Microhabitat use by the herpetofauna in mixed-evergreen and deciduous forests of Bangladesh

Abstract

Microhabitats of 35 herpetofaunal species were studied by following visual encounter surveys and night searches with headlamps and flashlights. During the study period 3 nationally rare amphibian species were found: Xenophrys parva found in Dhopachari Reserve Forest, Chittagong beside a rocky Hill stream, Rhacophoruns htunwini found in Satchari National Park of Habiganj District in the undergrowth of mixed-evergreen forestand Kalophrynus interlineatus found in deciduous forest of Madhupur, in the slope of hillock. Among the amphibian species, most of the toads used the forest floor, the roots of trees, human settlement and slopes of the hillock as their microhabitat. The frogs used grasslands, forest floor with fallen leaves, water bodies and hill streams. Reptiles usually prefer to live in the bushy areas and also in trees, shrubs, rocks, under the fallen leaves, besides hill streams, under stones etc. Among the lizards Common Garden Lizard calotes versicolor was the most abundant in number and most of them used the undergrowth of the forest and bushy areas. The skinks used moist areas near hill streams and forest floor. The microhabitat is very specific for a species but many of the herpetofaunal species shared their microhabitat and also showed habitat preference.