HTTPS://JOURNALS.KU.EDU/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSREPTILES • VOL &15, AMPHIBIANS NO 4 • DEC 2008 • 27(3):397–410189 • DEC 2020 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS HerpetofaunaFEATURE ARTICLES of the Amarkantak Plateau . Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: On the Road to Understanding thein Ecology andCentral Conservation of the Midwest’s India Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198 Mukesh Ingle RESEARCH ARTICLES Reptile Conservation and Research Centre, Block No. 20, Vasant Vihar, Sector-C, Nanakheda, Ujjain–456010, Madhya Pradesh, India ([email protected]) . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in FloridaPhotographs by the author except where indicated. .............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 CONSERVATION ALERT Abstract.—I .conductedWorld’s Mammals herpetofaunal in Crisis ............................................................................................................................... surveys in poorly-explored sections of Central.............................. India: The Amarkantak 220 Plateau; The Son, Johila,. More and Than Narmada Mammals ............................................................................................................................... river lowlands; parts of the Maikal Mountain Range;....................................... and pockets of 223 the core zone area . The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225 of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. I recorded a total of 61 species (17 amphibian and 44 reptilian spe- cies). NoteworthyHUSBANDRY findings included the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Sacred Grove Bush Frog (Philautus sanctisilvaticus.)atCaptive its Caretype of localitythe Central afterNetted Dragon54 years, ....................................................................................................... new state records for Dobson’s Burrowing Shannon Frog Plummer (Sphaerotheca 226 dobsonii) and Beddome’sPROFILE Grass Skink (Eutropis beddomii), and significant new distributional records for a number of species. This study highlights. Kraig Adler: the A Lifetime importance Promoting Herpetology of landscape-level, ................................................................................................ long-term fieldwork to untangle Michael theL. Treglia hidden 234 diversity of the Amarkantak Plateau. COMMENTARY . iodiversity inventoriesThe Turtles Have and Been documentationWatching Me ........................................................................................................................ are criti- Mishra 1990; Verma et al. Eric 1993; Gangloff Mudgal 238 et al. 1997; Lal Bcally linkedBOOK to accurate REVIEW species identification (Nneji et and Kumar 1999; Singh et al. 2001; Khanna et al. 2001; al. 2019). Reptiles. Threatened and amphibians Amphibians of theplay World vital edited roles by S.N. in Stuart, eco- M. Hoffmann,Joshi et J.S. al. Chanson, 2010). N.A. The Cox, area also is home to larger animals systems as predators,R. prey, Berridge, herbivores, P. Ramani, and B.E.and Young commensal .............................................................................................................. taxa like the Bengal Tiger (Panthera Robert Powelltigris 243tigris), Indian Leopard (Wyman 1998; Hopkins 2007; Böhm et al. 2013). Herein I (Panthera pardus fusca), Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), Gaur CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 provide an overview NATURAL of the HISTORY herpetofauna RESEARCH of theREPORTS Amarkantak: Summaries of Published(Bos gaurus Reports on), NaturalMugger History Crocodiles ................................. (Crocodylus 247 palustris), and Plateau (21°15'N–22°58'N, NEWBRIEFS ...............................................................................................................................81°25'E–82°05'E; central point myriad species....................................................... of deer, smaller carnivores, 248 and other verte- EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 22°06'31"N, 81°44'53"E), FOCUS ON CONSERVATION which lies in: the A Project Achanakmar- You Can Support ...............................................................................................brate species (Roychoudhury et al. 2016). 252 The known fauna Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR) of Madhya Pradesh of the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) comprises 734 and Chhattisgarh, India (Fig. 1). Situated at the junction of species, including 381 invertebrates belonging to 11 orders three major mountain ranges at elevations of 446–1,039 m asl, the area is characterized by Frontmountains, Cover. Shannon narrow Plummer. valleys, Back Cover. Michael Kern and high plains. Soils are generallyTotat lateritic, et velleseque alluvial, audant andmo black Totat et velleseque audant mo cotton types derived from granite,estibus gneisses, inveliquo and velique basalts. rerchil This estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus ecologically diverse landscape isaut in dolor the apicto Deccan invere pePeninsular dolum aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum Biogeographic Zone of the countryfugiatis (Rodgersmaionsequat eumqueand Panwar fugiatis maionsequat eumque 1988) and comprised primarilymoditia of tropical erere nonsedis dry maor sectiatur decidu - moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as ous forest biomes. The vegetationaccullabo. has been categorized as moist-deciduous forests, sal-forest (constituting 63% of the area), mixed-forest, riverine-forest, grassland, degraded-forest, and agro-forestry ecosystems (Roychoudhury et al. 2016). Wetlands include the Son, Johila, Narmada, Tipan, Bakan, Chandas, and Kewai Rivers and a number of smaller peren- nial and seasonal streams. Due to high annual rainfall (1,322–1,625 mm), high relative humidity, and suitable temperatures, the area har- bors a diverse and luxuriant flora comprising 1,527 iden- Fig. 1. Google Earth© image showing the location of the Amarkantak tified species, 324 species of identified fauna, and many Plateau in the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR) of more undocumented floral and faunal taxa (Saxena 1970; Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, India. Copyright is held by the authors. Articles in R&A are made available under a 397 Reptiles & Amphibians ISSN 1098-6324 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. INGLE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 27(3):397–410 • DEC 2020 and 353 vertebrates belonging to five classes (Chandra and The aim of this paper is to bring together information from Boaz 2018). The ATR also is regarded as an important habi- various sources, including peer-reviewed publications, reports, tat of two Critically Endangered species, the Sacred Grove and field observations, in order to document the herpetofau- Bush Frog (Raorchestes [formerly Philautus] sanctisilvaticus; nal diversity of the plateau and provide a baseline checklist. Amphibia: Rhacophoridae) and the White-rumped Vulture Threats to the herpetofaunal diversity of this unique land- (Gyps bengalensis; Aves: Accipitridae); two Endangered fau- scape also are discussed. nal species, the Clown Knife Fish (Notopterus chitala; Pisces: Notopteridae) and the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris; Methods Mammalia: Felidae) in addition to supporting important Study Area.—The study area on the Amarkantak Plateau is populations of several species of fishes and freshwater turtles. located mainly in the Anuppur District of Madhya Pradesh Past studies of the herpetofauna in the area include those and the Bilaspur District of Chhattisgarh, India. I identified of Das and Chanda (1997), Chandra and Pandey (2004, and earmarked for surveys 14 study sites in this landscape 2005), Chandra and Gajbe (2005), Ingle (2012, 2018), (Table 1; Fig. 2). Using visual-encounter methods (Crump Chandra (2014), and Chandra and Boaz (2018). However, and Scott 1994), I conducted surveys during pre-monsoon, general information on diversity and distribution is scant. monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons on 11–12 April, 21–22 Table 1. Study sites on the Amarkantak Plateau. Amarkantak (Anuppur) (22°42'12.09"N, 81°43'29.22"E), elev. 1,018 m Human habitation surrounded by degraded grasslands, secondary growth, and abandoned construction. Narmada Udgam (Anuppur) (22°40'21.14"N, 81°45'34.26"E), elev. 1,039 m Human habitation with river and plantations; open fields with numerous temples. Kapildhara (Anuppur) (22°42'03.43"N, 81°42'19.96"E) elev. 996 m Mountainous and rocky; fast-flowing waterfall with riparian vegetation and large boulders