An Analysis of the Herpetofauna Communities in the Last Moderately Altered, High-Altitude Wetlands of Uganda

Upland wetlands are disappearing throughout Africa. In Uganda the only remnants almost-natural high altitude wetlands occur in the Lake Bunyonyi system. Biotic communities are poorly known from the area, and nothing is known about the local communities of amphibians and reptiles. Here, we analyse the communities of amphibians and reptiles in a series of wetlands in this area, using visual encounter surveys (VES), acoustic searches, dipnet sampling and local consultations through interviews of a cross-section of local inhabitants. We tested whether (i) the species richness and diversity are lower in the upland wetlands than at lower altitudes, and (ii) whether the herpetofauna communities consisted of different species from those in similar habitats at lower elevations. Overall, 29 species were recorded in the study areas. These comprised 20 anuran species belonging to seven families (Bufonidae, Phyxicephalidae, Hyperoliidae, Arthroleptidae, Phrynobatrachidae, Ptychadenidae and Pipidae) and nine genera. Eight reptilian species belonging to two orders (Sauria and Serpentes), five families (Lacertidae, Chamaeleonidae, Scincidae, Colubridae and Elapidae), and seven genera were recorded during the study. They represent about 23% of the country’s known amphibian species and 4% of its reptile species. The sampling of amphibians was statistically accurate, whereas more species of reptiles were expected to occur in the area. Our analyses revealed that both species richness and diversity were significantly lower in the upper wetlands than in similar habitats at lower elevations, and that several species were different in the upland wetlands. Our data are important for better managing the upland wetland systems, and we offer conservation considerations for future management plans. Although the Lake Bunyonyi sites contain the only known relatively stable upland wetlands in the country, the various wetlands are subject to a plethora of disturbances, especially being converted into farmlands for crop production and dairy cattle farming.