AMPHIBIAN DIVERSITY IN QUEBRADA GONZÁLEZ SECTOR, BRAULIO CARRILLO NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA

Herpetofaunal diversity studies are essential for conservation planning, land use management, and as baselines for future research. Despite the great number of inventories conducted in Costa Rica, key areas like Braulio Carrillo National Park lack comprehensive amphibian surveys. This study aimed to describe the anuran diversity in the Quebrada González sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica, and update the species checklist for the park. Amphibians were detected via acoustic and visual encounter surveys, along with opportunistic sightings. Additionally, specimens collected from Quebrada González and cataloged at the University of Costa Rica’s Zoology Museum were included in the checklist but excluded from statistical analysis. We documented 18 anuran species through sampling, with four additional species observed opportunistically and four from museum specimens, totaling 26 species. Shannon’s index (H') indicated moderate diversity (~2), Pielou’s uniformity index (J') showed species abundance heterogeneity (0.6), and the Gini-Simpson index (D) indicated low dominance with a value over 0.7. Lithobates warszewitschii (Ranidae) and Incilius melanochlorus (Bufonidae) were the most abundant species, comprising 70 % of observations. This study represents the first formal quantitative data set regarding the amphibian community of Quebrada González, a step in documenting the overall herpetofaunal community of Braulio Carrillo National Park and surrounding areas. Further sampling and alternative detection techniques, such as specialized methods for caecilians, salamanders, and arboreal anurans, could reveal additional species.