Anuran diversity from the Palmares National Forest, Piauí, northeastern Brazil

Conservation units function as wildlife refuges and can help maintain regional biodiversity; however, there are still extensive sampling gaps in these protected areas. In Brazil, specifically in the northeast region, these sampling gaps are evident. Herein, we present the first list of anurans from the Palmares National Forest (PNF), state of Piauí, northeastern Brazil. We also compared its species richness with other conservation units in the state and presented the distribution patterns and conservation status of the recorded species. Overall, we recorded 20 anuran species, belonging to five families. Although most species (79%) are classified as least concern (LC), one species is classified as data deficient (DD), and three species were not evaluated (NE). Regarding beta diversity, we observed a high species turnover between the sampled conservation units in Piauí. Particularly, the anuran composition in the PNF showed greater similarity to that of the Serra das Confusões National Park, Ibiapaba plateau, and Sete Cidades National Park. The PNF harbors a considerable species richness despite its small area (approximately 170 ha) compared to other conservation units in the state, highlighting its ecological relevance. This study provides the first inventory of anuran species for the Palmares National Forest in northeastern Brazil.