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Detailed Ecological Assessment Report 2008 – Keenjhar Lake
3.3.2 Species account
In the summer studies, 17 species out of 48 possibly distributed species of
amphibians and reptiles were observed or collected. To add to the number of
species recorded during the summer, the author repeated the survey in the
beginning of the winter season and observed and collected 6 additional species
including 2 species of freshwater turtles i.e. Lissemys punctata andersoni and
Aspideretes gangeticus, one species of gecko i.e. Cyrtopodion kachhense
kachhense, lacertids Ophisops jerdonii, Boa i.e. Eryx conicus and a species of
colubrid snake Spalerosophis atriceps, all of which were not represented in the
previous survey. Thus 23 species of herpetiles were recorded out of all possible
48 species from the study area. The amphibians are represented by 3 species
belonging to 3 genera and 2 families. Among the reptiles, chelonians are
represented by 6 species belonging to 5 genera and 2 families. Lizards
outnumber all the groups of reptiles, represented by 21 species belonging to 13
genera and 7 families. Snakes are the second dominant group of herpetiles in the
study area and are represented by 19 species belonging to 15 genera and 6
families. A comprehensive list of species collected both in summer and winter is
provided in the annex document.
Image 4 – Reptile habitat at
Keenjhar Lake
Image 5 – Reptile habitat at Keenjhar
Lake
The comparison of various diversity parameters shown in Table 12 is indicative of
higher diversity of herpetiles in summer studies. Though the richness of both
summer and pre-winter observation and collection of herpetiles is equal yet the
Shannon diversity index and the evenness of summer studies is somewhat higher
than the pre-winter studies. Figure 5 gives an account of number of species
recorded over winter and summer.
Table 12 – Comparison of amphibian and reptilian diversity during summer and
pre-winter studies at Keenjhar Lake
S. No. Species Name Total Summer Winter
1. Bufo stomaticus 74 74 0
2. Euphlyctis c. cyanophlyctis 32 26 06
3. Hoplobatrachus tigerinus 50 45 05
4. Lissemys punctata andersoni 04 0 04
5. Aspideretes gangeticus 02 0 02
6. Eublepharis macularius 13 13 0
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