Chinese crocodile lizard microhabitat dataset

Field surveys were conducted in eight streams within the Guangdong Luokeng Chinese Crocodile Lizard National Nature Reserve, known to harbor Chinese crocodile lizard populations. We conducted surveys were carried out during the peak activity months (May, July, and September) of the lizard across 2024 and 2025. Given the species' behavior of nocturnally perching on branches over water and exhibiting high site fidelity (Yu et al., 2006; Xie et al., 2017; Qin, 2019), we employed a fixed-quadrat sampling method combining nocturnal focal observations with daytime microhabitat measurements.From an initial starting point, 5 m × 5 m quadrats were placed contiguously along the stream course, with 15 m between adjacent quadrat centers. This was repeated during each of the three survey periods (May, July, September) across 2024 and 2025, resulting in a total of 300 quadrats (100 per period). Based on five repeated surveys and long-term monitoring data from forest rangers, quadrats were classified as follows: those quadrats where lizard were observed nocturnally occupying on at least one occasion were defined as experimental quadrats (1), while those where no lizard was observed during this study (indicating non-use or very low probability of use) were designated as control quadrats (0). If a lizard was observed within a 0.5-meter buffer zone from the quadrat edge, the entire quadrat was shifted by 1 meter to ensure its inclusion. The final ratios of used to control quadrats were 43:57 in May, 58:42 in July, and 56:44 in September.With reference to existing literature (Ning et al., 2006; Wu et al., 2012) and field monitoring experience, we identified 15 variables potentially influencing Chinese crocodile lizard microhabitat selection: Perch density (PD), stream sand coverage percentage (SSCP), stream depth (SD), stream velocity (SV), gully slope (GS), canopy closure (CC), shrub layer height (SLH), stream sidth (SW), shrub and herb coverage (SHC), canopy height (CH), gully bank slope (GBS), gully aspect (GA), stream area (SA), backwater pond existence (BPE), and forest type (FT).