Authors: Santosh Bhattarai, Bishal Prasad Neupane, Bivek Gautam, Prabin Shrestha, Ashley Olson, Fiona Hogan, Wendy Wright

Abstract: We present an up-to-date species list of all known amphibians and reptiles of the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL), comprising a total of 140 species that includes 35 amphibian and 105 reptile species, representing 63% of amphibians and 71% of reptiles known from Nepal. Of the six protected areas in the CHAL, Chitwan National Park has the highest species richness of herpetofauna (n=90), followed by Annapurna Conservation Area (n = 73 species), Parsa National Park (n = 58), Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park (n = 53), Langtang National Park (n = 47) and Manaslu Conservation Area (n = 45). Data from the IUCN Red List shows that the herpetofauna of the CHAL includes four Critically Endangered reptile species, six Endangered species (five reptiles and one amphibian) and eight Vulnerable species (five reptiles and three amphibians). We recommend more inclusive conservation measures to ensure the long-term conservation of the full range of biodiversity in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape.

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