Amphisbaenians and lizards of the Pernambuco Endemism Center: species richness, sampling gaps, and conservation status in one of the most threatened regions of the Atlantic Forest

Abstract

In this study, we integrated data from more than 30 years of inventories available in the main herpetological collections of the Pernambuco Endemism Center (PEC), northern Atlantic Forest. We aimed to reduce the Wallacean shortfall of amphisbaenians and lizards (non-snake squamates) in the region, to provide distribution maps of all species, and to direct future survey efforts and conservation strategies in one of the most threatened portions of the Atlantic Forest. The species list was based exclusively on records associated with vouchers from localities in the PEC and transition zones. We recorded 50 species of non-snake squamates in the PEC, distributed across 97 municipalities in four states. Among the species registered in the PEC, seven are topotypical, five are endemic and three are considered threatened with extinction. Only 35% of the municipalities in the PEC have at least one individual deposited in the herpetological collections analyzed and of these only 35% have more than ten species registered. The most representative areas are concentrated in the coastal portion of the PEC, and arranged in four main zones. These zones mainly overlap with areas close to state capitals and around some of the PEC’s protected areas.