What are we saving? The amphibians and reptiles of the rice paddies in the Balasore District, Odisha, India

Agriculture is widely recognized as one of the major conservation threats to herpetofaunal species. Any conservationactions, particularly those aimed at herpetofauna beyond the network of protected areas, require baseline dataon existing species diversity in an area. Unfortunately, most biodiversity studies are focused on producing inventoriesof animals in a small number of protected areas. To accrue truly meaningful benefits, conservation needs to focus onhuman-dominated landscapes beyond protected areas, such as agricultural lands. Scientific documentation of farmlandherpetofauna is entirely lacking, which could lead to a lack of management and effective inclusion of herpetofaunain conservation. I assessed the species of amphibians and reptiles in tropical rice paddies near the Kuldiha WildlifeSanctuary in Balasore District, Odisha, India. Based on ecological sampling and community interviews, combined withliterature reviews and field guides, I report a total of 55 species including 16 species of amphibians in five families and39 species of reptiles in 15 families.