Ecological Studies on The Diversity of Amphibian Species in Jazan Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

AL-Osaimi, Bandar H.; Mashlawi, Abadi M.; Masood, Mostafa F.

doi:10.21608/eajbsz.2024.374362

Ecological Studies on The Diversity of Amphibian Species in Jazan Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.

² Department of Biology, College of Science, Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

³ Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al Azhar University (Assiut-Egypt).

10.21608/eajbsz.2024.374362

Abstract

Abstract
This study was carried out in the Jazan region in the Southwestern part of Saudi Arabia. The study area is one of the richest regions of the Kingdom in biodiversity. The work focused on the diversity of amphibian fauna found in the region.
Five species of tailless amphibians (Anura) were recorded in the study area, which includes three families: family Bufonidae; includes three species, the Arabian Toad Sclerophrys arabica, Tihama Toad Sclerophrys tihamica and Dhofar Toad Duttaphrynus dhufarensis; Family Ranidae, represented by one species, the Marsh Frog Pelophylax ridibundus and finally Family Dicroglossidae, represented by, the Skipper Frog Euphlyctis ehrenbergii. The abundance of amphibians in Jazan depends on the amount of rain and habitat diversity in the region. It was found that the family Bufonidae is the most widespread and abundant in the study area. It was observed that two species of amphibians have not been recorded in the present study, although they were recorded between the seven species of amphibians in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are: Bufotes viridis Family Bufonidae and Hyla savignyi Family Hylidae.
This work was suggested to throw light on the diversity of amphibians in the Jazan region as an important part of the ecosystem that must be maintained and to determine the species composition of amphibian communities in different ecosystems as indicators of biodiversity in the study area. It came also to suggest strategies and techniques to determine the abundance of these species.

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