In May and October 2017, we assessed the distribution and diversity of herpetofauna in the Ghandruk region of the Annapurna Conservation Area. Using the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) protocol on 11 randomly selected transects, we recorded 662 individuals of 25 herpetofaunal species (12 amphibians and 13 reptiles). Species richness and abundance declined with increases in elevation but only the correlation between elevation and abundance was significant. Neither amphibians nor reptiles were uniformly distributed among different habitats, and species richness of both amphibians and reptiles varied significantly among habitat types. The greatest amphibian species richness was in wetlands, whereas that of reptiles was highest in forests.
We report the first record of Sikkim grass lizard, Takydromus sikkimensis Günther, 1888 in Nepal based on morphological characters such as the presence of four pairs of femoral pores, 12 rows of ventral scales, tail more than 3.6 times longer than snout-vent length. Our record of T. sikkimensis at Miklajung, Morang district represents the western-most observation of the species, ca. 94 km west of its type locality, Sikkim, India and is the first in Nepal for this species, genus, and family. This record is from Chure/Siwalik hill range which lies outside of Nepal’s protected area network. This species is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and warrants detailed inventory and immediate conservation interventions.
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