Introduction
Reptiles and amphibians — known collectively as herpetofauna — are an important element of any ecosystem, and play a crucial role in keeping it in balance. Reptiles such as snakes and lizards keep pests such as rats in check, while amphibians help control insects and mosquitoes. Amphibians also serve as a medium of energy transfer from primary producers to higher-level predators within the trophic pyramid (Ibrahim et al., 2013). Without them, the system collapses.
Malaysia is one of the world’s megadiverse countries. Das and Norsham (2007) recorded more than 600 herpetofauna species nationally — 203 amphibians and 397 reptiles. Ramli et al. (2024) later reported the addition of at least 70 further species. Given the pace of research in recent years, the true figure is likely higher still, as new species continue to be described (Hong et al., 2026; Trofimets et al., 2024; Arkhipov et al., 2025).
Despite this significance, herpetofauna remain one of the least studied taxa. Part of the reason may be a persistent perception that they are dangerous — a view most obvious where snakes are concerned. Like other taxa, they are threatened by rapid habitat conversion and climate change.
In Penang, herpetofauna research has concentrated almost entirely on the island. Penang Hill and Penang National Park are both well studied (Sheridan et al., 2017; Quah et al., 2011; Hong et al., 2026). The Seberang Perai mainland, by contrast, has received far less attention, with the exception of Bukit Panchor, where a small number of surveys have been carried out (Ibrahim et al.; Quah et al., 2013). Records submitted to iNaturalist show only a handful of herpetofauna observations in the area by citizen scientists.
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