Rödel et al., 2021). 1052 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

Despite the growing number of mining projects in to the sea to the concession. The area around the planned Cameroon, many forest biomes within the country mine site is characterised by a heterogeneous topography remain undersurveyed yet are subject to changing land with steep hills and small- to medium-sized streams. use (Mallon et al., 2015). As Cameroon’s topography The primary evergreen tropical rainforest appears to be is highly heterogeneous, biodiversity is often range- intact, with relatively little or no alteration. Localities restricted, increasing the probability that unsurveyed sites along the proposed railway appeared more degraded, could hold undocumented herpetofauna of conservation composed mostly of secondary forest, farmbush, as well concern. Indeed, new species continue to be described as oil palm and rubber plantations. Old logging roads (e.g., Lötters and Schmitz, 2004; Blackburn, 2008; were discernible within the secondary forest, still being Blackburn et al., 2009; Rödel et al., 2012; Gvoždik et utilised for access into forest for subsistence agriculture al., 2020) and clearly support this assumption. and medium-scale oil palm plantations. Further west An iron ore mining exploitation project is being planned along the proposed railway line, extensive agro-industrial at Ntem, a lowland rainforest locality near Akom II, plantations (rubber and palm oil) have been established. South Region of Cameroon. It was imperative that the Natural resource use takes place throughout the study herpetofauna of the proposed concession be assessed area, including hunting, collection of non-timber forest to help formulate measures to effectively mitigate the products, and wood extraction for local use. Artisanal impact of the planned mining on the biodiversity. Apart gold mining is practiced in some villages in the area. from a 0.5° x 0.5° range nationwide survey on reptiles The ethnic group of Bagili/Bakola (pygmies) inhabits the that covered this study site (Chirio and LeBreton, 2007), forest, with several camps found within the concession. no herpetological investigation has been undertaken Data collection. The survey was spread over 77 in the area so far. Hence, a herpetological survey was sampling sites, including 36 sites around the planned conducted in the Ntem concession and associated sites. mine concession and 41 sites along the proposed railway Our objectives were to develop an amphibian and corridor (Fig. 1). Visual and acoustic amphibian and reptile species inventory and obtain data on habitat reptile surveys were undertaken by three surveyors during use and preferences within the proposed concession. day and night (Heyer et al., 1993; Rödel and Ernst, 2004). This information is critical to planning site-specific Surveys consisted of walking through a selected habitat management needs and development of an effective type while recording observations of active amphibians land management strategy within the region. and reptiles. We tried to spend more time in complex (i.e., dense vegetation) as opposed to uniform to Materials and Methods account for visual bias in the observed encounter rates of species in different habitat types. Study site. The Ntem concession project area is Survey techniques included searching microhabitats by situated 40 km north of Akom II, along the road to lifting rocks and logs, peeling away bark, moving fallen Bipindi in the Ocean Division, South Region, Cameroon. debris, and inspecting tree trunks. A headlamp was used It covers a surface area of about 3.17 km2 in the locality to look into cracks and holes in logs and rocks. When of Anyouzok and extends between 2.9206−2.9383°N encountered, most were collected by hand and latitude and 10.4150−10.4281°E longitude (Fig. 1). This some aquatic amphibians by the use of dip-nets (5 x 6 project site will be linked by a railway line (to deliver cm square, 40 cm long). Specimens were identified in iron ore for exportation) of about 80 km to the shore the field and immediately released at the point of capture. around Eboundja I, south of the main town of Kribi. Specimens of uncertain identification were placed in Surveys were carried out from 5–18 December 2014 (a plastic bags and identified later using identification keys total of 12 days) prior to the exploration phase. Since (Chirio and LeBreton, 2007; Trape et al., 2012) or original then, activities around the site have been suspended descriptions and derived literature (Perret, 1966; Amiet, and the area has remained unmined. Early December 1977, 1980; Schiøtz, 1999). Unidentifiable specimens represents the early dry season, at time with relatively were euthanised using a chlorobutanol solution and, after low rainfall. Given its location close to the coast, average tissue extraction, fixed in 10% buffered formaldehyde annual rainfall is 2263 mm with a temperature mean and preserved in 75% ethanol. Voucher specimens have of about 25°C (Gonmadje et al., 2012). The area falls been deposited in the herpetological collection of the within the Congo Basin rainforest of Central Africa and Laboratory of Zoology at the University of Yaoundé I, is still situated within extensive closed-canopy forest. Cameroon. Elevation ranges from 13–697 m from the railway close Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1053

Figure 1. Map of Africa (inset) with indications of the proposed mine site and railway corridor in southern Cameroon (source of the Cameroonian part of the figure: Google Earth).

Data Analysis. Our sampling design only provides in the proposed mine concession and its associated semi-quantitative or qualitative information on railway corridor. The incomplete plateauing of the species presence across the study sites. Given that species accumulation curves for amphibians and reptiles we spent the same amount of time searching on all also indicated that more species are to be recorded in the 12 days, we assumed that sampling effort was equal area. Summaries of the recorded amphibian and reptile throughout the 77 sampling sites. Completeness of the species during the study including site records, known species inventory and estimated species was analysed habitat preference, and IUCN Red list category, CITES by calculating the Chao 2 and first order Jackknife Appendix and Cameroonian Conservation status are estimators and comparing these estimates with the presented in Tables 1 and 2. total number of recorded amphibian and reptile species Habitat preferences. The majority of detected species (software: Estimates®). These estimators are incidence- (55%, 36 species) were closely related to forest habitats. based, calculated with the presence/absence data of Records in primary forest comprised 24 amphibian and 12 our daily species lists (12 days) for our study area. To reptile species. We recorded 40 species (66%) in secondary prevent order effects, all calculations were based on 500 forest, while nine species (14%) occurred primarily in randomized runs (Colwell, 2005). farmbush and plantation habitats. Around the concession, primary forest habitats still dominated, reflected by the Results forest herpetofauna assemblages observed (Fig. 4). These included the amphibians Cardioglossa elegans Herpetofauna species richness. We documented a Boulenger, 1906, Didynamipus sjostedti Andersson, total of 66 species comprising 38 amphibian and 28 1903, Leptodactylodon albiventris (Boulenger, 1905), reptile species. Amphibians belonged to 16 genera in nine Petropedetes johnstoni (Boulenger, 1887), and the reptiles families (Table 1), while reptiles comprised 22 genera in 12 Rhampholeon spectrum (Buchholz, 1874), Kinixys erosa families (Table 2). Predicted species richness for the area, (Schweigger, 1812), Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766), using the Jackknife 1 and Chao 2 estimators, respectively, and Bitis gabonica (Duméril & Bibron, 1854). Along estimated a total of 53 and 46 amphibian species and 48 the proposed railway corridor, habitats were mostly and 34 reptile species (Figs. 2). We thus estimated that our degraded, ranging from secondary forest, to farmbush surveys succeeded in recording 72−83% of the amphibian and large scale agro-industrial plantations. Herpetofaunal diversity and 58−82% of the reptiles potentially occurring 1054 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

C C C C C C C C C A A CC

LC C LC LC C LC C LC C LC LC C LC C C LC C LC LC LC LC NE EN EN DD VU C VU B IUCN Conservation Status Conservation

X X X Plantation Farmland/

X X X X X X orest F

Secondary

Habitat Represented

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X orest F Primary

PL PL MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC Site MC/PL MC/PL MC/PL

IUCN Red List and national conservation status in Cameroon (CC) with the following abbreviations: Least 1904)

1905)

1900

(Boulenger ,

1905 1898 1903 1906) 1936 1906 , , , , 1854 1900 1893 1900) 1898) 1858 1894) 1906) 1966 , , Parker , , Boulenger , , , Werner , , (Werner Andersson Matschie , Andersson , Günther , , Hallowell , Boulenger , Perret (Boulenger , , Boulenger , (Boulenger , (Boulenger , (Boulenger ,

poecilonotu s

sp.

aff. sp.

brevirostris brevirostris sp.

Amphibian species recorded during a 12-day survey of the Ntem mining concession in Abbreviations southern for Cameroon. survey sites are mine concession Arthroleptis adelphus Arthroleptis Arthroleptis tuberosus variabilis Arthroleptis Arthroleptis Astylosternus batesi Astylosternus diadematus Astylosternus Cardioglossa elegans Leptopelis Leptopelis calcaratus millsoni Leptopelis Leptopelis Leptodactylodon albiventris (Boulenger , Leptodactylodon ventrimarmoratus Trichobatrachus robustus Didynamipus sjostedti camerunensis Sclerophrys latifrons Sclerophrys maculata Sclerophrys tuberosus Conraua goliath Taxon tidae Arthrolep Bufonidae Conrauidae (MC) and plantation (PL). Conservation status listed includes andprotected integrally are that extinction with threatened those or species rare includes A Class (VU). Vulnerable (EN), Endangered (NE), Evaluated Not (LE), Concern should not be collected, Class B includes species under partial protection that can be hunted/captured only after obtaining an exploitation permit, and Class C includes all or B, and these are partially protected their collection is regulated to maintain the dynamics of population. A species not listed in Classes Table 1. Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1055

C C C C CC

A C

LC LC LC C C C LC LC LC C LC C C C LC LC LC LC C LC C LC C C C LC LC EN NT IUCN Conservation Status Conservation

X X X Plantation Farmland/

X X X X X X X X X X X X X orest F

Secondary

Habitat Represented

X X X X X X X X X orest F Primary

PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC Site MC/PL

1858) 1906)

1906) 1863) 1900 1887)

1845) 1898) 2004 1854 1900 1844) 1959

, , , , 1858 1858 1906) , (Peters , , (Hallowell (Boulenger , 1875) Perret , Boulenger , , , (Werner (Boulenger , (Boulenger , , , (Hallowell , , Hallowell , Günther , Boulenger , , Günther

, , (Hallowell

sa , (Peters sp. (Boulenger , bibroni

cf.

Sclerophrys latifrons Sclerophrys maculata Sclerophrys tubero Conraua goliath Afrixalus dorsalis Amiet camerunensis Hyperolius Hyperolius concolor ocellatus Hyperolius Petropedetes johnstoni Phrynobatrachus africanus Phrynobatrachus auritus Phrynobatrachus batesii Phrynobatrachus calcaratus Phrynobatrachus cornutus Phrynobatrachus hylaios Phrynobatrachus Ptychadena aequiplicata Ptychadena Taxon Bufonidae Conrauidae Hyperoliidae Petropetdetidae Phrynobatrachidae Ptychadenidae Table 1. cont 1. Table 1056 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

C C CC

LC LC LC C LC C LC C C LC LC C C LC C IUCN Conservation Status Conservation

X X X Plantation Farmland/

X X X X X X orest F

Secondary

Habitat Represented

X X X orest F Primary

PL PL PL PL PL PL MC MC Site

2016 ) (

Zimkus et al.

1845) 1898) , , 1856) 1920) sensu 1869

, , “D” 1977 , , , , (Werner (Hallowell , Günther

(Hallowell (Boulenger , Perret bibroni perreti

cf. cf.

Ptychadena aequiplicata Ptychadena Ptychadena mascareniensis Ptychadena Ptychadena pumilio Amnirana albolabris Amnirana amnicola rufescens Chiromantis Taxon Ptychadenidae Ranidae Rhacophoridae

Table 1. cont 1. Table Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1057

C C C C C B B C C C C A A

CC

I I II B II II II B CITES

Conservation Status Conservation

LC LC LC NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE VU DD IUCN

X X X X Plantation Farmland/

X X X X X X X X X Forest Secondary Habitat Represented

X X X X X Forest Primary

PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL MC MC MC Site MC/PL MC/PL , CITES Appendix, and national conservation status in Cameroon (CC) with the following IUCN Red List , CITES

1876)

1874) , ,

1851) 1837

1854) 1842) 1843) 1857 , , , ,

1861 1812) , , (Schlegel Greenbaum et al., 2021 al., et Greenbaum al., et (Buchholz 1788) (Traill , , Cope , , (Schlegel , , Stutchbury , (Hallowell , , Hallowell (Duméril (Duméril (Linnaeus 1758) smaragdina

(Gmelin

Osteolaemus tetraspis tetraspis Osteolaemus Hapsidophrys Bitis gabonica Toxicodryas adamanteus Naja melanoleuca Causus maculatus , , (Schweigger erosa Kinixys Calabaria reinhardtii Python sebae Dendroaspis jamesoni agama Agama cristatus Trioceros Rhampholeon spectrum Taxon CROCODILES Crocodylidae TURTLES Testudinidae SNAKES Boidae Colubridae Elapidae Viperidae LIZARDS Agamidae Chamaeleonidae abbreviations: Least Concern (LE), Not Evaluated (NE), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU). Class A includes rare integrally protected species and should or not be those collected, Class threatened B includes with species extinction under partial that protection that are can be hunted/captured only after obtaining an or B, and these are partially protected their collection is regulated to maintain the dynamics of population. exploitation A permit, and Class C includes all species not listed in Classes Table 2. Reptile species recorded during Table during a 12-day survey of the Ntem mining concession in Abbreviations southern for Cameroon. survey sites are mine concession (MC) and plantation (PL). Conservation status listed includes 1058 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C B CC

II II C CITES

Conservation Status

LC LC LC NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE NE IUCN

X X X X Plantation Farmland/

X X X X X X X X X X X X X Forest Secondary Habitat Represented

X X X X X X X X X X Forest Primary

PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL PL MC MC MC MC MC MC MC MC Site MC/PL

1818)

, ,

1874)

1901 1903 , , 1857

1845) 1845)

1837 1907) 1836) 1902 1842 , , , , 1873) 1910 , , (Gray 1838) , , 1863 , , (Gray , , (Buchholz Gray , Boulenger , , , Hallowell , Boulenger , (Moreau de Jonnès (Burton , Tornier , (Peters Gray Stutchbury , Müller (Linnaeus, 1766)

ansorgii

, , (Müller spinicollis Cnemaspis Holaspis guentheri Hemidactylus fasciatus Hemidactylus Lygodactylus conraui Lepidothyris fernandi Panaspis breviceps , (Gray affinis Trachylepis Trioceros cristatus Trioceros Rhampholeon spectrum Hemidactylus mabuia Hemidactylus richardsoni Lacertaspis rohdei Trachylepis albolabris Trachylepis maculilabris Trachylepis polytropis sp. Trachylepis Varanus niloticus cincidae Taxon Chamaeleonidae Gekkonidae Lacertidae S Varanidae

Table 2. contTable Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1059

Figure 2. Estimated species richness for amphibians in the mining concession (based on 12 days of survey). Blue line = Jack- knife 1 estimator (53 ± 4.56 species); Red line = Chao 2 estimator (46 ± 5.33 species); Green line = species accumulation curve.

assemblages along the railway line corridor were our investigated sites. Three individuals of Johnston’s dominated by widespread habitat generalists, including Torrent , Petropedetes johnstoni, listed as Near Afrixalus dorsalis (Peters, 1875), Hyperolius concolor Threatened, were recorded and this species appears to (Hallowell, 1844), Ptychadena mascareniensis “D” sensu have a small population size in disturbed forest within Zimkus et al. (2017), Sclerophrys maculata (Hallowell, the study area. Although assessed as Data Deficient by 1854), Agama agama (Linnaeus, 1758), and Trachylepis the IUCN, Arthroleptis tuberosus was recorded within maculilabris (Gray, 1845), with preferences for degraded the three habitat types surveyed and seemed to have a and more open habitats at all sites, indicating the high stable population within the study area. degree of forest alteration. Four species of reptiles are of conservation concern Species of conservation concern. Two amphibian due to regular harvesting for bush meat, and these species listed as Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN have a restricted distribution within pristine primary Red List were recorded and included: Leptodactylodon forest. They include the Dwarf Crocodile, Osteolaemus albiventris and Conraua goliath (Boulenger, 1906). tetraspis (Cope, 1861) (VU; CITES Appendix I), the The former appeared abundant and was heard calling Forest Hinge-back Tortoise, Kinixys erosa (DD; CITES and observed on several hill flanks, with relatively Appendix II), the Water Monitor, Varanus niloticus undisturbed forest within the proposed mine concession. (NE; CITES Appendix II), and the Rock Python, Python The latter was recorded along the Lobe River along the sebae (Gmelin, 1788) (NE; CITES Appendix II). The railway line, with several individuals observed jumping former two species were recorded for sale in Olem and into the water from the riverbank when disturbed. The Bifa as bush meat and appeared to have been collected in minute bufonid Didynamipus sjostedti, assessed as the neighbouring forest. Hunting of large reptiles in the Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN was observed with a locality of Bifa seems to be a regular practice, as youths localised, apparently small population active on leaf encountered revealed that they relied on this activity to litter during the day at an elevation of 621 m around make a living. the concession. Leptodactylodon ventrimarmoratus (VU) appeared abundant in pristine forest within the concession and seemed to have a stable population within 1060 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

Figure 3. Estimated species richness for reptiles in the mining concession (based on 12 days of survey). Red line = Jack-knife 1 estimator (48 ± 3.61species); = Blue line Chao 2 estimator (34 ± 6.61 species); Green line = species accumulation curve.

Discussion to amphibian and reptile populations in the study areas are the loss and continued degradation of forest habitats. The 12-day survey revealed that the area inside and Forest-adapted herpetofauna with restricted ranges may around the Ntem concession is an important area for not persist in degraded forest due to changes in vegetation amphibian and reptile diversity and of significant structure (Ernst et al., 2006; Hillers et al., 2008), with ecological concern due to the potential negative impact consequences such as displacement of habitat specialist mining could have on the relatively undisturbed forests. species by habitat generalists (Thompson et al., 2016). A large number of forest-dwelling species was recorded, The current lack of knowledge about forest dwelling comparable to the documented species known to be herpetofauna including the distribution patterns of associated with mature pristine forest habitats (Amiet, threatened species is especially uncertain with respect 1973). Didynamipus sjostedti, once recognized as the to the high deforestation rate in the Congo Basin rarest bufonid of western-central Africa, was recorded Region (Rödel et al., 2021). The correlation of species within the concession, which represents a significant, 150- composition, species habitat preference, and habitat km southward extension of the known distribution from degradation at various sites (i.e., proposed mine site and the closest populations in Bioko and Mount Cameroon railway line) suggest that habitat quality directly impacts (Gonwouo et al., 2013). Globally, the majority of the herpetofaunal community composition (Greenberg and species we recorded have broad distributions within Waldrop, 2008; Ofori-Boateng et al., 2013; Thompson Cameroon and the central African subregion, including et al., 2016; Thompson and Donnelly, 2018). Despite species such as Sclerophrys maculata, Afrixalus dorsalis, the fact that forest specialists dominated the species Hyperolius concolor, Ptychadena mascareniensis, assemblages, we also recorded habitat generalist, Panaspis breviceps (Peters, 1873), Lacertaspis rohdei and non-rainforest species that clearly indicated an (Müller, 1910), Varanus niloticus, and Calabaria increasing level of habitat disturbance particularly along reinhardtii (Schlegel, 1837) (Herrmann et al., 2005b; the proposed railway line. Channing and Rödel, 2019). The current, main threats Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1061

Figure 4. Selected amphibian and reptile species recorded from the Ntem concession in southern Cameroon and along the railway supply line. Amphibians include Didynamipus sjostedti (A,B), Conraua goliath (C), Leptodactylodon albiventris (D), Leptodactylodon ventrimarmoratus (E), and Cardioglossa elegans (F). Featured reptiles are Bitis gabonica (G), Kinixys erosa (H), Rhampholeon spectrum (I), and Varanus niloticus (J). 1062 Nono L. Gonwouo et al.

One amphibian (Conraua goliath) and three reptile the relatively high species richness at other sites, we species (Osteolaemus tetraspis, Varanus niloticus, are able to confirm that our study area is incompletely Kinixys erosa) are eaten locally producing a likely explored, and that more amphibian species could be negative impact on local populations. Continued recorded with additional surveys. collecting of crocodiles at our sites may result in a similar Only eight snake species were recorded during our population decline as reported from Nigeria (Luiselli et survey, and we believe the real diversity of this group al., 2000). Species of Kinixys in Cameroon are threatened will be much higher. The observed number of snakes by deforestation and exploitation for food, with annual represents only 5% of all snake species known to occur harvests removing up to 0.7 tortoises per km2 around in Cameroon (150 species – Gonwouo et al., 2005; Banyang-Mbo (Lawson, 2000). While K. erosa is listed Chirio and LeBreton, 2007). At other survey sites in as Data Deficient by the IUCN, this assessment is likely Cameroon a much higher species richness of snakes has out of date and, given the combination of forest loss been reported including 63 species at Mount Nlonako and hunting pressure, this species should be reassessed (Herrmann et al., 2005b), 54 species in Korup National and given a threat status. Given that some forests have Park (Lawson, 1993), and 42 species in the Takamanda been altered during exploration around the planned mine Forest Reserve (LeBreton et al., 2003). We noted the site, the colonization of potentially competitive habitat occasional killings of snakes around human habitations, generalist herpetofauna (and other taxa) may eventually irrespective of whether they were dangerous species or displace these forest-dependent species (Vitt et al., 1998; not. Preserving such specimens would contribute to our Akani and Luiselli, 2009; Thompson and Donnelly, knowledge of snakes from the area (e.g., Herrmann et 2018; Rödel and Glos, 2019). In addition, increased al., 2005b; Chirio and LeBreton, 2007). hunting pressure on these populations may result if the A larger proportion of our reptile checklist (68%) proposed site is definitely mined. was comprised by lizards. With 19 species recorded, Our species accumulation curve indicates that sampling their diversity seems reasonably well represented, had not reached a plateau prior to the end of the survey, compared with 28 species in the Takamanda Forest and that more species would have been recorded with Reserve (LeBreton et al., 2003), 27 at Mount Cameroon additional fieldwork (Figs. 2, 3). A complete inventory (Gonwouo et al., 2007), 23 at Mount Nlonako (Herrmann would require more survey effort (Lawson and Klemens, et al., 2005b), 22 in Korup National Park (Lawson, 2001). Different species also have different seasonal 1993), and 18 species in the Bamenda Highlands (Ineich patterns and life histories, which reduces their detection et al. 2015). However, it is very likely that a more probability during short surveys in only one particular thorough survey extended over both the rainy and dry season. This is particularly true for this study, as no seasons would reveal higher lizard species richness. species from the following families were documented The present study may serve as a baseline for future even though they are likely present: Caeciliidae, research and monitoring of herpetofauna in southern Herpelidae, Pipidae, Hemisotidae, Pelomedusidae, Cameroon. Our study area harbours considerable Lamprophiidae, Atractaspididae, Amphisbaenidae, herpetofaunal biodiversity, with the majority of species Leptotyphlopidae, and Typhlopidae. The majority of (55%) recorded in primary forest. Current rates of these groups are fossorial and most often active during disturbance that have affected these sites include timber wet conditions or found through dedicated digging. exploitation, and increased agriculture development. The With 38 amphibian species recorded during this planned mining exploitation may add another burden on survey, this number stands far below other amphibian this area, eventually decreasing the occurrence of some investigations carried out in Cameroon. Other sites of the forest-dependent species. Although this survey have recorded relatively high number of species with provides a substantial checklist of the herpetofauna 100 species in the Nkongsamba region (Amiet, 1975), of the Ntem concession, our results also clearly show 88 species in Korup National Park (Lawson, 1993), 93 that much is still to be discovered in the region. species at Mount Nlonako (Herrmann et al., 2005a), Species of significant importance included the C. and 72 species in the Mount Kupe region (Portik et al., goliath, L. albiventris, P. johnstoni, D. sjostedti, and L. 2016). We note that high species richness from these ventrimarmoratus, as well as reptiles listed as threatened different sites can be a function of sampling time (more or likely to be threatened. survey days) and also included a larger investigated An important management decision for the conservation surface area. We only spent 12 days surveying, which is of the herpetofauna of the proposed mining concession far below the time spent at the comparative sites. With and its associated railway line will require the allocation Herpetofauna of Proposed Mining Concession in Cameroon 1063 of intact sites and forest patches as corridors for Anura, Astylosterninae). Annales de la Faculté des Sciences de movement between foraging and breeding areas. The Yaoundé 23–24: 99–227. areas north and south of the mining concession appear Amiet, J.-L. (1980): Révision du genre Leptodactylodon Andersson (Amphibia, Anura, Astylosterninae). Annales de la Faculté des to have intact forest patches along the hillsides down to Sciences de Yaoundé 27: 69–224. the valleys and these seem to extend to the nearby forest Barrett, K., Guyer, C. (2008): Differential responses of amphibians reserve south of the locality of Bipindi, making them and reptiles in riparian and stream habitats to land use habitats of high conservation concern. These sites should disturbances in western Georgia, USA. Biological Conservation therefore be left undisturbed, as the area could be critical 141: 2290–2300. habitat for harbouring forest-dependent herpetofauna Blackburn, D.C. (2008): A new species of Cardioglossa (Amphibia: and an important source for recolonization and recovery Anura: ) endemic to Mount Manengouba in the Republic of Cameroon, with an analysis of morphological of a mine-impacted area. This should include and not be diversity in the . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society limited to closed-canopy forest with permanent running 154: 611–630. water, as well as forest floor with leaf litter debris to Blackburn, D.C., Gonwouo, L.N., Ernst, R., Rödel, M.-O. (2009): provide important microhabitat for the majority of A new squeaker frog (Arthroleptidae: Arthroleptis) from the herpetofaunal species. If set aside, the proposed corridors Cameroon Volcanic Line with redescriptions of Arthroleptis should be periodically monitored to account for changes adolfifriederici Nieden, 1911 “1910” and A. variabilis Matschie, in habitat and species diversity, with special attention to 1893. Breviora 515: 1–22. Blaustein, A.R., Wake, D.B., Sousa, W.P. (1994): Amphibian threatened and restricted range herpetofauna documented declines: judging stability, persistence, and susceptibility of during this study. These recommendations are relevant in populations to local and global extinctions. Conservation the event that the proposed mine site is eventually assigned Biology 8: 60–71. for mining in a near future. 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Accepted by Werner Conradie