Conservation of herpetofauna as a function of forestry

Herpetofauna includes both amphibians and reptiles. Despite the fact that these two vertebrate groups are often considered together in the study of herpetology, they are quite different. They come from independent lineages since 300 million years ago (Zug et al., 2001) and have quite different reproductive systems, behavioural traits and ecological requirements. Despite their biological and ecological differences, amphibians and reptiles may be considered together regarding their conservation status. Both groups, in the last decades, generated a lot of interest among researchers and wildlife managers because of their worldwide decline.