Herpetofauna Distribution and Ecology in East Kutai District, East Kutai, East Kalimantan

Abstract

Abstract:- Herpetofauna consisting of reptiles and amphibians is a group of fauna whose biodiversity potential is rarely known and is not well known by the public. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution, ecology and diversity of herpetofauna in Mesangat Wetlands. The method used in this research is the Visual Encounter Survey (VES) search method by searching directly for the type of herpetofauna around the predetermined pathway. Field orientation is carried out to determine the location of the observation, the location of the observation is divided into 3 locations (Mesangat Hilir, Tengah and Hulu) in one observation location there are 5 stations (lanes) for herpetofauna observation. Observations were made in the morning starting at 09.00 - 12.00 WITA and at night starting at 20.00 - 23.00 WITA. Recorded data related to the number of individuals, activities, time found, environmental parameters and measured SVL if possible. Identified species were found using the identification key book Field Frogs of Borneo Inger and Stuebing (2014) and A Field Guide to the Snakes of Borneo Stuebing, Inger and Lardner (2014). The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2010. The results showed that the distribution of herpetofauna in Mesangat Wetlands was fairly evenly distributed and the ecology of Mesangat Wetlands supported for herpetofauna life and the diversity index value obtained was 1.53 which was classified as medium category.