The effect of seasonality on reptile assemblages in riparian habitats of Cerro Azul, Chagres National Park,
Panama, was studied through diurnal and nocturnal surveys in transects (200 x 3 m, 600-700 m elevation)
from February to July 2009. Eleven lizard species were recorded, with Norops poecilopus (60 observations)
and Basiliscus basiliscus (46 observations) as the most abundant, and 17 snake species, with Sibon argus (9
observations) and Imantodes cenchoa (6 observations) as the most common. Lizard abundance was similar
between seasons (68 vs. 72), while snake abundance was higher in the rainy season (11 vs. 30). Shannon
diversity (q1) was higher in the rainy season (8.0 vs. 6.7), but abundance did not differ significantly between
seasons (U = 409.5, p = 0.52) or months (H = 7.26, p = 0.21). The similarity dendrogram grouped months into
two main clusters with differences in species composition, indicating temporal structuring. CCA showed that
temperature and precipitation influenced assemblage composition, with lizards associated with higher
temperatures and lower precipitation, and snakes with the opposite. The lizards and snakes assemblages in
Cerro Azul showed an influence of seasonality and the relative abundance did not vary significantly between
seasons.

Autores: Ángel Sosa-Bartuano, Rafael Samudio Jr & Julieta Carrión de Samudio