摘要：We surveyed for herpetofauna along the poorly-explored sections of Southern Eastern Ghats. This 1000
hours-long large scale survey covered ranges stretching from near Western Ghats eastwards to the Coromandel
Coastal Plains, across a longitudinal gradient. Study area consisting of the tall and wet Bilgiri-Melagiri
massifs to the west and the low and dry South Arcot and North Arcot ranges to the east were selected and
surveyed. We recorded a total of 95 species including 23 species of amphibians, 35 species of lizards and 37
species of snakes. A descriptive species accounts with photographic vouchers is presented. Noteworthy findings
include significant new range records for many wet-zone taxa and a few dry-zone taxa from hitherto fore
under-surveyed regions. This includes many rare and range-restricted ones and newly described little-known
taxa. The study highlights the importance of landscape-level, long-term fieldwork to unravel the hidden diversity
of tropical montane regions like the Eastern Ghats.
关键词：amphibians; dry zone; ecoregion; lizards; peninsular India; snakes; wet zone
