tailieunhanh - Herpetodiversity of xuan son national park (Phu Tho province): new findings

Our field survey in 2014 allowed us to extend the list of amphibians and reptiles which are encountered in the Park. Some new interesting findings may further evidence the remarkable biodiversity of Xuan Son NP. | HỘI NGHỊ KHOA HỌC TOÀN QUỐC VỀ SINH THÁI VÀ TÀI NGUYÊN SINH VẬT LẦN THỨ 6 HERPETODIVERSITY OF XUAN SON NATIONAL PARK (PHU THO PROVINCE): NEW FINDINGS VASSILIEVA A. B. Joint Vietnam-Russian Tropical Research and Technological Center Xuan Son National Park in the Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam is notable for its high plant and animal diversity. Apparently, the richness of the Park flora and fauna is accounted for its fortunate location at the south-eastern extremity of the Hoang Lien mountain ridge, where the slate rocks meet the limestone karst massifs. This contact creates not only the very diverse picturesque landscapes of the Park but also a variety of habitats that refuge a rich herpetofauna. The additional interest to the fauna of Xuan Son NP is also caused by its closeness to the junction of the two major watercourses of northern Vietnam, Red River and Black River, which are considered as important zoogeographic boundaries in Indochina (Orlov, Ananjeva, 2007; Bain, Hurley, 2011). A number of rare and endangered amphibians and reptiles inhabit Xuan Son NP, including several recently discovered species, for example, the newt Tylototriton vietnamensis Böhme, Schöttler, Nguyen & Köhler, 2005 (Nguyen et al., 2009), the frogs Odorrana orba (Stuart & Bain, 2005) and Leptolalax firthi Rowley, Hoang, Dau, Le & Cao, 2012, the skink Sphenomorphus cryptotis Darevsky, Orlov & Ho, 2004 and the pit viper Trimeresurus honsonensis (Grismer, Ngo & Grismer, 2008), all recorded by Nguyen et al. (2013). Our field survey in 2014 allowed us to extend the list of amphibians and reptiles which are encountered in the Park. Some new interesting findings may further evidence the remarkable biodiversity of Xuan Son NP. I. STUDY SITE AND METHODS The field survey was taken out from 27 June to 7 July 2014 in several forested and rural areas of the Park: in the vicinity of the village Du (Tan Son District, Xuan Son Commune, approximate coordinates 21°07'28'' N, 104°57'28'' E, .