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An Updated Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal

July 2022

Authors:

Tapil Prakash Rai

Mechi Multiple Campus, Bhadrapur (TU)

Sabin Adhikari

Central Department of Environmental Science

Pablo García-Antón

An updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Nepal is presented. In total, the amphibian fauna of Nepal consists of 57 species in 22 genera, 8 families, and 3 orders (Anura: 55 species in 20 genera and 6 families; Caudata: 1 species in 1 genus and 1 family; Gymnophiona: 1 species in 1 genus and 1 family), while the reptilian fauna of Nepal consists of 143 species in 71 genera, 20 families, and 3 orders (Crocodylia: 2 species in 2 genera and 2 families; Squamata: 125 species in 58 genera and 15 families [Sauria: 41 species in 16 genera and 6 families; Serpentes: 84 species in 42 genera and 9 families]; Testudines: 16 species in 11 genera and 3 families). There is a very low level of endemism, with only 19 species being endemic to the country. As further field and taxonomic work are carried out, we expect new species records and extended range distribution of species for the country that assuredly enrich this checklist. This work highlights the importance of specific conservation plans in the study region and the need for further research on the hidden biodiversity of this country.

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ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

An Updated Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal

Tapil Prakash Rai, Sabin Adhikari & Pablo Garcia Antón

Abstract

An updated checklist of the herpetofauna of Nepal is presented. In total, the amphibian fauna of Nepal

consists of 57 species in 22 genera, 8 families, and 3 orders (Anura: 55 species in 20 genera and 6 families;

Caudata: 1 species in 1 genus and 1 family; Gymnophiona: 1 species in 1 genus and 1 family), while the

reptilian fauna of Nepal consists of 143 species in 71 genera, 20 families, and 3 orders (Crocodylia: 2

species in 2 genera and 2 families; Squamata: 125 species in 58 genera and 15 families [Sauria: 41 species

in 16 genera and 6 families; Serpentes: 84 species in 42 genera and 9 families]; Testudines: 16 species in

11 genera and 3 families). There is a very low level of endemism, with only 19 species being endemic to

the country. As further field and taxonomic work are carried out, we expect new species records and

extended range distribution of species for the country that assuredly enrich this checklist. This work

highlights the importance of specific conservation plans in the study region and the need for further

research on the hidden biodiversity of this country.

Keywords: Anura, biodiversity, conservation status, herpetofauna, sauria, taxonomy

Introduction

The Himalayan country of Nepal owes its rich diversity of 56 amphibian and 142 reptile species (including

both confirmed and possible occurrences) to its unique geographic situation (Kästle et al., 2013). This

relatively small country lies in the transitional zone between the Palearctic and Oriental zoogeographic

regions; and the herpetofauna consists of a mixture of Indian, Himalayan, Indo-Malayan, Tibetan,

Chinese, and Southwest Asian elements. This is mainly because Nepal comprises several mountain chains

that form distinct geographic barriers and divide the country into five topographically zones: The Terai

Zone, The Inner Terai zone, The Midland Mountain zone, The Trans-Himalayan zone, and Great

Himalayan Highlands Zone (Shrestha, 2001) which are all climatically complex regions (Schleich &

Kästle, 2002). The diversity and distribution of Nepal’s herpetofauna and other Trans-Himalayan regions

have been the subject of several investigators in the past. The earliest studies on Nepal’s herpetofauna

were conducted during the beginning of the 18th century, and the first major analysis of Nepalese

herpetofauna was made by the collection of Hodgson’s specimens between 1826 and 1854, by Thomas

Hardwicke, Hugh Falconer, H. W. Tilman, Oleg Polunin, and Hermann Schlagintweit (Günther 1858,

1860, 1861). Boulenger (1907), Annandale et al. (1907), Leviton et al. (1956), and Swan & Leviton (1962)

formulated a sound basis for zoogeographical Nepalese herpetofauna. Since then, Dubois (1974, 1984),

Fleming & Fleming (1973), Kramer (1977), Nanhoe & Ouboter (1987), Zug & Mitchell (1995), Das

(1998), O’Shea (1998), Schleich & Kästle (1998, 2002), Shrestha (2001), Tillack (2003), Rai (2004), Shah

& Tiwari (2004), Aryal et al. (2010), Pandey (2012), Kästle et al. (2013), Khatiwada et al. (2021) have

contributed immensely to the herpetological research in Nepal.

From the beginning of the current century, and until now, systematic and phylogeographic oriented studies

on Nepal’s herpetofauna have experienced a noticeable increase (e.g., Giannasi et al., 2001; Praschag et

al., 2009; Rai, 2013; Garg et al., 2018; Wang et al., 2020; Khatiwada et al., 2021). This

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

resulted in the description of several new species and changes in the taxonomic status of many taxa,

indicating a strong need for regular updates to the herpetofauna species list of Nepal. The purpose of this

contribution is to provide an update on the status of Nepal’s herpetofauna and to summarize the

nomenclatural changes that have taken place since the publication of the most recent checklists (Schleich

& Kästle, 2002; Shah & Tiwari, 2004; Kästle et al., 2013). This summary can be used to gain a better

understanding of national and international policies regarding the biodiversity of the country and to

provide an accessible and updated reference list that serves as an important tool for herpetologists and

other researchers interested in the biodiversity of Nepal. The checklist is presented taxonomically and

alphabetically by class, order, family, genus, and species. In addition to indicating the species, we provided

their common name and conservation status according to the International Union for Conservation of

Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Further,

wherever necessary, the species are supplemented with information by assigning each a superscript.

Materials and Methods

S t u d y A r e a

Geographically, Nepal lies at a latitude between 26° and 30° north and a longitude between 80° and 88°

east stretching approximately 145-241 km north to south and 850 km west to east. The landform varies

greatly in its physical form, ranging from the Tarai Plain in the south to the Himalayans in the north. In

between these regions, there are middle hills and lesser mountains consisting of the Churia (Siwalik) and

Mahabharat Range. The substantial change in climatic conditions from sub-tropical to the Arctic is a result

of these altitudinal variations. The Terai in the south runs from far-west to far-east and is drenched by an

array of water systems: the Koshi, Narayani, and Karnali being some of the largest water systems in the

country. Monsoons enter the country from the eastern region and subsequently move towards the west.

The distribution of precipitation, however, is again governed by the topography of the country and ranges

from about 150 mm to over 1500 mm per annum (Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, 2015).

There are six recognized biomes occurring in Nepal, 35 forest types, and 118 ecosystems. Wetland covers

about 5% of the total area of the country (Ministry of Forests and Environment, 2018). There are now 20

Protected Areas (PAs) that include 12 National Parks, 1 Wildlife Reserve, 1 Hunting Reserve, 6

Conservation Areas, and 13 Buffer Zones (covering 23.39 % of the country’s land) that strive to protect

the exceptional biodiversity of Nepal (Figure 1). Nevertheless, this work is not restricted to PAs and also

encompasses the herpetofauna studies conducted outside of it.

M e t h o d s

The method for gathering available data involved an extensive literature review of various published and

unpublished works on the herpetofauna of Nepal. This involved a thorough search for published articles,

reports, books, and theses. The nomenclature of this checklist follows the version of Frost (2021) and Uetz

et al. (2021) for amphibians and reptiles respectively. In addition, personal communications from

experienced herpetologists were made whenever any doubt on newly described species arose. The efforts

to update the checklist were accompanied by fact-checking each species. We looked into the

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

confirmed presence of species mentioned in any previous research publication, the restrictions imposed

on species to a certain geographic range by any new study, and taxonomic changes if any. The

nomenclatural changes up until May, 2022 have been summed up in the present work.

Fig. 1: Map of Nepal showing Protected Areas (Source: DNPWC, 2022)

Results and Discussion

Table 1: Checklist of Amphibians of Nepal.

Explanatory notes:

*verifiable records in need

#endemic to Nepal

1 different from true Amolops afghanus and exact taxonomic identity remains unclear

2 first described from Chitwan National Park and genetic sampling is needed to make any taxonomic

changes

3 identification of this nominal species in Nepal are provisional as they have yet to be evaluated by

molecular assay

4 first described from Narayanghat, Chitwan and until is known from the type locality

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

CLASS: AMPHIBIA

Scientific Name

Common Name

IUCN

Status

CITES

ORDER: ANURA

Family: Bufonidae Gray, 1825

Duttaphrynus himalayanus (Günther,

1864)

Himalaya Toad

Duttaphrynus melanostictus

(Schneider, 1799)

Asian Black-spined Toad

Duttaphrynus stomaticus (Lütken,

1864)

Marbled Toad

Family Dicroglossidae Anderson, 1871

Euphlyctis kalasgramensis

(Howlader, Nair, Gopalan & Merilä,

2015)

Bangladesh Skittering

Frog

Fejervarya orissaensis (Dutta, 1997)

Orissa Cricket Frog

Hoplobatrachus crassus (Jerdon,

1853)

Jerdon's Bullfrog

Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (Daudin,

1802)

Indian Bullfrog

Minervarya nepalensis (Dubois,

1975)

Nepal Cricket Frog

Minervarya pierrei (Dubois, 1975)

Pierre's Cricket Frog

Minervarya syhadrensis (Annandale,

1919)

Syhadra Frog

Minervarya teraiensis (Dubois, 1984)

Terai Cricket Frog

*Nanorana annandalii (Boulenger,

1920)

Annandale's Paa Frog

Nanorana blanfordii (Boulenger,

1882)

Blanford's Paa Frog

Nanorana ercepeae (Dubois, 1974)

Torrent Paa Frog

Nanorana liebigii (Günther, 1860)

Liebig's Paa Frog

Nanorana minica (Dubois, 1975)

Small Paa Frog

Nanorana parkeri (Stejneger, 1927)

High Himalaya Frog

Nanorana polunini (Smith, 1951)

Polunin's Paa Frog

#Nanorana rarica (Dubois, Matsui, &

Ohler, 2001)

Rara Paa Frog

Nanorana rostandi (Dubois, 1974)

Rostand's Paa Frog

Ombrana sikimensis (Jerdon, 1870)

Sikkim Asian Frog

Sphaerotheca breviceps (Schneider,

1799)

Indian Burrowing Frog

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

Sphaerotheca maskeyi (Schleich &

Anders, 1998)

Maskey's Burrowing

Frog

*Sphaerotheca rolandae (Dubois,

1983)

Roland's Burrowing Frog

#Sphaerotheca swani (Myers &

Leviton, 1956)

Swan's Burrowing Frog

Family: Megophryidae Bonaparte, 1850

Scutiger boulengeri (Bedriaga, 1898)

Boulenger's High

Altitude Toad

#Scutiger ghunsa (Khatiwada, Shu,

Subedi, Wang, Ohler, Canatella, Xie,

& Jiang 2019)

Ghunsa High Altitude

Toad

#Scutiger nepalensis (Dubois, 1974)

Nepal's High Altitude

Toad

*Scutiger nyingchiensis (Fei, 1977)

Nyingchi High Altitude

Toad

Scutiger sikimmensis (Blyth, 1855)

Sikkim High Altitude

Toad

Xenophrys monticola Günther, 1864

Mountain Horned Frog

Xenophrys robusta (Boulenger, 1908)

Robust Spadefoot Toad

Xenophrys zhangi (Ye & Fei, 1992)

Zhang's Horned Toad

Family: Microhylidae Günther, 1858

Microhyla nilphamariensis

(Howlader, Nair, Gopalan, & Merilä,

2015)

Nilphamarai Narrow-

mouthed Frog

#Microhyla taraiensis (Khatiwada,

Shu, Wang, Thapa, Wang, & Jiang,

2017)

Tarai Narrow-mouthed

Frog

Uperodon globulosus (Günther,

1864)

Indian Balloon Frog

Uperodon systoma (Schneider, 1799)

Marbled Balloon Frog

Uperodon taprobanicus (Parker,

1934)

Sri Lankan Bullfrog

Family: Ranidae Batsch, 1796

Amolops formosus (Günther, 1876)

Assam Cascade Frog

#Amolops mahabharatensis

(Khatiwada, Shu, Wang, Zhao, Xie,

& Jiang, 2020)

Mahabharat Torrent Frog

1 Amolops cf. afghanus

Amolops monticola (Anderson, 1871)

Mountain Cascade Frog

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

#Amolops nepalicus (Yang, 1991)

Nepal Cascade Frog

Humerana humeralis (Boulenger,

1887)

Bhamo Frog

Hydrophylax leptoglossa (Cope,

1868)

Cope's Assam Frog

#2 Hylarana chitwanensis (Das, 1998)

Chitwan Frog

Hylarana tytleri (Theobald, 1868)

Yellow-striped Frog

3 Sylvirana nigrovittata (Blyth, 1856)

Black-striped Frog

Family: Rhacophoridae Hoffman, 1932

Polypedates himalayensis

(Annandale, 1912)

Himalayan Tree Frog

Polypedates maculatus (Gray, 1830)

Chunam Frog

Polypedates taeniatus (Boulenger,

1906)

Terai Tree Frog

Polypedates teraiensis (Dubois, 1987)

Common Tree Frog

#4 Polypedates zed (Dubois, 1987)

Narayanghat Whipping

Frog

Raorchestes annandalii (Boulenger,

1906)

Annandale’s Bush Frog

Zhangixalus smaragdinus (Blyth,

1852)

Nepal Flying Frog

ORDER: CAUDATA

Family: Salamandridae Goldfuss, 1820

Tylototriton himalayanus

(Khatiwada, Wang, Ghimire,

Vasudevan, Paudel, & Jiang, 2015)

Himalayan Salamander

ORDER: GYMNOPHIONA

Family: Ichthyophiidae Taylor, 1968

Ichthyophis sikkimensis (Taylor,

1960)

Sikkimese Caecilian

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

Table 2: Checklist of Reptiles of Nepal.

Explanatory notes:

*verifiable records in need

#endemic to Nepal

1 Listed by Schleich & Kästle (2002) and Kästle et al. (2013) as probable species for Nepal with no

authentic records as well the geographic range of the species by the IUCN Red List Assessment includes

some parts of Eastern Nepal

2 a single record from Nepal without exact locality and its presence is considered possible by David et al.

(2015)

3 mentioned for Nepal from Kulu valley by Lalremsanga et al. (2022)

CLASS: REPTILIA

Scientific Name

Common Name

IUCN

Status

CITES

ORDER: CROCODYLIA

Family: Crocodylidae Cuvier, 1807

Crocodylus palustris (Lesson, 1831)

Mugger Crocodile

Family: Gavialidae Adams 1854

Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789)

Gharial

ORDER: SQUAMATA

Suborder: Sauria

Family: Agamidae Gray, 1827

Calotes versicolor (Daudin, 1802)

Oriental Garden Lizard

#Japalura dasi (Shah & Kästle, 2002)

Agaupani Forest Lizard

Japalura kumaonensis (Annandale,

1907)

Kumaon Mountain

Lizard

Japalura major (Jerdon, 1870)

Large Mountain Lizard

Japalura tricarinata (Blyth, 1853)

Tricarinate Forest

Agama

Japalura variegata (Gray, 1853)

Variegated Mountain

Lizard

Laudakia tuberculata (Gray, 1827)

Tuberculated Agama

Phrynocephalus theobaldi (Blyth,

1863)

Theobald's Toad-headed

Agama

#Sitana fusca (Schleich & Kästle,

1998)

Dark Sitana

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

#Sitana schleichi (Anders & Kästle,

2002)

Suklaphantah Sitana

#Sitana sivalensis (Schleich, Kästle, &

Shah, 1998)

Siwalik Sitana

Family: Anguidae Gray, 1825

Dopasia gracilis (Gray, 1845)

Burmese Glass Lizard

Family: Eublepharidae Boulenger, 1883

Eublepharis macularius (Blyth, 1854)

Common Leopard Gecko

Family: Gekkonidae Gray, 1825

*Cyrtodactylus cf. collegalensis

#Cyrtodactylus markuscombaii

(Darevsky, Helfenberger, Orlov, &

Shah, 1998)

Striped Gecko

#Cyrtodactylus martinstolli

(Darevsky, Helfenberger, Orlov, &

Shah, 1998)

Barred Gecko

#Cyrtodactylus nepalensis (Schleich &

Kästle, 1998)

Nepalese Rock Gecko

Gekko gecko (Linnaeus, 1758)

Tokay Gecko

Hemidactylus bowringii (Gray, 1845)

Bowring’s Smooth

Gecko

Hemidactylus brookii (Gray, 1845)

Brook’s House Gecko

Hemidactylus flaviviridis (Rüppell,

1835)

Yellow-bellied House

Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus (Duméril &

Bibron, 1836)

Common House Gecko

Hemidactylus garnotii (Duméril &

Bibron, 1836)

Garnot’s House Gecko

Hemidactylus platyurus (Schneider,

1797)

Flat-tailed House Gecko

Family: Scincidae Gray, 1825

Ablepharus sikimmensis (Blyth,

1854)

Sikkim Ground Skink

Ablepharus himalayanus (Günther,

1864)

Himalayan Ground Skink

Ablepharus ladacensis (Günther,

1864)

Ladak Ground Skink

#Ablepharus mahabharatus

(Eremchenko, Shah, & Panfilov,

1998)

Mahabharat Ground

Skink

#Ablepharus nepalensis (Eremchenko

& Helfenberger, 1998)

Nepal Ground Skink

Eutropis carinata (Schneider, 1801)

Keeled Indian Skink

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

Eutropis trivittata (Hardwicke &

Gray, 1827)

Three-banded Skink

Eutropis macularia (Blyth, 1853)

Bronze Skink

Riopa albopunctata (Gray, 1846)

White-spotted Supple

Skink

Riopa punctata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Dotted Garden

Skink

#Scincella capitanea (Ouboter, 1986)

Large Ground Skink

Scincella reevesii (Gray, 1838)

Reeve’s Smooth Skink

Sphenomorphus indicus (Gray, 1853)

Himalayan Forest Skink

Sphenomorphus maculatus (Blyth,

1853)

Spotted Forest Skink

Family: Varanidae Merrem, 1820

Varanus bengalensis (Daudin, 1802)

Bengal Monitor Lizard

Varanus flavescens (Hardwicke &

Gray, 1827)

Yellow Monitor

Varanus salvator (Laurenti, 1768)

Common Water Monitor

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Boidae Gray, 1825

Eryx conicus (Schneider, 1801)

Rough-tailed Sand Boa

Eryx johnii (Russell, 1801)

Red Sand Boa

Family: Colubridae Oppel, 1811

Ahaetulla laudankia (Deepak,

Narayanan, Sarkar, Dutta, &

Mohapatra, 2019)

Laudanka Vine Snake

Ahaetulla nasuta (Lacépède, 1789)

Long-nosed Tree Snake

Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Buff Striped Keelback

Atretium schistosum (Daudin, 1803)

Olive Keelback Water

Snake

III

Boiga cyanea (Duméril, Bibron &

Duméril, 1854)

Green Cat Snake

Boiga forsteni (Duméril, Bibron &

Duméril, 1854)

Forsten's Cat Snake

Boiga multifasciata (Blyth, 1861)

Many-banded Tree

Snake

*Boiga nuchalis (Günther, 1875)

Collared Cat Snake

Boiga ochracea (Theobald, 1868)

Tawny Cat Snake

Boiga siamensis (Nutaphand, 1971)

Gray Cat Snake

Boiga trigonata (Schneider, 1802)

Indian Gamma Snake

Boiga westermanni (Reinhardt, 1863)

Indian Egg-eating Snake

Chrysopelea ornata (Shaw, 1802)

Ornate Flying Snake

Coelognathus helena (Daudin, 1803)

Trinket snake

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

Coelognathus radiatus (Boie, 1827)

Copper-headed Trinket

Snake

*Dendrelaphis pictus (Gmelin, 1789)

Common Bronze-back

Dendrelaphis tristis (Daudin, 1803)

Common Bronzeback

Tree Snake

Elaphe cantoris (Boulenger, 1894)

Eastern Trinket Snake

Elaphe hodgsoni (Günther, 1860)

Hodgson's Racer

Fowlea piscator (Schneider, 1799)

Checkered Keelback

Fowlea sanctijohannis (Boulenger,

1890)

St. John's Keelback

Fowlea schnurrenbergeri (Kramer,

1977)

Bar-necked Keelback

*1 Gonyosoma prasinum (Blyth,

1854)

Green Trinket Snake

*2 Hebius clerki (Wall, 1925)

Yunnan Keelback

Hebius parallelum (Boulenger, 1890)

Yunnan Keelback

Herpetoreas platyceps (Blyth, 1854)

Himalayan Keelback

*3 Herpetoreas sieboldii (Günther,

1860)

Sikkim Keelback

Liopeltis calamaria (Günther, 1858)

Calamaria Reed Snake

Liopeltis rappi (Günther, 1860)

Himalayan Stripe-necked

Snake

Lycodon aulicus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Wolf Snake

Lycodon jara (Shaw, 1802)

Twin-spotted Wolf

Snake

Lycodon striatus (Shaw, 1802)

Barred Wolf Snake

Oligodon albocinctus (Cantor, 1839)

White-barred Kukri

Snake

Oligodon cyclurus (Cantor, 1839)

Cantor's Kukri Snake

Oligodon erythrogaster (Boulenger,

1907)

Nagarkot Kukri Snake

Oligodon kheriensis (Acharji & Ray,

1936)

Coral Red Kukri Snake

Oligodon russelius (Daudin, 1803)

Russell’s Kukri Snake

Oreocryptophis porphyraceus

(Cantor, 1839)

Black-banded Trinket

Snake

Pseudoxenodon macrops (Blyth,

1855)

Large-eyed Bamboo

Snake

Ptyas mucosa (Linnaeus, 1758)

Oriental Rat Snake

*Ptyas nigromarginata (Blyth, 1854)

Green Rat Snake

Rhabdophis helleri (Schmidt, 1925)

Heller's Red-necked

Keelback

Rhabdophis himalayanus (Günther,

1864)

Himalayan Keelback

Sibynophis collaris (Gray, 1853)

Collared Black-headed

Snake

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Sibynophis sagittarius (Cantor, 1839)

Cantor's Black-headed

Snake

Spalerosophis atriceps (Fischer,

1885)

Diadem Snake

Trachischium fuscum (Blyth, 1854)

Blackbelly Worm-eating

Snake

*Trachischium guentheri (Boulenger,

1890)

Günther’s Worm-eating

Snake

Trachischium laeve (Peracca, 1904)

Olive Oriental Slender

Snake

Trachischium tenuiceps (Blyth, 1854)

Yellowbelly Worm-

eating Snake

Xenochrophis cerasogaster (Cantor,

1839)

Painted Keelback

Family: Elapidae F. Boie, 1827

Bungarus bungaroides (Cantor, 1839)

Himalayan Krait

Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider,

1801)

Common Krait

Bungarus fasciatus (Schneider, 1801)

Banded Krait

100

Bungarus lividus (Cantor, 1839)

Lesser Black Krait

101

Bungarus niger (Wall, 1908)

Greater Black Krait

102

Bungarus walli (Wall, 1907)

Wall’s Krait

103

Naja kaouthia (Lesson, 1831)

Monocellate Cobra

104

Naja naja (Linnaeus, 1758)

Indian Cobra

105

Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor, 1836)

King Cobra

106

Sinomicrurus macclellandi

(Reinhardt, 1844)

MacClelland's Coral

Snake

Family: Homalopsidae Bonaparte, 1845

107

Enhydris enhydris (Schneider, 1799)

Rainbow Mud Snake

108

Ferania sieboldii (Schlegel, 1837)

Siebold's Mud Snake

109

*Homalopsis buccata (Linnaeus,

1758)

Linne’s Water Snake

Family: Pareidae Romer, 1956

110

Pareas monticola (Cantor, 1839)

Montane Slug-eating

Snake

Family: Psammophiidae Bourgeois, 1968

111

Psammodynastes pulverulentus (Boie,

1827)

Common Mock viper

112

Psammophis condanarus (Merrem,

1820)

Sand Snake

Family: Pythonidae Fitzinger, 1826

113

Python bivittatus (Kuhl, 1820)

Burmese Python

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114

*Python molurus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Indian Rock Python

Family: Typhlopidae Merrem, 1820

115

Argyrophis diardii (Schlegel, 1839)

Diard’s Blindsnake

116

Indotyphlops braminus (Daudin,

1803)

Brahminy Blindsnake

117

*Indotyphlops jerdoni (Boulenger,

1890)

Jerdon's Blindsnake

118

*Indotyphlops porrectus (Stoliczka,

1871)

Stoliczka’s slender

Blindsnake

Family: Viperidae Oppel, 1811

119

Daboia russelii (Shaw & Nodder,

1797)

Russell's Viper

III

120

Gloydius himalayanus (Günther,

1864)

Himalayan Pitviper

121

Ovophis monticola (Günther, 1864)

Mountain Pitviper

122

Protobothrops himalayanus (Pan,

Chettri, Yang, Jiang, Wang, Zhang, &

Vogel, 2013)

Himalayan Pitviper

123

Protobothrops jerdonii (Günther,

1875)

Jerdon's Pitviper

124

*Trimeresurus cf. albolabris

125

*Trimeresurus erythrurus (Cantor,

1839)

Red-tailed (Bamboo)

Pitviper

126

Trimeresurus septentrionalis

(Kramer, 1977)

Nepal Pitviper

127

Trimeresurus tibetanus (Huang,

1982)

Tibetan Pitviper

ORDER: TESTUDINES

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Geoemydidae Theobald 1868

128

*Batagur dhongoka (Gray, 1832)

Three-striped Roofed

Turtle

129

*Batagur kachuga (Gray, 1831)

Red-crowned Roofed

Turtle

130

Cyclemys gemeli (Fritz, Guicking,

Auer, Sommer, Wink & Hundsdörfer,

2008)

Assam Leaf Turtle

131

*Geoclemys hamiltonii (Gray, 1830)

Spotted Pond Turtle

132

Hardella thurjii (Gray, 1831)

Crowned River Turtle

133

Melanochelys tricarinata (Blyth,

1856)

Tricarinate Hill Turtle

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

134

Melanochelys trijuga (Schweigger,

1812)

Indian Black Turtle

134.1

M. t. indopeninsularis

(Annandale, 1913)

Bengal Black Turtle

135

Morenia petersi (Anderson, 1879)

Indian Eyed Turtle

136

Pangshura smithii (Gray, 1863)

Brown Roofed Turtle

136.1

P. s. pallidipes (Moll, 1987)

Brown Roofed Turtle

136.2

P. s. smithii (Gray, 1863)

Pale-footed Roofed

Turtle

137

Pangshura tecta (Gray, 1830)

Indian Roofed Turtle

138

Pangshura tentoria (Gray, 1834)

Indian Tent Turtle

138.1

P. t. circumdata (Mertens,

1969)

Pink-ringed Tent Turtle

138.2

P. t. flaviventer (Günther,

1864)

Yellow-bellied Tent

Turtle

Family: Testudinidae Batsch, 178

139

Indotestudo elongata (Blyth, 1854)

Elongated Tortoise

Family: Trionychidae Gray, 1825

140

Chitra indica (Gray, 1830)

Indian Narrow-headed

Softshell Turtle

141

Lissemys punctata (Bonnaterre, 1789)

Indian Flapshell Turtle

141.1

L. p. andersoni (Webb, 1980)

Spotted Northern Indian

Flapshell Turtle

142

Nilssonia gangetica (Cuvier, 1825)

Indian Softshell Turtle

143

Nilssonia hurum (Gray, 1830)

Indian Peacock Softshell

Turtle

Abbreviations of IUCN status:

DD - Data Deficient, LC - Least Concern, NT -Near Threatened, VU - Vulnerable, EN - Endangered,

CR - Critically Endangered

The present updated list of amphibians and reptiles of Nepal accounts for 200 extant species (Tables 1 &

2). Amphibians are represented by 57 species belonging to 3 orders (55 anuran species, 1 caudata, and 1

gymnophiona), 8 families, and 22 genera. The reptiles consist of 143 species belonging to 3 orders, 20

families, and 71 genera; Crocodilians contain 2 species, Chelonians include 16 species, while Squamates

comprise 125 species represented by Saurians with 41 species, and Ophidians, which are the most speciose

taxa with 84 species. There is a very low level of endemism, with only 19 species endemic to Nepal. Also,

the taxonomic status of several species recorded in Nepal remains uncertain (Amolops cf. afghanus,

Cyrtodactylus cf. collegalensis, and Trimeresurus cf. albolabris), future research should focus on the

integration of additional sources of evidence to determine whether the above-mentioned species fall within

the intraspecific variation of formerly described species or they represent distinctive, new taxonomic units.

Although, there have been a large number of historical records and collections of specimens, there still

exists some uncertainty regarding the true amphibian and reptile diversity of Nepal (Kästle et al., 2013).

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

With the advancement of molecular technology, new cryptic taxa are described at considerable speed and

given the constant changes in taxonomy, it’s crucial to update checklists regularly and discuss the existing

taxonomic issues so that such information reflects the most current state of knowledge and are available

for taxonomic researchers and conservation biologists alike. On the other hand, the record, on many

described taxa such as Draco maculatus (Spotted Flying Dragon), Cyrtodactylus bhupathyi (Bhupathy’s

Bent-toed Gecko), Cyrtodactylus himalayicus (Himalaya Bent-toed Gecko), Cyrtodactylus lawderanus

(Lawder’s Bent-toed Gecko), and Gerrhopilus oligolepis (Wall's Worm Snake) within Nepal’s borders,

suggests that their presence in the country may be highly likely. Therefore, a comprehensive species

checklist for Nepal is crucial to conserving its unique biodiversity, against the backdrop of massive global

biodiversity loss (Salerno et al., 2021). With this study, we reveal the lack of biological data on many taxa

within Nepal which makes it necessary to develop future research expeditions aimed at increasing our

knowledge about the biology, ecology, and conservation status of undescribed species (Kästle et al., 2013;

Khatiwada et al., 2017; Khatiwada, et al., 2021). Overall, we assume that the diversity of amphibians and

reptiles of Nepal, as currently known, is underestimated. Available data on Nepalese amphibians and

reptiles suggest that 27 species (13.92%) of amphibians and reptiles are categorized as globally threatened

according to the IUCN Red Data List (IUCN, 2021).

Acknowledgements

We thank ARCO-Nepal and its Honorary President, Prof. Dr. Hermann Schleich for giving us an

opportunity to prepare the updated checklist of amphibians and reptiles of Nepal and its publication in the

ARCO-Nepal Newsletter. Likewise, we are very much grateful to Prof. Dr. Kaluram Rai, Dr. Peter Uetz,

Mr. Paul Freed, and Mr. Alberto Sanchez Vialas for reviewing the manuscript.

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Shah, K.B. (1998). Checklist of the Herpetofauna of Nepal with English and Vernacular Names. NAHSON

bulletin. Natural History Society of Nepal 8(1-4): 26–30.

Shah, K.B. (1999). New Records and Distribution of some Herpetofauna of Nepal. J. Nat. Hist. Mus. 18:

99–111.

Sharma, S.K., Pandey, D.P., Shah, K.B. Tillack, F., Chappuis, F., Thapa, C.L., Alirol, E. & Kuch, U.

(2013). Venomous Snakes of Nepal: A photographic guide. B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences,

Dharan, Nepal.

Sheridan J.A. & Stuart, B.L. (2018). Hidden species diversity in Sylvirana nigrovittata (Amphibia:

Ranidae) highlights the importance of taxonomic revisions in biodiversity conservation. PLoS ONE

13(3): e0192766. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192766

Shrestha, T.K. (2001). Herpetology of Nepal: A Study of Amphibians and Reptiles of Trans-Himalayan

Region of Nepal, India, Pakistan and Bhutan. Mrs. Bimala Shrestha, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Smith, M.A. (1931). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Ampbhibia,

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Smith, M.A. (1935). The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Ampbhibia,

Vol. II.-Sauria. Taylor and Francis, London.

Smith, M.A. (1943). The fauna of British India Ceylon and Burma, including the world of Indo-Chinese

Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.-Serpentes. Taylor and Francis, London.

Smith, M.A. (1951). On a collection of Amphibians and Reptiles from Nepal. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.

London. 4: 726–728.

Swan, L.W. & Leviton, A.E. (1962). The Herpetology of Nepal: A history, checklist and zoogeographical

analysis of the herpetofauna. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 32(6): 103–147.

ARCO Veröffentlichungen – Arco-Nepal Newsletter 23, July 2022

Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., Bour, R., Fritz, U., Georges, A., Shaffer,

H.B. & van Dijk, P.P.] (2021). Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy,

Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (9th Ed.). In: Rhodin, A.G.J., Iverson, J.B., van

Dijk, P.P., Stanford, C.B., Goode, E.V., Buhlmann, K.A. & Mittermeier, R.A. (Eds.). Conservation

Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and

Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. Chelonian Research Monographs 8:1–472. doi:10.3854/c

rm.8.checlist.atlas.v9.2021.

Uetz, P., Freed, P., Aguilar, R. & Hošek, J. (Eds.) (2021). The Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-

database.org Accessed on 16 December 2021.

Wang, K., Bhattarai, S. Wu, Y., Che, Jing & Siler C.D. (2020). Resurrection of Amolops nepalicus Yang,

1991 (Amphibia: Anura: Ranidae), with Comments on the Record of A. cf. afghanus in Nepal and

China and the Validity of Two Other Junior Synonyms of A. marmoratus (Blyth, 1855). Zootaxa

489 (1): 143–ä158. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4819.1.7

Tapil Prakash Rai 1, 2*, Sabin Adhikari 1 & Pablo Garcia Antón 3

*Corresponding author Email: trcc.arco@gmail.com; tapilprai19@gmail.com

1 Turtle Rescue and Conservation Centre (TRCC), Arjundhara Municipality-9, 57205, Jhapa, Nepal

2 Department of Environmental Science, Mechi Multiple Campus, Bhadrapur Municipality-8, 57200,

Jhapa, Nepal

3 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM). Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco. 28049 Madrid, España

Nepal: An Introduction

Chapter

Apr 2024

Nepal’s location in the Himalayan range is characterized by diverse biophysical features. Its diverse biogeographical and physiographical settings make it an exceptional location for scientific studies. It has diverse climatic zones, from tropical to nival ecosystems, and glaciers. These diverse conditions have a significant impact on the country’s climate and biodiversity. This chapter describes Nepal’s physical features, climate, hydrology, biodiversity, soil, and land use patterns. This information is presented to aid in understanding the status of the country’s flora and vegetation in response to changing environmental conditions.

People’s perception and conservation threats towards turtle’s in Kankai floodplain, eastern lowland of Nepal

Poster

Nov 2023

Nishan Limbu

Globally, turtles are one of the most highly threatened vertebrate species. Rapid land conversions, overexploitation, egg collection, ethnomedical uses, bush meat consumption, and illegal trade are the major conservation challenges. Through structured interviews and key informant interviews, this survey was carried out between July and October 2023. Nine species of turtles, preferable habitats, people's general ideas on turtles, and their perceptions were noted. The major conservation challenges were the high exploitation of turtles for meat and ethno-medicinal purposes using handpick catching methods, and the perception towards them is not optimistic. Therefore, ecological and population trends-related studies and local-level conservation activities with local stakeholders are necessary in order to conserve the turtle species in the Kankai River floodplains.

Mammal and Herpetofauna Diversity and Activity Patterns in the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary Nepal

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2024

The Lumbini Crane Sanctuary (LCS) within the New Lumbini Village located in the north block of the Lumbini Master Plan Area (LMPA) under the jurisdiction of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), is a vital ecological site harboring diverse mammal and herpetofauna species. This study, conducted in the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary during September and October 2022, documented mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and analyzed mammal activity patterns in relation to human and livestock activity. The study documented 17 mammalian species and 12 herpetofaunal species (8 reptiles and 4 amphibians), utilizing both direct methods, such as camera traps, and line transects and indirect approaches such as sign surveys and key informant interviews. Five mammal species-Blue Bull (Boselaphus tragocamelus), Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis), Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi), and Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) exhibited distinct activity patterns. The Blue Bull displayed consistent daytime activity, peaking in the late afternoon, while the Golden Jackal and Wild Boar showed bimodal patterns, avoiding peak human activity hours. The Indian Hare and Wild Boar were most active in the early morning when human and livestock presence was minimum. These activity patterns suggest possible behavioral adaptations to human pressures, highlighting conservation challenges such as habitat destruction, pollution, and impacts from feral livestock in the area. Promoting sustainable tourism is crucial and future research should prioritize long-term studies to better understand the biodiversity and behavior of mammals and herpetofauna in the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary.

Amphibian diversity and their association with water quality: A case study of the ponds of Bhaktapur, Nepal

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2023

Amphibians are noteworthy bio-indicators and bio-control agents. They have an intimate relationship with their aquatic environment. Therefore, the present study was conducted aiming to investigate the association of amphibian diversity with the Physicochemical factors of pond water. The field surveys were carried out in Rani Pokhari, Bhajya Pokhari and Gonga Pokhari of Bhaktapur Municipality during the rainy season using repeated visual encounter surveys and opportunistic observations. Surveys were made around the ponds from 06:00 to 09:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00 once a week spending three hours per visit walking along the perimeter of ponds. Water samples were collected from the four corners of each pond. The physicochemical analyses of sample water were carried out as per the scientific instrumentations and standard procedures. A total of 77 individuals of five different species of amphibians belonging to three families were documented from the study areas. The higher values of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H=1.34), and Simpson's reciprocal index (1/D=3.656) were recorded for Rani Pokhari. All the ponds exhibited a high degree of Pielou's evenness index (e>0.9). The physicochemical analysis indicated a favourable aquatic environment for amphibians in Bhajya Pokhari and Rani Pokhari and the least favourable aquatic conditions in Gonga Pokhari which supported only a few tolerant species. Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient between Shannon-Wiener diversity index and physicochemical factors revealed a positive association with temperature (r=0.997), transparency (r=0.695) and dissolved oxygen (r=0.353) while a negative association with pH, electrical conductivity, free CO2, total dissolved solids and alkalinity. The water quality of the ponds of Bhaktapur is in healthy condition for the existence of amphibians and other aquatic organisms. The information obtained is useful for implementing amphibian and pond water conservation management. In addition, this study has established baseline database of amphibians for Bhaktapur District which is valuable for the local government to maintain the biodiversity profile of the district.

Wildlife restoration in Nepal: tracking the conservation translocations in the country

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

Chandramani Aryal

Negative consequences of human impacts on biodiversity are undisputable and inadequate efforts in managing biodiversity have been realized across the globe. The present biodiversity crisis, including burgeoning effects of climate change, therefore, has warranted restoration actions in place. Conservation translocation, one of the effective measures of restoration, involves the individuals of species deliberate movement from one habitat to another, particularly animal species. Nepal has been practicing the conservation translocations for more than four decades. However, details of conservation translocation events and outcomes are not well documented. This article aims to explore the status and issues of conservation translocation in Nepal. For the purpose, we reviewed seven protected area management plans and nine species conservation action plans available in public domain along with related peer reviewed journal articles. We documented the conservation translocation of Blackbuck, Gharials, Swamp deer, Greater One Horned Rhino, Elongated tortoise, Narrow Headed Soft Shell Turtle, Wild Water Buffalo and Vulture. Adoption of feeble adaptive management framework and ad hoc approach of wildlife translocation has left many rooms for improvement in the translocation strategies of Nepal. This is largely exemplified by the improvement required in Vulture Breeding Center, Swamp deer and Wild water buffalo translocations to Chitwan National Park, and Blackbuck translocation to Bardia National Park. For many species, data and information are limited to evaluate the wildlife restoration outcomes independently.

Kukri snakes Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 of the Western Palearctic with the resurrection of Contia transcaspica Nikolsky, 1902 (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae)

Article

Full-text available

May 2023

The kukri snakes of the genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 reach the westernmost limits of their distribution in Middle and Southwest Asia (Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan), and the Palearctic portions of Pakistan. In this article, we review the systematics and distribution of the two species native to this region, Oligodon arnensis (Shaw, 1802) and Oligodon taeniolatus (Jerdon, 1853) based on an integrative approach combining morphological, molecular, and species distribution modeling (SDM) data. Phylogenetic analyses recover O. taeniolatus populations from Iran and Turkmenistan in a clade with the O. arnensis species complex, rendering the former species paraphyletic relative to O. taeniolatus sensu stricto on the Indian subcontinent. To correct this, we resurrect the name Contia transcaspica Nikolsky, 1902 from the synonymy of O. taeniolatus and assign it to populations in Middle–Southwest Asia. So far, Oligodon transcaspicus comb. et stat. nov. is known only from the Köpet–Dag Mountain Range of northeast Iran and southern Turkmenistan, but SDM mapping suggests it may have a wider range. Genetic samples of O. “arnensis” from northern Pakistan are nested in a clade sister to the recently described Oligodon churahensis Mirza, Bhardwaj & Patel, 2021, and are phylogenetically separate from O. arnensis sensu stricto in south India and Sri Lanka. Based on morphological similarity, the Afghanistan and Pakistan populations are assigned to Oligodon russelius (Daudin, 1803) and we synonymize O. churahensis with this species. Our investigation leads us to remove O. taeniolatus from the snake fauna of Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan, with the consequence that only Oligodon transcaspicus comb. et stat. nov. and O. russelius are present in these countries. Additional studies are needed to resolve the taxonomy of the O. taeniolatus and O. arnensis species complexes on the Indian subcontinent, and an updated key for both groups is provided.

Occurrence of the Indian Painted Frog Uperodon taprobanicus (Parker 1934), in Bihar and Jharkhand, India

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2025

Rahul Kumar

A review of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray 1827 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) of Nepal with descriptions of three new species

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2025
ZOOTAXA

We conduct a review of the known species of Cyrtodactylus from Nepal based on type and topotypical material, resulting in the synonymization of one species and description of three additional species from Central Nepal. The five species of Cyrtodactylus from Nepal are members of the Indo-Burma clade and are at least 11.7 % divergent from known congeners based on the mitochondrial ND2 gene. The results show that C. nepalensis and one of the new species are allied to the C. fasciolatus group while the other two new species and C. martinstolli are members of the mountain subclade within the khasiensis group. The new species can be readily distinguished from congeners in the Himalaya by a combination of body size, meristic characters including number of dorsal tubercle rows and mid ventral scales across the belly, the number and arrangement of pores in males and females, and subcaudal condition.

Wetland Biodiversity in Nepal

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Feb 2025

Wetlands are very crucial ecosystems, renowned for their productivity and provision of essential environmental services. In Nepal, where ten wetlands have earned global recognition as Ramsar Sites, the country is also home to numerous other wetlands of extreme importance. These ecosystems support a thriving diversity of plant and animal life, including a number of endemic species. Yet, they are under severe threat from pollution, invasive species, overexploitation, and alterations in hydrological patterns, endangering biodiversity conservation efforts. Since ratifying the Ramsar convention in 1987, Nepal has been proactive in wetland conservation, led by the Ministry of Forests and Environment as a focal ministry. This commitment is reflected in various policies and plans, such as the National Wetland Policy 2012, and the National Ramsar Strategy and Action Plan (2020-2024), emphasizing integrated management approaches. Collaborative efforts with diverse organizations including many national and international non�governmental organizations additionally strengthen conservation efforts. However, to address these pressing challenges, urgent collective action requires increased awareness and coordinated efforts across all levels. Through clear and comprehensive strategies encompassing conservation, restoration, and sustainable management practices, we can safeguard the continued existence of wetlands and the invaluable biodiversity they harbor. This will ensure their vitality for future generations. This article is based on the thorough review and comprehensive examination of various published and unpublished materials from both national and international sources. It presents insights into the current status of internationally significant wetlands in Nepal, highlighting their biodiversity value, as well as the biodiversity within Nepal's wetlands. Furthermore, it addresses the threats faced by these wetlands and discusses efforts in their conservation and management.

Silver lining around the cloud: Young ones leaving the tradition of turtle exploitation in buffer zone of Chitwan National Park

Article

Jun 2024
J NAT CONSERV

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of lesser known colubrid snakes reveal a new species of Herpetoreas (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae), and new insights into the systematics of Gongylosoma scriptum and its allies from northeastern India

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

A new species of the genus Herpetoreas is described from Murlen National Park, Mizoram, northeastern India, based on morphological differences and molecular evidence inferred from the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S rRNA genes. The new taxon represents the seventh nominal species in the genus Herpetoreas, out of which three species, i.e., H. pealii, H. platyceps and H. xenura, have been recorded from northeastern India as well. An updated taxonomic key to the species of Herpetoreas is provided. Our phylogenetic reconstructions of selected natricine and colubrine snakes from Mizoram state, northeastern India, also contribute to the systematics and known distribution of the little known species Gongylosoma scriptum, and corroborate its taxonomic placement into the subfamily Colubrinae. Moreover, the first mo lecular based identifications for Liopeltis stoliczkae and Sibynophis collaris from Mizoram are presented.

A new ancient lineage of ablepharine skinks (Sauria: Scincidae) from eastern Himalayas with notes on origin and systematics of the group

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2022

The Himalayas represent a renowned biodiversity hotspot and an important biogeographic realm that has influenced origin and diversification of multiple taxa. A recent herpetological investigation of the eastern Himalayas of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh led to the discovery of a unique lineage of ablepharine skink, which is herein described as a new genus along with a new species. The findings are based an integrated taxonomic approach incorporating data from external morphology, microCT scans of the skull and molecular data. The molecular phylogeny of ablepharine skinks is also presented that suggests taxonomic amendments. Discovery of this unique lineage of skinks further highlights the biogeographic importance of the eastern Himalayas as a source for origin of several relic biota.

Range extension of the Common Slug Snake Pareas monticola (Cantor, 1839) (Reptilia: Squamata: Pareidae): a new family record for Nepal

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2021

In this paper, we present the first evidence of the snake Pareas monticola in Nepal. An individual snake belonging to the species was recorded in eastern Nepal, about 25 km southwest of Darjeeling in India, where the species is known to occur.

An Integrative Taxonomy of Amphibians of Nepal: An Updated Status and Distribution

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2021

Amphibians are declining worldwide. At the same time, each year many species of amphibians are described, indicating that biological diversity on Earth remains poorly understood. This is especially true for mountainous regions, such as the Himalayas, which are also regarded as a biodiversity hotspot. However, it is most likely that the current diversity of amphibians in Nepal is highly underestimated. Amphibian inventories by the past researchers primarily used phenotypic characters as the basis for species identification. However, the application of molecular systematics methods to taxonomic studies has successfully uncovered the taxonomic status of several cryptic taxa. This study used both molecular (16S rDNA sequences) and morphological comparisons and estimated the diversity of amphibians from Nepal. This study reports the occurrence of 38 species of amphibians based on both molecular and morphological comparisons. Among them, three species were recorded for the first time in Nepal. This study also invalids the taxonomic status of Sphaerotheca paschima. This study highlights the importance of integrative taxonomic approaches that help to resolve the current taxonomic ambiguities of Nepalese amphibians.

More robust local governance suggests positive effects of long-term community conservation

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2020

Community-based conservation (CBC) is essential to promoting biodiversity protection and livelihood development. Despite significant financial and institutional investment, performance of CBC interventions is mixed, with shortcomings especially evident in wildlife-based CBC in Africa. CBC outcomes are typically evaluated through household livelihood gains, or through policy analysis at higher administrative levels such as the central state. Surprisingly, village or local governance capacity is often missing from project assessment. Through a controlled study, we evaluate CBC interventions at multiple scales in Tanzania. Employing Bayesian multilevel latent trait models, we find that CBC participation predicts stronger village governance institutions. Additionally , compared to control villages, CBC villages have more local civic organizations and small business enterprise, but do not experience greater elite capture of public goods. Together, and in the absence of direct CBC benefits provisioned to households or signs of success at the higher level of multi-village CBC bodies, these findings point to the possibility that village-level governance institutions can adapt in beneficial ways to prolonged CBC interventions. K E Y W O R D S adaptive capacity, Africa, community-based conservation, governance and institutions, wildlife-based tourism, Tanzania

AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF NEPAL - TURTLES: A Children's Book

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2016

Turtles exist for more than 200 million years, originating long before the dawn of the dinosaurs, and all that time possessing their typical shell composed of an outer cover of horny shields or leathery skin and an inner ossified ventral (plastron) and dorsal (carapax, carapace) shell. Some species were gigantic and the biggest tortoise ever existing could have even sheltered a man in its empty shell. This gigantic tortoise, Colossochelys atlas, lived together with the biggest crocodile, Rhamphosuchus crassidens ever existing, in the area of the ancient Ganges river basin about 10 million years ago. For Nepal we know of 14 (18 incl. potential occurrence possible) extant turtle species roaming in terrestrial, palustrine and riverine habitats as e.g. the Elongated tortoise lives exclusivelyin the lowland forests, but there it is almost extinct. The terrapins inhabit paddy fields swamps, lakes and rivers in the southern parts of the country and all softshells are completely or in case of Lissemys partially bound to water. A problem seems to be the acceptance or use of taxonomy by CITES and IUCN for several species. Thus Geoclemys and Morenia are listed for Nepal but proven records are unknown. The clearly discernible species P. flaviventer is regarded as synonym to P. tecta or P. tentoria and other species of Pangshura are synonymized without further explanations. Continuous change and habitat destruction by man´s activities, and also steady loss by collecting and hunting, are the greatest threat for their survival. Although turtles are regarded as holy and are worshipped in Hinduism, many species are already vulnerable or even closest to extinction. Not only human awareness, care and respect, but also support by protection of habitats, ban of catching and hunting and even protected reproduction can help these holy creatures to be inherited by our future generations.

Reassessment of Herpetofauna from Jhapa District East Nepal

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2019

Tapil Prakash Rai

Jhapa district is located at Southeast of Nepal in Province-I and the elevation ranges from 58 to 500 masl. It has around 60 community forests and numerous wetlands that function as suitable habitat for amphibians and reptiles. However, there are limited researches on the herpetofauna of Jhapa and the first formal checklist was prepared by RAI (2004). Half of the turtle species found in Nepal (9 out of 18) are documented from Jhapa (RAI, 2006). Besides, it is one of the most affected districts for venomous snake bite (SHARMA, 2003) and to know about its distribution is crucial. The opportunistic survey was carried out between January 2018 and June 2019. Random transect method in forest trail and streams covering a distance of 7 m on both sides was executed. Secondary data were gathered from snakebite treatment centre, science colleges and forest personnel. Hylarana taipehensis is recorded after 41 years (DUBOIS, 1978) from Birtamode, Jhapa. Three new species of snakes have been added to the checklist and became updated with 20 amphibians and 36 reptiles for Jhapa. Numerous wetlands and dense forests of Jhapa district entail systematic research to enhance the inventory of the herpetofauna.

Modern Trends in Science and Technology DESCRIBING NEW SPECIES OF GENUS PAA (AMPHIBIAN) FROM EASTERN HIMALAYA (KANCHENJUNGA SINGALILLA COMPLEX), NEPAL

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2020

Kalu Ram Rai

Community based amphibian conservation was carried out in the key sites of Kanchenjunga Singalilla Complex. It was conducted from Jan 2009 to Apr 2010 to verify the status of the amphibian species and to assess the impacts of environment on the habitat of endangered species of amphibian together with other vegetation. Northern VDCs of Ilam District i.e., Chamaita, Puwa-Majhuwa, Maipokhari, Mai-Majhuwa and Solbung were selected for pilot survey area. Amphibian conservation centre at Gangatepani and Guranshe were established by using semi in situ bio-fencing modality. It was proved to be the first modality for the amphibian habitat with planting local important trees and shrubs at the end of the project. 33 species of amphibian fauna with new species i.e., Paa patenagensis (Banded finger spine frog) and Chaparana triangularii kangmakii (Small yellowish frog with triangular nuptial field) were identified. One of the two new species were described according to the rules of International Union for Zoological Nomenclature System and forwarded as new species with justification of giving new names as proposed Paa patenagensis (Banded fingered mountain frog, Nep: Pate auley tiktikey paha).

The delusion of stripes: A century-old mystery of five-lined sun skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae: Eutropis) of Peninsular India elucidated

Article

Jan 2022
ZOOL ANZ

We re-evaluate the taxonomic identities of five-lined skinks of the genus Eutropis (E. trivittata, E. beddomei, E. nagarjunensis, and E. bibronii) inhabiting the Indian subcontinent. Previously it has been considered that E. trivittata is distributed in the western India and E. dissimilis in the northern India (from north-eastern India up to Pakistan). Based on our analysis, we revealed that the illustration (iconotype) of the untraceable type specimen of E. trivittata depicted by Hardwicke in Gray (1834) from “Dumdum” near Kolkata, West Bengal matches the typical E. dissimilis, also described from “Bengal”. The senior synonym, E. trivittata is a morphologically unique species, which is also supported by divergence in the mitochondrial 12S and 16S regions. E. trivittata is clearly separated with divergences of 5–7% from E. beddomei, E. vertebralis and E. nagarjunensis for 16S rRNA. After placing E. dissimilis with the synonymy of E. trivittata, the taxonomic status of the western Indian ‘E. trivittata’ required to be clarified. Therefore, we resurrect Mabuia vertebralis Boulenger, 1887, a junior synonym of western Indian E. trivittata, and redescribe its holotype collected from “Belgaum”, Karnataka. Although, morphologically closest to E. beddomei, Eutropis vertebralis comb. nov. is sister to E. nagarjunensis with divergence of 4% in the same mitochondrial regions. Based on our update of the currently confirmed localities for E. vertebralis comb. nov. and E. trivittata, we conducted Species Distribution Modelling (SDM) using the Maximum Entropy algorithm to predict its distribution range, and we discuss its conservation status.

A new species of Boiga (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Southern Western Ghats of India with a molecular phylogeny and expanded characterisation of related species

Article

Jun 2021

We conducted a molecular phylogenetic study on the Boiga ceylonensis group from the Western Ghats of India, building on a recent morphology-based study. Our analysis supports previous work in elucidating the phylogenetic position of B. nuchalis and B. beddomei s. str. (of Matheran, Western Ghats) as clustering closely with B. ceylonensis, while B. flaviviridis clustered with the Sri Lankan taxon close to B. ranawanei. Additionally, our phylogenetic study revealed the presence of an undescribed taxon in the Southern Western Ghats, more closely related to B. ceylonensis than to any other sampled taxon, including sympatric congeners. This new taxon is described here as a new species Boiga whitakeri sp. nov. from the Devar Malai–Anaimalai hill complex. Based on molecular and morphometric studies, we expand the description of the recently described B. thackerayi as inhabiting almost the entire stretch of the Western Ghats. We also complement the diagnoses of B. nuchalis and B. flaviviridis, and determine the phylogenetic position of B. thackerayi with molecular data.

An Updated Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Nepal

Abstract

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