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The lack of information regarding biodiversity status hampers designing and implementing conservation strategies and achieving future targets. Northern Pakistan consists of a unique ecoregion mosaic which supports a myriad of environmental niches for anuran diversity in comparison to the deserts and xeric shrublands throughout the rest of the country. In order to study the niche suitability, species overlap and distribution patterns in Pakistan, we collected observational data for nine anuran species across several distinct ecoregions by surveying 87 randomly selected locations from 2016 to 2018 in Rawalpindi District and Islamabad Capital Territory. Our model showed that the precipitation of the warmest and coldest quarter, distance to rivers and vegetation were the greatest drivers of anuran distribution, expectedly indicating that the presence of humid forests and proximity to waterways greatly influences the habitable range of anurans in Pakistan. Sympatric overlap between species occurred at significantly higher density in tropical and subtropical coniferous forests than in other ecoregion types. We found species such as Minervarya spp., Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and Euphlyctis spp. preferred the lowlands in proximal, central and southern parts of the study area proximal to urban settlements, with little vegetation and higher average temperatures. Duttaphrynus bengalensis and D. stomaticus had scattered distributions throughout the study area with no clear preference for elevation. Sphaerotheca pashchima was patchily distributed in the midwestern extent of the study area as well as the foothills to the north. Microhyla nilphamariensis was widely distributed throughout the study area with a preference for both lowlands and montane terrain. Endemic frogs (Nanorana vicina and Allopaa hazarensis) were observed only in locations with higher elevations, higher density of streams and lower average temperatures as compared to the other seven species sampled. It is recommended to provide legal protection to amphibians of Pakistan, especially endemic species, through revision in the existing wildlife laws. We suggest studying the effectiveness of existing amphibian tunnels and corridors or designing new ones tailored to the needs of our species to prevent their local extinction due to ongoing or proposed urban development which might affect their dispersal and colonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Pakistan, the family Microhylidae is represented by two species: the Marbled Balloon Frog (Uperodon systoma) and Ant Frog (Microhyla nilphamariensis). Although these two frog species are listed as Least Concern (LC) in the IUCN red list of threatened species, the former is rare in Pakistan. When a species is not detected at certain locations, it can indicate that the species may be truly absent or not detected despite concerted efforts, which could pose a serious issue for conservation efforts. Here we estimate the abundance and determine if the likelihood of occurrence of U. systoma and M. nilphamariensis was influenced by the site and survey covariates using logistic regression in a subtropical scrub forest (Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Pakistan). We did not record U. systoma from the 24 sampled sites either through active searching or pitfall trapping. We recorded 37 M. nilphamariensis from eight of the 24 sampled sites. Our findings could be used to update the conservation status of the studied narrow-mouthed frog species in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Registering association between urban features and occurrence of herpetofauna provides useful information to urban planners and wildlife managers. We conducted the present study to see if likelihood of occurrence of various herpetofauna species is explained by land use categories, such as forest, open area, croplands, urban areas or wetlands. We aimed to document changes in the urban extent (from 2006 to 2016) and evaluate perception about herpetofauna in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. We recorded ten species of amphibians and 25 of reptiles including Narrow-headed Soft-shell Turtle (Chitra indica) and Soft-shell Turtle (Nilssonia gangetica), listed as Endangered and Vulnerable in the IUCN list of threatened species, respectively. The binary logistic regression was statistically significant and explained likelihood of occurrence of Murree Hills Frog, Hazara Torrent Frog, Fat-tail Gecko, Striped Grass Skink and Russell's Viper in natural areas such as forest and open land while Brown River Turtle, House Gecko, Black Cobra and Saw-scale Viper in urban features such as roadside, residential areas, urban streams and croplands. The satellite images showed considerable increase in built up and urban areas in Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan, and Islamabad Capital Territory. The univariate generalized linear model revealed that the change in area of all the other studied land use categories was also significant. Of 251 respondents interviewed from the study area, 76% were interested in the study of birds, 20% in mammals and only 1% in amphibians and reptiles. Interestingly, 58% of the respondents were unaware of significance of herpetofauna such as their role as bio-indicator and role in food chain which might have caused this bias in their perception. The awareness level differed significantly between male and female respondents. The survey data suggested that social media is the best platform to create awareness about amphibians and reptiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]