Herpetofauna of the southern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 7 years ago

ABSTRACT – We sampled the frog and reptile species on 63 quadrats chosen to represent the geographical extent and diversity of terrestrial environments in a 75 000 km2 study area in the Carnarvon Basin. Twelve frog and 17 gecko, 10 pygopodid, 16 dragon, 58 skink, four goanna and 16 snake species were recorded, an average of 16.3 species per quadrat.

Patterns in species composition were related to biogeographical, ecological and local evolutionary processes. Four species assemblages were distinguished, each relating to gradients in a different set of precipitation plus soil plus topographic attributes. In these terms, Poisson error models with logarithmic links fitted the relationships. Virtually identical patterns emerged when we re-analysed the data using an ecological taxonomy that was based on functional morphology.

If evolutionary processes are to be protected along with the ecological and biogeographical processes, the reserve system will need to sample the geographical range of the various rainfall, soil and topographic gradients identified by the analyses.