ABSTRACT
As part of a broader study to increase available information of the biodiversity of anurans from the rainforest ecological zone, a study was conducted to determine the diversity of anurans in Okomu Rubber Plantation, Ovia South - West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria, in August, 2023. A total of 55 anurans were sampled using visual and acoustic encounter sampling techniques. The body morphology of each species were recorded and photographs taken for easy identification. The species diversity, richness and evenness were calculated using various appropriate statistical tools. The 55 specimens encountered, spread across 5 families, five genera, and 8 species. The anurans species recorded are: Afrixalus dorsalis, Arthroleptis poecilonotus, Arthroleptis variabilis, Arthroleptis sp., Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Ptychadena oxyrhynchus, Ptychadena longirostris, and Sclerophys maculata. Bufonidae was the dominant family, represented by Sclerophrys maculata (32.73%), followed by the family Arthroleptidae represented by Arthroleptis poecilonotus (23.64%) while the least abundant family Hyperolidae was represented by Afrixalus dorsalis (1.82%) followed by the family Ptychadena represented by Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (1.82%). The species were not evenly distributed (EH= 0.82) and species richness of D= 7.75. There is a possibility that the low species diversity (A= 1.70324228) recorded in this study can be attributed to low sampling rate, short duration of the study which is one month time under which the study was conducted. All the anuran species recorded, have previously been reported from the forest zone as well as other ecological zones. However, more studies need to be carried out at the Okomu Rubber Plantation over a longer period of at least one year in order to capture other species which may be present in the study area but were not encountered in this study.
