Herpetofaunal assemblages on seven offshore islands of northwestern Madagascar

Herpetofaunal communities of the offshore islands of northern Madagascar are diverse and poorly described. We present diversity, abundance and absolute density estimates of reptile species found across seven islands and associated mainland. Our results suggest the presence of a range of species of conservation interest including Zonosaurus tsingy Raselimanana et al. 2000 and Mantella sp. Further surveys and voucher specimens would be necessary to obtain confirmation. We discuss local habitat determinants of presence/absence, temporal fluctuations in abundance, and the role played by island size. Our results indicate potential for niche segregation between different gecko species.