ARC IN THE NEWS

Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (ARC) published a timely and highly relevant paper for the conservation of the herpetofauna of Baja California. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the Baja California Peninsula's herpetofauna, highlighting 172 species and emphasizing the ecological significance of the Gulf Islands Region, which harbors the highest number of species and endemic varieties. Environmental threats such as land conversion, habitat loss, and climate change are identified. Conservation assessments using SEMARNAT, IUCN, and EVS systems underscore the conservation status of native species, with the Gulf Islands Region identified as a top priority through Relative Herpetofaunal Priority (RHP) methods. Despite 30 protected areas covering nearly half the peninsula, the study underscores the need for more extensive surveys within these areas to enhance conservation efforts for the diverse and unique herpetofauna.

Introductory Page. Lampropeltis herrerae Van Denburgh and Slevin, 1923. The Islas Todos Santos Mountain Kingsnake “is endemic to the southern island of Isla Todos Santos, BC [Baja California]” (Grismer, 2002: 281). This individual was found on Isla Todos Santos Sur, Baja California, in the municipality of Ensenada. Isla Todos Santos Sur is one of a pair of islands lying just over 19 km off the coast of Ensenada in northern Baja California. Grismer (2002: 281) indicated that this snake “appears to be restricted to the rocky interior area of Isla Sur” and that it feeds on the lizards Sceloporus occidentalis and Plestiodon skiltonianus. Some authors have considered this kingsnake as a subspecies of Lampropeltis zonata (e.g., Heimes 2016), but our position on the validity of subspecies (see Materials and Methods) supports our recognition of this snake as a distinct species, a position that is also recognized by Grismer (2002) and on the Mesoamerican Herpetology we site (http://www.mesoamericanherpetology.com; accessed 11 February 2023). Wilson et al. (2013a) calculated the EVS of this snake as 20, placing it in the highest vulnerability category. The IUCN does not recognize the taxonomy of this snake, and SEMARNAT considers it as Threatened (A). Photo by Jorge H. Valdez-Villavicencio.

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Photograph: Common Monkey Lizard (Polychrus marmoratus).
Permission kindly granted by Ryan L. Lynch/The Biodiversity Group.

2023 ISSUES (VOLUME 17)

NOS. 32 & 33; ISSUES 1-2