Biodiversity of reptiles in Mexico

Based on a thorough analysis of the literature on reptiles associated with Mexico, and the review of databases, a detailed analysis of the distribution, richness and diversity of the reptiles from Mexico is presented. We estimate a total of 864 species of reptiles in Mexico, to October, 2013. Including 159 genera and 40 families; representing 8.7% of the reptiles of the world. Of the 864 species, 417 are lizards, 393 snakes, 48 turtles, 3 amphisbaenians and 3 crocodiles. There are 493 endemic species recorded for the country. The states with a greater number of species are: Oaxaca (262), Chiapas (220) and Veracruz (200), while states with a less diverse reptile fauna are: Tlaxcala (36 species), Distrito Federal (39) and Guanajuato (43).