Terrestrial herpetofauna of ?le des Pins, New Caledonia, with an emphasis on its surrounding islands

摘要

New Caledonia is recognized globally as a biodiversity hot spot due, in part, to the high levels of endemism seen among the region-s unique fauna and flora. Although substantial research efforts have been dedicated to the remarkable reptile diversity of the main island, the Grande Terre, comparably few studies have focused on the ?le des Pins that lies off its southern tip. The last review of the herpetofauna of the ?le des Pins was 18 yr ago; since then increased effort has been directed toward investigating the reptiles of the ?le des Pins and its satellite islands. In this update we provide an overview of this region's lizard fauna, including new reptile records and the results of surveys of previously herpetologically unexplored islands in the vicinity of the ?le des Pins, all in the context of a revised taxonomy. Results presented expand known ranges of 18 species and identify eight species not previously known from the area. Satellite islands surrounding the ?le des Pins, despite their small size, contribute substantially to the biodiversity of the region and support several reptile species of conservation concern not recorded for the ?le des Pins proper, nor the New Caledonian mainland.