An updated herpetological inventory of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, eastern Mindanao Island, Philippines

A formal synthesis of the occurrence of herpetofauna species in Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary remained scant since the documentation of historical records by E. H. Taylor in the early 20 th century. Here, an updated checklist of the Agusan Marsh herpetofauna is provided. 49 species (16 amphibians and 33 reptiles) are recorded from the Agusan Marsh’s peat and freshwater swamp forests, specifically, amphibians in the families Bufonidae, Ceratobatrachidae, Dicroglossidae, Microhylidae, Megophryidae, Ranidae, and Rhacophoridae; lizards in the families Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Dibamidae, Scincidae, and Varanidae; snakes in the families Colubridae, Cyclocoridae, Psammodynastidae, Pareidae, Pythonidae, Typhlopidae, and Viperidae; and a turtle in the family Geoemydidae.

Our Shannon Diversity Indices calculations suggest that diversity might be declining, but more surveys are needed to sample the total species richness of the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary. Our checklist highlights 14 new records (6 amphibians, 8 reptiles) and the presence of four invasive alien species in Agusan Marsh. Given the tremendous historical significance of the region, Agusan Marsh may represent one of the most significant focal study sites for assessing the impacts of historical land use and climate change in the Philippines.

This work also demonstrates the importance of temporally sequential survey-resurveys for updating baseline biodiversity data to inform management decisions and conservation actions for this unique wetland ecosystem in Southeast Asia.