Abstract:

Aims: Species diversity and geographical distribution are important bases for the formulation of wildlife protection strategies. Amphibians and reptiles occupy an important position in the history of biological evolution and are taxa whose phylogenetic classifications have changed greatly. The purpose of this paper is to understand the status of amphibian and reptile species diversity in Hunan Province, and to promote the conservation of biodiversity and wildlife management in Hunan Province.

Methods: We have systematically collected literature on the classification of amphibians and reptiles in Hunan Province for more than 10 years. With reference to the latest research results of taxonomy and molecular biosystems, combined with the team’s long-term field survey data, we organized and updated the list of amphibians and reptiles in Hunan Province (as of October 31, 2021).

Results: The results indicated that: 86 species (including subspecies) of 30 genera, 10 families, 2 orders of amphibians and 105 species (including subspecies) of 55 genera, 22 families, 2 orders of reptiles have been recorded in Hunan Province. Among them, 62 species of amphibians and 30 species of reptiles are endemic to China, and 10 species of amphibians and 4 species of reptiles are endemic to Hunan Province. 11 species of amphibians and 10 species of reptiles have been listed in List of National Key Protected Wild Animals (2021), and 20 species of amphibians and 30 species of reptiles are listed as threatened in the China’s Red List of Biodiversity (2021). Additionally, according to the animal geographical regions of China, 155 species are Oriental, while 36 species are considered widely distributed, and there are no Palaearctic species.

Conclusion: Based on the above results, the amphibians and reptiles of Hunan Province have obvious characteristics, with the Oriental species dominating (81.2%), less widespread species (18.8%), and no Palaearctic species. In terms of geographical distribution, the abundance of amphibian and reptile species is high in the mountainous and hilly areas in southern Hunan Province and the mountain area in northwestern Hunan Province.

Key words: amphibians, reptiles, species inventory, list revisions, geographical distribution, National Key Protected Wild Animal, Hunan Province