Herpetofaunal inventory of the Ranga Reserve Forest, Lakhimpur, Assam, India

The Ranga Reserve Forest in Assam, India, is a crucial ecological enclave in the biodiverse northeasternregion. The forest’s diverse landscape, characterized by riverine and hilly terrain, offers a habitat mosaic conducive toa rich array of amphibians and reptiles. We herein present a comprehensive inventory of the herpetofauna conductedfrom March 2021 to June 2022. We encountered a total of 60 herpetofaunal species (13 amphibians and 47 reptiles:11 lizards, 34 snakes, and two turtles), including critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, and near-threatenedspecies. Our findings highlight the Ranga Reserve Forest as a hotspot of herpetofaunal diversity, emphasizing theimportance of continued research and conservation efforts to safeguard this invaluable ecosystem.