Defining Herpetofauna Diversity, Through The Influence Of Habitat Characteristics, Between A Riparian Forest And A Xeric Savanna.

Herpetofauna diversity encompasses a range of environmental habitats from fossorial to aquatic to arboreal, linking the richness and abundance of herpetofauna community assemblages to characteristics in vegetation and habitat structure. Many herpetofauna species rely upon restricted (i.e. micro-habitat) components within their environment. The aims of this study are: 1) to determine if there are differences in herpetofauna diversity between riparian forest and xeric savanna habitat types; 2) to determine which habitat characteristics define the species assemblages and; 3) to assess the accuracy of the 118 herpetofauna sampling methodology. Fieldwork was conducted within Mapungubwe National Park (MNP) located in the Limpopo Province. The structure of the habitat types were assessed along 50m transects for the following characteristics; vegetation height (cm), soil penetration (pressure per cm^2), proximity to rock outcrop (m), woody debris, live trees, burrows, and rocks. Species richness (S), abundance (N) and diversity (H’) within each habitat type were analyzed as well as habitat structure and put into specific species guilds. Overall our results showed that herpetofauna species richness was significantly different when comparing between riparian forest and xeric savanna habitat types.