Inventory of amphibians and reptiles in SE Senegal,including the Niokola-Koba National Park,with observations on factors influencing diversity

Twenty-six Amphibia (plus two possible) and 45 Reptilia have been recorded in SE Senegal; 23 Amphibia (plus three probable) and 39 Reptilia (plus five probable) are listed for the Niokola-Koba National Park. New country records made in October 1996 were Amphibia: Kassina fusca Schiotz 1967; and Reptilia: Agama sankaranica Chabanaud 1918, Cophoscincopus cf.greeri, Mabuya quinque-taeniata scharica Sternfeld 1917 and Chalcides thierryi pulchellus Mocquard 1906, with extended ranges for Bufo maculatus Hallowell 1854 and Phrynomantis microps Peters 1875. Cophoscincopus Mertens 1934 is a genus new to Senegal. Relative density of diurnal woodland lizards was nearly 4-fold that of bushland and thicket lizards of drier northern and western Senegal. Where riparian forest habitat formed within undifferentiated Sudanian woodland, reptile species differed and diversity was lower. Percentage frequency of woodland A. sankaranica was reduced by man-made road structures, while Agama agama Linnaeus 1758 and Hemidactylus br...