The herpetofauna of the Babuyan Islands, Northern Philippines

Abstract

We document 52 species of amphibians and reptiles from the Babuyan Islands in the northern Philippines. Among these records, 12 species are endemic to the Babuyan Islands and another 18 are endemic to the Philippines. Prevalence of endemic forms in the island group is high, with 1–3 island-endemic species present in each of the major islands. The present-day assemblage of herpetofauna in the island group is attributed to dispersal from Luzon and subsequent diversification. No evidence of successful southward colonization of species from Taiwan is found. Based on data from our own surveys, and to enable future work, we provide an updated list of the species from the Babuyan and Batanes Island groups. Molecular phylogenetic studies are recommended to gain more insights into the evolutionary history of the island-endemic forms and the biogeography of the small islands between Luzon and Taiwan.