Importancia del matorral seco para la conservación de reptiles en Alamala, valle de Catamayo, provincia de Loja.

Abstract

The dry scrub ecosystem in Ecuador it’s characterized by a relative high species richness and a high rate of endemism in spite the fact that it is not a widespread ecosystem type at country level. This biological diversity has been affected primarily by various human activities, which has led to significant changes in many natural ecosystems. Among the inter-Andean dry scrub areas the Valley of Catamayo stands out with its rich reptile fauna but about which very little information is available. The present work is focused on the dry scrubs of the Alamala sector (from Catamayo Valley) where through pit fall traps and transects four species of reptiles were recorded. The species list was completed with bibliographical records throughout the canton and it is estimated to have nine species for the valley and with one endemic species, Micrurus catamayensis. With the systematized information, important areas for reptile conservation within the canton were prioritized, highlighting the importance of the Alamala sector, for owning half of the total number of species reported and for being an area with relative low level of human intervention as it is far from populated centers and agricultural areas.