Amphibians and reptiles associated with the prairie dog grasslands ecosystem and surrounding areas at the janos casas grandes complex, northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico
Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are considered a keystone species that forms extensivecolonies in the grasslands of western and central North America. These colonies are characterized byhigh diversity of associated vertebrates. The largest colonies in North America are located in the Janosregion...
| Autores: | , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2008 |
| País: | México |
| Institución: | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Repositorio: | Redalyc-UNAM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:redalyc.org:57524309 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57524309 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Biología Chihuahua grasslands prairie dog colonies biological diversity Amphibians and reptiles |
| Sumario: | Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are considered a keystone species that forms extensivecolonies in the grasslands of western and central North America. These colonies are characterized byhigh diversity of associated vertebrates. The largest colonies in North America are located in the Janosregion, northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico. In this study we present an inventory of the amphibians andreptiles inhabiting at prairie dog grasslands and surrounding mesquite scrublands in the Janos region.Methods to assess the herpetofauna included the use of a combined system of pitfall traps and visualencounter surveys (VES). We found 9 species of amphibians and 35 of reptiles. Of these species, 28were closely related to prairie dog colonies, and 18 were exclusively recorded in this habitat.Additionally, 13 species were restricted to the mesquite scrubland. The Janos amphibian and reptilecommunities are of conservation concern, because 16 of the included species (1 amphibian and 15reptiles) are considered at some risk of extinction. The diversity of amphibians and reptiles in the Janosregion is clearly high in comparison with other grasslands. Our results strongly support the assumptionthat prairie dog grasslands are important for maintaining the mammal and avian diversity in theecosystems of the Chihuahuan desert. |
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