Biogeographic tools support spatial distribution pattern hypotheses and help to determine priority areas for conservation. Our aim was to verify biogeographic patterns for anurans in three mountain complexes in southeastern Brazil, as well as to discuss the status of species conservation recorded and the biogeographical units evaluated. We selected 16 areas distributed in the Serra da Mantiqueira complex, south of Serra do Espinhaço and Serra da Canastra. We used the occurrence (geographic coordinates) of each species in the localities to determine areas of endemism applying the Endemicity Analysis method. We also tested whether similarity between areas was explained by geographic distance (Multiple Regression on distance Matrices-MRM). The Serra do Itatiaia, Serra da Canastra, Plateau of Poços de Caldas and Serra do Cipó were the areas that presented the highest number of species restricted to them. Through the Endemicity Analysis, we identified four areas of endemism with higher scores. The MRM revealed that the geographic distance explained 41% of species dissimilarity between areas. Most of the endemic species from these areas have inaccurate conservation statuses (data deficient or unevaluated). These results highlight the need for greater research efforts towards understanding species restricted by distribution, as well as the priority in conserving these endemic areas.

The impacts from urban areas may result in alterations in environmental characteristics and wild populations dynamics. Therefore, we aimed at assessing population size, density, home range, maximum range of movement and habitat selection of native and aliens freshwater turtles in a Brazilian urban park (Phrynops geoffroanus-PG, Trachemys dorbigni-TD, Trachemys scripta elegans-TSE). We applied capture-mark-recapture procedures from July/2016 to August/2018. Home ranges were estimated from trap locations using a 100% minimum convex polygon (MCP) method, and habitat selections using eigenanalysis. We sampled 41 PG, 35 TD, and 20 TSE. Population size was estimated as 59 ± 7.6 (PG), 36 ± 1.4 (TD), and 20 ± 0.5 (TSE) individuals (± SE), with a density estimates of 1.36 (0.34), 1.72 (0.36), and 0.87 (0.25) individual/ha (± SE), respectively. Home ranges size ranged between 0.04 ha and 0.48 ha, the highest distance was reached by D'Orbigny's slider (525.8 m). Our results indicate that habitat preferred for all species is clearly influenced by human presence, and the turtle assemblage exhibit strategies as temporal segregation to coexist on this small, closed park. Both the presence of two established populations of invasive alien species and the changing movement of freshwater turtles reflect anthropic pressure on wild population dynamics and the lack of effectiveness of environmental policies and inspection in Brazil. The understanding that wild populations are being affected even in conservation units could be considered by the managers implement monitoring of target wild populations, control of exotic species, insertion of educational signs and actions, and control of visitors.