Herpetology Notes, volume 12: 245-260 (2019) (published online on 03 February 2019) Herpetofauna of Serra do Timbó, an Atlantic Forest remnant in Bahia State, northeastern Brazil Marco Antonio de Freitas1, Thais Figueiredo Santos Silva2, Patrícia Mendes Fonseca3, Breno Hamdan4,5, Thiago Filadelfo6, and Arthur Diesel Abegg7,8,* Originally, the Atlantic Forest Phytogeographical The implications of such scarce knowledge on the Domain (AF) covered an estimated total area of conservation of AF biodiversity are unknown, but they 1,480,000 km2, comprising 17% of Brazil’s land area. are of great concern (Lima et al., 2015). However, only 160,000 km2 of AF still remains, the Historical data on deforestation show that 11% of equivalent to 12.5% of the original forest (SOS Mata AF was destroyed in only ten years, leading to a tragic Atlântica and INPE, 2014). Given the high degree of estimate that, if this rhythm is maintained, in fifty years threat towards this biome, concomitantly with its high deforestation will completely eliminate what is left of species richness and significant endemism, AF has AF outside parks and other categories of conservation been classified as one of twenty-five global biodiversity units (SOS Mata Atlântica, 2017). The future of the AF hotspots (e.g., Myers et al., 2000; Mittermeier et al., will depend on well-planned, large-scale conservation 2004). Our current knowledge of the AF’s ecological strategies that must be founded on quality information structure is based on only 0.01% of remaining forest. about its remnants to support informed decision- making processes (Kim and Byrne, 2006), including the investigations of faunal and floral richness and composition, creation of new protected areas, the planning of restoration projects and the management of natural resources. 1 Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Although the Atlantic Forest is generally treated ESEC Murici, Rua Marino Vieira de Araújo 32, Murici, as a single phyto-physiognomic formation along its Alagoas 56537-000, Brazil. geographic distribution (SOS Mata Atlântica and 2 Ecologic Consultoria Ambiental, Rua João Chagas Ortins de Freitas 327, Lauro de Freitas, Bahia 42710-610, Brazil. INPE, 2014), we now know that this formation is 3 Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, not homogeneous and can be divided into subgroups Rua Barão de Geremoabo 147, Salvador, Bahia 40170-290, according to the faunal and floral composition. The AF Brazil. of northeastern Brazil displays particular characteristics, 4 Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio resulting in high species richness and endemism (Olson de Janeiro, Av. Pedro Calmon 550, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de et al., 2001; Forlani et al., 2010; Moura et al., 2016). In Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil. the State of Bahia, research involving herpetology has 5 Coleção Científica Instituto Vital Brazil, Instituto Vital Brazil, Rua Maestro José Botelho 64, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro 24230- intensified beginning in the year 2000, especially with 410, Brazil. respect to basic inventories and the descriptions of new 6 Campus Universitário Darcy Ribeiro S/N, Universidade de species (e.g., Silvano & Pimenta, 2003; Argôlo, 2005; Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70910-900, Brazil. Juncá, 2006; Juncá & Nunes, 2008; Napoli & Pimenta, 7 Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto 2009; Camurugi et al., 2010; Napoli et al., 2011; Dias Butantan, Av. Vital Brasil 1.500, São Paulo, São Paulo et al., 2014a,b, 2017). However, the herpetofauna of 05503-900, Brazil. the AF in Bahia State continues to be threatened by 8 Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Instituto de Biociências (IB-USP), Rua do Matão, 14, São Paulo, 05508-090, São deforestation, agriculture, exotic animal husbandry, and Paulo, Brazil. highway constructions (Freitas, 2014a). * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Rates of deforestation of the AF hotspot, which should 246 Marco Antonio de Freitas et al. be close to zero, are in fact four orders of magnitude where sub-humid and semi-arid climates prevail. At the larger than rates of sampling, meaning that most of the Serra do Timbó, however, the predominant climate is AF might disappear before the structure and diversity tropical-humid (Cruz and Napoli, 2010). of its forests are properly described (Liam et al., 2015). Sampling.—The research for the Serra do Timbó Thus, considering the gaps on scientific knowledge of herpetofaunal survey was divided into two stages, the the richness and composition of fauna in the Northeast first consisting of two field recognition visits, one on region of Brazil, the objectives of this study were to 10 November 2006 and the other on 22 December document the herpetofauna richness and composition 2006, when several points were covered for a better based a long-term field work at Serra do Timbó, Bahia, understanding of the areas to be sampled in order to highlighting the endemism, reporting geographic notes choose a strategic point for the camp with running water and discussing its strategic importance for maintenance and easy vehicle access. The second stage comprised of a unique biota. ten sampling campaigns, employing an average of two people, although field campaigns with up to six Material and methods people were conducted in January (12 d), April (4 d), Study area.—The Serra do Timbó consists of a July (3 d), September (4 d), and November (1 d) 2007, mountain massif located in the Jiquiriçá Valley, in in January (4 d), May (3 d), July (2 d), October (3 d) western portion of the Recôncavo Baiano (ca. 13.1000°S, 2008, and in May 2009 (4 d), totalling approximately 39.6500°W) in Bahia State, between the municipalities 1200 h of active search per observer. During the active of Amargosa and Ubaíra (Fig. 1). It is a mountain range search periods, two pitfall lines, each of 50 m length characterized by semi-deciduous tropical forests, whose with 10 buckets (20 and 60 liters) arranged every five vegetation is impacted by banana and cacao plantations, meters, were used to capture the herpetofauna. Traps pasture formation, and selective cutting of forest species were installed at elevations of 750 and 900 m. The of commercial interest (MMA, 2014). The elevational specimens were collected and forwarded to the Zoology range of the Serra do Timbó is 600–900 m. According Museum of the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), to Ab’Saber (1977) and Olson et al. (2001), the region and Zoology Museum of the State University of Santa where the Serra do Timbó is located is part of a transition Cruz (UESC). The taxonomic nomenclature follows between the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest domains, Costa and Bérnils (2018) for reptiles and Segalla et al. Figure 1. Location of the Serra do Timbó mountain massif in Brazil (ca. 13.1000°S, 39.6500°W). Herpetofauna of the Serra do Timbó, an Atlantic Forest remnant in Brazil 247 (2016) for amphibians, with modifications made by in 19 families and 41 genera: Amphisbaenidae (1 sp.), Dubois (2017). Chelidae (2 spp.), Dactyloidae (3 spp.), Gekkonidae (1 sp.), Gymnophtalmidae (2 spp.), Leiosauridae (1 Results sp.), Mabuyidae (1 sp.), Phyllodactylidae (2 spp.), Polychrotidae (2 spp.), Sphaerodactylidae (1 sp.), A total of 109 species (Table 1; Figs. 2–8) were Teiidae (3 spp.), Tropiduridae (3 spp.), Boidae (2 spp.), recorded in the Serra do Timbó. The 55 amphibians Colubridae (7 spp.), Dipsadidae (15 spp.), Elapidae species were distributed in 12 families and 29 genera: (1 sp.), Leptotyphlopidae (1 sp.), Typhlopidae (1 sp.), Arombatidade (1 sp.), Brachycephalidae (1 sp.), Viperidae (5 spp.). Among the reptiles, the most notable Bufonidae (4 spp.), Centrolenidae (1 sp.), Craugastoridae records belong to Bothrops pirajai, a viperid snake (5 spp.), Eleutherodactylidae (1 sp.), Hemiphractidae classified as “Endangered”, the tortoise Hydromedusa (2 spp.), Hylidae (20 spp.), Leptodactylidae (11 maximiliani, classified as “Data Deficient” and an spp.), Microhylidae (2 spp.) and Phyllomedusidae (4 undescribed species of lizard of the genus Leposoma. spp.). Among amphibians, it is worth mentioning the records of Proceratophrys sanctaritae, an endemic Discussion species of Serra do Timbó and categorized “Critically Endangered”, as well as Phasmahyla timbo, classified as The Serra do Timbó herpetofauna richness is very “Data Deficient” and known only from two localities. high when compared to other AF sites in northeastern Regarding reptiles, the 54 species sampled are distributed Brazil (Table 2). The region near the Recôncavo Baiano Figure 2. Representative lizard species from the Serra do Timbó mountains in northeastern Brazil. (A) Norops fuscoauratus. (B) Enyalius catenatus. (C) Kentropyx calcarata. (D) Strobilurus torquatus. Photographs by Marco Antonio de Freitas. 248 Marco Antonio de Freitas et al. Figure 3. Representative snake species from the Serra do Timbó mountains in northeastern Brazil. (A) Bothrops bilineatus. (B) Bothrops leucurus. (C) Bothrops pirajai. (D) Chironius foveatus. (E) Imantodes cenchoa (F) Lachesis muta. Photographs A-E by Marco Antonio de Freitas; F by Márcia Neves. has been shown to be very diverse in relation to the that the sampling carried out in the Jibóia and Timbó herpetofauna, possessing the two richest AF localities in mountains covered more time than those in other AF the northeast region of the country (Serra da Jibóia and sites in this area, covering several years (Dias et al., Serra do Timbó). However, it should be emphasized 2014b; Freitas et al., 2018). Thus, differences between Herpetofauna of the Serra do Timbó, an Atlantic Forest remnant in Brazil 249 Figure 4. Representative amphibian species from the Serra do Timbó mountains in northeastern Brazil. (A) Adelophryne pachydactyla. (B) Agalychnis aspera. (C) Aplastodiscus ibirapitanga. (D) Boana albomarginata. (E) Boana crepitans. (F) Boana exastis. Photographs by Marco Antonio de Freitas. species richness reported for the Recôncavo Baiano close, about 20 km distant from each other, and share mountains and other localities in the northeastern AF many species of amphibians and reptiles, including an may represent a sampling effect.