Herpetofaunal Diversity and Habitat Associations in an Urban Protected Area: A Case Study from Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi

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The Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (ABWS), located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, represents a rocky, semi-arid landscape with seasonal streams that provide diverse microhabitats for amphibians and reptiles. To address the lack of systematic data, we conducted intensive time-constrained visual encounter surveys (40 VES of one hour each) and opportunistic searches between March and December 2024, supported by literature review and photographic vouchers. In total, we documented 30 species across 27 genera and 15 families, comprising 8 amphibian species (3 families) and 22 reptile species (12 families). Dicroglossidae was the most diverse amphibian family (4 species), while Colubridae was the most diverse reptile family (6 species). Species were assigned conservation status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2022), and the IUCN Red List, with seven taxa receiving Schedule I protection and two listed as Near Threatened globally. Euphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis was the most abundant amphibian, and Calotes versicolor the most common reptile, reflecting the dominance of ecological generalists in disturbed habitats. Amphibian diversity in the sanctuary appears to have been adequately documented, while reptile surveys indicate that additional species are likely still undetected. Among the different habitats, plantations supported the highest diversity, suggesting that restored areas with greater structural complexity provide critical resources for both amphibians and reptiles. Collated records from nearby localities highlight broader regional diversity, though not included in the ABWS checklist. Our findings provide the first habitat-stratified inventory of ABWS and emphasize its value as an urban biodiversity refuge requiring continued monitoring and management. Asola Bhatti amphibians reptiles urban protected area diversity Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 INTRODUCTION India harbours remarkable herpetofaunal diversity, with more than 778 reptile species (Mohapatra et al. 2024 ) and 457 amphibian species (Frost 2025 ). Research on urban herpetofauna has expanded in recent years (Ingle et al. 2019 ; Purkayastha et al. 2018; Parmar et al. 2021 ; Roy and Dey 2015 ; Paira and Ray 2022 ; Pawar et al. 2020 ; Adil et al. 2019 ), yet most studies have focused on semi-natural areas near cities rather than strictly urban sanctuaries (Purkayastha et al. 2020 ; Das et al. 2009 ). Because urban protected areas face unique ecological pressures, understanding their herpetofaunal communities is crucial for conservation (Purkayastha et al. 2018; Banville and Bateman 2012 ). The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi retains ~ 299.7 km² of green cover, accounting for 20.2% of its total area according to the study by Maitra and Jyethi 2020 . Its landscape includes forests, parks, wetlands, and ridge systems (Bretzel et al. 2016 ). Herpetofaunal research in Delhi has a long history, beginning with early accounts (Smith 1935 ; Raza et al. 1976 ) and later supplemented by reports based on census data (Raj and Sehgal 1964 ) and studies of the Delhi Ridge (Kalpavriksh 1991 ; Malik et al. 1994 ). Subsequent work documented 25 reptile species and described three new saurian taxa (Hussain 1997 ), while the discovery of Cyrtodactylus aravallensis further expanded the regional checklist (Gill 1997 ). More recent assessments include inventories from the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate (Prasad et al. 2018 ) and detailed snake records comprising 372 individuals across 15 species (Barhadiya et al. 2024 ). The ABWS, part of the southern Delhi Ridge in the Aravalli range, is a uniquely urban sanctuary. It was designated in 1986, with the Bhatti area incorporated in 1991 (Kushwaha et al. 2014 ; Goel and Rath 2022 ). Previous surveys between 1997 and 2022 reported only a handful of amphibian and reptile species initially, followed by later records of up to 28 reptile species, though amphibian surveys remain incomplete (Agarwal 2022 ; Khanna and Sati 2003 ; Goel and Rath 2022 ). Despite these contributions, ABWS still lacks a systematic, habitat-stratified inventory of its herpetofauna using standardized survey methods. We carried out intensive visual encounter surveys between March and December 2024 with the following objectives: (1) to compile a systematic inventory of amphibians and reptiles of the ABWS and evaluate their conservation status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972, amended 2022) and the IUCN Red List; (2) to quantify relative abundance and encounter rates of the recorded species; (3) to assess sampling completeness and compare diversity among major habitat types; and (4) to identify spatial hotspots of herpetofauna activity using kernel density estimation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study Area The study was conducted in the ABWS (Fig. 1 ), located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. The sanctuary covers 32.71 km² along the southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range, adjacent to the Delhi–Haryana border (28.24520–28.29450°N, 77.11320–77.16130°E). The vegetation is dominated by shrubs and stunted trees (Naithani et al., 2006 ) and is classified as Northern Tropical Desert Thorn Forest (6BC1) and Zizyphus Scrub (6BDS1) according to Champion and Seth ( 1968 ). The terrain is rocky and undulating, with elevations ranging from 240–320 m. The region has a semi-arid climate with three distinct seasons: (i) a hot dry period from March to June, (ii) a dry winter from October to February, and (iii) a warm monsoon season from July to September. Mean annual precipitation is 711 mm, most of which falls during the monsoon (Kushwaha et al. 2014 ). Survey Methodology Field surveys were conducted from March to December 2024. Amphibians and reptiles were documented using Visual Encounter Surveys (VES), following standard protocols (Crump 1994 ). A total of 40 time-constrained VES (one hour each) were conducted across major habitat types, including water bodies, plantation areas, Prosopis juliflora patches, and rocky habitats (Fig. 2 ). Surveys were conducted primarily at night (18:00–22:00 h) by three observers, with additional diurnal searches for reptiles (08:00–16:00 h). Opportunistic searches were also conducted along nature trails and open areas. Techniques included overturning rocks (replaced in their original positions), scanning leaf litter, inspecting fallen logs, and checking tree holes, ant/termite mounds, and burrows. Most opportunistic searches were conducted at night. Species were identified in the field using standard guides (Whitaker and Captain 2004 ; Das and Das 2017 ; Mohapatra et al. 2024 ). All individuals were photographed and released at the site of encounter. Taxonomy follows Frost ( 2025 ) for amphibians and Uetz et al. ( 2025 ) for reptiles. Individuals that could not be confidently identified to species were referred to the closest morphologically similar taxa, while others remain unidentified pending further study. Data Analysis Species accumulation curves were generated using the SAR package (Matthews et al. 2019 ) in R (version 4.1.2; RStudio version 2021.09.2). Statistical analyses and diversity indices were computed in PAST (version 4.0) and R. Spatial distribution patterns were analyzed in ArcGIS (version 10.8.2) using the Heat Map plugin to perform kernel density estimation (KDE). Kernel density was estimated based on the number of observations at each location. Values were classified into five categories using Jenks natural breaks: low density (transparent), moderately low (light green), moderate (yellow), moderately high (orange), and high density (red). RESULTS We recorded a total of 30 herpetofaunal species representing 27 genera and 15 families during the study (Table 1; Fig. 3 – 5 ). Amphibians were represented by eight species belonging to eight genera and three families, while reptiles were represented by 22 species belonging to 19 genera and 12 families. Among amphibians, the family Dicroglossidae was the most diverse, with four species ( Euphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis , Hoplobatrachus tigerinus , Sphaerotheca cf. maskeyi , and Minervarya cf. agricola ). Among reptiles, the family Colubridae was the most diverse, with six species ( Ptyas mucosa , Lycodon aulicus , Fowlea piscator , Lycodon striatus , Oligodon taeniolatus , and Spalerosophis atriceps ). According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022), seven recorded species fall under Schedule I and receive the highest level of protection: Ptyas mucosa , Fowlea piscator , Naja naja , Python molurus , Varanus bengalensis , Eryx johnii , and Eublepharis macularius . Nine species are listed under Schedule II, including Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis , Hoplobatrachus tigerinus , Lycodon aulicus , Lycodon striatus , Oligodon taeniolatus , Spalerosophis atriceps , Bungarus caeruleus , Echis carinatus , and Indotyphlops braminus . With respect to the IUCN Red List, Python molurus and Eryx johnii are classified as Near Threatened (IUCN 2021 ). Relative abundance (RA) and encounter rate (ER) varied considerably among species (Table 2 ). Among amphibians, Euphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis had the highest relative abundance (RA = 10) and was the most frequently encountered species (10 encounters per person-hour). Among reptiles, Calotes versicolor showed the highest relative abundance (RA = 0.03) and encounter rate (1.01 encounters per person-hour), followed by Eutropis trivittata and Hemidactylus cf. brookii (RA = 0.028). Rare species recorded only once included Eublepharis macularius , Echis carinatus , and Riopa punctata . Species accumulation curves indicated that amphibian sampling approached an asymptote (Fig. 6 ), whereas reptile sampling, although beginning to flatten, had not yet reached asymptote (Fig. 6 ). Shannon–Wiener diversity indices revealed that both amphibians and reptiles exhibited the highest diversity within plantation habitats (Fig. 8 ). DISCUSSION This study represents the first systematic, habitat-stratified inventory of herpetofauna for the ABWS in the NCT of Delhi. Previous studies in Delhi documented more limited assemblages: Prasad et al. ( 2018 ) reported eight amphibian species from Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Barhadiya et al. ( 2024 ) listed 15 snake species from the city. In contrast, our surveys recorded 30 species (eight amphibians and 22 reptiles). Several species represent new distribution records for ABWS, including Firouzophrynus stomaticus , Uperodon systoma , Microhyla cf. nilphamariensis , Minervarya cf. agricola , Calotes versicolor , Sitana cf. sivalensis , Riopa punctata , Eutropis macularia , Fowlea piscator , and Indotyphlops braminus . We also detected a misidentification in earlier reports: the BNHS record of Sitana ponticeriana from ABWS is erroneous and actually represents Sitana cf. sivalensis , a species widely distributed across the northern Indian plains, while S. ponticeriana is restricted to peninsular India and coastal Sri Lanka (Deepak et al. 2018 ). Most species were confidently identified, although some taxa remain provisionally assigned. Frogs of the genera Minervarya and Sphaerotheca are cryptic complexes requiring genetic data for accurate resolution (Phuge et al. 2020 ; Garg and Biju 2021 ; Khatiwada et al. 2021 ). We provisionally identified our Sphaerotheca specimens as S. cf. maskeyi based on recent distribution evidence from the Himalayan foothills (Jablonski et al. 2021 ; Dandekar et al. 2020 ). Similarly, due to unresolved cryptic diversity, Sitana and Hemidactylus individuals were assigned as S. cf. sivalensis , H. cf. flaviviridis , and H. cf. brookii following published ranges (Amarasinghe et al. 2015 ; Deepak et al. 2016 , 2018 , 2021 ; Lajmi et al. 2016 ). Among amphibians, Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis was the most abundant and frequently encountered species (Table 2 ). It occurred year-round in temporary and permanent aquatic habitats, except during peak winter, consistent with its wide ecological tolerance and activity patterns (Khan et al. 2021 ; Frost 2023 ). Among reptiles, Calotes versicolor was the most common species, reflecting its broad Oriental distribution (Smith 1935 ; Hallermann 2000 ). Both species highlight the dominance of generalist taxa in disturbed urban habitats. Table 2 Relative abundance and species encounter of the amphibian and reptile species encountered during the Visual Encounter Surveys (VES). Species RA ER Duttaphrynus melanostictus 0.01 0.46 Firouzophrynus stomaticus 0.003 0.13 Sphaerotheca cf. maskeyi 0.01 0.46 Hoplobatrachus tigerinus 0.27 8.3 Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis 0.33 10 Microhyla cf. nilphamariensis 0.02 0.77 Minervarya cf. agricola 0.07 2.3 Uperodon systoma 0.04 1.22 Calotes versicolor 0.03 1.01 Sitana cf. sivalensis 0.005 0.17 Hemidactylus cf. flaviviridis 0.013 0.42 Eutropis macularia 0.023 0.7 Varanus bengalensis 0.006 0.21 Ophisops jerdonii 0.003 0.1 Hemidactylus cf brookii 0.028 0.87 Riopa punctata 0.002 0.07 Eutropis trivittata 0.028 0.87 Eublepharis macularius 0.001 0.035 Ptyas mucosa 0.019 0.59 Lycodon aulicus 0.004 0.14 Fowlea piscator 0.023 0.7 Python molurus 0.012 0.38 Echis carinatus 0.001 0.035 Bungarus caeruleus 0.003 0.1 Oligodon taeniolatus 0.002 0.07 Indotyphlops braminus 0.002 0.07 Spalerosophis atriceps 0.002 0.07 Eryx johnii 0.002 0.07 Naja naja 0.005 0.17 Lycodon striatus 0.005 0.17 Species accumulation curves suggest that amphibian richness was adequately sampled, whereas additional reptile species may be detected with further effort (Fig. 6 ). This aligns with the cryptic and microhabitat-specific nature of many reptiles. Shannon-Wiener diversity indices showed highest diversity in plantation habitats, likely due to the structural complexity and resource availability of these restored areas (Fig. 7 ). Hotspot analyses further revealed habitat-specific patterns: amphibians were concentrated in seasonal water bodies during the monsoon, while reptiles were clustered around plantations. Certain species, such as Uperodon systoma , were restricted to plantations, while Sitana cf. sivalensis and Eutropis trivittata also occurred only in these areas. Snake observations, including Bungarus caeruleus , Oligodon taeniolatus , Indotyphlops braminus , Naja naja , and Lycodon striatus , were similarly plantation-associated. Reptile activity also increased in rocky patches post-monsoon, where exposed rocks offered thermoregulation sites (Pike et al. 2011 ). The rare sighting of Eublepharis macularius in a rocky habitat is notable, corroborating earlier but poorly documented reports from Delhi (Sultana and Hussain, 2010 ). Road use by reptiles such as Calotes versicolor , Oligodon taeniolatus , Naja naja , and Python molurus during cooler post-monsoon periods reflects behavioural thermoregulation strategies (Mukherjee et al. 2018 ). Secondary sources and citizen science platforms further indicate that species such as Cyrtopodion aravallensis , Argyrogena fasciolata , Boiga trigonata , Coelognathus helena , Dendrelaphis tristis , Platyceps ventromaculatus , Eryx conicus , Ferania sieboldii , Amphiesma stolatum , Psammophis leithii , and Daboia russelii occur within Delhi. While we excluded these records from our formal inventory due to reliability concerns, they highlight the potential for broader regional diversity. All encounters in our study were observational, with no handling or collection. Although secondary data can enhance sample sizes and spatial coverage, reliability issues warrant caution in their integration. Nonetheless, given the limited number of systematic studies in Delhi, future inventories would benefit from integrating citizen science records with field validation. Overall, our findings confirm that ABWS harbours a diverse herpetofaunal community despite its urban setting. These taxa often exhibit restricted distributions that do not align with formal protected area boundaries, making them highly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats (Rodrigues et al. 2004 a, b; Nori et al. 2015 ). Considering global amphibian and reptile declines linked to habitat loss and degradation, the sanctuary’s assemblage is of significant conservation value. We recommend continued monitoring, habitat restoration, and strengthened protection measures to safeguard this urban biodiversity refuge. Statements & Declarations Declarations Funding This study was supported by the Delhi Forest Department under the project “Developing an Integrated Management Plan for Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, New Delhi.” No additional external funding was received. (File No. 110/CWLW/NJ/BRBS/2022/2750–52). Competing Interests The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Acknowledgments We are highly thankful to the staff and officials of the Delhi Forest Department for all their support and ground assistance during the study. We also extend our sincere thanks to Bitupan Boruah, Amirtha Balan, and Kalaimani Ayuthavel for their suggestions and corrections, which greatly contributed to improving the quality of this work. Author Contributions All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, fieldwork, data collection, and preliminary analysis were performed by Feba K S, Rashi Nautiyal, Shubham Kumar Maletha, Mukesh Chand and Parvaiz Yousuf. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Feba K S, and all authors commented on and revised previous versions of the manuscript. Dr. Abhijith Das and Dr. Bhupendra Singh Adhikari provided supervision, technical guidance, and critical revisions. Funding was acquired by Dr. Bhupendra Singh Adhikari. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Ethics statement This research was conducted as part of the project “Developing an Integrated Management Plan for Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, New Delhi,” funded by the Delhi Forest Department. Field activities were undertaken in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary under permission from the Delhi Forest Department, Government of NCT of Delhi (Order No. F.No.11(106)CF/2008/Pt-11/311). The study relied exclusively on non-invasive methods (VES). 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Supplementary Files Table1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 22 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Urban Ecosystems → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Accepted 18 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 22 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 12 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 23 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 17 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Shannon-Weiner species diversity of amphibians and reptiles in different habitats inside the Sanctuary\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/ede38bb4624cb36329d3b900.png"},{"id":100405609,"identity":"897d2817-fd85-4659-bc0d-6614b7a7b889","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 12:08:27","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":843654,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 8\u003c/strong\u003e. Kernel density map denoting hotspots of (A) Amphibian activity and (B) Reptile activity in the study site.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/878394f14c8d640e25eefb8f.png"},{"id":100405482,"identity":"df903801-3876-41c6-8b68-5adbddf460e9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 12:06:01","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":668929,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 3\u003c/strong\u003e: A\u003cem\u003e. Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, \u003c/em\u003eB.\u003cem\u003e Euphlyctis \u003c/em\u003ecf\u003cem\u003e. cyanophlyctis, \u003c/em\u003eC.\u003cem\u003eDuttaphrynus melanostictus, \u003c/em\u003eD.\u003cem\u003e Firouzophrynus stomaticus, \u003c/em\u003eE.\u003cem\u003eMinervarya \u003c/em\u003ecf. \u003cem\u003eagricola, \u003c/em\u003eF.\u003cem\u003e Microhyla nilphamariensis, \u003c/em\u003eG.\u003cem\u003eUperodon systoma, \u003c/em\u003eH.\u003cem\u003e Sphaerotheca \u003c/em\u003ecf. \u003cem\u003emaskeyi\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/ab9cba418c47f4db4d1fc810.png"},{"id":100405342,"identity":"424fb5e1-121f-4fef-b0d7-9af1f47cb65b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 12:05:26","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":775605,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 4\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e: \u003c/em\u003eA. \u003cem\u003eEchis carinatus, \u003c/em\u003eB.\u003cem\u003e Bungarus caeruleus, \u003c/em\u003eC\u003cem\u003e. Lycodon striatus, \u003c/em\u003eD\u003cem\u003e. Indotyphlops braminus, \u003c/em\u003eE\u003cem\u003e. Oligodon taeniolatus, \u003c/em\u003eF\u003cem\u003e. Python molurus, \u003c/em\u003eG\u003cem\u003e. Naja naja, \u003c/em\u003eH\u003cem\u003e. Lycodon aulicus, \u003c/em\u003eI\u003cem\u003e. Eryx johnii, \u003c/em\u003eJ\u003cem\u003e. Ptyas mucosa, \u003c/em\u003eK\u003cem\u003e. Spalerosophis atriceps, \u003c/em\u003eL\u003cem\u003e. Fowlea piscator\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*I, J, and K are taken from the paper Barhadiya and Ghosh 2021 due to some clarity issues of our photographs and the photographs were clicked by Gaurav Barhadiya\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/1947f3904bc889ff0a009124.png"},{"id":100405429,"identity":"078c49c7-8124-4aba-9dbc-c1446bd7bbf0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 12:05:29","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":693659,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 5\u003c/strong\u003e: A. \u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e, B. \u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius, \u003c/em\u003eC. \u003cem\u003eHemidactylus \u003c/em\u003ecf. \u003cem\u003ebrookii\u003c/em\u003e, D.\u003cem\u003e Hemidactylus \u003c/em\u003ecf.\u003cem\u003eflaviviridis\u003c/em\u003e, E. \u003cem\u003eSitana \u003c/em\u003ecf.\u003cem\u003e sivalensis\u003c/em\u003e, F. \u003cem\u003eOphisops jerdonii, G. Eutropis macularia, \u003c/em\u003eH. \u003cem\u003eEutropis trivittata, \u003c/em\u003eI.\u003cem\u003eVaranus bengalensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/0a1fc5fa0e91d152ee29bad1.png"},{"id":107928318,"identity":"cd05b005-9071-45cb-a5b6-0a3f39f014a8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-27 16:09:56","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":5057832,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/29f3a4d9-e5fd-4a1b-8d35-badcb3d130b3.pdf"},{"id":100405254,"identity":"3803ee49-ca31-4b10-bc85-60368254cc23","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-16 12:05:12","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":65474,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Table1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8385594/v1/37bea5b6d698de1605e7addf.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Herpetofaunal Diversity and Habitat Associations in an Urban Protected Area: A Case Study from Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eIndia harbours remarkable herpetofaunal diversity, with more than 778 reptile species (Mohapatra et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) and 457 amphibian species (Frost \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Research on urban herpetofauna has expanded in recent years (Ingle et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Purkayastha et al. 2018; Parmar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Roy and Dey \u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Paira and Ray \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Pawar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Adil et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), yet most studies have focused on semi-natural areas near cities rather than strictly urban sanctuaries (Purkayastha et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Das et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Because urban protected areas face unique ecological pressures, understanding their herpetofaunal communities is crucial for conservation (Purkayastha et al. 2018; Banville and Bateman \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi retains\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;299.7 km\u0026sup2; of green cover, accounting for 20.2% of its total area according to the study by Maitra and Jyethi \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e. Its landscape includes forests, parks, wetlands, and ridge systems (Bretzel et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Herpetofaunal research in Delhi has a long history, beginning with early accounts (Smith \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1935\u003c/span\u003e; Raza et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1976\u003c/span\u003e) and later supplemented by reports based on census data (Raj and Sehgal \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1964\u003c/span\u003e) and studies of the Delhi Ridge (Kalpavriksh \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e; Malik et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e). Subsequent work documented 25 reptile species and described three new saurian taxa (Hussain \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e), while the discovery of \u003cem\u003eCyrtodactylus aravallensis\u003c/em\u003e further expanded the regional checklist (Gill \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e). More recent assessments include inventories from the Rashtrapati Bhavan estate (Prasad et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) and detailed snake records comprising 372 individuals across 15 species (Barhadiya et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe ABWS, part of the southern Delhi Ridge in the Aravalli range, is a uniquely urban sanctuary. It was designated in 1986, with the Bhatti area incorporated in 1991 (Kushwaha et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Goel and Rath \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Previous surveys between 1997 and 2022 reported only a handful of amphibian and reptile species initially, followed by later records of up to 28 reptile species, though amphibian surveys remain incomplete (Agarwal \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Khanna and Sati \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Goel and Rath \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Despite these contributions, ABWS still lacks a systematic, habitat-stratified inventory of its herpetofauna using standardized survey methods.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe carried out intensive visual encounter surveys between March and December 2024 with the following objectives: (1) to compile a systematic inventory of amphibians and reptiles of the ABWS and evaluate their conservation status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972, amended 2022) and the IUCN Red List; (2) to quantify relative abundance and encounter rates of the recorded species; (3) to assess sampling completeness and compare diversity among major habitat types; and (4) to identify spatial hotspots of herpetofauna activity using kernel density estimation.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Area\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted in the ABWS (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. The sanctuary covers 32.71 km\u0026sup2; along the southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range, adjacent to the Delhi\u0026ndash;Haryana border (28.24520\u0026ndash;28.29450\u0026deg;N, 77.11320\u0026ndash;77.16130\u0026deg;E). The vegetation is dominated by shrubs and stunted trees (Naithani et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e) and is classified as Northern Tropical Desert Thorn Forest (6BC1) and \u003cem\u003eZizyphus\u003c/em\u003e Scrub (6BDS1) according to Champion and Seth (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1968\u003c/span\u003e). The terrain is rocky and undulating, with elevations ranging from 240\u0026ndash;320 m. The region has a semi-arid climate with three distinct seasons: (i) a hot dry period from March to June, (ii) a dry winter from October to February, and (iii) a warm monsoon season from July to September. Mean annual precipitation is 711 mm, most of which falls during the monsoon (Kushwaha et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSurvey Methodology\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eField surveys were conducted from March to December 2024. Amphibians and reptiles were documented using Visual Encounter Surveys (VES), following standard protocols (Crump \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e). A total of 40 time-constrained VES (one hour each) were conducted across major habitat types, including water bodies, plantation areas, \u003cem\u003eProsopis juliflora\u003c/em\u003e patches, and rocky habitats (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Surveys were conducted primarily at night (18:00\u0026ndash;22:00 h) by three observers, with additional diurnal searches for reptiles (08:00\u0026ndash;16:00 h).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOpportunistic searches were also conducted along nature trails and open areas. Techniques included overturning rocks (replaced in their original positions), scanning leaf litter, inspecting fallen logs, and checking tree holes, ant/termite mounds, and burrows. Most opportunistic searches were conducted at night.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies were identified in the field using standard guides (Whitaker and Captain \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Das and Das \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Mohapatra et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). All individuals were photographed and released at the site of encounter. Taxonomy follows Frost (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) for amphibians and Uetz et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e) for reptiles. Individuals that could not be confidently identified to species were referred to the closest morphologically similar taxa, while others remain unidentified pending further study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies accumulation curves were generated using the SAR package (Matthews et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) in R (version 4.1.2; RStudio version 2021.09.2). Statistical analyses and diversity indices were computed in PAST (version 4.0) and R. Spatial distribution patterns were analyzed in ArcGIS (version 10.8.2) using the Heat Map plugin to perform kernel density estimation (KDE). Kernel density was estimated based on the number of observations at each location. Values were classified into five categories using Jenks natural breaks: low density (transparent), moderately low (light green), moderate (yellow), moderately high (orange), and high density (red).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe recorded a total of 30 herpetofaunal species representing 27 genera and 15 families during the study (Table\u0026nbsp;1; Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig9\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Amphibians were represented by eight species belonging to eight genera and three families, while reptiles were represented by 22 species belonging to 19 genera and 12 families. Among amphibians, the family Dicroglossidae was the most diverse, with four species (\u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHoplobatrachus tigerinus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSphaerotheca cf. maskeyi\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMinervarya cf. agricola\u003c/em\u003e). Among reptiles, the family Colubridae was the most diverse, with six species (\u003cem\u003ePtyas mucosa\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLycodon aulicus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFowlea piscator\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLycodon striatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eOligodon taeniolatus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSpalerosophis atriceps\u003c/em\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended in 2022), seven recorded species fall under Schedule I and receive the highest level of protection: \u003cem\u003ePtyas mucosa\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFowlea piscator\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNaja naja\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePython molurus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVaranus bengalensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEryx johnii\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius\u003c/em\u003e. Nine species are listed under Schedule II, including \u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHoplobatrachus tigerinus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLycodon aulicus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLycodon striatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eOligodon taeniolatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSpalerosophis atriceps\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBungarus caeruleus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEchis carinatus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eIndotyphlops braminus\u003c/em\u003e. With respect to the IUCN Red List, \u003cem\u003ePython molurus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEryx johnii\u003c/em\u003e are classified as Near Threatened (IUCN \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelative abundance (RA) and encounter rate (ER) varied considerably among species (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Among amphibians, \u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003e had the highest relative abundance (RA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10) and was the most frequently encountered species (10 encounters per person-hour). Among reptiles, \u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e showed the highest relative abundance (RA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03) and encounter rate (1.01 encounters per person-hour), followed by \u003cem\u003eEutropis trivittata\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHemidactylus cf. brookii\u003c/em\u003e (RA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.028). Rare species recorded only once included \u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEchis carinatus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eRiopa punctata\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies accumulation curves indicated that amphibian sampling approached an asymptote (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e), whereas reptile sampling, although beginning to flatten, had not yet reached asymptote (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). Shannon\u0026ndash;Wiener diversity indices revealed that both amphibians and reptiles exhibited the highest diversity within plantation habitats (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study represents the first systematic, habitat-stratified inventory of herpetofauna for the ABWS in the NCT of Delhi. Previous studies in Delhi documented more limited assemblages: Prasad et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) reported eight amphibian species from Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Barhadiya et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) listed 15 snake species from the city. In contrast, our surveys recorded 30 species (eight amphibians and 22 reptiles). Several species represent new distribution records for ABWS, including \u003cem\u003eFirouzophrynus stomaticus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUperodon systoma\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMicrohyla cf. nilphamariensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMinervarya cf. agricola\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSitana cf. sivalensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRiopa punctata\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEutropis macularia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFowlea piscator\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eIndotyphlops braminus\u003c/em\u003e. We also detected a misidentification in earlier reports: the BNHS record of \u003cem\u003eSitana ponticeriana\u003c/em\u003e from ABWS is erroneous and actually represents \u003cem\u003eSitana cf. sivalensis\u003c/em\u003e, a species widely distributed across the northern Indian plains, while \u003cem\u003eS. ponticeriana\u003c/em\u003e is restricted to peninsular India and coastal Sri Lanka (Deepak et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost species were confidently identified, although some taxa remain provisionally assigned. Frogs of the genera \u003cem\u003eMinervarya\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSphaerotheca\u003c/em\u003e are cryptic complexes requiring genetic data for accurate resolution (Phuge et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Garg and Biju \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Khatiwada et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). We provisionally identified our \u003cem\u003eSphaerotheca\u003c/em\u003e specimens as \u003cem\u003eS. cf. maskeyi\u003c/em\u003e based on recent distribution evidence from the Himalayan foothills (Jablonski et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Dandekar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, due to unresolved cryptic diversity, \u003cem\u003eSitana\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eHemidactylus\u003c/em\u003e individuals were assigned as \u003cem\u003eS. cf. sivalensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eH. cf. flaviviridis\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eH. cf. brookii\u003c/em\u003e following published ranges (Amarasinghe et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Deepak et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Lajmi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong amphibians, \u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003e was the most abundant and frequently encountered species (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). It occurred year-round in temporary and permanent aquatic habitats, except during peak winter, consistent with its wide ecological tolerance and activity patterns (Khan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Frost \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Among reptiles, \u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e was the most common species, reflecting its broad Oriental distribution (Smith \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1935\u003c/span\u003e; Hallermann \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). Both species highlight the dominance of generalist taxa in disturbed urban habitats.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelative abundance and species encounter of the amphibian and reptile species encountered during the Visual Encounter Surveys (VES).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eER\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDuttaphrynus melanostictus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFirouzophrynus stomaticus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSphaerotheca\u003c/em\u003e cf. \u003cem\u003emaskeyi\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHoplobatrachus tigerinus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMicrohyla\u003c/em\u003e cf. \u003cem\u003enilphamariensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMinervarya\u003c/em\u003e cf. \u003cem\u003eagricola\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUperodon systoma\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSitana\u003c/em\u003e cf. \u003cem\u003esivalensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHemidactylus\u003c/em\u003e cf. \u003cem\u003eflaviviridis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEutropis macularia\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVaranus bengalensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.006\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOphisops jerdonii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHemidactylus cf brookii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.028\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRiopa punctata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEutropis trivittata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.028\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePtyas mucosa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.019\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLycodon aulicus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFowlea piscator\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePython molurus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.012\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEchis carinatus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBungarus caeruleus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOligodon taeniolatus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndotyphlops braminus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSpalerosophis atriceps\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEryx johnii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNaja naja\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLycodon striatus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies accumulation curves suggest that amphibian richness was adequately sampled, whereas additional reptile species may be detected with further effort (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). This aligns with the cryptic and microhabitat-specific nature of many reptiles. Shannon-Wiener diversity indices showed highest diversity in plantation habitats, likely due to the structural complexity and resource availability of these restored areas (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHotspot analyses further revealed habitat-specific patterns: amphibians were concentrated in seasonal water bodies during the monsoon, while reptiles were clustered around plantations. Certain species, such as \u003cem\u003eUperodon systoma\u003c/em\u003e, were restricted to plantations, while \u003cem\u003eSitana cf. sivalensis\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eEutropis trivittata\u003c/em\u003e also occurred only in these areas. Snake observations, including \u003cem\u003eBungarus caeruleus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eOligodon taeniolatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eIndotyphlops braminus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNaja naja\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eLycodon striatus\u003c/em\u003e, were similarly plantation-associated. Reptile activity also increased in rocky patches post-monsoon, where exposed rocks offered thermoregulation sites (Pike et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e). The rare sighting of \u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius\u003c/em\u003e in a rocky habitat is notable, corroborating earlier but poorly documented reports from Delhi (Sultana and Hussain, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e). Road use by reptiles such as \u003cem\u003eCalotes versicolor\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eOligodon taeniolatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eNaja naja\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePython molurus\u003c/em\u003e during cooler post-monsoon periods reflects behavioural thermoregulation strategies (Mukherjee et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary sources and citizen science platforms further indicate that species such as \u003cem\u003eCyrtopodion aravallensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eArgyrogena fasciolata\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBoiga trigonata\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCoelognathus helena\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDendrelaphis tristis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePlatyceps ventromaculatus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEryx conicus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eFerania sieboldii\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAmphiesma stolatum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePsammophis leithii\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eDaboia russelii\u003c/em\u003e occur within Delhi. While we excluded these records from our formal inventory due to reliability concerns, they highlight the potential for broader regional diversity.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll encounters in our study were observational, with no handling or collection. Although secondary data can enhance sample sizes and spatial coverage, reliability issues warrant caution in their integration. Nonetheless, given the limited number of systematic studies in Delhi, future inventories would benefit from integrating citizen science records with field validation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOverall, our findings confirm that ABWS harbours a diverse herpetofaunal community despite its urban setting. These taxa often exhibit restricted distributions that do not align with formal protected area boundaries, making them highly vulnerable to anthropogenic threats (Rodrigues et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003ea, b; Nori et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Considering global amphibian and reptile declines linked to habitat loss and degradation, the sanctuary\u0026rsquo;s assemblage is of significant conservation value. We recommend continued monitoring, habitat restoration, and strengthened protection measures to safeguard this urban biodiversity refuge.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatements \u0026amp; Declarations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis study was supported by the Delhi Forest Department under the project \u003cem\u003e“Developing an Integrated Management Plan for Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, New Delhi.”\u003c/em\u003e No additional external funding was received. (File No. 110/CWLW/NJ/BRBS/2022/2750–52).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;We are highly thankful to the staff and officials of the Delhi Forest Department for all their support and ground assistance during the study. We also extend our sincere thanks to Bitupan Boruah, Amirtha Balan, and Kalaimani Ayuthavel for their suggestions and corrections, which greatly contributed to improving the quality of this work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, fieldwork, data collection, and preliminary analysis were performed by Feba K S, Rashi Nautiyal, Shubham Kumar Maletha, Mukesh Chand and Parvaiz Yousuf. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Feba K S, and all authors commented on and revised previous versions of the manuscript. Dr. Abhijith Das and Dr. Bhupendra Singh Adhikari provided supervision, technical guidance, and critical revisions. Funding was acquired by Dr. Bhupendra Singh Adhikari. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was conducted as part of the project \u003cem\u003e“Developing an Integrated Management Plan for Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, New Delhi,”\u003c/em\u003e funded by the Delhi Forest Department. Field activities were undertaken in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary under permission from the Delhi Forest Department, Government of NCT of Delhi (Order No. F.No.11(106)CF/2008/Pt-11/311). The study relied exclusively on non-invasive methods (VES). No animals were captured, handled, or experimentally manipulated. Surveys adhered to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (as amended) and institutional best practices. No museum specimens were examined or collected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT to improve readability and language. After using this tool/service, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdil S, Kanwal R, Aslam H, Ijaz S, Afsheen S (2019) Study of human impacts and interaction with herpetofauna. J Wildl Ecol 3(2):30-49\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgarwal P (2022) Delhi: Leopard spotted at Asola again, safety net planned. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/91568805.cms. Accessed 5 July 2024\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmarasinghe AT, Ineich I, Karunarathna DMSS, Botejue WMS, Campbell PD (2015) Two new species of \u003cem\u003eSitana\u003c/em\u003e (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Sri Lanka, including a taxonomic revision of the Indian \u003cem\u003eSitana\u003c/em\u003e species. 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Govt of India, pp 28-29\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRodrigues AS, Akcakaya HR, Andelman SJ, Bakarr MI, Boitani L (2004) Global gap analysis: protected-area priorities. Bioscience 54:1092-1100\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRodrigues AS, Andelman SJ, Bakarr MI, Boitani L, Brooks TM et al (2004) Effectiveness of protected areas in representing species diversity. Nature 428:640-643\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoy JK, Dey M (2015) Anuran diversity and threats at Assam University Campus. Hamadryad 37:104-110\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmith MA (1935) \u003cem\u003eThe Fauna of British India\u0026hellip; Vol. II-Sauria.\u003c/em\u003e Taylor \u0026amp; Francis, London\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSultana A, Hussain MS (2010) Geographic distribution: \u003cem\u003eEublepharis macularius\u003c/em\u003e. Herpetol Rev 41:512\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUetz P, Freed P, Aguilar R, Reyes F, Kudera J, Ho\u0026scaron;ek J (2025) The reptile database. http://www.reptile-database.org. Accessed 25 Jan 2025\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhitaker R, Captain A (2004) \u003cem\u003eSnakes of India: the field guide.\u003c/em\u003e Draco Books, Chennai, 481 pp\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003eTable 1 is available in the Supplementary Files section.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"urban-ecosystems","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ueco","sideBox":"Learn more about [Urban Ecosystems](https://www.springer.com/journal/11252)","snPcode":"11252","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11252/3","title":"Urban Ecosystems","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Asola Bhatti, amphibians, reptiles, urban protected area, diversity","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8385594/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8385594/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUrban protected areas often face unique ecological pressures but remain poorly studied for herpetofauna. The Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (ABWS), located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India, represents a rocky, semi-arid landscape with seasonal streams that provide diverse microhabitats for amphibians and reptiles. To address the lack of systematic data, we conducted intensive time-constrained visual encounter surveys (40 VES of one hour each) and opportunistic searches between March and December 2024, supported by literature review and photographic vouchers. In total, we documented 30 species across 27 genera and 15 families, comprising 8 amphibian species (3 families) and 22 reptile species (12 families). Dicroglossidae was the most diverse amphibian family (4 species), while Colubridae was the most diverse reptile family (6 species). Species were assigned conservation status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2022), and the IUCN Red List, with seven taxa receiving Schedule I protection and two listed as Near Threatened globally. \u003cem\u003eEuphlyctis cf. cyanophlyctis\u003c/em\u003ewas the most abundant amphibian, and Calotes versicolor the most common reptile, reflecting the dominance of ecological generalists in disturbed habitats. Amphibian diversity in the sanctuary appears to have been adequately documented, while reptile surveys indicate that additional species are likely still undetected. Among the different habitats, plantations supported the highest diversity, suggesting that restored areas with greater structural complexity provide critical resources for both amphibians and reptiles. Collated records from nearby localities highlight broader regional diversity, though not included in the ABWS checklist. Our findings provide the first habitat-stratified inventory of ABWS and emphasize its value as an urban biodiversity refuge requiring continued monitoring and management.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Herpetofaunal Diversity and Habitat Associations in an Urban Protected Area: A Case Study from Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-16 10:37:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8385594/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Accepted","date":"2026-03-18T21:57:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-22T21:41:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"295535268399840239930729210107337459428","date":"2026-02-16T20:28:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-12T18:15:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-24T02:46:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-24T00:08:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Urban Ecosystems","date":"2025-12-17T12:09:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"urban-ecosystems","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"ueco","sideBox":"Learn more about [Urban Ecosystems](https://www.springer.com/journal/11252)","snPcode":"11252","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11252/3","title":"Urban Ecosystems","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"9f4db324-43f3-45bf-a511-f7299a579878","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 16th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-27T16:07:49+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8385594","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01962-0","journal":{"identity":"urban-ecosystems","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Urban Ecosystems"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-22 15:59:30","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 22nd, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-16 10:37:20","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11252-026-01962-0","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-026-01962-0","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8385594","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8385594","identity":"rs-8385594","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}