Cerrado has a high richness of amphibians and reptiles species, being comparable to the herpetofauna of the Amazon, when expressed proportionally to the size of each biome (COLLI & BASTOS, 2002). However, its herpetofauna is the least known of all the Brazilian biomes (COSTA et al., 2007). Despite these knowledge gaps, it was recorded for the Cerrado biome 10 species of turtles, 5 species of alligators, 15 species of amphisbaena, 47 species of lizards, 103 species of snakes and 113 species of amphibians. A study in the Cerrado area of southern Maranhão showed a greater similarity of species with areas geographically closer and similar climatic and edaphic (soil) conditions (BARRETO et al., 2007).
With respect to the fauna of lizards, a relatively recent study (NOGUEIRA, 2006) increased to 73 the number of lizard species in the biome. The endemism of the Cerrado herpetofauna is considerable: 53% of amphisbaena are endemic (Amphisbaena anaemariae, A. miringoera, A. neglecta, A. sanctaeritae, A. silvestrii, A. talisiae, Bronia kraoh, Cercelophia sp. Cercelophia Novi and sp. November II), 26% of lizards (Haplocercus spinosus, Anolis meridionalis, Tropidurus itambere, T. montanus, Coledactylus brachystoma, Kentropyx paulensis, K. vanzoi, Bachia Bresslau, B. scolecoides, Bachia sp. Micrablepharus Nov and atticolus) and 28% of the amphibian (Bufo ocellatus, Colostethus goianus, Epipedobates braccatus, Hyla alvarengai, H. anataliasiasi, H. biobeba, H. cipoensis, H. nanuzae, H. pseudopseudis, H. rubicundula, H. saxicola, H. sazimae, H. tritaeniata ,Phasmahyla jandaia, Phyllomedusa centralis, Scinax canastrensis, S. centralis, S. machadoi, S. maracaya, Barycholos savegei, Leptodactylus camaquara, L. cunicularis, L. jolyi, L. tapiti, Odontophyrus moratoi, O. salvatori, Physalaemus deimaticus, P. evangelistai, Proceratophrys cururu, P.goyana, Pseudopaludicola mineira, Chismocleis centralis) are also endemic (COLLI, 2007)
