Habitat preference of herpetofauna in Agumbe rainforest research station
Student name: Ms Venetia Sharanya
Guide: Dr Sudipta Chatterjee
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Nikhil Whitaker
Abstract: This study aims to understand habitat preference of herpetofauna in Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, Western Ghats, India. Six strip transects of 150m X 2m were marked along different micro habitats. Presence and diversity of species on transects were compared with environmental parameters. A higher number of auran species were recorded on transects with water bodies where as Agamids and skinks were recorded in patches of sunlight usually on thin layers of leaf litter or bare ground. Sampling was done only during the dry season, February – April thus there was visible no correlation with number of families present and environmental parameters.
KEY WORDS: HERPETOFAUNA, HABITAT PREFERENCE, VISUAL ENCOUNTER SURVEY.
