FENOLIO, D.B.*; MOREIRA, L.A.; SILVA, H.L.R.; DA SILVA , N.J. Jr.; Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables; Univ. Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil: A preliminary report on the importance of termite mounds to the herpetofauna of the Cerrado of Central Brazil

Termite mounds are a distinctive component to the landscape of a variety of habitats worldwide, particularly xeric biomes. The microhabitat provides refuge for smaller wildlife via physical cover and in maintaining more constant internal humidities and temperatures than the surrounding environment. Through faunal rescue projects before and during hydroelectric power plant flooding episodes, we encountered a diversity of herpetofauna within termite mounds of the Serra Da Mesa region, Goiás, Brazil. The surrounding habitat type is known as Cerrado. Our observations led us to ask two questions. First, is there a difference between termite mound herpetofaunal biodiversity before as opposed to during hydroelectric power plant floods? We hypothesized that hydroelectric flooding of the habitat may drive organisms into the mounds for cover and increase their biodiversity during a flooding process. Second, what percentage of the regions herpetofauna normally inhabits termite mounds? We found moderate increases (up to 25%) in herpetofaunal biodiversity and increases in individual numbers during flooding periods. During non-flood periods, we found 23 species of amphibians and 41 species of squamate reptiles in termite mounds (50% and 39% respectively of all species recorded from the region). Our preliminary results suggest that termite mounds are an important resource for significant portions of the herpetofauna of the upper Tocantins River Valley, Goiás, Brazil.