Conservation Status of Reptilia in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve, Western Ghats, India and its Environment

The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve is an important biogeographical hot spot and hosts diverse ecosystem in its habitat. The objectives of the present study are to assess conservation status of Reptilia in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve and to know the role of habitat in harbouring and conserving/protecting wild fauna. Day time opportunistic visual encounter survey method was employed to study and site different species of Reptiles. There are about 78 species of reptiles inhabited in the reserve, out of which 15 species are threatened as per IUCN, 2023 The reserve harbors three species of turtle and tortoises, 31 species of lizards under five families and 44 species of snakes under six families. There are about 37 species of reptiles which are endemic in the region comprises one species of Geoemydidae, six species of Gekkonidae, eight species of Agamidae, two species of Scincidae, seven species of Uropeltidae, eight species of Colubridae, one species of Pareidae, one species of Elapidae and three species of Viperidae.