DIVERSIDADE DE ANUROS (AMPHIBIA: ANURA) EM FRAGMENTO VEGETACIONAL DE CERRADO NO MUNICÍPIO DE CAXIAS, MARANHÃO

Abstract

The present study aims to verify the alpha diversity (species richness) of amphibians in the Environmental Protection area of the Inhamum, in Caxias-MA, a relevant vegetation fragment of Cerrado within the State. Expeditions were carried out in the period from July 2015 and March to June 2016, in the area in two types of physiognomies: gallery forest and dirty Cerrado. For the collection of animals were used Traps of interception and fall and method of active search in the nocturnal and diurnal period fortnightly. The animals captured during the survey and in the traps were visualized and identified in the field through identification guides and confirmed by specialists in the area, all of them recorded in a field notebook, photographed and soon after being relocated to the collected environment. A total of 24 species of amphibians were sampled. The family, genus and most representative species were: Hylidae, Leptodactylus and Leptodactylus vastus. From the environments investigated, the highest incidence of anurans occurred in gallery forest. Thus it can be concluded that the alpha biodiversity within the APA is significantly rich, verifying the need for its conservation and management. KEYWORDS: Herpetofauna, Taxonomic Survey, Frogs.