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The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico: composition, distribution, and

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Introductory page. Xenosaurus mendozai Nieto-Montes de Oca, García-Vázquez, Zúñiga-Vega, and Schmidt-
Ballardo, 2013. The Granular-Scaled Lizard occurs in the states of Querétaro, from where it was first described,
and Hidalgo. The species was dedicated to Fernando Mendoza Quijano, a Mexican herpetologist who contributed
substantially to the herpetofauna of the states in the central region of Mexico. In this study, and according to Wilson
et al. (2013a), we determined its EVS as 16, placing it in the high vulnerability category. According to IUCN, its
conservation status is unknown, and this species is not listed by SEMARNAT. This individual was found in the
municipality of Jacala de Ledezma, Hidalgo, near the type locality in the state of Querétaro. Photo by Christian
Berriozabal-Islas.

Amphib. Reptile Conserv. 148 April 2022 | Volume 16 | Number 1 | e308

 Cruz-Elizalde et al.
Official journal website: Amphibian & Reptile Conservation
amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 16(1) [General Section]: 148–192 (e308).

The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico: composition,

distribution, and conservation status
1
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde, 2Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista, 1Rubén Pineda-López, 3Vicente Mata-Silva,
4
Dominic L. DeSantis, 5Elí García-Padilla, 3Jerry D. Johnson, 3Arturo Rocha, 6Lydia Allison Fucsko,
and 7Larry David Wilson
1
Laboratorio de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Santa Fe Juriquilla,
C. P. 76230, Querétaro, Querétaro, MEXICO 2Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias
Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Km 4.5 Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo, 42184 Mineral de La Reforma,
Hidalgo, MEXICO 3Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968-0500, USA 4Department of
Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, Georgia 31061, USA 5Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca
68023, MEXICO 6Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA 7Centro
Zamorano de Biodiversidad, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano, Departamento de Francisco Morazán, HONDURAS and 1350 Pelican
Court, Homestead, Florida 33035-1031, USA

Abstract.—The herpetofauna of the state of Querétaro, Mexico, consists of 129 species, including 27 anurans,
seven caudates, 92 squamates, and three turtles. Regarding the distribution of the herpetofaunal species
among the three recognized physiographic regions in the state, the total number of species ranges from 43 in
the Transmexican Volcanic Belt to 102 in the Sierra Madre Oriental. The individual species inhabit from one to
three regions (x̄ = 1.6). The majority (78.3%) of the native herpetofauna of Querétaro is found in one or two of
the three regions, which is of conservation significance. The majority of the remaining single-region species
inhabit the Sierra Madre Oriental (54), followed by 15 in the Central Plateau and eight in the Transmexican
Volcanic Belt. The Coefficient of Biogeographic Resemblance (CBR) indicates that the Sierra Madre Oriental
and the Central Plateau share the largest number of species (45) due to their adjacent positions, relatively large
areas, and because they contain the first and second largest numbers of species. A similarity dendrogram
based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) demonstrates that the Central
Plateau and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt share the highest level of herpetofaunal resemblance (0.60). Within
the distributional categories, the largest numbers of species are the country endemics (67 of 129), followed
by the non-endemics (60) and the non-natives (2). The principal environmental threats to the herpetofauna
of Querétaro are the increasing and unregulated clearing of forests for farming and raising livestock, road
construction, the ever-increasing pollution of bodies of water, and the cultural perceptions of various
herpetofauna. The conservation status of the native species was evaluated by employing the SEMARNAT (NOM-
059), IUCN, and EVS systems, of which the EVS was the most useful. Using the two Relative Herpetofaunal
Priority (RHP) methods to designate the rank order significance of the physiographic regions, the highest
ranks were obtained for the Sierra Madre Oriental. In considering the features of the three protected areas in
Querétaro, we determined that two are located in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, which is the least important
region from a conservation perspective. We also determined that only 79 of the 127 native species recorded
from Querétaro are known to occur in any of the three protected areas. Finally, we provide a set of conclusions
and recommendations in an effort to ensure the future protection of the herpetofauna of Querétaro.

Keywords. Amphibia, Anurans, caudates, physiographic regions, protected areas, protection recommendations, Rep-
tilia, squamates, turtles

Resumen.—La herpetofauna de Querétaro, México, consta de 129 especies, incluyendo 27 anuros, siete
caudados, 92 escamosos y tres tortugas. Documentamos la distribución de las especies de herpetofauna
entre las tres regiones fisiográficas que reconocemos. El número total de especies varía de 43 en la Faja
Volcánica Transmexicana a 102 en la Sierra Madre Oriental. Las especies individuales habitan de una a
tres regiones (x̄ = 1,6). Una proporción del 78.3% de la herpetofauna nativa de Querétaro se encuentra en
una o dos de las tres regiones, lo cual es de gran importancia para la conservación. El mayor número de
especies de una sola región habita en la Sierra Madre Oriental (54), seguido de 15 en la Meseta Central y
ocho en la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana. Un coeficiente de semejanza biogeográfica (CBR) indica que la
Sierra Madre Oriental y la Meseta Central comparten el mayor número de especies (45), debido a su ubicación

Correspondence. [email protected] (RCE), [email protected] (ARB), [email protected] (RPL), [email protected]

(VMS), [email protected] (DLD), [email protected] (EGP), [email protected] (JDJ), [email protected] (LAF),
[email protected] (LDW)

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

adyacente, su área relativamente grande y su albergue del primer y segundo mayor número de especies. Un
dendrograma de similitud basado en el método de grupos de pares no ponderados con promedios aritméticos
(UPGMA) demuestra la Meseta Central y la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana comparten la mayor semejanza de
herpetofauna (nivel 0.60). Con referencia a las categorías de distribución, la mayor cantidad de especies es la
de las endémicas del país (67 de 129), seguidas de las no endémicas (60) y las no nativas (2). Las principales
amenazas ambientales para la herpetofauna de Querétaro son la creciente y desmedida tala de bosques para la
agricultura y la ganadería, la construcción de caminos, la constante y creciente contaminación de los cuerpos
de agua, y la percepción cultural de los miembros de la herpetofauna. Evaluamos el estado de conservación
de las especies nativas empleando los sistemas SEMARNAT (NOM-059), UICN y EVS, de los cuales el sistema
EVS fue el más útil. También utilizamos los dos métodos de Prioridad relativa de la herpetofauna (RHP) para
designar la importancia del orden de clasificación de las regiones fisiográficas y determinamos los valores más
altos para la región de la Sierra Madre Oriental. Examinamos las características de las tres áreas protegidas en
Querétaro y determinamos que dos de las tres están ubicadas en la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana, que es la
región menos importante desde una perspectiva de conservación. También determinamos que solo 79 de las
127 especies nativas registradas en Querétaro, se registran en total de las tres áreas protegidas. Finalmente,
emitimos un conjunto de conclusiones y recomendaciones para la futura protección de la herpetofauna de
Querétaro.

Palabras Claves. Anfibios, anuros, areas protegidas, caudados, escamosos, regiones fisiográficas, reptiles, recomen-
daciones de protección, tortugas
Citation: Cruz-Elizalde R, Ramírez-Bautista A, Pineda-López R, Mata-Silva V, DeSantis DL, García-Padilla E, Johnson JD, Rocha A, Fucsko LA,
Wilson LD. 2022. The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico: composition, distribution, and conservation status. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 16(1)
[General Section]: 148–192 (e308).

Copyright: © 2022 Cruz-Elizalde et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
[Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/], which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction
in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The official and authorized publication credit sources, which will be duly enforced,
are as follows: official journal title Amphibian & Reptile Conservation; official journal website: amphibian-reptile-conservation.org.
Accepted: 30 January 2022; Published: 18 April 2022

“It was an event that changed the course of natural 2,038,372, which ranks 22nd (16.0%) in the country. The
history—wiping out three-quarters of all species, population density is indicated as 170/km2, or 7th in the
including anything on land larger than the size of a country (http://wikipedia.org; accessed 22 July 2019),
domestic dog. It ended the 175-million-year reign of the which is 2.8 times the average density for Mexico. The
dinosaurs. Life would have to rebuild… For 66 million state of Querétaro, therefore, lies within the most densely
years since then, nature has been at work reconstructing populated region of Mexico (i.e., the area surrounding
the living world, recreating and redefining a new diversity the Mexican metropolitan area), which includes the
of species. And one of the products of this rebooting of states of México, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Aguascalientes,
life was humanity.” Guanajuato, and Puebla. Only Aguascalientes is slightly
removed from the other states in this heavily-populated
David Attenborough (2020) region. Although a significant amount of environmental
deterioration is expected to occur in Querétaro, the state
Introduction still supports “a diversity of undisturbed environments…
such as cloud forest, pine forest, oak [forest], and tropical
Querétaro, a relatively small state in north-central deciduous forest” (Cruz-Elizalde et al. 2019).
Mexico, is positioned in a northwest to southeast The highest elevation in the state is 3,360 m (http://
direction at the intersection of three major physiographic wikipedia.org; accessed 22 July 2019) on Cerro el
regions: the Sierra Madre Oriental in the northeast, the Zamorano, along the border with Guanajuato in the
Central Plateau in the middle, and the Transmexican Central Plateau, and a communications facility is present
Volcanic Belt in the southwest (Fig. 1). To the north, on this peak (http://googlemaps.com; accessed 22 July
Querétaro is bounded by San Luis Potosí, to the east 2019). Elevations over 3,000 m also occur in the two
by Hidalgo, to the south by México and Michoacán, other physiographic regions of the state (http://wikipedia.
and to the west by Guanajuato. The area of Querétaro org; accessed 22 July 2019).
is 11,699 km2, which ranks 27th in size among the 32 Since Querétaro encompasses portions of three major
federal entities in Mexico (http://wikipedia.org; accessed physiographic regions in Mexico as described above,
22 July 2019); only Colima, Aguascalientes, Morelos, it could be expected to have a herpetofauna somewhat
Tlaxcala, and Ciudad de México are smaller. Querétaro’s comparable to those of Puebla and/or Hidalgo. However,
area represents only 0.6% of the country, while the Querétaro is significantly smaller than either Puebla
human population of the state in 2015 was reported as (34,306 km2; Woolrich-Piña et al. 2017) or Hidalgo

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Fig. 1. Physiographic regions in the state of Querétaro, Mexico, and location of the state of Querétaro in Mexico. The map is based
on INEGI (2000).

(20,813 km2; Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020). Furthermore, Construction of the Species List
Hidalgo contains portions of four physiographic regions,
including the Gulf coastal lowlands, and Puebla contains We made some corrections to the recent species list
six regions, including the Gulf coastal lowlands and two published for the state of Querétaro, as noted by Cruz-
valley regions. Accordingly, it is more useful to compare Elizalde et al. (2019). That list consisted of 138 species,
the herpetofaunas recorded in the same physiographic including 34 amphibians and 104 reptiles. In the interim,
regions in Puebla and Hidalgo, which also are represented however, questions arose regarding the presence of 17
in Querétaro (see below). species in the state, whose status was reevaluated when
preparing this paper. We discuss the status of these
Materials and Methods species below.

Our Taxonomic Position System for Determining Distributional Status

In this study we follow the taxonomic position regarding We used the system developed by Alvarado-Díaz et al.
the subspecies concept that was described in previous (2013) for the herpetofauna of Michoacán to determine
works on other portions of Mesoamerica (Johnson et the distributional status of members of the herpetofauna
al. 2015a,b; Mata-Silva et al. 2015; Terán-Juárez et al. of Querétaro. Subsequently, various other studies (Mata-
2016; Woolrich-Piña et al. 2016; Nevárez-de los Reyes Silva et al. 2015; Johnson et al. 2015a; Terán-Juárez et al.
et al. 2016; Cruz-Sáenz et al. 2017; González-Sánchez 2016; Woolrich-Piña et al. 2016; Nevárez-de los Reyes et
et al. 2017; Woolrich-Piña et al. 2017; Lazcano et al. al. 2016; Cruz-Sánchez et al. 2017; González-Sánchez et
2019; Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020). Johnson et al. al. 2017; Woolrich-Piña et al. 2017; Lazcano et al. 2019;
(2015a) can be consulted for a detailed statement on Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020) have used this system,
this position. which consists of the following four categories: SE =

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

No. 1. Incilius occidentalis (Camerano, 1879). The Pine No. 2. Rhinella horribilis (Wiegmann, 1833). The Cane Toad,
Toad occurs in the mountains of Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, an introduced species, occurs in most regions of Mexico, and
Aguascalientes, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Veracruz, southward has a great effect on the native fauna. This individual was
through the highlands west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, found in Jacalilla, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013a) determined
Mexico. This individual was found in Huimilpan, Querétaro. its EVS as 3, placing it in the low vulnerability category. Its
Wilson et al. (2013b) determined its EVS as 11, placing it in conservation status has been assessed as Least Concern by the
the medium vulnerability category. Its conservation status was IUCN, but this species is not listed by SEMARNAT. Photo by
assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but this species is not Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.
listed by SEMARNAT. Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

No. 3. Eleutherodactylus verrucipes (Cope, 1885). The Big- No. 4. Dryophytes arenicolor (Cope, 1866). The Canyon
eared Chirping Frog is known from moderate elevations (200– Treefrog occurs in the mountains and plateau regions of the
1,300 m asl) in pine-oak woodland and cloud forest located United States (southern Utah and southern Colorado southward
in southeastern San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and through eastern Arizona, western and northern New Mexico,
northwestern Hidalgo, Mexico (Frost 2021). Wilson et al. as well as in Nevada to about Las Vegas, and the Trans-Pecos
(2013b) determined its EVS as 16, placing it in the middle region of Texas); and southward in Mexico to Michoacán,
portion of the high vulnerabilty category. Its conservation Colima, México, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Querétaro, and Oaxaca.
status has been assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and in This individual was found in Huimilpan, Querétaro. Wilson
the Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by et al. (2013b) determined its EVS as 7, placing it in the low
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde. vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been assessed
as Least Concern by the IUCN, but this species is not listed by
SEMARNAT. Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

endemic to Querétaro; CE = endemic to Mexico; NE = from a geological perspective (CONABIO 2008). The
not endemic to Mexico; NN = non-native in Mexico. SMO encompasses parts of Coahuila, Nuevo León,
Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro,
Systems for Determining Conservation Status Tlaxcala, and Veracruz (CONABIO 2008). In the state of
Querétaro, this province extends into the municipalities
To assess the conservation status of the herpetofauna of Pinal de Amoles, Arroyo Seco, Jalpan de Serra, Landa
of Querétaro, we employed the three systems (i.e., de Matamoros, and the region north of Cadereyta de
SEMARNAT, IUCN, and EVS) used by Alvarado-Díaz Montes and San Joaquín (Figs. 2–3; CONABIO 2008).
et al. (2013), Mata-Silva et al. (2015), Johnson et al. The mean annual precipitation is 731 mm, with a greater
(2015a), Terán-Juárez et al. (2016), Woolrich-Piña et intensity of rainfall in September, and the mean annual
al. (2016), Nevárez-de los Reyes et al. (2016), Cruz- temperature is 23.5 °C, with intervals of 10.6–33.5 °C
Sánchez et al. (2017), González-Sánchez et al. (2017), (Luna Soria and Suzán Azpiri 2016). The climate is
Woolrich-Piña et al. (2017), Lazcano et al. (2019), and classified as semi-warm subhumid, and the predominant
Ramírez-Bautista et al. (2020). Detailed descriptions of types of vegetation are tropical deciduous forest, oak
these three systems have appeared in earlier papers in forest, pine-oak, and portions of cloud forest (Bayona
this series (listed below) and are not repeated here. Celis 2016).

The Mexican Conservation Series Central Plateau (CP). This region (Figs. 8–9) lies within
the more inclusive Nearctic Region (Morrone 2001;
The Mexican Conservation Series (MCS) was initiated CONABIO 2008), extends through the central area of
in 2013, with a study of the herpetofauna of Michoacán Mexico at elevations from 1,700 to 4,000 m asl, and
(Alvarado-Díaz et al. 2013) that appeared in Amphibian & is located between the Sierra Madre Occidental and
Reptile Conservation, in an issue that included five related Sierra Madre Oriental. Portions of the CP fall within
papers and was designated as the Special Mexico Issue. the boundaries of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango,
The basic format for entries in the MCS was established Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Puebla,
in that paper, i.e., an examination of the composition, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Tlaxcala, and Zacatecas.
physiographic distribution, and conservation status of the In the state of Querétaro, this province extends into the
herpetofauna of a given Mexican state or group of states. municipalities of Peñamiller, Tolimán, San Joaquín,
Two years later, the MCS resumed with two studies on Cadereyta de Montes, Colón, Ezequiel Montes, El
the herpetofauna of Oaxaca (Mata-Silva et al. 2015) and Marqués, Querétaro, Tequisquiapan, Pedro Escobedo,
Chiapas (Johnson et al. 2015a). The following year three and San Juan del Río (CONABIO 2008). The climate
entries in the MCS were published on Tamaulipas (Terán- is temperate semi-dry steppe, with rainfall occurring in
Juárez et al. 2016), Nayarit (Woolrich-Piña et al. 2016), summer; the average annual precipitation is 460 mm;
and Nuevo León (Nevárez-de los Reyes et al. 2016). In the average annual temperature is 17.8 °C; and the
2017, three more entries in this series were published on temperature ranges from 4.5 to 30 °C (Luna Soria and
Jalisco (Cruz-Sáenz et al. 2017), the Mexican Yucatan Suzán Azpiri 2016). The predominant types of vegetation
Peninsula (González-Sánchez et al. 2017), and Puebla are crasicaule scrub, rosetophilous scrub, microphilous
(Woolrich-Piña et al. 2017). More recently, entries were desert scrub, and gallery forest, but these regions
published on Coahuila (Lazcano et al. 2019), Hidalgo contain extensive areas devoted to agriculture, as well as
(Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020), and most recently on grasslands (Bayona Celis 2016).
Veracruz (Torres-Hernández et al. 2021). Thus, this study
on the herpetofauna of Querétaro is the 13th entry in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (TVB). The TVB lies in the
MCS series. Neotropical Region (Morrone 2001; CONABIO 2008)
and forms a volcanic arc located in central Mexico.
Physiography and Climate The TVB is oriented from east to west, from the state
of Veracruz (Gulf of Mexico) to Nayarit (Pacific
Physiographic Regions Ocean; Ferrusquía-Villafranca 2007; CONABIO
2008). In the state of Querétaro, this province
Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO). This region (Figs. extends into the municipalities of Amealco de Bonfil,
2–7) is located parallel to the Gulf coastal region of Corregidora, and Huimilpan (CONABIO 2008). The
Mexico, and it is connected to the Central Plateau and predominant climate is temperate subhumid, with rain
the Transmexican Volcanic Belt. The SMO has been occurring in summer, and with its greatest intensity
assigned to the Neotropical Realm and covers 2.84% from May to October; the mean annual rainfall is 861
of the area of the country (Morrone 2001; CONABIO mm, and the mean annual temperature is 14.4 °C, with
2008). This province is composed mostly of sedimentary intervals from 3.8 to 24.8 °C (Luna Soria and Suzán
and metamorphic rocks from the Cretaceous and Jurassic Azpiri 2016). The predominant vegetation types are
periods, which makes this province a complex area oak and pine forests (Figs. 5–6), in addition to such

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Fig. 2. View of the Sierra Madre Oriental at the Mirador Cuatro Fig. 3. Sierra Madre Oriental, in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere
Palos. Photo by Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel. Reserve, Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro. Photo by Erick Daniel
Velasco Esquivel.

Fig. 4. Xerophilous scrub in mountains of the Central Plateau, Fig. 5. Pine-oak forest, Tolimán, Querétaro. Photo by Erick
locality of Peñamiller. Photo by Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel. Daniel Velasco Esquivel.

Fig. 6. Oak forest, Mirador Cuatro Palos, Querétaro. Photo by Fig. 7. Deciduous forest, Las Adjuntas, Arroyo Seco, Querétaro.
Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel. Photo by Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel.

Fig. 8. Juniperus forest, San Juan del Río–Jalpan de Serra, Pinal Fig. 9. Riparian vegetation, Río Jalpan, Jalpan de Serra, Queré-
de Amoles, Querétaro. Photo by Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel. taro. Photo by Erick Daniel Velasco Esquivel.

Amphib. Reptile Conserv. 154 April 2022 | Volume 16 | Number 1 | e308

 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

No. 5. Rheohyla miotympanum (Cope, 1863). The Small- No. 6. Smilisca baudinii (Duméril and Bibron, 1841). Baudin’s
eared Treefrog is a country endemic distributed from “Nuevo Treefrog occurs in extreme southern Texas (United States),
León and Coahuila (Sierra Madre Oriental) to Guanajuato and southern Sonora and southwestern Chihuahua (Mexico)
(Sierra Santa Rosa), Hidalgo, and Oaxaca, adjacent Veracruz, southward (including the Balsas Depression of Mexico) in
and central Chiapas” (Frost 2020). This individual was the tropical lowlands to Costa Rica on the Pacific slope; Tres
found in Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013b) Marias Islands off the coast of Nayarit, Mexico; and seemingly
determined its EVS as 9, placing it at the upper limit of the low introduced into Bexar and Refugio counties in southeast-
vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been judged central Texas, United States (Frost 2021). This individual was
as Near Threatened by the IUCN, but this species has not been found in Jacalilla, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013a) determined
evaluated by SEMARNAT. Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde. its EVS as 3, placing it in the low vulnerability category. Its
conservation status has been assessed as Least Concern by the
IUCN, but this species is not listed by SEMARNAT. Photo by
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

No. 7. Ambystoma velasci (Dugès, 1888). The Plateau Tiger No. 8. Chiropterotriton chondrostega (Taylor, 1941).
Salamander ranges from northwestern Chihuahua southward The Gristle-headed Splayfoot Salamander is known from
along the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Northwestern Hidalgo and adjacent Querétaro, Mexico, in
southern Nuevo León to Hidalgo in the Sierra Madre Oriental, cloud forest (at elevations of 1,524–2,042 m asl); and has
west to Zacatecas, and south into the Transverse Volcanic range also been reported in the state of México (Frost 2021). This
of central Mexico (Frost 2019). This individual was found in individual was found in Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro. Wilson
Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013b) determined et al. (2013b) determined its EVS as 17, placing it in middle
its EVS as 10, placing it at the lower limit of the medium portion of the high vulnerability category. Its conservation
vulnerability category. Its conservation status is considered status is considered as Endangered by the IUCN, and it is in
as Least Concern by the IUCN, and it has been placed in the the Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by
Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Table 1. Monthly minimum, mean (in parentheses), maximum, and annual temperature data (in °C) for the physiographic regions
of Querétaro, Mexico. The localities (and elevation) representing each of the regions are: Central Plateau––Tolimán (1,510 m);
Transmexican Volcanic Belt––San Juan del Río (1,920 m); Sierra Madre Oriental––Jalpan (750 m). Data were taken from Anuario
Estadístico y Geográfico de Querétaro (INEGI 2017).
Physiographic region Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
7.2 9.5 10.2 14.5 14.7 14.4 15.3 15.5 14.6 10.1 9.4 8.5 12.0
Central Plateau (14.9) (16.5) (19.5) (21.9) (23.2) (23.2) (22.3) (21.6) (21.0) (18.8) (17.0) (15.2) (19.6)
15.4 21.6 22.9 24.7 25.6 26.4 26.2 25.6 23.5 19.3 17.4 17.8 22.2
7.7 9.0 9.0 12.9 13.6 14.3 13.6 13.1 13.7 11.8 11.0 10.2 11.7
Transmexican Volcanic
(13.5) (14.9) (17.3) (19.5) (20.5) (20.1) (18.9) (18.8) (18.2) (16.7) (15.4) (14.0) (17.3)
Belt
16.3 17.4 19.8 22.6 22.9 22.6 22.6 20.9 19.9 18.9 16.0 15.8 19.6
10.3 15.4 17.6 19.1 17.8 20.0 20.9 20.4 20.9 18.5 14.3 15.4 17.6
Sierra Madre Oriental (17.9) (19.7) (23.4) (26.1) (27.6) (26.9) (25.4) (25.6) (24.6) (22.9) (20.4) (18.9) (23.3)
20.3 20.5 25.7 26.3 31.3 30.2 29.4 29.1 26.9 24.2 19.2 18.1 25.1

transformed environments as introduced grasslands 76.0–87.5% (x̄ = 83.5) of the annual precipitation (Table
and agricultural areas (Bayona Celis 2016). 2). The annual rainfall ranges from 291.3 mm in the CP
to 662.8 mm in the SMO, noting that the latter value is
Climate 2.3 times greater than the former (Table 2).

Temperature. Information on the monthly minimum, Comments on the Species List

mean, and maximum temperatures are given in Table
1 for one locality in each of the three physiographic As noted above, we revaluated the status of 17 species
regions we recognize in Querétaro. The elevations for after Cruz-Elizalde et al. (2019) placed them on the
these localities range from 750 m in the Sierra Madre state list. These 17 species were allocated to the three
Oriental (SMO) at Jalpan, to 1,920 m in the Transmexican categories of (1) species currently documented as
Volcanic Belt (TVB) at San Juan del Río. occurring in Querétaro; (2) species that likely occur in
The mean annual temperature (MAT) for Jalpan Querétaro but remain undocumented in the state; and (3)
(elevation 750 m asl) in the SMO is 23.3 °C, while the species that, insofar as we are aware, are not known to
MAT for Tolimán in the Central Plateau (CP) is 19.6 °C, occur in Querétaro.
and the MAT for San Juan del Río in the TVB is 17.3 °C. Eight species whose status was previously in doubt
The minimum annual temperatures range from 11.7 °C are now documented as occurring in Querétaro. The
in the CP to 17.6 °C in the SMO, the maximum annual presence of these species in the state, and the literature
temperatures range from 19.6 °C in the TVB to 25.1 °C that documents their presence, is as follows: (1)
in the SMO, and in the three physiographic regions, the Eleutherodactylus nitidus (recorded by Nieto-Montes de
minimum annual temperatures are 7.5–10.2 °C lower Oca and Pérez-Ramos [1999]; Informe de CONABIO,
than the maximum annual temperatures (Table 1). The locality Mesa de León, el Arbolito, near Hidalgo, in
mean monthly temperatures peak in May or June (most project H250-CONABIO); (2) Gerrhonotus infernalis
often in May), and reach their lowest point in January. (appears in the H250 report, for which collecting
coordinates are provided); (3) Hemidactylus turcicus
Precipitation. The monthly precipitation is lowest during (reported by Tepos-Ramírez et al. [2019]); (4) Scincella
the dry season from November to April, and highest during lateralis (reported in the H250 report, based on a
the rainy season from May to October which includes collected specimen); (5) Scincella silvicola (reported
Table 2. Monthly and annual precipitation data (in mm) for the physiographic regions of Querétaro, Mexico. The localities (and
elevation) representing each of the regions are: Central Plateau––Tolimán (1,510 m); Transmexican Volcanic Belt––San Juan del
Río (1,920 m); Sierra Madre Oriental––Jalpan (750 m). Data taken from Anuario Estadístico y Geográfico de Querétaro (INEGI
2017). The shaded area indicates the months of the rainy season.
Physiographic
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
region
0.0 0.0 8.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.0
Central Plateau (9.1) (3.4) (7.2) (12.2) (35.4) (57.4) (57.1) (51.2) (59.6) (30.6) (8.4) (4.5) (334.9)
26.0 12.0 31.0 41.0 87.5 89.0 148.0 97.5 21.0 110.5 20.1 19.0 663.5
33.7 0.0 8.0 1.0 64.5 59.6 6.5 1.9 7.5 2.7 29.5 7.8 222.7
Transmexican
(11.4) (1.1) (9.5) (19.4) (39.5) (96.6) (108.9) (99.1) (88.0) (42.7) (12.7) (6.4) (542.9)
Volcanic Belt
89.5 8.8 11.0 4.9 126.7 127.4 150.8 75.8 166.1 52.1 49.8 9.3 853.5
1.3 2.5 0.0 0.0 5.0 21.6 75.8 78.7 59.1 80.3 0.0 8.4 447.6
Sierra Madre
(8.0) (10.8) (0.4) (27.9) (45.0) (23.5) (155.0) (149.6) (195.2) (94.5) (25.4) (15.5) (872.2)
Oriental
13.0 14.6 13.0 32.1 47.4 146.4 435.5 172.5 645.0 158.8 37.0 24.9 1,503.4

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Table 3. Composition of the native and non-native herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico.

Order Families Genera Species
Anura 7 15 27
Caudata 2 4 7
Subtotal 9 19 34
Squamata 19 57 92
Testudines 1 1 3
Subtotal 20 58 95
Total 29 77 129

in the H250 report, based on a collected specimen); (6) Composition of the Herpetofauna
Epictia wynni (reported in Querétaro by Wallach [2016]);
(7) Rena dulcis (reported in Querétaro, see The Reptile Families
Database, http://www.reptile-database.org/; accessed 22
August 2019); and (8) Crotalus polystictus (reported in The herpetofaunal species known to occur in Querétaro
Querétaro by Cruz-Pérez et al. [2014]). Thus, these eight are in 29 families, and include seven families of anurans,
species are included in the following analyses. two families of salamanders, 19 families of squamates,
Four species which have not been formally and one family of turtles (Table 3). This total represents
documented from Querétaro thus far, but are expected to 47.5% of the 61 herpetofaunal families known to occur
be documented for the state eventually, are: (1) Coluber in Mexico (Wilson et al. 2013a,b). No caecilian or
constrictor (recorded in Querétaro by the IUCN, but crocodylian families are represented in the state. Of the
with no locality provided); (2) Conopsis biserialis (not nine amphibian families known to occur in the state,
confirmed for the state, but with a high probability of 58.8% of the species (Tables 4–5) are classified in the
occurrence, according to the IUCN and Goyenechea Bufonidae (six), Hylidae (eight), and Plethodontidae
and Flores-Villela [2006]); (3) Ficimia streckeri (a high (six). Among the 20 remaining herpetofaunal families, 67
probability of occurrence in the state, based on a record (70.5%) of the 95 species are categorized in the families
found 3 km from the state line by Lara-Tufiño et al. Phrynosomatidae (12), Colubridae (22), Dipsadidae (15),
[2013]); and (4) Masticophis taeniatus (reported in the Natricidae (eight), and Viperidae (10; see Table 5).
H250 project as having a high probability of occurrence,
but without confirmation). Given the ambiguity of their Genera
actual occurrence in the state at this point, we do not
consider these four species in the subsequent analyses. Seventy-seven herpetofaunal genera are known to occur
Five species reported previously by Cruz-Elizalde in Querétaro, which includes 15 genera of anurans, four
et al. (2019) are not currently believed to occur in genera of salamanders, 57 genera of squamates, and one
Querétaro, so they are not included in the analyses in this genus of turtles (Table 3). These 77 taxa comprise 35.8%
paper. These species are: (1) Gerrhonotus liocephalus of the 212 genera known to occur in Mexico (J. Johnson,
(According to Good [1994], this species does not occur unpub. data, 24 December 2020). Among the amphibians
in central Mexico, but reports might be based on a (Table 4), the largest numbers of species are in the genera
misidentified G. infernalis; also, it is not listed by the Eleutherodactylus (four) and Lithobates (four); among
IUCN or in the H250 project as reported in Nieto-Montes the reptiles (Table 4), the most speciose genera are
de Oca and Pérez-Ramos [1999]); (2) Lepidophyma Sceloporus (11), Thamnophis (six), and Crotalus (seven).
flavimaculatum (recorded in the H250 project, but this
requires confirmation; its distribution appears to lie Species
farther south in the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca); (3)
Leptodeira maculata (not present in Querétaro based on The herpetofauna of Querétaro is comprised of 129
its known distribution, and not listed by the IUCN or the species, including 27 anurans, seven salamanders, 92
H250 report); (4) Thamnophis marcianus (not present in squamates, and three turtles (Table 3). The current
Querétaro, neither recorded by Rossman et al. (1996) nor numbers of native species in these four groups in Mexico
listed in the state by the IUCN; although it appears in the are, respectively, 253, 155, 896, and 51 (J. Johnson,
H250 report, no locality information or references were unpub. data, 24 December 2020). The 129 herpetofaunal
provided); and (5) Crotalus ravus (not known to occur in species in Querétaro represent 9.5% of the 1,361 species
Querétaro; its distribution lies farther to the south; this in all of Mexico (J. Johnson, unpub. data, 29 May 2021).
taxon was not reported for the state by Campbell and Thus far, one state sharing a common border with
Lamar [2004]). We do not consider these five species in Querétaro has been assessed in the Mexican Conservation
the subsequent analyses in this paper. Series—the state of Hidalgo (Ramírez-Bautista et al.

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Table 4. Distribution of the amphibians, squamates, and turtles of Querétaro, Mexico, by physiographic region. Abbreviations are
as follows: CP = Central Plateau, TVB = Transmexican Volcanic Belt, SMO = Sierra Madre Oriental. See text for descriptions of
these regions. * = species endemic to Mexico, ** = non-native species.

Physiographic regions of Querétaro Number of

Taxon CP TVB SMO regions occupied
Anura (27 species)
Bufonidae (6 species)
Anaxyrus compactilis* + + + 3
Anaxyrus punctatus + 1
Anaxyrus speciosus + 1
Incilius nebulifer + 1
Incilius occidentalis* + + + 3
Rhinella horribilis + + + 3
Craugastoridae (2 species)
Craugastor augusti + + + 3
Craugastor decoratus* + 1
Eleutherodactylidae (4 species)
Eleutherodactylus guttilatus + 1
Eleutherodactylus longipes* + 1
Eleutherodactylus nitidus* + 1
Eleutherodactylus verrucipes* + + 2
Hylidae (8 species)
Dryophytes arenicolor + + + 3
Dryophytes eximius* + + + 3
Rheohyla miotympanum* + + 2
Scinax staufferi + 1
Smilisca baudinii + 1
Tlalocohyla godmani* + 1
Tlalocohyla picta + 1
Trachycephalus vermiculatus + 1
Microhylidae (1 species)
Hypopachus variolosus + 1
Ranidae (4 species)
Lithobates berlandieri + + + 3
Lithobates montezumae* + + + 3
Lithobates neovolcanicus* + + + 3
Lithobates spectabilis* + + + 3
Scaphiopodidae (2 species)
Scaphiopus couchii + 1
Spea multiplicata + + + 3
Caudata (7 species)
Ambystomatidae (1 species)
Ambystoma velasci* + + + 3
Plethodontidae (6 species)
Aquiloeurycea cephalica* + + 2
Aquiloeurycea scandens* + 1
Chiropterotriton chondrostega* + + 2
Chiropterotriton magnipes* + 1
Chiropterotriton multidentatus* + 1
Isthmura bellii* + 1
Squamata (92 species)
Anguidae (4 species)
Abronia taeniata* + 1
Barisia ciliaris* + + 2
Gerrhonotus infernalis + 1
Gerrhonotus ophiurus* + + 2

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Table 4 (continued). Distribution of the amphibians, squamates, and turtles of Querétaro, Mexico, by physiographic region.
Abbreviations are as follows: CP = Central Plateau, TVB = Transmexican Volcanic Belt, SMO = Sierra Madre Oriental. See text for
descriptions of these regions. * = species endemic to Mexico, ** = non-native species.

Physiographic regions of Querétaro Number of

Taxon CP TVB SMO regions occupied
Corytophanidae (2 species)
Corytophanes hernandezii + 1
Laemanctus serratus + 1
Dactyloidae (1 species)
Norops sericeus + 1
Dibamidae (1 species)
Anelytropsis papillosus* + 1
Gekkonidae (1 species)
Hemidactylus frenatus** + 1
Phrynosomatidae (12 species)
Phrynosoma orbiculare* + + + 3
Sceloporus aeneus* + + + 3
Sceloporus dugesii* + + 2
Sceloporus exsul* + 1
Sceloporus grammicus + + + 3
Sceloporus minor* + + 2
Sceloporus parvus* + + 2
Sceloporus scalaris* + + 2
Sceloporus serrifer + 1
Sceloporus spinosus* + + + 3
Sceloporus torquatus* + + + 3
Sceloporus variabilis + + 2
Scincidae (2 species)
Plestiodon lynxe* + + 2
Plestiodon tetragrammus + 1
Sphenomorphidae (3 species)
Scincella gemmingeri* + 1
Scincella lateralis + 1
Scincella silvicola* + 1
Teiidae (2 species)
Aspidoscelis gularis + + + 3
Holcosus amphigrammus* + + 2
Xantusiidae (3 species)
Lepidophyma gaigeae* + + 2
Lepidophyma occulor* + 1
Lepidophyma sylvaticum* + 1
Xenosauridae (1 species)
Xenosaurus mendozai* + 1
Boidae (1 species)
Boa imperator + 1
Colubridae (22 species)
Conopsis lineata* + + + 3
Conopsis nasus* + + + 3
Drymarchon melanurus + + 2
Drymobius margaritiferus + 1
Ficimia olivacea* + 1
Gyalopion canum + 1
Lampropeltis polyzona* + 1
Lampropeltis ruthveni* + 1
Leptophis mexicanus + 1
Masticophis mentovarius + 1

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Table 4 (continued). Distribution of the amphibians, squamates, and turtles of Querétaro, Mexico, by physiographic region.
Abbreviations are as follows: CP = Central Plateau, TVB = Transmexican Volcanic Belt, SMO = Sierra Madre Oriental. See text for
descriptions of these regions. * = species endemic to Mexico, ** = non-native species.

Physiographic regions of Querétaro Number of

Taxon CP TVB SMO regions occupied
Masticophis schotti + + + 3
Mastigodryas melanolomus + 1
Oxybelis potosiensis + 1
Pituophis deppei* + + + 3
Pseudelaphe flavirufa + 1
Salvadora bairdi* + + 2
Salvadora grahamiae + 1
Senticolis triaspis + + 2
Spilotes pullatus + 1
Tantilla bocourti* + 1
Tantilla rubra + + 2
Trimorphodon tau* + + + 3
Dipsadidae (15 species)
Adelphicos quadrivirgatum + 1
Amastridium sapperi + 1
Chersodromus rubriventris* + 1
Coniophanes fissidens + 1
Coniophanes piceivittis + 1
Conophis lineatus + + + 3
Diadophis punctatus + + 2
Geophis latifrontalis* + 1
Geophis mutitorques* + + 2
Hypsiglena jani + + + 3
Imantodes gemmistratus + 1
Leptodeira septentrionalis + 1
Ninia diademata + 1
Rhadinaea gaigeae* + + 2
Tropidodipsas sartorii + 1
Elapidae (1 species)
Micrurus tener + + 2
Leptotyphlopidae (2 species)
Epictia wynni* + 1
Rena dulcis + + 2
Natricidae (8 species)
Storeria hidalgoensis* + 1
Storeria storerioides* + 1
Thamnophis cyrtopsis + + + 3
Thamnophis eques + + 2
Thamnophis melanogaster* + 1
Thamnophis pulchrilatus* + 1
Thamnophis scalaris* + 1
Thamnophis sumichrasti* + 1
Typhlopidae (1 species)
Virgotyphlops braminus** + 1
Viperidae (10 species)
Agkistrodon taylori* + 1
Bothrops asper + 1
Crotalus aquilus* + + + 3
Crotalus atrox + 1
Crotalus molossus + 1
Crotalus polystictus* + 1

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Table 4 (continued). Distribution of the amphibians, squamates, and turtles of Querétaro, Mexico, by physiographic region.
Abbreviations are as follows: CP = Central Plateau, TVB = Transmexican Volcanic Belt, SMO = Sierra Madre Oriental. See text for
descriptions of these regions. * = species endemic to Mexico, ** = non-native species.
Physiographic regions of Querétaro Number of
Taxon CP TVB SMO regions occupied
Crotalus scutulatus + 1
Crotalus totonacus* + 1
Crotalus triseriatus* + 1
Metlapilcoatlus borealis* + 1
Kinosternidae (3 species)
Kinosternon hirtipes + 1
Kinosternon integrum* + + + 3
Kinosternon scorpioides + 1
Total 64 43 102 —

2020). The herpetofauna of Hidalgo consists of 203 two regions (24, 18.6%); and three regions (28, 21.7%).
species, which is about 1.6 times the number of species in The mean regional occupancy is 1.6, which lies outside
Querétaro (129). This proportion is similar to the relative the range of 1.9 to 3.7 for the other states examined thus
areas of the two states. The surface area of Hidalgo is far in the MCS (Alvarado-Díaz et al. 2013; Mata-Silva et
20,813 km2 (Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020) and that of al. 2015; Johnson et al. 2015a; Terán-Juárez et al. 2016;
Querétaro, as noted above, is 11,699 km2; therefore, Woolrich-Piña et al. 2016; Nevárez-de los Reyes et al.
Hidalgo is 1.8 times the size of Querétaro. Thus, the 2016; Cruz-Sáenz et al. 2017; González-Sánchez et al.
state area/species richness ratio is 90.7 for Querétaro 2017; Lazcano et al. 2019; Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020).
compared to 102.5 for Hidalgo. Of the 129 species found in Querétaro, a large proportion
(101, or 78.3%) occurs in one or two of the three
Patterns of Physiographic Distribution physiographic regions, which is significant from a
conservation perspective (see below). The number of
A system of three physiographic regions (Fig. 1) was used species inhabiting a single physiographic region ranges
to analyze the distribution patterns of the amphibians and from eight (in the TVB) to 54 (in the SMO).
reptiles of Querétaro, and the physiographic distribution
data for the 129 species are tabulated in Table 4 and The 54 single-region species in the SMO are as follows,
summarized in Table 5. with the numbers referring to the distributional categories
The total number of species in each region ranges developed by Wilson et al. (2017), country endemics
from 43 in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (TVB) to indicated by single asterisks, and non-native species by
102 species in the Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO). The double asterisks:
value for the remaining area (Central Plateau) is 64. The
low value of 43 for TVB in Querétaro is 42.2% of the Anaxyrus speciosus 3
high value of 102 for SMO in Querétaro. The reason Incilius nebulifer 3
for this disparity is that the TVB is the smallest of the Craugastor decoratus*
three regions in the state, and although it is a significant Eleutherodactylus longipes*
montane region in Mexico, it contains less herpetofaunal Eleutherodactylus nitidus*
diversity than the SMO (Canseco-Márquez et al. 2004; Scinax staufferi 4
Flores-Villela et al. 2010), i.e., 139 vs. 207, respectively. Smilisca baudinii 7
Four herpetofaunal groups (anurans, salamanders, Tlalocohyla godmani*
squamates, and turtles) are known to occur in Querétaro, Tlalocohyla picta 4
while caecilians and crocodylians have not been recorded Trachycephalus vermiculatus 6
in the state and are not likely to be found in the future. Hypopachus variolosus 7
In three of these groups (anurans, salamanders, and Scaphiopus couchii 3
squamates), the largest number of species occurs in the Aquiloeurycea scandens*
SMO; while all three species of turtles are found in the Chiropterotriton magnipes*
TVB (Table 5). Twenty-five of the 27 anuran species Chiropterotriton multidentatus*
(92.6%), all seven of the salamander species (100%), and Isthmura bellii*
69 of the 92 squamates (75.0%) occur in the SMO. Abronia taeniata*
The members of the Querétaro herpetofauna are Corytophanes hernandezii 4
distributed in either one, two, or three physiographic Laemanctus serratus 4
regions as follows: one region (77 of 129 species, 59.7%); Norops sericeus 4

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

No. 9. Norops sericeus Hallowell, 1856. The Silky Anole No. 10. Phrynosoma orbiculare (Linnaeus, 1758). The
occurs in the states of Tamaulipas, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Mountain Horned Lizard is known from the states of
Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Quintana Roo, northern Oaxaca, Chihuahua, Aguascalientes, Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis
Quéretaro, and Puebla. This individual was found in the Potosí, Michoacán, Ciudad de México, Estado de México,
municipality of Pisaflores, Hidalgo, near the state of Querétaro. Jalisco, Morelos, Tlaxcala, and Guanajuato (Ramírez-Bautista
Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 8, placing it in et al. 2014). This individual was located in the city of Querétaro,
the low vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 12,
assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but this species is not placing it in the upper portion of the medium vulnerability
listed by SEMARNAT. Photo by Daniel Lara Tufiño. category. Its conservation status has been considered as Least
Concern by the IUCN, and as Threatened (A) by SEMARNAT.
Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

No. 11. Sceloporus grammicus Wiegmann, 1828. The Mesquite No. 12. Plestiodon lynxe (Wiegmann, 1834). The Oak Forest
Lizard occurs in the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas, Skink occurs in central and western Mexico, in the states of
Coahuila, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Puebla,
Guerrero, Quéretaro, Hidalgo, Aguascalientes, and Nayarit. Aguascalientes, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Nayarit.
This individual was found in Huimilpan, Querétaro. Wilson This individual was found in Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro.
et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 9, placing it in the low Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 10, placing it in the
vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been assessed medium vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been
as Least Concern by the IUCN, and it has been placed in the assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and it has been placed
Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by in the Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde. by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

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Table 5. Summary of the distributional occurrence of herpetofaunal families in Querétaro, Mexico, by physiographic province. See
Table 4 for explanation of abbreviations.

Number of
Family Distributional occurrence
species
CP TVB SMO
Bufonidae 6 4 3 5
Craugastoridae 2 1 1 2
Eleutherodactylidae 4 1 1 3
Hylidae 8 3 2 8
Microhylidae 1 — — 1
Ranidae 4 4 4 4
Scaphiopodidae 2 1 1 2
Subtotal 27 14 12 25
Ambystomatidae 1 1 1 1
Plethodontidae 6 2 — 6
Subtotal 7 3 1 7
Total 34 17 13 32
Anguidae 4 2 1 3
Corytophanidae 2 — — 2
Dactyloidae 1 — — 1
Dibamidae 1 — — 1
Gekkonidae 1 — — 1
Phrynosomatidae 12 10 7 10
Scincidae 2 1 — 2
Sphenomorphidae 3 — — 3
Teiidae 2 2 1 2
Xantusiidae 3 1 — 3
Xenosauridae 1 — — 1
Subtotal 32 16 9 29
Boidae 1 — — 1
Colubridae 22 12 8 16
Dipsadidae 15 4 5 13
Elapidae 1 1 — 1
Leptotyphlopidae 2 2 1 —
Natricidae 8 4 3 4
Typhlopidae 1 1 — —
Viperidae 10 6 1 5
Subtotal 60 30 18 40
Kinosternidae 3 1 3 1
Subtotal 3 1 3 1
Total 95 47 30 70
Sum total 129 64 43 102

Anelytropsis papillosus* Lampropeltis polyzona*

Hemidactylus frenatus** Leptophis mexicanus 4
Sceloporus serrifer 4 Mastigodryas melanolomus 4
Plestiodon tetragrammus 3 Oxybelis potosiensis 8
Scincella gemmingeri* Spilotes pullatus 6
Scincella lateralis 3 Adelpicos quadrivirgatum 4
Scincella silvicola* Amastridium sapperi 4
Lepidophyma occulor* Chersodromus rubriventris*
Lepidophyma sylvaticum* Coniophanes fissidens 6
Xenosaurus mendozai* Coniophanes piceivittis 4
Boa imperator 6 Geophis latifrontalis*
Drymobius margaritiferus 8 Imantodes gemmistratus 6
Ficimia olivacea* Ninia diademata 4

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

No. 13. Scincella gemmingeri (Cope, 1864). Cope’s Forest No. 14. Xenosaurus mendozai Nieto-Montes de Oca, García-
Ground Skink occurs in southeastern Mexico, in Chiapas, Vázquez, Zúñiga-Vega, and Schmidt-Ballardo, 2013. The
eastern Hidalgo, central and southern Veracruz, Querétaro, Granular-Scaled Lizard occurs in the states of Querétaro, from
Oaxaca, southward to Tehuantepec, and on the slopes of the where it was first described, and Hidalgo. This individual was
plateau and in lowland areas of Tabasco and Puebla. This found in the municipality of Jacala de Ledezma, Hidalgo,
individual was found in Pinal de Amoles, Querétaro. Wilson near the state of Querétaro. In this study, and according to
et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 11, placing it in the Wilson et al. (2013a), we determined its EVS as 16, placing
medium vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been it in the high vulnerability category. According to IUCN, its
regarded as Least Concern by the IUCN, and it has been placed conservation status is unknown, and this species is not listed by
in the Special Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo SEMARNAT. Photo by Christian Berriozabal-Islas.
by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

No. 15. Conopsis lineata (Kennicott, 1859). The Lined No. 16. Amastridium sapperi (Werner, 1903). The Rusty-
Tolucan Ground Snake occurs in the central Mexican states of headed Snake occurs in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Hidalgo,
Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Estado de México, Michoacán, and Querétaro. This individual was found in La Cueva,
Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Pisaflores, Hidalgo, near the state of Querétaro. Wilson et al.
Tlaxcala, Veracruz, and Ciudad de México (Ramírez-Bautista et (2013a) determined its EVS as 10, placing it in the medium
al. 2014). This individual was found near the city of Querétaro. vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been assessed
Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 13, placing it as Least Concern by the IUCN, but this species is not listed by
at the upper limit of the medium vulnerability category. Its SEMARNAT. Photo by Daniel Lara Tufiño.
conservation status has been assessed as Least Concern by the
IUCN, but this species is not listed by SEMARNAT. Photo by
Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Tropidodipsas sartorii 4 The eight single-region species in the TVB are as follows,
Storeria hidalgoensis* using the same asterisk and numbering identifiers as
Storeria storerioides* above:
Thamnophis sumichrasti*
Agkistrodon taylori* Gerrhonotus infernalis 3
Bothrops asper 6 Lampropeltis ruthveni*
Crotalus totonacus* Salvadora grahamiae 3
Metlapilcoatlus borealis* Tantilla bocourti*
Leptodeira septentrionalis 8
Twenty-five of these 54 species (46.3%) are country Thamnophis melanogaster*
endemics and 28 of the remaining 29 are non-endemics, Kinosternon hirtipes 3
apart from the single non-native Hemidactylus frenatus. Kinosternon scorpioides 6
The distribution ranges of the 28 non-endemic species
are thus: five range to the north, including the United Three of these eight species (37.5%) are country endemics
States; 13 range farther south into Central America; six and the remaining five are non-endemics. Three of these
range through Central America and into South America; five species also range to the north, including the United
two range from the United States to Central America; and States, one species ranges through Central America and
two occur from the United States to South America. into South America, and one species occurs from the
United States to South America.
The 15 single-region species in the CP are as follows, using In summary, of the 77 single-region species found in
the same asterisk and numbering identifiers as above: Querétaro, 34 (44.2%) are country endemics, 41 (53.2%)
are non-endemics, and two are non-natives (2.6%). Of
Anaxyrus punctatus 3 the three physiographic regions in the state, the SMO
Eleutherodactylus guttilatus 3 is of greatest conservation significance, inasmuch as it
Sceloporus exsul* encompasses the largest overall number of species (102),
Gyalopion canum 3 the largest number of single-region species (54), and the
Masticophis mentovarius 6 largest number of country endemics (25).
Pseudoelaphe flavirufa 4
Epictia wynni* A Coefficient of Biogeographic Resemblance (CBR)
Thamnophis pulchrilatus* matrix was assembled for examining the herpetofaunal
Thamnophis scalaris* similarity relationships of the three physiographic regions
Virgotyphlops braminus** in Querétaro (Table 6). The SMO contains the most
Crotalus atrox 3 species richness (102 species) and the TVB the least (43
Crotalus molossus 3 species). The mean species richness value for all three
Crotalus polystictus* regions is 69.7. The number of shared species between
Crotalus scutulatus 3 each of the regional pairs ranges from 31 between the
Crotalus triseriatus* TVB and SMO regions to 45 between the Central Plateau
and the SMO. The mean value of shared species among
Six of these 15 species (40.0%) are country endemics all three regions is 36.0.
and the remaining nine are non-endemics, except for The CBR values in Table 6 range from 0.43 to 0.59.
the non-native Virgotyphlops braminus. Six of the eight The lowest value is that between the Sierra Madre Oriental
non-native species also range to the north, including and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt. These two regions
the United States, while one ranges farther south into lie at opposite extremes in the state (Fig. 1). The highest
Central America, and another one ranges through Central value is that between the Transmexican Volcanic Belt
America and into South America. and the Central Plateau, which are contiguous regions

Table 6. Pair-wise comparison matrix of Coefficient of Biogeographic Resemblance (CBR) data of the herpetofaunal relationships
for the three physiographic regions in Querétaro, Mexico. Underlined values = number of species in each region; upper triangular
matrix values = species in common between two regions; and lower triangular matrix values = CBR values. The formula for this
algorithm is CBR = 2C/N1 + N2 (Duellman 1990), where C is the number of species in common to both regions, N1 is the number of
species in the first region, and N2 is the number of species in the second region. See Fig. 10 for the UPGMA dendrogram produced
from the CBR data.
Central Plateau Transmexican Volcanic Belt Sierra Madre Oriental
Central Plateau 64 32 45
Transmexican Volcanic Belt 0.60 43 31
Sierra Madre Oriental 0.54 0.43 102

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Regional total

125
85
43
Table 7. Species comparison of three distributional categories recorded in the two physiographic regions common to the three states of Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Puebla in Mexico.

Non-natives

—
—

2
Transmexican Volcanic Belt

Non-endemics

46
20
20
Fig. 10. UPGMA-generated dendrogram illustrating the simi-
larity relationships of species richness among the herpetofaunal

endemics
components in the three physiographic regions of Querétaro

State

2
4
(based on the data in Table 7; Sokal and Michener 1958). Simi-
larity values were calculated using Duellman’s (1990) Coef-
ficient of Biogeographic Resemblance (CBR).

located in the south-central part of the state. The overall

endemics
Country
CBR values among the three physiographic regions are

77
59
23
as follows, arranged from the highest to the lowest value
(with species numbers in parentheses):

Transmexican Volcanic Belt (43) – 0.59 – Central Plateau (65)

Sierra Madre Oriental (102) – 0.54 – Central Plateau (65)
Regional
total

185
165
102

Based on the data in Table 6, a UPGMA dendrogram

(Fig. 10) was developed to illustrate the herpetofaunal
resemblance patterns among the three physiographic
regions of Querétaro (Fig. 1). The diagram demonstrates
natives

that two regions in Querétaro, the CP and the TVB, share

Non-

2
1
1

the higher herpetofaunal resemblance (0.60 level). Both

of these regions are largely montane and broadly contact
Sierra Madre Oriental

one another in the southern portion of the state. These

two regions are more distinguished (0.43 level) from the
endemics
Non-

Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO).

79
74
44

As indicated in the Introduction, we consider it useful

to compare the herpetofaunal representation of the two
physiographic regions in Querétaro with those of the
same two regions represented in Puebla (Woolrich-Piña
endemics
State

et al. 2017) and Hidalgo (Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020).

—

2
3

We placed the comparative data in Table 7. Most of the

species in the two physiographic regions we examined
are either Mexican endemic or non-endemic species,
endemics

while few state endemics and non-native species occur

Country

102

in either region. As expected, the number of species

87
57

in the two regions examined increases along with the

size of the herpetofauna in each of the three states, i.e.,
from Querétaro (129 species) to Hidalgo (202 species)
Querétaro

Hidalgo

Puebla

to Puebla (267 species). In each of the three states the

number of country endemics is greater than the number
of non-endemics. The proportions of country endemics

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

compared to the regional totals for the Sierra Madre by Wilson et al. (2017): MXUS, MXCA, MXSA, USCA,
Oriental in each of the three states are similar (55.9%, and USSA. As expected, the largest number of species
52.7%, and 55.1% for Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Puebla, falls into the MXUS category (26, 43.3%), which is
respectively). Likewise, each of the proportions for the followed by MXCA (17, 28.3%), MXSA (9, 15.0%),
Transmexican Volcanic Belt are reasonably similar to USCA (5, 8.3%), and finally USSA (3, 5.0%).
one another (53.5%, 69.4%, and 61.6%, respectively).
The proportions of the non-endemics compared to Principal Environmental Threats
the regional totals for the Sierra Madre Oriental in the
same three states also are similar to one another (43.4%, In this section we discuss the problems affecting the
44.8%, and 42.7%, respectively), whereas those for the sustainability of the amphibian and reptile populations in
Transmexican Volcanic Belt are less consistent (46.5%, Querétaro that we consider to be of greatest significance.
23.5%, and 36.8%, respectively). Several negative factors apply, such as the increasing and
unregulated clearing of forests for farming and raising
Distribution Status Categorizations livestock (for grazing areas), the construction of roads,
the constant and increasing pollution in bodies of water,
In discussing the distribution status of the members of the emerging diseases, forest fires, and strongly ingrained
Querétaro herpetofauna, we used the system developed by cultural factors (Cruz-Elizalde et al. 2016, 2019).
Alvarado-Díaz et al. (2013) which was used in all the other Humans have caused all these factors, either directly or
entries of the Mexican Conservation Series (see above). indirectly, so they should be considered “anthropogenic
The categories in this system are non-endemic, country effects.”
endemic, state endemic (only Sceloporus exsul), and non-
native. The categorizations for each species are listed in Deforestation. Despite the fact that Querétaro is
Table 8 and these data are summarized in Table 9. substantially covered with vegetation, primarily in the
The numbers of species in each of the three applicable northern part of the state where oak forests, pine forests,
categories, in decreasing order, are: country endemics, tropical vegetation, and cloud forest still remain, many of
67 (51.5%); non-endemics, 60 (46.2%); and non-natives, these areas have been highly deforested for their timber
3 (2.3%). As with the states of Michoacán (Alvarado- resources. Sawmills for wood extraction are common
Díaz et al. 2013), Nayarit (Woolrich-Piña et al. 2016), in many places, and woodlands often are transformed
Jalisco (Cruz-Sáenz et al. 2017), Puebla (Woolrich-Piña into areas for agriculture and livestock use. Forested
et al. 2017), and Hidalgo (Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020), areas in the state consist of 737,821 ha, of which 51.4%
the largest number of herpetofaunal species in Querétaro corresponds to arid areas such as chaparral and shrubland,
is in the country endemic category. In other states, the 24.1% to temperate forest dominated by conifers, 9.1%
largest number falls within the non-endemic category, to various forests (low, medium, and high), and 15.1% to
i.e., Oaxaca (Mata-Silva et al. 2015), Tamaulipas (Terán- disturbed areas with various degrees of effect, without
Juárez et al. 2016), Nuevo León (Nevárez-de los Reyes et vegetation cover, or of little importance.
al. 2016), and Chiapas (Johnson et al. 2015a). The areas of natural vegetation, whether with forests
Only one endemic species occurs in Querétaro or other types of cover, have been deforested to create
(Sceloporus exsul), and in the 10 previous individual- agricultural areas, urban settlements, industrial parks,
state entries in the Mexican Conservation Series the gas pipelines, aquaculture, or roads (Fig. 11). About 80%
number of state endemics was found to be variable, of all forest fires have been intentional. Accordingly,
ranging from one in Nayarit and Nuevo León (Woolrich- federal agencies such as the National Forestry
Piña et al. 2016; Nevárez-de los Reyes 2016) to 93 in Commission (CONAFOR) and state agencies such as
Oaxaca (Mata-Silva et al. 2015). the Forest Department of the Querétaro Secretariat for
Two non-native species are found in Querétaro, Agricultural Development (SEDEA) have devoted
Hemidactylus frenatus and Virgotyphlops braminus. resources, personnel, and campaigns to the mitigation
These two taxa are the most widespread of the non- of these fires. In addition, reforestation programs have
native species recorded in the 12 entries in the Mexican focused on regions with temperate forest sites, where
Conservation Series (Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020), and large portions of the area have been reforested, such as
as of this contribution, they now have been recorded in in the municipalities of Cadereyta de Montes, Colón, and
11 and 12 states or tri-state regions, respectively. Peñamiller, where 1,555 ha in these three municipalities
Wilson et al. (2017) developed a system for have been reforested since 2016.
categorizing the distribution of the herpetofauna of Deforestation has been more extensive in areas of
Mesoamerica, and applying those categories to this northern Querétaro, both in temperate environments
study, the data are summarized in Table 10. Previously, and forests. This destruction has largely affected the
we noted that 67 species in Querétaro are endemic to amphibians and reptiles that primarily inhabit these
Mexico, and thus 60 native species are not. These 60 environments, such as salamanders of the genera
species are allocated to five of the categories established Chiropterotriton and Pseudoeurycea; anurans such

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

No. 17. Thamnophis eques (Reuss, 1834). The Mexican Garter No. 18. Thamnophis sumichrasti (Cope, 1866). Sumichrast’s
Snake occurs in Mexico from the vicinity of the Pico de Garter Snake occurs in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Querétaro,
Orizaba northwestward to and south to Aguascalientes, Sonora San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Puebla, Veracruz, and Hidalgo. This
and Chihuahua, Quéretaro, Oaxaca, Nuevo León, Hidalgo, individual was found in Landa de Matamoros, Querétaro.
San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Puebla, Guerrero, Nayarit, and Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as 15, placing it in
Morelos. This individual was found in the locality of Mesa de the high vulnerability category. Its conservation status has been
León, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013a) determined its EVS as assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and it has been placed
8, placing it in the low vulnerability category. Its conservation in the Endangered (A) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by
status has been assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.
and it has been placed in the Endangered (A) category by
SEMARNAT. Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

No. 19. Micrurus tener (Baird and Girard, 1853). The Texas No. 20. Crotalus aquilus Klauber, 1952. The Dusky Rattlesnake
Coralsnake occurs “from the Mississippi River westward into is found “from the region of Lake Chapala, Jalisco, eastward
Texas, in the United States, and in Mexico, from Tamaulipas through Michoacán, Guanajuato, Querétaro, central San Luis
south to Veracruz...” (Lemos-Espinal and Dixon 2013: 240). Potosí, and southeastward through northern Hidalgo and
This individual came from Zona Metropolitana de Querétaro in northwestern Veracruz” (Lemos-Espinal and Dixon 2013:
the municipality of El Marques. Wilson et al. (2013a) calculated 249). This individual was encountered in the Área Natural
its EVS as 11, placing it in the medium vulnerability category. de Peña Colorada, in the muncipality of Querétaro. Wilson et
Its conservation status has been determined as Least Concern al. (2013a) ascertained its EVS as 16, placing it in the middle
by IUCN, and this species is not listed by SEMARNAT. Photo portion of the high vulnerability category. This species has been
by Diego Baez. assessed as Least Concern by IUCN, and placed in the Special
Protection (Pr) category by SEMARNAT. Photo by Alejandro
Peralta Robles.

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Table 8. Distributional and conservation status measures for members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico. Distributional
Status: CE = endemic to country of Mexico; NE = not endemic to state or country; and NN = non-native. The numbers suffixed
to the NE category signify the distributional categories developed by Wilson et al. (2017) and implemented in the taxonomic
list at the Mesoamerican Herpetology website (http://mesoamericanherpetology.com), as follows: 3 (species distributed only in
Mexico and the United States); 6 (species ranging from Mexico to South America); 7 (species ranging from the United States to
Central America); and 8 (species ranging from the United States to South America). Environmental Vulnerability Score categories
(taken from Wilson et al. 2013a,b): low (L) vulnerability (EVS of 3–9); medium (M) vulnerability (EVS of 10–13); and high (H)
vulnerability (EVS of 14–20). IUCN categories: CR = Critically Endangered; EN = Endangered; VU = Vulnerable; NT = Near
Threatened; LC = Least Concern; DD = Data Deficient; NE = Not Evaluated. SEMARNAT status: A = Threatened; P = Endangered;
Pr = Special Protection; and NS = No Status. See Alvarado-Díaz et al. (2013), Johnson et al. (2015a), and Mata-Silva et al. (2015)
for explanations of the EVS, IUCN, and SEMARNAT rating systems.

Environmental
Distributional IUCN SEMARNAT
Taxon Vulnerability
status categorization status
Category (score)
Anaxyrus compactilis* CE H (14) LC NS
Anaxyrus punctatus NE3 L (5) LC NS
Anaxyrus speciosus NE3 M (12) LC NS
Incilius nebulifer NE3 L (6) LC NS
Incilius occidentalis* CE M (11) LC NS
Rhinella horribilis NE7 L (3) NE NS
Craugastor augusti NE3 L (8) LC NS
Craugastor decoratus* CE H (15) VU Pr
Eleutherodactylus guttilatus NE3 M (11) LC NS
Eleutherodactylus longipes* CE H (15) VU NS
Eleutherodactylus nitidus* CE M (12) LC NS
Eleutherodactylus verrucipes* CE H (16) VU Pr
Dryophytes arenicolor NE3 L (7) LC NS
Dryophytes eximius* CE M (10) LC NS
Rheohyla miotympanum* CE L (9) NT NS
Scinax staufferi NE4 L (4) LC NS
Smilisca baudinii NE7 L (3) LC NS
Tlalocohyla godmani* CE M (13) VU A
Tlalocohyla picta NE4 L (8) LC NS
Trachycephalus vermiculatus NE6 L (4) LC NS
Hypopachus variolosus NE7 L (4) LC NS
Lithobates berlandieri NE3 L (7) LC Pr
Lithobates montezumae* CE M (13) LC Pr
Lithobates neovolcanicus* CE M (13) NT A
Lithobates spectabilis* CE M (12) LC NS
Scaphiopus couchii NE3 L (3) LC NS
Spea multiplicata NE3 L (6) LC NS
Ambystoma velasci* CE M (10) LC Pr
Aquiloeurycea cephalica* CE H (14) NT A
Aquiloeurycea scandens* CE H (17) VU Pr
Chiropterotriton chondrostega* CE H (17) EN Pr
Chiropterotriton magnipes* CE H (16) CR Pr
Chiropterotriton multidentatus* CE H (15) EN Pr
Isthmura bellii* CE M (12) VU A
Abronia taeniata* CE H (15) VU Pr
Barisia ciliaris* CE H (14) LC Pr
Gerrhonotus infernalis NE3 M (13) LC NS
Gerrhonotus ophiurus* CE M (12) LC NS
Corytophanes hernandezii NE4 M (13) LC Pr
Laemanctus serratus NE4 L (8) LC Pr
Norops sericeus NE4 L (8) NE NS
Anelytropsis papillosus* CE M (10) LC A
Hemidactylus frenatus** NN — — —

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Table 8 (continued). Distributional and conservation status measures for members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico.
Distributional Status: CE = endemic to country of Mexico; NE = not endemic to state or country; and NN = non-native. The
numbers suffixed to the NE category signify the distributional categories developed by Wilson et al. (2017) and implemented in the
taxonomic list at the Mesoamerican Herpetology website (http://mesoamericanherpetology.com), as follows: 3 (species distributed
only in Mexico and the United States); 6 (species ranging from Mexico to South America); 7 (species ranging from the United
States to Central America); and 8 (species ranging from the United States to South America). Environmental Vulnerability Score
categories (taken from Wilson et al. 2013a,b): low (L) vulnerability (EVS of 3–9); medium (M) vulnerability (EVS of 10–13); and
high (H) vulnerability (EVS of 14–20). IUCN categories: CR = Critically Endangered; EN = Endangered; VU = Vulnerable; NT
= Near Threatened; LC = Least Concern; DD = Data Deficient; NE = Not Evaluated. SEMARNAT status: A = Threatened; P =
Endangered; Pr = Special Protection; and NS = No Status. See Alvarado-Díaz et al. (2013), Johnson et al. (2015a), and Mata-Silva
et al. (2015) for explanations of the EVS, IUCN, and SEMARNAT rating systems.

Environmental
Distributional IUCN SEMARNAT
Taxon Vulnerability
status categorization status
Category (score)
Phrynosoma orbiculare* CE M (12) LC A
Sceloporus aeneus* CE M (13) LC NS
Sceloporus dugesii* CE M (13) LC NS
Sceloporus exsul* CE H (17) CR A
Sceloporus grammicus NE3 L (9) LC Pr
Sceloporus minor* CE H (14) LC NS
Sceloporus parvus* CE H (15) LC NS
Sceloporus scalaris* CE M (12) LC NS
Sceloporus serrifer NE4 L (6) LC NS
Sceloporus spinosus* CE M (12) LC NS
Sceloporus torquatus* CE M (11) LC NS
Sceloporus variabilis NE4 L (5) LC NS
Plestiodon lynxe* CE M (10) LC Pr
Plestiodon tetragrammus NE3 M (12) LC NS
Scincella gemmingeri* CE M (11) LC Pr
Scincella lateralis NE3 M (13) LC Pr
Scincella silvicola* CE M (12) LC A
Aspidoscelis gularis NE3 L (9) LC NS
Holcosus amphigrammus* CE M (11) NE NS
Lepidophyma gaigeae* CE M (13) VU Pr
Lepidophyma occulor* CE H (14) LC Pr
Lepidophyma sylvaticum* CE M (11) LC Pr
Xenosaurus mendozai* CE H (16) NE NS
Boa imperator NE6 M (10) NE NS
Conopsis lineata* CE M (13) LC NS
Conopsis nasus* CE M (11) LC NS
Drymarchon melanurus NE6 L (6) LC NS
Drymobius margaritiferus NE8 L (6) NE NS
Ficimia olivacea* CE L (9) NE NS
Gyalopion canum NE3 L (9) LC NS
Lampropeltis polyzona* CE M (11) NE NS
Lampropeltis ruthveni* CE H (16) NT A
Leptophis mexicanus NE4 L (6) LC A
Masticophis mentovarius NE6 L (6) LC A
Masticophis schotti NE3 M (13) LC NS
Mastigodryas melanolomus NE4 L (6) LC NS
Oxybelis potosiensis NE8 L (5) NE NS
Pituophis deppei* CE H (14) LC A
Pseudelaphe flavirufa NE4 M (10) LC NS
Salvadora bairdi* CE H (15) LC Pr
Salvadora grahamiae NE3 M (10) LC NS
Senticolis triaspis NE7 L (6) LC NS
Spilotes pullatus NE6 L (6) NE NS

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Table 8 (continued). Distributional and conservation status measures for members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico.
Distributional Status: CE = endemic to country of Mexico; NE = not endemic to state or country; and NN = non-native. The
numbers suffixed to the NE category signify the distributional categories developed by Wilson et al. (2017) and implemented in the
taxonomic list at the Mesoamerican Herpetology website (http://mesoamericanherpetology.com), as follows: 3 (species distributed
only in Mexico and the United States); 6 (species ranging from Mexico to South America); 7 (species ranging from the United
States to Central America); and 8 (species ranging from the United States to South America). Environmental Vulnerability Score
categories (taken from Wilson et al. 2013a,b): low (L) vulnerability (EVS of 3–9); medium (M) vulnerability (EVS of 10–13); and
high (H) vulnerability (EVS of 14–20). IUCN categories: CR = Critically Endangered; EN = Endangered; VU = Vulnerable; NT
= Near Threatened; LC = Least Concern; DD = Data Deficient; NE = Not Evaluated. SEMARNAT status: A = Threatened; P =
Endangered; Pr = Special Protection; and NS = No Status. See Alvarado-Díaz et al. (2013), Johnson et al. (2015a), and Mata-Silva
et al. (2015) for explanations of the EVS, IUCN, and SEMARNAT rating systems.

Environmental
Distributional IUCN SEMARNAT
Taxon Vulnerability
status categorization status
Category (score)
Tantilla bocourti* CE L (9) LC NS
Tantilla rubra NE4 L (5) LC Pr
Trimorphodon tau* CE M (13) LC NS
Adelphicos quadrivirgatum NE4 M (10) LC Pr
Amastridium sapperi NE4 M (10) LC NS
Chersodromus rubriventris* CE H (14) EN Pr
Coniophanes fissidens NE6 L (7) NE NS
Coniophanes piceivittis NE4 L (7) LC NS
Conophis lineatus NE4 L (9) LC NS
Diadophis punctatus NE3 L (4) LC NS
Geophis latifrontalis* CE H (14) DD Pr
Geophis mutitorques* CE M (13) LC Pr
Hypsiglena jani NE3 L (6) NE NS
Imantodes gemmistratus NE6 L (6) NE Pr
Leptodeira septentrionalis NE8 L (8) NE NS
Ninia diademata NE4 L (9) LC NS
Rhadinaea gaigeae* CE M (12) DD NS
Tropidodipsas sartorii NE4 L (9) LC Pr
Micrurus tener NE3 M (11) LC NS
Epictia wynni* CE M (13) NE NS
Rena dulcis NE3 M (13) LC NS
Storeria hidalgoensis* CE M (13) VU NS
Storeria storerioides* CE M (11) LC NS
Thamnophis cyrtopsis NE7 L (7) LC A
Thamnophis eques NE3 L (8) LC A
Thamnophis melanogaster* CE H (15) EN A
Thamnophis pulchrilatus* CE H (15) LC NS
Thamnophis scalaris* CE H (14) LC A
Thamnophis sumichrasti* CE H (15) LC A
Virgotyphlops braminus** NN — — —
Agkistrodon taylori* CE H (17) LC A
Bothrops asper NE6 M (12) NE NS
Crotalus aquilus* CE H (16) LC Pr
Crotalus atrox NE3 L (9) LC Pr
Crotalus molossus NE3 L (8) LC Pr
Crotalus polystictus* CE H (16) LC Pr
Crotalus scutulatus NE3 M (11) LC Pr
Crotalus totonacus* CE H (17) NE NS
Crotalus triseriatus* CE H (16) LC NS
Metlapilcoatlus borealis* CE M (13) NE A
Kinosternon hirtipes NE3 M (10) LC Pr
Kinosternon integrum* CE M (11) LC Pr
Kinosternon scorpioides NE6 M (10) NE Pr

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Table 9. Summary of the distributional status of the species in each herpetofaunal family in Querétaro, Mexico.
Number of Distributional status
Family
species Non-endemic (NE) Country Endemic (CE) Non-native (NN)
Bufonidae 6 4 2 —
Craugastoridae 2 1 1 —
Eleutherodactylidae 4 1 3 —
Hylidae 8 5 3 —
Microhylidae 1 1 — —
Ranidae 4 1 3 —
Scaphiopodidae 2 2 — —
Subtotal 27 15 12 —
Ambystomatidae 1 — 1 —
Plethodontidae 6 — 6 —
Subtotal 7 — 7 —
Total 34 15 19 —
Anguidae 4 1 3 —
Corytophanidae 2 2 — —
Dactyloidae 1 1 — —
Dibamidae 1 — 1 —
Gekkonidae 1 — — 1
Phrynosomatidae 12 3 9 —
Scincidae 2 1 1 —
Sphenomorphidae 3 1 2 —
Teiidae 2 1 1 —
Xantusiidae 3 — 3 —
Xenosauridae 1 — 1 —
Subtotal 32 10 21 1
Boidae 1 1 — —
Colubridae 22 13 9 —
Dipsadidae 15 11 4 —
Elapidae 1 1 — —
Leptotyphlopidae 2 1 1 —
Natricidae 8 2 6 —
Typhlopidae 1 — — 1
Viperidae 10 4 6 —
Subtotal 60 33 26 1
Kinosternidae 3 2 1 —
Subtotal 3 2 1 —
Total 95 45 48 2
Sum Total 129 60 67 2

as Craugastor, Eleutherodactylus, Charadrahyla, primarily in mountainous areas of the municipalities of

and Plectrohyla; lizards such as Abronia, Norops, Landa de Matamoros, Cadereyta de Montes, and Jalpan.
and Xenosaurus; and snakes of the genera Geophis, This type of activity also occurs in tropical areas in the
Thamnophis, and Crotalus. northern part of the state, where extensive forested areas
have been cut down to create grazing areas; however,
Livestock. Similar to deforestation, raising livestock also these areas only support low numbers of livestock,
involves vegetation removal for short-term exploitation. thereby highlighting the lack of a comprehensive
Livestock activities are associated with the destruction management plan for the production of cattle and goats
of thousands of hectares of pristine forest, and mainly in the state. A similar problem occurs in the central part
in areas of “matorral” (= scrub) in central Querétaro. of the state, where municipalities such as Pedro Escobedo
In these areas, a high extension of cover is used to and San Juan del Río contain the most land transformed
establish grazing areas. Likewise, the high demand for for agricultural irrigation and grazing.
the production of food animals, such as cattle, goats, and
pigs, has led to the transformation of many natural areas Roads. As occurs in other states, and mainly in the
into grazing areas or the establishment of breeding sites, metropolitan area of ​​Mexico City, the construction of

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Fig. 11. Urban environment near the city of Querétaro. Photo Fig. 12. A Crotalus molossus killed by ranchers. Photo by
by Cristhian Alejandro Peralta Robles. Cristhian Alejandro Peralta Robles.

highways and rural roads has increased significantly in and Ambystoma.

order to facilitate commerce, and over time has destroyed This general pattern is evident in the central region
large expanses of the natural vegetation. of Mexico, since rivers and other bodies of water in
These roads form barriers for individuals and northern Querétaro have been contaminated by fertilizers
populations of wildlife, thereby limiting the distribution or pesticides, which are known to cause malformations
of species, as well as the basic requirements (space in amphibians (Aguillón-Gutiérrez et al. 2018). The
and food) necessary for herpetofaunal populations decreases in amphibian populations mean that their
to survive and reproduce. Concurrently, such events predators, including snakes, are lacking food, so these
generate isolation, resulting in inbreeding and eventually species and their populations also are affected. Presently,
the extinction of populations (Kattan et al. 2004). In no conservation studies of the amphibians are available
this sense, rural roads and highways have become an for the state of Querétaro, or even assessments of the
important cause of the disturbance and mortality of status of their populations, since this is one of the least-
animals (Fig. 12), affecting millions of individuals explored states in the country. This situation highlights
per year (Spellerberg 2002). In the state of Querétaro, the need for studies evaluating the conservation status of
highways facilitate commercial exchange, mainly with members of Querétaro’s herpetofauna.
the states of Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, and
the State of Mexico, in addition to being the primary Myths and other cultural factors. In many areas
route for the arrival of tourists to such important towns as of Mexico, amphibians and reptiles often are
Bernal, Tequisquiapan, Cadereyta, Jalpan de Serra, San underappreciated, since they are frequently considered to
Joaquín, and Amealco, located in the middle and northern be poisonous or venomous, or otherwise harmful (Fig.
parts of the state. This situation favors an increase in 11).
the influx of visitors to the state, which causes a greater In northern Querétaro, where various indigenous
amount of traffic, and thus increases wildlife mortality on communities are located, many herpetofaunal species
the roads. This problem has become the general pattern continue to be killed due to local beliefs. For example,
in forested areas of neighboring states, such as Hidalgo some species of salamanders (genera Aquiloeurycea
(Puc Sánchez et al. 2013), and although a study of this and/or Isthmura) and lizards (genera Abronia, Barisia,
important matter has not been conducted in Querétaro, and Gerrhonotus) are thought to be venomous, whereas
increased highway mortality of wildlife is expected to all snakes are indiscriminately regarded as dangerous.
become an issue of major concern in this state. Additionally, many people believe that the salamanders
Aquiloeurycea cephalica and Bolitoglossa platydactyla,
Pollution of water bodies. The state of Querétaro and the snake Pituophis deppei, somehow impregnate
extends into part of the Metropolitan area of ​​Mexico City, women; therefore, encounters with these creatures
and is characterized by a high degree of urbanization frequently end up with them being killed (Ramírez-
that has caused significant modification of the natural Bautista et al. 2014). On the other hand, the use and
landscape. These changes include the creation of human consumption of amphibians and reptiles in Mexico is not
settlements, such as subdivisions or industrial zones, statistically well documented, since it is not a practice
as well as the transformation of natural vegetation into carried out on a daily basis (Lavín-Murcio and Lazcano
grazing or agricultural areas, which has had a significant 2010). However, in many parts of the state, particularly
impact on environmental health and the contamination of in rural communities, reptiles are used for medicinal
bodies of water. In addition, a decrease in the number of purposes, as is the case with rattlesnakes (genus Crotalus)
bodies of water has caused declines in the populations of that are in very high demand for treating diseases such as
amphibian species of the genera Lithobates, Dryophytes, cancer, although there are no scientific studies to prove

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Table 10. Summary of the distributional categories of herpetofaunal families in Querétaro, Mexico, that contain non-endemic
species. Categorizations are as follows: MXUS, species distributed only in Mexico and the United States (except for a few also
found in Canada); MXCA, species found only in Mexico and Central America; MXSA, species ranging from Mexico to South
America; USCA, species ranging from the United States to Central America (except for a few also found in the Antilles); and USSA,
species ranging from the United States to South America.
Number of Distributional status
Family non-endemic
species MXUS species (3) MXCA species (4) MXSA species (6) USCA species (7) USSA species (8)
Bufonidae 4 3 — — 1 —
Craugastoridae 1 1 — — — —
Eleutherodactylidae 1 1 — — — —
Hylidae 5 1 2 1 1 —
Microhylidae 1 — — — 1 —
Ranidae 1 1 — — — —
Scaphiopodidae 2 2 — — — —
Total 15 9 2 1 3 —
Anguidae 1 1 — — — —
Corytophanidae 2 — 2 — — —
Dactyloidae 1 — 1 — — —
Phrynosomatidae 3 1 2 — — —
Scincidae 1 1 — — — —
Sphenomorphidae 1 1 — — — —
Teiidae 1 1 — — — —
Subtotal 10 5 5 — — —
Boidae 1 — — 1 — —
Colubridae 13 3 4 3 1 2
Dipsadidae 11 2 6 2 — 1
Elapidae 1 1 — — — —
Leptotyphlopidae 1 1 — — — —
Natricidae 2 1 — — 1 —
Viperidae 4 3 — 1 — —
Subtotal 33 11 10 7 2 3
Kinosternidae 2 1 — 1 — —
Subtotal 2 1 — 1 — —
Total 45 17 15 8 2 3
Sum Total 60 26 17 9 5 3

this assumption (Fitzgerald et al. 2004). This belief has the available ratings for herpetofaunal species inhabiting
also spread in large cities, making this resource more Querétaro are given in Table 8 and summarized in Table
exploited for the sale of powders and ointments derived 11. The SEMARNAT system uses three categories of
from these organisms (Campbell and Lamar 2004). assessment: endangered (P), threatened (A), and under
special protection (Pr). In this study, we placed the
Conservation Status remaining unassessed species into a “no status” (NS)
category.
The three systems of conservation assessment used in The data in Table 11 show that only 55 (43.3%) of
the previous entries in the Mexican Conservation Series the 127 native species in Querétaro have been assessed
(see above) were applied here, i.e., the SEMARNAT by SEMARNAT, while 72 (56.7%) native species remain
(2010), IUCN Red List (http://iucnredlist.org), and unassessed based on this system.
Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS) systems If one assumes that SEMARNAT personnel placed a
(Wilson et al. 2013a,b). The assessments from these three greater emphasis on species endemic to Mexico, then this
systems have been updated as necessary. should be evident by comparing the assigned species to
their distributional categories, and those to the SEMARNAT
The SEMARNAT System. The SEMARNAT system categories. In order to determine whether this bias is
is a method for assessing conservation status that was evident, the pertinent data are shown in Table 12. These data
developed and implemented by the Secretaría del indicate that the majority of the non-endemic species (41
Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales of the federal of 60, 68.3%) have not been evaluated in the SEMARNAT
government of Mexico (SEMARNAT 2010). Some of system. The comparable values for the country endemics are

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Table 11. SEMARNAT categorizations for herpetofaunal species in Querétaro, Mexico, summarized by family. Non-native species
are excluded.

SEMARNAT category
Number of
Family Special No status
species Endangered (P) Threatened (A)
protection (Pr) (NS)
Bufonidae 6 — — — 6
Craugastoridae 2 — — 1 1
Eleutherodactylidae 4 — — 1 3
Hylidae 8 — 1 — 7
Microhylidae 1 — — — 1
Ranidae 4 — 1 2 1
Scaphiopodidae 2 — — — 2
Subtotal 27 — 2 4 21
Ambystomatidae 1 — — 1 —
Plethodontidae 6 — 2 4 —
Subtotal 7 — 2 5 —
Total 34 — 4 9 21
Anguidae 4 — — 2 2
Corytophanidae 2 — — 2 —
Dactyloidae 1 — — — 1
Dibamidae 1 — 1 — —
Phrynosomatidae 12 — 2 1 9
Scincidae 2 — — 1 1
Sphenomorphidae 3 — 1 2 —
Teiidae 2 — — — 2
Xantusiidae 3 — — 3 —
Xenosauridae 1 — — — 1
Subtotal 31 — 4 11 16
Boidae 1 — — — 1
Colubridae 22 — 4 2 16
Dipsadidae 15 — — 6 9
Elapidae 1 — — — 1
Leptotyphlopidae 2 — — — 2
Natricidae 8 — 5 — 3
Viperidae 10 — 2 5 3
Subtotal 59 — 11 13 35
Kinosternidae 3 — — 3 —
Subtotal 3 3 —
Total 93 — 15 27 51
Sum Total 127 — 19 36 72

29 of 67 (43.3%). Similar values were reported by Ramírez- The IUCN System. The International Union for
Bautista et al. (2020), but they do not indicate a clear bias in Conservation of Nature (IUCN) system for conservation
favor of the Mexican endemic species. Nonetheless, these assessment is intended to apply to all organisms, although
data demonstrate that the SEMARNAT system is not of it is mostly applied to vertebrate animals and flowering
much use in assessing the conservation status of the Mexican plants. For example, of the 78,126 animal species
herpetofauna in general, and especially the herpetofauna of assessed as of 10 December 2020, 53,907 are vertebrates
Querétaro, until all the species are incorporated. (69.0%). Of the 50,369 plant species evaluated, 48,323

Table 12. Comparison of SEMARNAT and Distributional categories for the Querétaro herpetofauna. Non-native species are
excluded.
SEMARNAT category
Distributional category
Endangered (P) Threatened (A) Special Protection (Pr) No Status (NS) Total
Non-endemic species (NE) — 4 15 41 60
Country-endemic species (CE) — 16 22 29 67
Total — 20 37 70 127

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(95.9%) are flowering plants (IUCN Red List version In previous entries of the Mexican Conservation
2020-3: see Table 1a in that list). That table also shows Series, the IUCN system of conservation evaluation has
that the vertebrate assessments include 7,166 species of been criticized for several reasons (e.g., see Johnson et
amphibians and 8,236 species of reptiles. The Reptile al. 2015b). Nonetheless, the IUCN system is sufficiently
Database website (accessed 1 January 2021) provides a broadly applied that we would be negligent by not using
total count for reptile species as 11,341 (dated August it here. Thus, the IUCN categorizations for the members
2020); thus, as of that date 72.6% of the world’s reptile of the Hidalgo herpetofauna are shown in Table 8, and
species had been assessed by the IUCN; the similar summarized in Table 13.
total for amphibian species is 86.7% of 8,270 species Of the 127 native members of the Querétaro
(Amphibian Species of the World website; accessed 1 herpetofauna, 107 (84.3%) species have been assessed
January 2021). Thus, a significantly greater portion of using the IUCN system (Table 13). This percentage is
the amphibian species has been assessed, as compared similar to that calculated by Ramírez-Bautista et al. (2020)
to the reptile species. For the global herpetofauna, of the for the herpetofauna of the adjacent state of Hidalgo
19,611 total species, 15,402 (78.5%) have been assessed. (82.4%). Of these 107 species, only 15 (14.0%) have

Table 13. IUCN Red List categories for the species in each herpetofaunal family in Querétaro, Mexico. Non-native species are
excluded. The shaded columns to the left are the “threat categories,” and those to the right are the categories for which either too
little information on the conservation status exists to allow the taxon to be placed in any other IUCN category (DD), or the species
was simply not evaluated (NE).

IUCN Red List category

Number
Family of
species Critically Near Least Data Not
Endangered Vulnerable
Endangered Threatened Concern Deficient Evaluated

Bufonidae 6 — — — — 5 — 1
Craugastoridae 2 — — 1 — 1 — —
Eleutherodactylidae 4 — — 2 — 2 — —
Hylidae 8 — — 1 1 6 — —
Microhylidae 1 — — — — 1 — —
Ranidae 4 — — — 1 3 — —
Scaphiopodidae 2 — — — — 2 — —
Subtotal 27 — — 4 2 20 — 1
Ambystomatidae 1 — — — — 1 — —
Plethodontidae 6 1 2 2 1 — — —
Subtotal 7 1 2 2 1 1 — —
Total 34 1 2 6 3 21 — 1
Anguidae 4 — — 1 — 3 — —
Corytophanidae 2 — — — — 2 — —
Dactyloidae 1 — — — — — — 1
Dibamidae 1 — — — — 1 — —
Phrynosomatidae 12 1 — — — 11 — —
Scincidae 2 — — — — 2 — —
Sphenomorphidae 3 — — — — 3 — —
Teiidae 2 — — — — 1 — 1
Xantusiidae 3 — — 1 — 2 — —
Xenosauridae 1 — — — — — — 1
Subtotal 31 1 — 2 — 25 — 3
Boidae 1 — — — — — — 1
Colubridae 22 — — — 1 16 — 5
Dipsadidae 15 — 1 — — 8 2 4
Elapidae 1 — — — — 1 — —
Leptotyphlopidae 2 — — — — 1 — 1
Natricidae 8 — 1 1 — 6 — —
Viperidae 10 — — — — 7 — 3
Subtotal 59 — 2 1 1 39 2 14
Kinosternidae 3 — — — — 2 — 1
Subtotal 3 — — — — 2 — 1
Total 93 1 2 3 1 67 2 18
Sum total 127 2 4 9 4 87 2 19
Category total 127 15 91 21

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been allocated to one of the three “threat categories,” the 127 native species in Querétaro (Table 13). Whether
including two as CR, four as EN, and nine as VU (Table such a large proportion of these native species are actually
13). The two CR species are a salamander (Chiropterotriton of “least concern” is open to question, and we examine
magnipes) and a lizard (Sceloporus exsul), both country these assignments below.
endemics. The four EN species are two salamanders Twenty members of the Querétaro herpetofauna have
(Chiropterotriton chondrostega and C. multidentatus) and not been assessed using the IUCN system, of which two
two snakes (Chersodromus rubriventris and Thamnophis species are placed in the Data Deficient (DD) category and
melanogaster), all country endemics. The nine VU species the remaining 18 in the Not Evaluated (NE) category. These
are four anurans (Craugastor decoratus, Eleutherodactylus 20 species comprise 15.7% of the native herpetofauna, and
longipes, E. verrucipes, and Tlalocohyla godmani), two we examine them in more detail below.
salamanders (Aquiloeurycea scandens and Isthmura bellii),
two lizards (Abronia taeniata and Lepidophyma gaigeae), The EVS System. Originally, the EVS (Environmental
and a snake (Storeria hidalgoensis), all country endemics. Vulnerability Score) system was created for evaluating the
Of the 92 species allocated in the “lower risk categories” conservation status of the Honduran herpetofauna, but since
(NT and LC), only four are in the NT category and the then it has been employed in assessing other components of
remaining 88 are in the LC category (Table 13). The four the Mexican and Central American herpetofaunas (Wilson
NT species are two anurans (Rheohyla miotympanum and et al. 2013a,b; Johnson et al. 2015b; and all entries in the
Lithobates neovolcanicus), a salamander (Aquiloeurycea Mexican Conservation Series [see above]). In this study, we
cephalica), and a snake (Lampropeltis ruthveni), all list the assessed EVS values for the 127 native species in
country endemics. The 88 LC species constitute 69.3% of Table 8, and summarize them in Table 14.

Table 14. Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) for herpetofaunal species in Querétaro, Mexico, summarized by family. The
shaded area to the left encompasses the low vulnerability scores, and the one to the right includes the high vulnerability scores.
Non-native species are excluded.

Number Environmental Vulnerability Scores

Family of
species 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Bufonidae 6 1 — 1 1 — — — — 1 1 — 1 — — —
Craugastoridae 2 — — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 — —
Eleutherodactylidae 4 — — — — — — — — 1 1 — — 1 1 —
Hylidae 8 1 2 — — 1 1 1 1 — — 1 — — — —
Microhylidae 1 — 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Ranidae 4 — — — — 1 — — — — 1 2 — — — —
Scaphiopodidae 2 1 — — 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
Subtotal 27 3 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 3 1 2 1 —
Ambystomatidae 1 — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — —
Plethodontidae 6 — — — — — — — — — 1 — 1 1 1 2
Subtotal 7 — — — — — — — 1 — 1 — 1 1 1 2
Total 34 3 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 4 3 2 3 2 2
Anguidae 4 — — — — — — — — — 1 1 1 1 — —
Corytophanidae 2 — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 — — — —
Dactyloidae 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — — — — —
Dibamidae 1 — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — —
Phrynosomatidae 12 — — 1 1 — — 1 — 1 3 2 1 1 — 1
Scincidae 2 — — — — — — 1 1 — — — — —
Sphenomorphidae 3 — — — — — — — — 1 1 1 — — — —
Teiidae 2 — — — — — — 1 — 1 — — — — — —
Xantusiidae 3 — — — — — — — — 1 — 1 1 — — —
Xenosauridae 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 1 —
Subtotal 31 — — 1 1 2 2 2 4 6 6 3 2 1 1
Boidae 1 — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — — —
Colubridae 22 — — 2 7 — — 3 2 2 — 3 1 1 1 —
Dipsadidae 15 — 1 — 2 2 1 3 2 — 1 1 2 — — —
Elapidae 1 — — — — — — — — 1 — — — — — —
Leptotyphlopidae 2 — — — — — — — — — — 2 — — — —
Natricidae 8 — — — — 1 1 — — 1 — 1 1 3 — —
Viperidae 10 — — — — — 1 1 — 1 1 1 — — 3 2
Subtotal 59 — 1 2 9 3 3 7 5 5 2 8 4 4 4 2
Kinosternidae 3 — — — — — — — 2 1 — — — — — —
Subtotal 3 — — — — — — — 2 1 — — — — — —
Total 93 — 1 3 10 3 5 9 9 10 8 14 7 6 5 3
Sum total 127 3 4 4 12 5 7 10 11 12 12 17 9 9 7 5
Category total 127 45 52 30

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Table 15. Comparison of Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) and IUCN categories for members of the herpetofauna of
Querétaro, Mexico. Non-native species are excluded. The shaded area at the top encompasses low vulnerability category scores, and
the one at the bottom includes the high vulnerability category scores.
IUCN category
EVS Critically Near Least Not Total
Endangered Vulnerable Data Deficient
Endangered Threatened Concern Evaluated
3 — — — — 2 — 1 3
4 — — — — 4 — — 4
5 — — — — 3 — 1 4
6 — — — — 8 — 4 12
7 — — — — 4 — 1 5
8 — — — — 5 — 2 7
9 — — — 1 8 — 1 10
10 — — — — 9 — 2 11
11 — — — — 10 — 2 12
12 — — 1 — 9 1 1 12
13 — — 3 1 11 — 2 17
14 — 1 — 1 6 1 — 9
15 — 2 3 — 4 — — 9
16 1 — 1 1 3 — 1 7
17 1 1 1 — 1 — 1 5
Total 2 4 9 4 87 2 19 127

The EVS values range from 3 to 17, three fewer than salamanders (five), compared to six of 92 reptiles (6.5%).
the entire theoretical range of 3–20. The most frequent Only one salamander (Chiropterotriton magnipes)
values (applied to 10 or more species) are 6 (12 species), and one lizard (Sceloporus exsul) are assessed as CR;
9 (10), 10 (11), 11 (12), 12 (12), and 13 (17). Collectively, only two salamanders (Chiropterotriton chondrostega
these six values are applied to 74 of the 127 native species and C. multidentatus) and two snakes (Chersodromus
(58.3%). We determined the lowest score of 3 for three rubriventris and Thamnophis melanogaster) as EN; and
anuran species (Rhinella horribilis, Smilisca baudinii, four anurans (Craugastor decoratus, Eleutherodactylus
and Scaphiopus couchii) and the highest score of 17 for longipes, E. verrucipes, and Tlalocohyla godmani), two
five species, including two salamanders (Aquiloeurycea salamanders (Aquiloeurycea scandens and Isthmura
scandens and Chiropterotriton chondrostega), one lizard bellii), two lizards (Abronia taeniata and Lepidophyma
(Sceloporus exsul), and two snakes (Agkistrodon taylori gaigeae), and one snake (Storeria hidalgoensis) as VU.
and Crotalus totonacus); and all five of these species are At the other extreme, the 45 low vulnerability species
country endemics. comprise 51.7% of the 87 LC species (Table 15). As
As in previous MCS studies, we allocated the EVS demonstrated in other MCS entries, the results of
scores into three categories of low, medium, and high
vulnerability. Accordingly, the summary values (Table 14)
increase from low vulnerability (45 species) to medium
vulnerability (52), and then decrease to high vulnerability
(30). In general, this pattern is typical of state herpetofaunas
that contain more non-endemic species than country and
state endemics, as was found in Chiapas (Johnson et al.
2015a), Tamaulipas (Terán-Juárez et al. 2016), Nuevo León
(Nevárez-de los Reyes et al. 2016), Coahuila (Lazcano
et al. 2019), and Hidalgo (Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020).
In the case of the Querétaro herpetofauna, however, the
number of country endemics (67) is seven more than the
number of non-endemics (60).
The numbers of species in the Querétaro herpetofauna
for each IUCN category / EVS score combination are No. 21. Crotalus triseriatus Wagler, 1830. The Central Plateau
shown in Table 15. This comparison indicates that 15 of Dusky Rattlesnake occurs in the states of Veracruz, Michoacán,
Morelos, Hidalgo, Querétaro, and Puebla. This individual
the 30 high vulnerability species (50.0%) were allocated to
was found in Huimilpan, Querétaro. Wilson et al. (2013a)
one of the three IUCN “threat categories.” This relatively determined its EVS as 16, placing it in the high vulnerability
moderate proportion is due primarily to the number of category. Its conservation status has been assessed as Least
amphibians evaluated as CR, EN, or VU; nine of 34 Concern by IUCN, but this species is not listed by SEMARNAT.
amphibian species (26.5%) are anurans (four species) and Photo by Raciel Cruz-Elizalde.

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Table 16. Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) for the two members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico, that are
allocated to the IUCN Data Deficient category. * = country endemic.

Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS)

Taxon Reproductive
Geographic Ecological Total
mode/Degree of
distribution distribution score
persecution
Geophis latifrontalis* 5 7 2 14
Rhadinaea gaigeae* 5 5 2 12

applying the IUCN and EVS systems do not correspond mendozai. We also suggest that the species with an EVS
well to one another. of 12 or 13 should be placed in the NT category. The
Two of the 127 native members of the Querétaro remainder of the species with an EVS of 6–11 can be
herpetofauna were assigned to the DD category (Table allocated to the LC category (Table 17).
16; Geophis latifrontalis and Rhadinaea gaigeae). Based As in other studies in the Mexican Conservation
on the argument applied in prior MCS studies, we suggest Series, a sizeable number of members of the herpetofauna
the allocation of G. latifrontalis to the VU category and of Querétaro have been allocated to the Least Concern
R. gaigeae to the NT category. category by IUCN (Table 18); this number amounts to
Nineteen species remain unevaluated using the 87, or 68.5% of the total of 127 native species. Given
IUCN system (allocated to the NE category in Tables this indication that slightly fewer than seven of every 10
8 and 17). Seven of these species are country endemics herpetofaunal species in Querétaro has been classified
(Holcosus amphigrammus, Xenosaurus mendozai, as Least Concern, it would appear that the conservation
Ficimia olivacea, Lampropeltis polyzona, Epictia wynni, status of state’s herpetofauna is in relatively good shape.
Crotalus totonacus, and Metlapilcoatlus borealis), and To determine if this is the case, we further considered the
the rest are non-endemics. The EVS values for these 19 87 species in Table 18, along with the their respective
species range from 3–17, which places some in all three EVS values. Although one might expect that the LC
summary categories (Table 8). Ten have low EVS scores, species would most likely be non-endemic to Mexico,
seven have medium scores, and two have high scores. 39 (44.8%) are actually country endemics, including six
Until the IUCN evaluations become available for these anurans, one salamander, 16 lizards, 15 snakes, and one
species, we suggest that the two high EVS species should turtle (Table 18). The range of EVS values of these 39
be placed in one of the three threat categories, perhaps species covers 9–17, which lies mostly outside of the
as follows: CR—Crotalus totonacus; EN—Xenosaurus low vulnerability range of values. The allocation of the

Table 17. Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) for those members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico, that are currently
Not Evaluated (NE) by the IUCN. Non-native taxa are excluded. * = country endemic.
Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS)

Taxon Reproductive
Geographic Ecological Total
mode/Degree of
distribution distribution score
persecution
Rhinella horribilis 1 1 1 3
Norops sericeus 2 3 3 8
Holcosus amphigrammus* 5 3 3 11
Xenosaurus mendozai* 5 8 3 16
Boa imperator 3 1 6 10
Drymobius margaritiferus 1 1 4 6
Ficimia olivacea* 5 2 2 9
Lampropeltis polyzona* 1 3 5 9
Oxybelis potosiensis 1 1 3 5
Spilotes pullatus 1 1 4 6
Coniophanes fissidens 1 3 3 7
Hypsiglena jani 1 3 2 6
Imantodes gemmistratus 1 3 2 6
Leptodeira septentrionalis 2 2 4 8
Epictia wynni* 5 7 1 13
Bothrops asper 3 4 5 12
Crotalus totonacus 5 7 5 17
Kinosternon scorpioides 3 4 3 10

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Table 18. Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) for those members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico, that are assigned
to the IUCN Least Concern (LC) category. Non-native taxa are not included. * = country endemic.

Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS)

Taxon
Geographic Ecological Reproductive mode/Degree Total
distribution distribution of persecution score
Anaxyrus compactilis* 5 8 1 14
Anaxyrus punctatus 1 3 1 5
Anaxyrus speciosus 4 7 1 12
Incilius nebulifer 1 4 1 6
Incilius occidentalis* 5 5 1 11
Craugastor augusti 2 2 4 8
Eleutherodactylus guttilatus 2 5 4 11
Eleutherodactylus nitidus* 5 3 4 12
Dryophytes arenicolor 2 4 1 7
Dryophytes eximius* 5 4 1 10
Scinax staufferi 2 1 1 4
Smilisca baudinii 1 1 1 3
Tlalocohyla picta 2 5 1 8
Trachycephalus vermiculatus 1 2 1 4
Hypopachus variolosus 2 1 1 4
Lithobates berlandieri 4 2 1 7
Lithobates montezumae* 5 7 1 13
Lithobates spectabilis* 5 6 1 13
Scaphiopus couchii 1 1 1 3
Spea multiplicata 1 4 1 6
Ambystoma velasci* 5 4 1 10
Barisia ciliaris* 5 7 3 15
Gerrhonotus infernalis 5 5 3 13
Gerrhonotus ophiurus* 5 4 3 12
Corytophanes hernandezii 4 6 3 13
Laemanctus serratus 2 3 3 8
Anelytropsis papillosus* 5 4 1 10
Phrynosoma orbiculare* 5 4 3 12
Sceloporus aeneus* 5 5 3 13
Sceloporus dugesii* 5 5 3 13
Sceloporus grammicus 2 4 3 9
Sceloporus minor* 5 6 3 14
Sceloporus parvus* 5 7 3 15
Sceloporus scalaris* 5 4 3 12
Sceloporus serrifer 2 1 3 6
Sceloporus spinosus* 5 4 3 12
Sceloporus torquatus* 5 3 3 11
Sceloporus variabilis 1 1 3 5
Plestiodon lynxe* 5 2 3 10
Plestiodon tetragrammus 4 5 3 12
Scincella gemmingeri* 5 3 3 11
Scincella lateralis 3 7 3 13
Scincella silvicola* 5 4 3 12
Aspidoscelis gularis 2 4 3 9
Lepidophyma occulor* 5 7 2 14
Lepidophyma sylvaticum* 5 4 2 11
Conopsis lineata* 5 6 2 13
Conopsis nasus* 5 4 2 11
Drymarchon melanurus 1 1 4 6
Gyalopion canum 4 3 2 9

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Table 18 (continued). Environmental Vulnerability Scores (EVS) for those members of the herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico, that
are assigned to the IUCN Least Concern (LC) category. Non-native taxa are not included. * = country endemic.

Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS)

Taxon
Geographic Ecological Reproductive mode/Degree Total
distribution distribution of persecution score
Leptophis mexicanus 1 1 4 6
Masticophis mentovarius 1 1 4 6
Masticophis schotti 4 5 4 13
Mastigodryas melanolomus 1 1 4 6
Pituophis deppei* 5 5 4 14
Pseudelaphe flavirufa 2 4 4 10
Salvadora bairdi* 5 6 4 15
Salvadora grahamiae 4 2 4 10
Senticolis triaspis 2 1 3 6
Tantilla bocourti* 5 2 2 9
Tantilla rubra 2 1 2 5
Trimorphodon tau* 5 4 4 13
Adelphicos quadrivirgatum 4 4 2 10
Amastridium sapperi 4 4 2 10
Coniophanes piceivittis 1 3 3 7
Conophis lineatus 2 3 4 9
Diadophis punctatus 1 1 2 4
Geophis mutitorques* 5 6 2 13
Ninia diademata 4 3 2 9
Tropidodipsas sartorii 2 2 5 9
Micrurus tener 1 5 5 11
Rena dulcis 4 8 1 13
Storeria storerioides* 5 4 2 11
Thamnophis cyrtopsis 2 1 4 7
Thamnophis eques 2 2 4 8
Thamnophis pulchrilatus* 5 6 4 15
Thamnophis scalaris* 5 5 4 14
Thamnophis sumichrasti* 5 6 4 15
Agkistrodon taylori* 5 7 5 17
Crotalus aquilus* 5 6 5 16
Crotalus atrox 1 3 5 9
Crotalus molossus 2 1 5 8
Crotalus polystictus* 5 6 5 16
Crotalus scutulatus 2 4 5 11
Crotalus triseriatus* 5 6 5 16
Kinosternon hirtipes 2 5 3 10
Kinosternon integrum* 5 3 3 11

EVS values for the 87 species into the three summary species could remain in the LC category, at least until
categories demonstrates one species is low (3–9), 24 are more targeted surveys can be undertaken.
medium (10–13), and 14 are high (14–20). Accordingly,
we suggest that a more realistic assessment would be to Relative Herpetofaunal Priority
place the 14 high vulnerability species into one of the
three threat categories, as follows: CR (Agkistrodon Johnson et al. (2015a) originated the concept of Relative
taylori); EN (Crotalus aquilus, C. polystictus, and C. Herpetofaunal Priority (RHP), a simple device used to
triseriatus), and VU (Anaxyrus compactilis, Barisia measure the relative importance of the herpetofaunal
ciliaris, Sceloporus minor, S. parvus, Lepidophyma species found in any geographic entity (e.g., a state or
occulor, Pituophis deppei, Salvadora bairdi, Thamnophis physiographic region). Determining the RHP involves
pulchrilatus, T. scalaris, and T. sumichrasti). All of the 24 the use of two methods: (1) calculating the proportion
medium vulnerability species probably should be placed of state and country endemics as they relate to the entire
in the NT category, and the single low vulnerability physiographic regional herpetofauna, and (2) calculating

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Table 19. Number of herpetofaunal species in each distributional status category among the three physiographic regions of
Querétaro, Mexico. The rank is based on the number of country endemics.

Distributional category
Physiographic region Country Total Rank order
Non-endemics Non-natives
endemics
Central Plateau 27 36 1 64 2
Transmexican Volcanic Belt 19 24 — 43 3
Sierra Madre Oriental 44 57 1 102 1

the absolute number of high category species in each Sceloporus minor* (14)
physiographic regional herpetofauna. The pertinent data Sceloporus parvus* (15)
for these two methods are shown in Tables 19 and 20. Lepidophyma occulor* (14)
Based on the relative number of country endemics Xenosaurus mendozai* (16)
(Table 19), the first rank is held by the SMO with 57 Pituophis deppei* (14)
country endemics of a total of 102 species (55.9%). The Salvadora bairdi* (15)
remaining ranks are second for the CP (36 of 64 species; Chersodromus rubriventris* (14)
56.3%) and third for the TVB (24 of 43 species; 55.8%). Geophis latifrontalis* (14)
Interestingly, the three proportions (55.9, 56.3, and 55.8) Thamnophis sumichrasti* (15)
only differ from one another by 0.5 or less. Agkistrodon taylori* (17)
Based on the relative number of high vulnerabilty Crotalus aquilus* (16)
species (Table 20), the ranks are the same as above: first Crotalus totonacus* (17)
is SMO (23 of 101 species; 22.8%); second is CP (14 of
63 species; 22.2%); and third is TVB (six of 43 species; Of these 24 species, all are country endemics and note
14.0%). that their EVS values range from 14 to 17.
Based on the results of the RHP analysis, the
physiographic region with the highest priority is the The CP contains 36 country endemics, including seven
SMO, inasmuch as it contains the highest numbers of anurans, two salamanders, 12 lizards, 12 snakes, and
both country endemics and high vulnerability species one turtle, all of which are indicated with an asterisk
(Tables 19–20). This region also has the highest priority in Table 4. The CP also contains 14 high vulnerability
in Puebla (Woolrich-Piña et al. 2017) and Hidalgo species, which are identified in Table 8 and listed here
(Ramírez-Bautista et al. 2020). The country endemics for emphasis:
include 12 anurans, seven salamanders, 19 lizards, 18
snakes, and one turtle. We indicate these species with Anaxyrus compactilis* (14)
an asterisk in Table 4. The SMO also harbors 23 high Aquiloeurycea cephalica* (14)
vulnerability species, which are identified in Table 8 Chiropterotriton chondrostega* (17)
and listed here for emphasis (with EVS score shown in Barisia ciliaris* (14)
parentheses): Sceloporus exsul* (17)
Sceloporus minor* (14)
Anaxyrus compactilis* (14) Sceloporus parvus* (15)
Craugastor decoratus* (15) Pituophis deppei* (14)
Eleutherodactylus longipes* (15) Salvadora bairdi* (15)
Eleutherodactylus verrucipes* (16) Thamnophis pulchrilatus* (15)
Aquiloeurycea cephalica* (14) Thamnophis scalaris* (14)
Aquiloeurycea scandens* (17) Crotalus aquilus* (16)
Chiropterotriton chondrostega* (17) Crotalus polystictus* (16)
Chiropterotriton magnipes* (16) Crotalus triseriatus* (16)
Chiropterotriton multidentatus* (15)
Abronia taeniata* (15) All of these 14 species are country endemics and note
Barisia ciliaris* (14) that their EVS values range from 14 to 17.
Table 20. Number of herpetofaunal species in each of the three EVS categories among the three physiographic regions of Querétaro,
Mexico. The rank is determined by the relative number of high EVS species. Non-native species are excluded.
Physiographic region Low Medium High Total Rank order
Central Plateau 22 27 14 63 2
Transmexican Volcanic Belt 14 23 6 43 3
Sierra Madre Oriental 37 42 23 101 1

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

The TVB is home to 24 country endemic species,

Table 21 Characteristics of the Natural Protected Areas in Querétaro, Mexico. Abbreviations in the Facilities available column are as follows: A = administrative services; R = park guards; S

Herpetofaunal
including seven anurans, one salamander, six lizards,

completed
nine snakes, and one turtle, all of which are indicated

survey

No

No

No
with an asterisk in Table 4. The TVB also harbors six
high vulnerability species, as indicated in Table 8 and
listed here for emphasis:

Management
Anaxyrus compactilis* (14)

available
Eleutherodactylus verrucipes* (16)

plan

Yes

Yes

Yes
Lampropeltis ruthveni* (16)
Pituophis deppei* (14)
Thamnophis melanogaster* (15)
Crotalus aquilus* (16)

Occupied by
landowners

Yes

Yes

Yes
All six of these species are country endemics and note
that their EVS values range from 14 to 16.

In each of the three physiographic regions in Querétaro,

A, R, S, V

A, R, S, V

A, R, S, V
Facilities
available
the largest distributional grouping consists of country
endemic species. In addition, the high vulnerability species
in each region also are country endemics. Thus, both RHP
measures indicate that the species of greatest conservation

Physiographic

Transmexican

Transmexican
Volcanic Belt

Volcanic Belt

Sierra Madre
significance are all country endemic species. These results

Oriental
region
are important to recognize in any efforts to protect these
creatures (as discussed in detail below).

Protected Areas in Querétaro

Jurisdiction

Government

Government

Government
Mexican

Mexican

Mexican
Federal

Federal

Federal
Since humans apparently are not predisposed to
deal with the threats posed to planetary biodiversity
(Wilson and Lazcano 2019), i.e., to change the ways of
thinking to promote the control of human population
growth, conservation biologists generally propose the

Matamoros, Pinal
Serra, Landa de

de Amoles, San
Municipalities

Arroyo Seco,
establishment of protected areas to ensure the safety of
Santiago de

Santiago de
Querétaro

Querétaro

Jalpan de

Joaquín
populations of organisms within those areas. In the case
of Querétaro, three such areas have been proposed (Table
21). As noted by Woolrich-Piña et al. (2017), “in the case
of the Mexican herpetofauna, as with all other organismal
groups in this country, the compendium of available
Area (ha)

2, 447.87

information on which to base these actions increases

567.45
58.49

383,

with time. As a short-term example, Wilson and Johnson

(2010) reported 373 amphibians and 830 crocodylians,
= systems of pathways; and V = facilities for visitors.

squamates, and turtles for a total Mexican herpetofauna

Date of decree
(dd/mm/yyyy)

of 1,203 species. Three years later, Wilson et al. (2013a,b)

07/07/1937

21/07/1982

09/05/1997

indicated the comparable numbers as 378 and 849 (a total

of 1,227) and [four years later]… the numbers [stood] at
394 and 898 (a total of 1,292; Johnson et al. 2017).” At
this juncture, the numbers are 416 and 956 (total of 1,372;
JD Johnson, unpub. data; 31 March 2022). Thus, over
Reserva de
la Biósfera
Category

National

National

the last 12 years, the number of amphibian species has

Park

Park

increased by 43 (11.5%), and those for the crocodylians,

squamates, and turtles by 126 (15.2%), so the total has
increased by 169 (14.1%). On average, the total number
Cerro de Las

El Cimatario

Sierra Gorda

of Mexican herpetofaunal species has increased by 14.1

Campanas

per year (169/12).

Name

Only three protected areas are currently designated in

Querétaro, all of which are federal areas, including two

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Table 22. Distribution of herpetofaunal species in each of the Natural Protected Areas of Querétaro, Mexico, based on herpetofaunal
surveys. Abbreviations are as follows: * = species endemic to Mexico, and ** = non-native species.

Natural Protected Area

Taxon
Cerro de Las Campanas El Cimatorio Sierra Gorda
Anura (18 species)
Bufonidae (4 species)
Anaxyrus compactilis* + +
Anaxyrus punctatus +
Incilius occidentalis* +
Rhinella horribilis +
Craugastoridae (2 species)
Craugastor augusti + +
Craugastor decoratus* +
Eleutherodactylidae (2 species)
Eleutherodactylus longipes* +
Eleutherodactylus verrucipes* +
Hylidae (5 species)
Dryophytes eximius* +
Rheohyla miotympanum* +
Smilisca baudinii +
Tlalocohyla godmani* +
Trachycephalus vermiculatus +
Ranidae (3 species)
Lithobates berlandieri +
Lithobates montezumae* + +
Lithobates spectabilis* +
Scaphiopodidae (2 species)
Scaphiopus couchii +
Spea multiplicata + +
Caudata (6 species)
Plethodontidae (6 species)
Aquiloeurycea cephalica* +
Aquiloeurycea scandens* +
Chiropterotriton chondrostega* +
Chiropterotriton magnipes* +
Chiropterotriton multidentatus* +
Isthmura bellii* +
Squamata (54 species)
Anguidae (2 species)
Abronia taeniata* +
Gerrhonotus ophiurus* +
Dibamidae (1 species)
Anelytropsis papillosus* +
Gekkonidae (1 species)
Hemidactylus frenatus** +
Phrynosomatidae (7 species)
Sceloporus aeneus* +
Sceloporus grammicus +
Sceloporus parvus* +
Sceloporus scalaris* + +
Sceloporus spinosus* + + +
Sceloporus torquatus* +
Sceloporus variabilis +
Scincidae (2 species)
Plestiodon lynxe* +
Plestiodon tetragrammus +
Sphenomorphidae (2 species)

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Table 22 (continued). Distribution of herpetofaunal species in each of the Natural Protected Areas of Querétaro, Mexico, based on
herpetofaunal surveys. Abbreviations are as follows: * = species endemic to Mexico, and ** = non-native species.

Natural Protected Area

Taxon
Cerro de Las Campanas El Cimatorio Sierra Gorda
Scincella gemmingeri* +
Scincella silvicola* +
Teiidae (2 species)
Aspidoscelis gularis + + +
Holcosus amphigrammus* +
Xantusiidae (3 species)
Lepidophyma gaigeae* +
Lepidophyma occulor* +
Lepidophyma sylvaticum* +
Boidae (1 species)
Boa imperator +
Colubridae (14 species)
Conopsis lineata* +
Conopsis nasus* + + +
Drymobius margaritiferus +
Ficimia olivacea* +
Gyalopion canum +
Lampropeltis polyzona* +
Masticophis schotti +
Oxybelis potosiensis +
Pituophis deppei* +
Pseudelaphe flavirufa +
Salvadora bairdi* +
Salvadora grahamiae +
Senticolis triaspis +
Tantilla rubra +
Dipsadidae (8 species)
Adelphicos quadrivirgatum +
Chersodromus rubriventris* +
Geophis latifrontalis* +
Geophis mutitorques* +
Hypsiglena jani +
Leptodeira septentrionalis +
Rhadinaea gaigeae* +
Tropidodipsas sartorii +
Elapidae (1 species)
Micrurus tener + + +
Natricidae (6 species)
Storeria hidalgoensis* +
Thamnophis cyrtopsis +
Thamnophis eques +
Thamnophis melanogaster* + + +
Thamnophis scalaris* +
Thamnophis sumichrasti* +
Viperidae (4 species)
Crotalus aquilus* +
Crotalus atrox +
Crotalus molossus +
Crotalus triseriatus* +
Testudines (1 species)
Kinosternidae (1 species)
Kinosternon integrum* + +
Total (95 species) 8 10 77

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Table 23. Summary of the distributional status of herpetofaunal species in each natural protected area in Querétaro, Mexico. Total
= total number of species recorded in all of the listed protected areas.

Number Distributional status

Protected area of
species Non-endemic (NE) Country Endemic (CE) Non-native (NN)
NP Cerro de Las Campanas 8 3 5 ―
NP El Cimatorio 10 4 6 ―
BR Sierra Gorda 77 29 47 1
Total 79 30 48 1

national parks and one biosphere reserve (Table 21). These Sceloporus exsul
three parks were established between 1937 and 1997, and Sceloporus minor
range in size from about 59 to 383,567 ha. Fortunately, the Xenosaurus mendozai
largest of these areas is located within the Sierra Madre Tantilla bocourti
Oriental, the physiographic region of greatest herpetofaunal Trimorphodon tau
importance in the state. A full range of facilities is available Epictia wynni
in each area. Unfortunately, landowners occupy all three Storeria storerioides
areas to some degree, and no herpetofaunal surveys are Thamnophis pulchrilatus
available. Conversely, management plans are available for Agkistrodon taylori
all three areas. Crotalus polystictus
Although official herpetofaunal surveys have not been Crotalus totonacus
completed for any of the protected areas in Querétaro, the Metlapilcoatlus borealis
available information on the herpetofaunal species known
from the three protected areas has been collated here and is The 30 non-endemics not found in any of the three
presented in Table 22, and summarized in Table 23. protected areas are:
Of the 129 species known from Querétaro, 79 (60.8%)
are known to inhabit at least one of the three protected Anaxyrus speciosus
areas (Tables 22–23). Only a few species are known from Incilius nebulifer
the two national parks: Cerro de Las Campanas National Eleutherodactylus guttilatus
Park (eight species, including three non-endemic species Dryophytes arenicolor
and five country endemics) and the El Cimatorio National Scinax staufferi
Park (10, including four non-endemic species and six Tlalocohyla picta
country endemics). By far, the largest number of species Hypopachus variolosus
is known from the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve (77, Gerrhonotus infernalis
including 29 non-endemic species, 47 country endemics, Corytophanes hernandezii
and one non-native species). Of all 79 species, only Laemanctus serratus
two, the country endemic Anaxyrus compactilis and the Norops sericeus
non-endemic Spea multiplicata, are not known from the Sceloporus serrifer
Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. One non-native species Scincella lateralis
(Hemidactylus frenatus) is known from this reserve. Drymarchon melanurus
Unfortunately, these data indicate that completing the Leptophis mexicanus
herpetofaunal surveys in these three protected areas will Masticophis mentovarius
constitute a major critical step in assessing the conservation Mastigodryas melanolomus
needs of the herpetofauna of Querétaro. Spilotes pullatus
Of the 50 species of amphibians and reptiles which are Amastridium sapperi
not known from any of the three protected areas, 19 are Coniophanes fissidens
country endemics, 30 are non-endemics, and two are non- Coniophanes piceivittis
natives. The 19 country endemics not found in any of the Conophis lineatus
three protected areas are: Diadophis punctatus
Imantodes gemmistratus
Eleutherodactylus nitidus Ninia diademata
Lithobates neovolcanicus Rena dulcis
Ambystoma velasci Bothrops asper
Barisia ciliaris Crotalus scutulatus
Phrynosoma orbiculare Kinosternon hirtipes
Sceloporus dugesii Kinosternon scorpioides

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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

The single non-native species not found in any of the G. The principal environmental threats are deforestation,
three protected areas is: livestock rearing, roads, polluted bodies of water, and
myths and other cultural factors.
Virgotyphlops braminus
H. To assess the conservation status of the Querétaro
Obviously, a principal conservation goal with respect to herpetofauna, we employed the SEMARNAT, IUCN, and
the herpetofauna of Querétaro is to document the presence EVS systems. As in prior MCS papers, we ascertained
of the 19 country endemics and 30 non-endemics, which the SEMARNAT system to be of minimal value, since
collectively constitute 38.6% of the native herpetofauna only 55 (43.3%) of the native species have been assessed
of the state, in one or more of the existing protected using this system, including 19 classified as threatened
areas. Additional protected areas should be established (A) and 36 as special protection (Pr). A comparison of
to accommodate the remaining unprotected species, most the SEMARNAT and distributional categorizations
likely in the Sierra Madre Oriental portion of the state. indicates that of the 20 threatened species, four are non-
endemics and 16 are country endemics. Of the 37 special
Conclusions and Recommendations protection species, 15 are non-endemics and 22 are
country endemics.
Conclusions
I. Application of the IUCN conservation status evaluation
A. Presently, the herpetofauna of Querétaro is comprised system to the Querétaro herpetofauna demonstrates the
of 129 species, including 27 anurans, seven salamanders, following distribution (by category and proportion): CR
92 squamates (32 lizards and 60 snakes), and three turtles. (two of 127 native species, 1.6%); EN (four, 3.1%); VU
(nine, 7.1%); NT (four, 3.1%); LC (87, 68.5%); DD (two,
B. The numbers of species known from the three 1.6%); and NE (19, 15.0%).
physiographic regions we recognize in Querétaro range
from 43 species in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt to J. Using the EVS system to assess the conservation
102 in the Sierra Madre Oriental, with an intermediate status of the native herpetofauna of Querétaro, and
number of 64 in the Central Plateau. allocating the resulting scores to the low, medium, and
high vulnerability categories, the values increased from
C. The numbers of species shared among physiographic low (45) to medium (52), and then decreased to high
regions range from 31 between the Transmexican (30).
Volcanic Belt and the Sierra Madre Oriental to 45 between
the Central Plateau and the Sierra Madre Oriental. The K. Comparing the IUCN and EVS conservation status
Coefficient of Biogeographic Resemblance values categories for each individual species, 50.0% of the EVS
range from 0.43 between the Transmexican Volcanic high vulnerability species have been allocated to the
Belt and the Sierra Madre Oriental to 0.60 between the three IUCN threat categories (CR, EN, or VU), while
Central Plateau and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt. The only 51.7% of the EVS low vulnerability species have
UPGMA dendrogram indicates that the herpetofaunas of been placed in the IUCN’s LC category. Thus, the results
the Central Plateau and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt of these two systems do not correspond well with one
resemble one another more closely than either of them another.
resembles the herpetofauna of the Sierra Madre Oriental.
L. Our assessment indicates that many of the 108 species
D. The level of herpetofaunal endemism in Querétaro in the IUCN’s DD, NE, and LC categories have been
is relatively high. Of the 127 species that constitute the evaluated inadequately as compared to their respective
native herpetofauna, 67 are endemic to the country of EVS values; consequently, we recommend a reevaluation
Mexico (52.8%). of these species to better determine their actual prospects
for survival.
E. The distributional status of the species that comprise
the Querétaro herpetofauna is as follows (in order of M. Application of the Relative Herpetofaunal Priority
category size): country endemics (67, 51.9%); non- (RHP) measure indicates that the most significant
endemics (60, 46.5%); and non-natives (two, 1.6%). herpetofauna is that of the Sierra Madre Oriental
physiographic region, given that it contains the highest
F. Regarding the distribution categories developed by numbers of country endemics and high vulnerability
Wilson et al. (2017), of the 60 non-endemic species, 26 species. The rankings of the three physiographic regions
(43.3%) are in the MXUS category, with 17 (28.3%) in in the state are the same based on either endemic or high
MXCA, nine (15.0%) in MXSA, five (8.3%) in USCA, vulnerability species, i.e., in the order of SMO, CP, and
and three (5.0%) in USSA. TVB.

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

N. Three protected areas are designated in Querétaro, Acknowledgments.—We thank the curators of the
all at the federal level. Two of these areas lie within Herpetological Collection at the Universidad Autónoma
the Transmexican Volcanic Belt and one is in the Sierra del Estado de Hidalgo, the National Collection of
Madre Oriental, of which the latter is the most important Amphibians and Reptiles (CNAR) at the Institute of
herpetofaunal region in the state. Regrettably, landowners Biology, and the Amphibian and Reptile Collection at
occupy all three areas, and no herpetofaunal surveys the Museum of Zoology “Alfonso L. Herrera” Faculty of
are available for them, although management plans are Sciences, both in the National Autonomous University
available for all three. of Mexico (UNAM), for access to their collections.
This study was supported by project Red Temática
O. Of the 129 species comprising the Querétaro Biología, Manejo y Conservación de Fauna Nativa en
herpetofauna, 79 have been recorded from the three Ambientes Antropizados, Proyect #271845 supported
protected areas in the state collectively, including 18 by CONACyT. We thank the Cuerpo Académico de
anurans, six salamanders, 54 squamates, and one turtle. Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, from the Autonomous
University of Querétaro, Diana Elizabeth García
P. Of the 50 species not currently known from any of the Hernández for her support, and Erick Daniel Velasco
three protected areas, 19 are country endemics, 30 are Esquivel, Cristhian Alejandro Peralta Robles, Diego
non-endemics, and one is a non-native. Baez, Daniel Lara Tufiño, and Christian Berriozabal-
Islas for the use of their photographs. Finally, we are
Recommendations hugely indebted to our friends and colleagues Louis
W. Porras and David Lazcano for their masterful and
A. Given that no herpetofaunal surveys have been detailed reviews of this work. Our efforts would be
conducted in any of the three protected areas established much the poorer without their help.
in Querétaro, carrying out such surveys is the most basic
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 Cruz-Elizalde et al.

Raciel Cruz-Elizalde is a Mexican herpetologist who received a B.Sc. in Biology, an M.Sc. in Biodiver-
sity and Conservation, and a Ph.D. in Biodiversity and Conservation from the Universidad Autónoma del
Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH). He held a postdoctoral appointment at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma
de México (UNAM), and is currently a Full-Time Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro
(UAQ). Raciel is interested in the ecology, life history evolution, diversity, and conservation of amphib-
ians and reptiles in Mexico. He has authored or co-authored several publications, including papers, notes,
book chapters, and books on the ecology, life history evolution, sexual size dimorphism, reproduction,
and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. His current studies include the life history and evolution of
various lizard species of the genus Sceloporus, conservation issues in natural protected areas, and analyses
of the ecological and morphological traits in the compositions of amphibian and reptile assemblages.

Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista began his herpetological career as an undergraduate student conducting

research at the Los Tuxtlas Biological Field Station in Veracruz, Mexico. He received a Bachelor’s in
Biology from Universidad Veracruzana in Veracruz, Mexico. He subsequently received a Master’s in
Science and a Doctorate at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), followed by a
postdoctoral appointment at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma, USA. His main research
involves studies on ecology, demography, reproduction, conservation, and life history evolution, using the
amphibians and reptiles of Mexico as models. He served as the president of the Sociedad Herpetológica
Mexicana, as an Associate Editor for the journal Mesoamerican Herpetology, and as a Professor at
UNAM. Currently, Aurelio is a professor at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH),
where he teaches population ecology, herpetology, and the natural history of amphibians and reptiles.
He has authored or co-authored 295 peer-reviewed papers and books on herpetology, ecology, life
history evolution, sexual size dimorphism, reproduction, global climate change, potential distribution,
demography, conservation, behavior, and thermal ecology. Over the years he has been responsible for the
graduation of 71 students, including 44 undergraduates, 18 Master of Science students, and seven Ph.D.
students; and he has participated as an external advisor for Ph.D. students at Brigham Young University,
the University of Miami, and Eastern Carolina University, in the United States. He has received national
recognition (Helia Bravo Hollis Award by the Technical Council of Scientific Research of UNAM,
as a member of the National System of Researchers Level III), and international awards (such as the
Donald Tinkle Award by the Southwestern Association of Naturalists), and he has the profile of PRODEP
(Programa para el Desarrollo Profesional Docente) at UAEH.

Rubén Pineda-López received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México (UNAM) and a Ph.D. from the University of Alicante in Spain. Rubén is a research professor at
the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. He has authored or co-authored 47 publications, most of them
on the fauna of the state of Querétaro, and is a founding and current member of the Academic Committee
of the Thematic Network for Biology, Management, and Conservation of Native Fauna (REFAMA).

Vicente Mata-Silva is a herpetologist originally from Río Grande, Oaxaca, Mexico. His interests
include ecology, conservation, natural history, and biogeography of the herpetofaunas of Mexico,
Central America, and the southwestern United States. He received a B.S. degree from the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas at
El Paso (UTEP). Vicente is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at UTEP, in the Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology Program, and Co-Director of UTEP’s Indio Mountains Research Station, located
in the Chihuahuan Desert of Trans-Pecos, Texas, USA. To date, Vicente has authored or co-authored
over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He also was the Distribution Notes Section Editor for
the journal Mesoamerican Herpetology, and is currently Associate Editor for the journal Herpetological
Review.

Dominic L. DeSantis is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Georgia College and State University,
Milledgeville, Georgia, USA, in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences. Dominic’s
research interests broadly include the behavioral ecology, conservation biology, and natural history of
herpetofauna. In addition to ongoing collaborative projects associated with the Mesoamerican Research
Group, much of Dominic’s current research focuses on using novel animal-borne sensor technologies
to study the behavior of snakes in the field. While completing his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at El
Paso, Dominic accompanied Vicente Mata-Silva, Elí García-Padilla, and Larry David Wilson on survey
and collecting expeditions to Oaxaca in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and is a co-author on numerous natural
history publications produced from those visits, including an invited book chapter on the conservation
outlook for herpetofauna in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca.

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 The herpetofauna of Querétaro, Mexico

Elí García-Padilla is a herpetologist who primarily focuses on studying the ecology and natural
history of the Mexican herpetofauna. His research efforts have centered on the Mexican states of
Baja California, Tamaulipas, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. His first experience in the field was studying
the ecology of the insular endemic populations of the rattlesnakes Crotalus catalinensis, C.
muertensis (C. pyrrhus) and C. tortugensis (C. atrox) in the Gulf of California. For his Bachelor’s
degree, Elí presented a thesis on the ecology of C. muertensis (C. pyrrhus) on Isla El Muerto,
Baja California, Mexico. To date, he has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed
scientific publications. Currently, he is employed as a formal Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles
from Mexico in the electronic platform Naturalista of the Comisión Nacional para el Uso y
Conocimiento de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO; www.naturalista.mx). One of his main passions
is environmental education, and for several years he has been working on various projects that
include the use of audiovisual media as a powerful tool to reach large audiences, while promoting
the importance of the knowledge, protection, and conservation of biodiversity in Mexico. Elí’s
interests include wildlife and conservation photography, and his art has been published in several
recognized scientific, artistic, and educational books, magazines, and websites. He is currently
collaborating in a research project evaluating the Jaguar (Panthera onca) as an umbrella species
for the conservation of the herpetofauna of Nuclear Central America.

Jerry D. Johnson is Professor of Biological Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso, and
has extensive experience studying the herpetofauna of Mesoamerica, especially that of southern
Mexico. Jerry is the Director of the 40,000-acre Indio Mountains Research Station, was a co-
editor of the book Conservation of Mesoamerican Amphibians and Reptiles and co-author of four
of its chapters. He is the senior author of the recent paper “A conservation reassessment of the
Central American herpetofauna based on the EVS measure” and is the Mesoamerica/Caribbean
editor for the Geographic Distribution section of Herpetological Review. Jerrry has authored or
co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers, including two key articles in 2010, “Geographic
distribution and conservation of the herpetofauna of southeastern Mexico” and “Distributional
patterns of the herpetofauna of Mesoamerica, a biodiversity hotspot.” One species, Tantilla
johnsoni, has been named in his honor. Previously, he was an Associate Editor and Co-chair of
the Taxonomic Board for the journal Mesoamerican Herpetology.

Arturo Rocha is a Ph.D. student in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program at the
University of Texas at El Paso. His interests include the biogeography, physiology, and ecology
of amphibians and reptiles in the southwestern United States and Mexico. A graduate of the
University of Texas at El Paso, his thesis centered on the spatial ecology of the Trans-Pecos Rat
Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. To date, he has authored or
co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications.

Lydia Allison Fucsko is an amphibian conservationist and environmental activist. She is also a
gifted photographer who has taken countless pictures of amphibians, including photo galleries of
mostly southeastern Australian frogs. Dr. Fucsko has postgraduate degrees in computer education
and in vocational education and training from The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne,
Australia. Lydia also holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Monash University, Clayton,
Melbourne, Australia. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Education, which promoted
habitat conservation, species perpetuation, and global sustainable management from Swinburne
University of Technology, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia. In addition, Dr. Fucsko is a sought-
after educational consultant. Recently, the species Tantilla lydia was named in her honor.

Larry David Wilson is a herpetologist with extensive experience in Mesoamerica. He was born
in Taylorville, Illinois, USA, and received his university education at the University of Illinois
at Champaign-Urbana (B.S. degree) and at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge (M.S.
and Ph.D. degrees). He has authored or co-authored more than 460 peer-reviewed papers and
books on herpetology. Larry is the senior editor of Conservation of Mesoamerican Amphibians
and Reptiles and the co-author of seven of its chapters. His other books include The Snakes
of Honduras, Middle American Herpetology, The Amphibians of Honduras, Amphibians &
Reptiles of the Bay Islands and Cayos Cochinos, Honduras, The Amphibians and Reptiles of
the Honduran Mosquitia, and Guide to the Amphibians & Reptiles of Cusuco National Park,
Honduras. To date, he has authored or co-authored the descriptions of 75 currently-recognized
herpetofaunal species, and seven species have been named in his honor, including the anuran
Craugastor lauraster, the lizard Norops wilsoni, and the snakes Oxybelis wilsoni, Myriopholis
wilsoni, and Cerrophidion wilsoni. In 2005, he was designated a Distinguished Scholar in the
Field of Herpetology at the Kendall Campus of Miami-Dade College. Currently, Larry is a Co-
chair of the Taxonomic Board for the website Mesoamerican Herpetology.

Amphib. Reptile Conserv. 192 April 2022 | Volume 16 | Number 1 | e308

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