A Study on Herpetofaunal Assembleges in the Rain Forests of Western Ghats

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We assessed the structure of herpetofaunal assemblage in the rain forests of Karnataka, India covering four different districts, all of which fall under the bio-diversity hotspot of Western Ghats, India. The study sites were categorized according to geographical location (i.e., latitude) and according to the intensity of anthropogenic pressures. The microhabitat availability, preference and utilization by each species were studied. We find a considerable variation in species-composition in each site which contributes to the rich local and regional diversity. The turn over of taxa among various sites proves the specificity and uniqueness of microhabitat needs of different species of the herpetofauna.