Herpetological surveys of forest fragments betweenMontagne d’Ambre National Park and Ankarana SpecialReserve, Northern Madagascar

Despite Madagascar being well known for its unique biodiversity and high levels of endemism, its herpetofauna remains understudied, especially outside protected areas. Here, we surveyed the herpetofauna within the fragmented dry deciduous forests of the Tsarakibany area, between Montagne d’Ambre National Park and Ankarana Special Reserve in northern Madagascar. We recorded 15 amphibian and 34 reptile species via active searching, pitfall trapping and opportunistic collection. Twenty of these species are considered regional endemics, six species are listed as Vulnerable or Near Threatened according to the IUCN Red List, and nine species are listed on the CITES appendices. This is the first study to inventory the herpetofauna of the unprotected landscape located between Montagne d’Ambre and Ankarana, and reports new localities for the little-known snake species Pararhadinaea melanogaster and Liophidium therezieni