Amphibians and Reptiles

A survey recorded a total of 23 species of Amphibians (4 species) and Reptiles (19). Of those species:

- 1 is a globally threatened species (Chamaeleo chamaeleon)
- 19 species are Regional or local species which are threatened in Lebanon.

Some old monographs of herpetofauna are known for the region (Lebanon and Syria) from the works of Angel (1936), Boulanger (1923), Lortet (1883) Muller and Wettstein (1933), Werner (1939) and Wettstein (1928).
Other recent works on the Lebanese herpetofauna have been published by Bosch (1998) and Bosch et al (1998). The first prioritized list of Horsh Ehden herpetofauna species was part of the survey and inventory work conducted by the National Council for Scientific Research (NCSR) on behalf of the Protected Areas Project (Hraoui-Bloquet in Tohmé et al., 1999). In 2002, Hraoui-Bloquet et al. published a comprehensive paper on the distribution of the herpetofauna species over the Lebanese territories (including Ehden).
The list of herpetofauna species comprises 28 species distributed over 13 families.
Only the Chamaeleo chamaeleon is globally threatened whilst the regionally threatened Salamandra infraimmaculata infraimmaculata, Bufo viridis, Rana levantina, Hyla savignyi, Testudo graeca terrestris, Hemidactylus turcicus, Cyrtopodion kotschyi orientalis, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Lacerta laevis laevis, Platiceps najadum dahlii, Malpolon monspessulanus insignatus, Hierophis jugularis, Natrix tessellata tessellate, Vipera bornmuelleri, Vipera palestinea and Macrovipera lebetina are limited to 16 species (57% of the Hoersh Ehden Reserve's herpetofauna).
Two reptiles Vipera bornmuelleri and Lacerta media wolterstorffi are endemic but the second is also regionally threatened.
The uncertain status of 4 species Cyrtopodion amictopholis, Vipera palestinea, Elaphe sauromates and Macrovipera lebetina indicates that further field verification is needed to fill the gaps found in the acquired knowledge (MoE/UL/UNDP, 2004).