Reptiles of the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve

This page contains lists of reptiles found in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, which straddles the states of Colima and Jalisco in Mexico. The reserve is located in the transition of the Nearctic and Neotropical realms and encompasses parts of the Sierra Madre del Sur, with a wide range of altitudes, climates and soils. The effects of tectonic and volcanic activities and erosion are notable within the reserve.

Forest types in the reserve including mesophytic, cloud, and dry deciduous and semi-deciduous tropical forests. Anthropologists know the region as Zona de Occidente, an area notably different from the rest of Mesoamerica. Some ceramic remnants, figurines and graves have been found, but there is little other material evidence of habitation. As of 1995 almost 8,000 people lived in the Reserva de la Biosfera Manantlan, engaged mainly in agriculture (corn, beans, tomatoes, sugar cane, watermelon, mangoes), livestock grazing, timber production, and extraction of wood for fuel and mining of coal or minerals. Another 30,000 lived in the surrounding communities and almost 700,000 in the surrounding region of influence. ^[1]

Ecological characteristics

The Reserva de la Biosfera Manantlan is located to the extreme north of the inter-tropical zone. The climate in the region is influenced by various factors in addition to its latitude, such as its proximity to the coast, the effect of its landform – orographic shade – and the breadth of the altitudinal range, which partly goes to explain the high regional biodiversity and the presence of numerous plant formations ranging from tropical forests to those of temperate-cold climates.

The Reserva de la Biosfera Manantlan's varied and complex plant cover harbours a great wealth of flora. There are over 2900 species of vascular plants belonging to 981 genera. Wildlife is one of the important components of the high biodiversity in this reserve. Among the main values of the Reserva de la Biosfera Manantlan, in addition to its great wealth of species and its unique biogeographical characteristics, particular mention should be made of the presence of endangered or useful endemic species. So far 110 species of mammals have been reported, among which the Mexican vole and the pocket gopher , in addition to other mammals such as the oncilla, the jaguarandi, the ocelot, the puma, the bobcat, the jaguar and four species of nectarivorous bats.

Three hundred and thirty-six species of birds have been reported, among them 36 which are endemic to Mexico, such as the charismatic species: the crested guan (Penelope purpurascens), the military macaw (Ara militaris), the red-lored amazon (Amazona autumnalis) and the Mexican national symbol, the golden eagle. In terms of herpetofauna, 85 species have been recorded; of these it is known that 13 are endemic to the western and central region of Mexico: the rattlesnake, the black iguana, the frog , the beaded lizard Heloderma horridum and the Autlan rattlesnake (Crotalus lannomi), an endemic species only reported for the area of Puerto de Los Mazos. Of the 16 species of fish identified, 13 are native and four are endemic to the region.

Names were collected by reserve staff and checked against local collections and resources such as Naturalista.^[2]

Testudines or turtles[]

Emydidae[]

Trachemys[]

Trachemys scripta: pond slider, Spanish: tortuga pinta

Geoemydidae[]

Rhinoclemmys[]

Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima: painted wood turtle, tortuga pinta

Kinosternidae[]

Kinosternon[]

Kinosternon integrum: casquito de burro, pecho quebrada

Sauria or lizards[]

Anguidae[]

Barisia[]

: falso escorpion

Elgaria[]

Elgaria kingii: lagartija, lagarto de montaña, escorpion

Gerrhonotus[]

: culebra con patas

Corytophanidae[]

Basiliscus[]

Basiliscus vittatus: basilisco rayado

Eublepharidae[]

Coleonyx[]

Coleonyx elegans: cuija manchado, besucona

Phyllodactylidae or Gekkonidae[]

Phyllodactylus[]

Phyllodactylus davisi: salamanquesa de Davis
Phyllodactylus lanei: pata de res

Helodermatidae[]

Heloderma[]

Heloderma horridum: salamanquesa de Davis, monstro de Gila, escorpion

Iguanidae[]

Ctenosaura[]

Ctenosaura pectinata: iguana negra de roca

Iguana[]

Iguana iguana: iguana verde

Phrynosomatidae[]

Phrynosoma[]

Phrynosoma asio: lagarto espinosa, lagartijo

Sceloporus[]

Sceloporus adleri: lagarto-escamosa de Boulenger, rono
Sceloporus bulleri: lagarto-escamosa de Buller, rono collarejo
Sceloporus grammicus: mesquite lizard, spiny graphic lizard, chintete de mezquite, rono, lagartijos
Sceloporus heterolepis: lagarto-escamosa dorso carinado, rono
Sceloporus horridus: rono espinosa
Sceloporus melanorhinus: rono de arbol
Sceloporus pyrocephalus: lagartija-espinosa de pedregal, rono
Sceloporus scalaris: bunch grass lizard, lagartija de pastizal, cuija
: lagartija-escamosa castano, cuija
: rapido barrado, rono
: rono de suelo, cuija

Urosaurus[]

: tree or brush lizard, ronito

Dactyloidae[]

Norops or Anolis[]

: panuelo

Scincidae[]

Mabuya[]

: lagartija de hojarasca

Eumeces or Plestiodon[]

: alicante
: alicante
: alicante

Teiidae[]

Ameiva[]

Ameiva undulata: whiptail, lagarto metalico

Cnemidophorus[]

: whiptail, lagarto metalico
: whiptail, huico llanera
: whiptail, lagartija rayada de panzanegra
: whiptail, cuije de muchas linea
: whiptail, campeche

Serpentes or snakes[]

Boidae[]

Boa[]

Boa constrictor: boa constrictor, boa, ilmacoa, malcoa

Colubridae[]

Masticophis[]

: whipsnake, chirionera

Conopsis[]

: two lined ground snake, here
: grey snake

Drymarchon[]

Drymarchon melanurus: black tailed snake, tilcuate, palancacoate

Drymobius[]

Drymobius margaritiferus: corredora de petatillos, corredora moteada

Gyalopion[]

Gyalopion canum: western hook nosed snake, nariz de gancho occidental, culebra de naricilla occidental

Lampropeltis[]

Lampropeltis triangulum: false coral snake, falsa coralillo

Dryadophis or Mastigodryas[]

: salmon-bellied racer, culebra lagartijera

Oxybelis[]

Oxybelis aeneus: culebra bejuquilla mexicana

Pituophis[]

Pituophis deppei: culebra sorda mexicana, cincuate mexicana

Pseudoficimia[]

Pseudoficimia frontalis: culebra ilamacoa

Rhinocheilus[]

Rhinocheilus lecontei: culebra de nariz larga

Salvadora[]

: culebra nariz de parche mexicana

Coluber or Senticolis[]

: green rat snake, culebra ratonera oliva

Sonora[]

: Michoacán ground snake, culebra de tierra de Michoacán

Tantilla[]

: culebra encapuchada
: culebra ciempiés del litoral del Pacífico

Trimorphodon[]

Trimorphodon biscutatus: culebra lira
: Mexican false nauyaca, falsa nauyaca mexicana

Crotalidae or Viperidae\Crotalinae: pit vipers[]

Agkistrodon[]

Agkistrodon bilineatus: pichicuata, zolcuate, gamarilla

Crotalus: rattlesnakes, cascabel[]

Crotalus basiliscus: Pacific rattlesnake, cascabel del Pacífico, vibora de cascabel, saye
Crotalus lannomi: Autlan rattlesnake, cascabel de Autlán
Crotalus triseriatus: Transvolcanic rattlesnake, víbora de cascabel Transvolcánica, cascabel oscura de la Sierra Madre