BIODIVERSITY OF ANURANS IN THE BORROW PIT AND RIVERSIDE

ABSTRACT

The study carried out between April and August, 2023 was aimed at investigating the biodiversity of anurans in borrow pit and riverside at Igue-Edo, a peri-urban area in Edo State, Nigeria. Specimens were collected using the visual and acoustic survey method. The total numbers of species recorded were 69 comprising six families, eight genera and fifteen species. The numbers of anuran species was higher in the borrow pit than the riverside. The most abundant species in the borrow pit was Afrixalus dorsalis with (30.8%) and least abundant species recorded was Arthrolepis poecilonotus (2.1%). The most abundant species by the riverside was Scleropys maculatus (95.5%) and the least abundant was Aubria subsigillata (4.5%). The most abundant overall from both sites was Scleropys maculatus (30.4%) and the least abundant overall were A. poecilonotus, Hyperolius concolor Phase A, Hyperolius concolor Phase C, Hyperolius guttulatus, Ptychadena mascareniensis and Aubria subsigilata were the least abundant overall with 1.45% each. There was no significant difference between the amphibian species collected at the borrow pit and the riverside (p>0.05). Studies should be carried out on specific species so as to understand and identify the habitat requirement of individual species in the study sites. There is a need to raise conservation policies as the most susceptible species to habitat changes are those that are least adaptable.