Beyond the asymptote: a near-complete reptile inventory in the Miombo woodland and on Mount Morué, Mocuba Municipality, with a major range extension for the lizard Nucras boulengeri Neumann, 1900

Abstract

We assessed the composition and diversity of reptiles occurring in a dry Miombo woodland at Zambezi University and on Mount Morué, both in Mocuba Municipality, northern Mozambique. Reptiles were collected using active daytime searches, pitfall traps, and opportunistic encounters. A total of 23 species (17 lizards and six snakes) belonging to 15 genera and 12 families were recorded. Among them, the dwarf gecko Lygodactylus grotei was the most frequently recorded species with 11 individuals. All sampling methods were effective in detecting terrestrial species, although most species were recorded using pitfall traps (56.5%). The rarefaction curves almost reached an asymptotic point, indicating that few species are likely to be added with additional sampling effort. It was possible to extend the known range of Boulenger’s Scrub Lizard, Nucras boulengeri, southward by 662 km. This survey is the first to document the reptiles in Mocuba Municipality and represents an important contribution to our knowledge of reptiles in the dry Miombo woodland ecotone in northern Mozambique.