Lizards and snakes of Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Matas do Siriji, an Atlantic Forest hotspot of the Pernambuco Endemism Center, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Abstract: The Atlantic Forest north of the São Francisco River, known as the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC), comprises small, poorly-known and, consequently, highly threatened forest remnants, such as Refúgio de Vida Silvestre (RVS) Matas do Siriji, a montane forest located in the municipality of São Vicente Férrer, state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. We provide the results of the first inventory of the squamate fauna of the region with comments on the conservation status of some species, comparisons with other locations in Northeast Brazil and a brief discussion of biogeography. Time-constrained transects, pit-fall traps, occasional encounters and third-party records registered 18 lizard species and 25 snake species, with the rarefaction curve of the former tending to stability. The RVS Matas do Siriji possesses 39.81 % of the lizard and snake species known for the state of de Pernambuco, being the third richest area in species in the State, with a composition similar to that of other areas within PEC. Based on the lists of SEMAS, ICMBio and IUCN, some of the registered species are considered vulnerable to extinction while others have yet to be evaluated. The RVS Matas do Siriji includes a rich, threatened and underestimated fauna of squamate reptiles, indicating that more restrictive protection measures must be adopted in this Conservation Unit.