ARPHA Conference Abstracts : Conference Abstract
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Conference Abstract
Species diversity and distribution of the amphibians and reptiles of Balgarka Natural Park, Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria
expand article infoGeorgi Popgeorgiev‡,§, Yurii Kornilev‡,§,|, Dimitar Plachiyski‡,§, Nikolay Tzankov†,
‡ National Museum of Natural History-BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria
§ Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, Sofia, Bulgaria
| Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
† Deceased author
Open Access

Abstract

The amphibians and reptiles occurring in Balgarka Natural Park (NP), are a representative sample of the lowland and middle mountain range herpetofauna of the Stara Planina Mountains. Here we present the first detailed and targeted mapping for the NP. The data were collected mostly in 2012–2013, mainly based on visual searches using the transect method; additionally we sampled using funnel-trapping and dip-netting for the aquatic species. We collected data for all 96 of the 2×2 km UTM squares of the NP. Based on 1155 observations we identified ca. 7673 individuals (including amphibian larvae), from 10 species of amphibians (~46% of the species diversity at the national level), from which 4 were salamanders (Caudata, ~50%) and 6 tailless amphibians (Anura, ~43%), and 13 species of reptiles (Reptilia, ~35%), including 3 turtles (Testudines, 75%), 5 lizards (Sauria, ~33%), and 5 snakes (Serpentes, 28%).

Keywords

Amphibia, Reptilia, herpetofauna, species composition

Presenting author

Yurii Kornilev

Presented at

Vth International Congress on Biodiversity: „Taxonomy, Speciation and Euro-Mediterranean Biodiversity“

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