Wildlife of Cape Verde
Encyclopedia
The wildlife of Cape Verde is spread over its archipelago
of ten islands and three islets, which all have parks under their jurisdiction by decree promulgated by the Republic of Cape Verde
. Located off the west coast of Africa
, the total land area of the island nation is 4564 square kilometres (1,762.2 sq mi). The wildlife consists of many tropical dry forest and shrub land, endemic flora and fauna, and rare breeding seabirds and plants, which are unique to this group of islands.
Some of the wildlife species of Cape Verde are considered as endemic, evolving over millions of years of isolation; the Grey-headed Kingfisher
(Halcyon leucocephala) survived here on insects in the absence of water in the lands of the islands.
In the process of development, many lands in the islands were converted to agricultural fields and several hundred varieties of herbaceous plant
and tree species were introduced, resulting in depletion of the original vegetation. However, efforts are now underway at reforestation to improve the wildlife of Cape Verde, with reported planting of three million new trees every year (about 7000 per day), with pine
, oak
, sweet chestnut and acacia
as the prominent varieties being planted. Cape Verde is also one of the world's top ten coral reef
Biodiversity hotspot
s.
, at a distance of 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) off the coast of Senegal
in West Africa
. Cape Verde is distributed into two groups: the southern leeward islands known as the Sotavento Islands and the windward islands known as the Barlavento Islands in the north; Santo Antão, São Vicente
, Santa Luzia
, São Nicolau, Sal
, and Boa Vista
, and the Sotavento Islands of Maio
, Santiago
(the largest with an area of 991 km2), Fogo
(with the only active volcano), and Brava
. Nine of these islands which are inhabited have mountainous areas whereas the other islands have flat topography with sandy beaches. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation, which have created different types of flora and fauna. Given its geographical isolation, it exhibits a unique ecoregion
with endemic plant and vertebrate species, particularly birds and reptile. It is also inferred that arid climate with no sources of surface fresh water and geographic remoteness are the reasons for the islands limited nature of its wildlife diversity. As of 2003, there were 48 protected areas covering 0.3% of the islands land mass.
The Cape Verde islands are a very degradated area.
Due to its proximity to the Sahara, most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the coast, by orography, the humidity is much higher, giving a rainforest habitat, very degraded by the strong human presence.
Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive a lot of rain and Southwest slopes not. This umbria areas are identified with cool and moisture.
Some islands, as Santiago with steep mountains, is covered with vegetation where the dense moisture
condense and soak the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc.
The laurel forest
is a type of cloud forests
developed about mountain
s, where the dense moisture
from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief. Opposing the terrain to a front of warm, moist air mass, it forces to increase the height above sea level of that body wet and warm air mass, which cools and decreases the dew point
, causing it to condense part of the moisture that falls as rain or fog, creating an habitat especially cool, saturated with moisture in the air and soil.
Protected areas
The protected areas declared under the Official Gazette of Cape Verde , in February 2003 are:
In Santo Antão Island the protected areas are Moroços – Natural Park, Cova/Ribeira Paúl/Torre – Natural Park, Cruzinha – Natural Reserve, Pombas – Protected Landscape and Tope de Coroa – Natural Park.
São Vicente Island has the Monte Verde – Natural Park.
Branco and Raso Islets – Integrated Reserve is the natural reserve in Santa Luzia Island.
São Nicolau Island has Monte Gordo Natural Park and Monte do Alto das Cabaças Natural Reserve.
Sal Island has 11 protected areas namely, the Salinas de Pedra Lume and Cagarral – Protected Landscape, the Monte Grande – Protected Landscape, the Rabo de Junco – Natural Reserve, the Baía da Murdeira – Natural (Marine) Reserve, the Costa da Fragata – Natural Reserve, the Serra Negra – Natural Reserve, the Buracona-Ragona – Protected Landscape, the Salinas de Santa Maria – Protected Landscape, the Morrinho do Filho –Natural Monument, the Ponta do Sino – Natural Reserve, the Morrinho do Açucar – Natural Monument.
In Maio Island protected are the Terras Salgadas – Natural Reserve, Casas Velhas – Natural Reserve, Barareiro e Figueira – Natural Park, Lagoa Cimidor – Natural Reserve, Praia do Morro – Natural Reserve, Salinas de Porto Inglês – Protected Landscape, Monte Penoso e Monte Branco – Protected Landscape and Monte Santo António – Protected Landscape.
Boa Vista Island has the maximum number of parks and natural monuments. These are: The Boa Esperança – Natural Reserve; the Ilhéu de Baluarte – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu dos Pássaros – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu de Curral Velho – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ponta do Sol – Natural Reserve, the Tartaruga – Natural Reserve, the Natural Park do Norte – Natural Park, the Monte Caçador e Pico Forçado – Protected Landscape; the Morro de Areia – Natural Reserve; the Curral Velho – Protected Landscape; the Monte Santo António –Natural Monument; the Ilhéu de Sal-Rei – Natural Monument; the Monte Estância – Natural Monument; and the Rocha Estância – Natural Monument.
The Santiago Island has two preserved areas in the Serra da Malagueta – Natural Park and the Serra Pico de Antónia – Natural Park.
The Fogo Island has Bordeira, Chã das Caldeiras e Pico Novo Natural Park.
The Rombo Islets have an Integrated Reserve.
With a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically, the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.
in the 15th century, the wildlife consisted mainly of dry forests and scrub habitat, which underwent a sea change under the influence of the inhabitants of this then isolated and uninhabited group of islands. The endemic flora and fauna of the islands were disturbed and have now remained confined mostly in the mountain peaks, steep slopes and other inaccessible areas.
Vegetation in the islands is basically of the savannah or steppe type. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain semi-desert plants while the higher lands have arid shrubland. The leeward slopes tend to contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic. A number of xerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.
There are 664 listed plant species, which include two threatened species. Over 80 vascular plant taxa are reported to be endemic to Cape Verde; these include Tornabenea, Aeonium gorgoneum, Campanula bravensis (bellflower), Nauplius smithii, Artemisia gorgonum (sagebrush) , Sideroxylon marginata, Lotus jacobeus, Lavandula rotundifolia, Sarcostemma daltonii, Euphorbia tuckeyana, Polycarpaea gayi and Erysimum caboverdeanum (wallflower). Several trees are indigenous such as the blue-green flat-topped dragon tree Dracaena draco
, Tamarix
, tamateira or Phoenix atlantica
, in the lagoons and deserts of Boavista
, the ironwood tree and a species of fig tree and acacia
. As a result of extensive tree planting since 1975, there are pine
trees, oak
s and sweet chestnut
s on the cool peaks of Santo Antao
, eucalyptus
on the heights of Fogo, and forests of acacia on Maio.
. Bat species on the islands account for about 20% of all mammals. Of particular note are those of the Vespertilionidae family, form the genus Hypsugo
, Pipistrellus
and Plecotus
, the latter of which the grey long-eared bat
(Plecotus austriacus) belongs to. Feral goats are found on Fogo, the descendants of domestic goats introduced by the Portuguese. Rodent populations were introduced by the Portuguese from early ships which visited the islands. Monkeys are also present in Cape Verde, hailing from the African continent.
(Pterodroma feae), frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) and Red-tailed Tropicbird
(Phaethon rubricauda). Four species of birds, (Alexander's Swift
, the Raso Lark
, the Cape Verde Swamp-warbler and the Iago Sparrow
) are also endemic here, while the Cape Verde Shearwater
is a breeding endemic. The endemic and endangered Bourne's Heron
is sometimes considered a full species. Also common are the greater flamingo
(Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Egyptian vulture
(Neophron percnopterus).
skinks (5 species), Hemidactylus
lizards (3 species) and Tarentola geckos (3 species).
, including Luxuria lymphatica (jumping spider), and Hottentotta caboverdensis, a parthenogenetic scorpion
. It has a reported 15 endemic genera and 369 endemic species of insects. Of note are Ceylalictus capverdensis (bee) Monomorium boltoni (ant), Scopula paneliusi (geometrid moth), Serranegra petrophila, marine molluscs such as Favartia burnayi
, Nassarius caboverdensis
, Prunum sauliae, the cone shell Conus josephinae
and the Palinurus charlestoni, better known as the Cape Verde Spiny Lobster.
Marine species reported are bridled dolphin
, Atlantic spotted dolphin
, Long-beaked common dolphin
, blue whale
, bunch
, Blainville's beaked whale
, common porpoise, barracuda
's, moray eel
s and marine turtles (5 species). Turtles come to nestle during May to October, on their journey across the Atlantic, the most prominent, and listed as endangered species, is the loggerhead sea turtle
(Caretta caretta). Other four species of turtles here are; the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) which is critically endangered; the green sea turtle
(Chelonia mydas), endangered; leatherback sea turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea) and olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Its reported curative effect for treating leprosy
with “diet of turtle meat and by rubbing the affected areas by turtle blood”, practiced in Cape Verde attracted the attention of King Louis XI when he deputed his representative to investigate and report since he had a notion that he suffered from this disease. This is one of the reasons for its hunting. Its hunting is unchecked as per UNEP report and hence turtle conservation measures are under active implementation, since 2008.
Coral reefs are also found extensively in Cape Verde, considered as one of the “world’s ten most important coral reefs”, though a disputed claim.
Also, whales, which were under total extinction in the 14th century, have been revived all over the world and several hundred of them visit Cape Verde to nestle on the islands, to mate and breed during their seasonal migration between Iceland
and Norway
.
Further, with a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.
Organizations
Institutions and organizations involved with preservation and conservation of the biodiversity of Cape Verde Islands are: The Directorate General of Agriculture, Forest and Livestock Production, the Institute for the Development of Fisheries (INDP) and the National Institute of Agricultural Research and Development (INIDA).
Noting that the exclusive biological species of Cape Verdes are not represented in any germplasm
banks across the world and that its fauna and flora of Cape Verde are extremely vulnerable to climate adversities with the natural regenerative conditions considered as poor, INIDA has established "a collection of biological resources for ex situ conservation as a means of backing in situ conservation of species threatened in some way, as they may be introduced in the wild as needs be, in sites where they are best adapted, through a finely tuned reintroduction program."
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
of ten islands and three islets, which all have parks under their jurisdiction by decree promulgated by the Republic of Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
. Located off the west coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the total land area of the island nation is 4564 square kilometres (1,762.2 sq mi). The wildlife consists of many tropical dry forest and shrub land, endemic flora and fauna, and rare breeding seabirds and plants, which are unique to this group of islands.
Some of the wildlife species of Cape Verde are considered as endemic, evolving over millions of years of isolation; the Grey-headed Kingfisher
Grey-headed Kingfisher
The Grey-headed Kingfisher has a wide distribution from the Cape Verde Islands off the north-west coast of Africa to Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia, east to Ethiopia, Somalia and southern Arabia and south to South Africa....
(Halcyon leucocephala) survived here on insects in the absence of water in the lands of the islands.
In the process of development, many lands in the islands were converted to agricultural fields and several hundred varieties of herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
and tree species were introduced, resulting in depletion of the original vegetation. However, efforts are now underway at reforestation to improve the wildlife of Cape Verde, with reported planting of three million new trees every year (about 7000 per day), with pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, sweet chestnut and acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
as the prominent varieties being planted. Cape Verde is also one of the world's top ten coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
Biodiversity hotspot
Biodiversity hotspot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans.The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist” , revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others in...
s.
Geography
The Cape Verde archipelago, volcanic in origin, is a cluster of 10 islands and three islets, located in the eastern Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, at a distance of 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) off the coast of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Cape Verde is distributed into two groups: the southern leeward islands known as the Sotavento Islands and the windward islands known as the Barlavento Islands in the north; Santo Antão, São Vicente
São Vicente, Cape Verde
São Vicente , also Son Visent or Son Sent in Cape Verdean Creole, is one of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. It is located between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, with the Canal de São Vicente separating it from Santo Antão.- Geography :The island is roughly rectangular in shape...
, Santa Luzia
Santa Luzia, Cape Verde
Santa Luzia is an island of the Barlavento archipelago in Cape Verde located between São Nicolau and São Vicente. The area is 35 km² . The highest point is Monte Grande elevating 395 m...
, São Nicolau, Sal
Sal, Cape Verde
Sal is an island in Cape Verde. It belongs to the northern group of islands, called Barlavento. The island is composed by a single administrative division, the Sal municipality. The island is home to Amílcar Cabral International Airport, the main airport of Cape Verde.- Geography :The island is...
, and Boa Vista
Boa Vista, Cape Verde
Boa Vista is the easternmost island of Cape Verde. It is located in the Barlavento group of the archipelago. The island is known for marine turtles and traditional music, as well as its ultramarathon and its sand dunes and beaches...
, and the Sotavento Islands of Maio
Maio, Cape Verde
Maio is the easternmost of the Sotavento islands of Cape Verde. Maio is located south of the islands of Boa Vista and east of Santiago. The island is also known for its large forest, which is unusual for Cape Verde.-Geography:The island covers an area of 269 km²...
, Santiago
Santiago, Cape Verde
Santiago , or Santiagu in Cape Verdean Creole, is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation’s population. At the time of Darwin's voyage it was called St. Jago....
(the largest with an area of 991 km2), Fogo
Fogo, Cape Verde
Fogo is an island in the Sotavento group of Cape Verde. It is the most prominent of the group, rising to nearly 3,000 m above sea level at Pico do Fogo.-Geography:...
(with the only active volcano), and Brava
Brava, Cape Verde
Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island, but at the same time the greenest, of Cape Verde, in the Sotavento group. First settled in the 1540s, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1675...
. Nine of these islands which are inhabited have mountainous areas whereas the other islands have flat topography with sandy beaches. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation, which have created different types of flora and fauna. Given its geographical isolation, it exhibits a unique ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
with endemic plant and vertebrate species, particularly birds and reptile. It is also inferred that arid climate with no sources of surface fresh water and geographic remoteness are the reasons for the islands limited nature of its wildlife diversity. As of 2003, there were 48 protected areas covering 0.3% of the islands land mass.
The Cape Verde islands are a very degradated area.
Due to its proximity to the Sahara, most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the coast, by orography, the humidity is much higher, giving a rainforest habitat, very degraded by the strong human presence.
Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive a lot of rain and Southwest slopes not. This umbria areas are identified with cool and moisture.
Some islands, as Santiago with steep mountains, is covered with vegetation where the dense moisture
Moisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
condense and soak the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc.
The laurel forest
Laurel forest
Laurel forest is a subtropical or mild temperate forest, found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable and mild temperatures. They are characterized by tree species with evergreen, glossy, enlongated leaves, known as laurophyll or lauroide...
is a type of cloud forests
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
developed about mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, where the dense moisture
Moisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief. Opposing the terrain to a front of warm, moist air mass, it forces to increase the height above sea level of that body wet and warm air mass, which cools and decreases the dew point
Dew point
The dew point is the temperature to which a given parcel of humid air must be cooled, at constant barometric pressure, for water vapor to condense into liquid water. The condensed water is called dew when it forms on a solid surface. The dew point is a saturation temperature.The dew point is...
, causing it to condense part of the moisture that falls as rain or fog, creating an habitat especially cool, saturated with moisture in the air and soil.
Protected areas
The protected areas declared under the Official Gazette of Cape Verde , in February 2003 are:
In Santo Antão Island the protected areas are Moroços – Natural Park, Cova/Ribeira Paúl/Torre – Natural Park, Cruzinha – Natural Reserve, Pombas – Protected Landscape and Tope de Coroa – Natural Park.
São Vicente Island has the Monte Verde – Natural Park.
Branco and Raso Islets – Integrated Reserve is the natural reserve in Santa Luzia Island.
São Nicolau Island has Monte Gordo Natural Park and Monte do Alto das Cabaças Natural Reserve.
Sal Island has 11 protected areas namely, the Salinas de Pedra Lume and Cagarral – Protected Landscape, the Monte Grande – Protected Landscape, the Rabo de Junco – Natural Reserve, the Baía da Murdeira – Natural (Marine) Reserve, the Costa da Fragata – Natural Reserve, the Serra Negra – Natural Reserve, the Buracona-Ragona – Protected Landscape, the Salinas de Santa Maria – Protected Landscape, the Morrinho do Filho –Natural Monument, the Ponta do Sino – Natural Reserve, the Morrinho do Açucar – Natural Monument.
In Maio Island protected are the Terras Salgadas – Natural Reserve, Casas Velhas – Natural Reserve, Barareiro e Figueira – Natural Park, Lagoa Cimidor – Natural Reserve, Praia do Morro – Natural Reserve, Salinas de Porto Inglês – Protected Landscape, Monte Penoso e Monte Branco – Protected Landscape and Monte Santo António – Protected Landscape.
Boa Vista Island has the maximum number of parks and natural monuments. These are: The Boa Esperança – Natural Reserve; the Ilhéu de Baluarte – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu dos Pássaros – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ilhéu de Curral Velho – Integrated Natural Reserve, the Ponta do Sol – Natural Reserve, the Tartaruga – Natural Reserve, the Natural Park do Norte – Natural Park, the Monte Caçador e Pico Forçado – Protected Landscape; the Morro de Areia – Natural Reserve; the Curral Velho – Protected Landscape; the Monte Santo António –Natural Monument; the Ilhéu de Sal-Rei – Natural Monument; the Monte Estância – Natural Monument; and the Rocha Estância – Natural Monument.
The Santiago Island has two preserved areas in the Serra da Malagueta – Natural Park and the Serra Pico de Antónia – Natural Park.
The Fogo Island has Bordeira, Chã das Caldeiras e Pico Novo Natural Park.
The Rombo Islets have an Integrated Reserve.
With a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically, the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.
Flora
Historically, Cape Verde was probably not rich with greenery, although the evidence of the situation in earlier times is severely lacking. When Cape Verde was first discovered and colonized by the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the 15th century, the wildlife consisted mainly of dry forests and scrub habitat, which underwent a sea change under the influence of the inhabitants of this then isolated and uninhabited group of islands. The endemic flora and fauna of the islands were disturbed and have now remained confined mostly in the mountain peaks, steep slopes and other inaccessible areas.
Vegetation in the islands is basically of the savannah or steppe type. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain semi-desert plants while the higher lands have arid shrubland. The leeward slopes tend to contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic. A number of xerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.
There are 664 listed plant species, which include two threatened species. Over 80 vascular plant taxa are reported to be endemic to Cape Verde; these include Tornabenea, Aeonium gorgoneum, Campanula bravensis (bellflower), Nauplius smithii, Artemisia gorgonum (sagebrush) , Sideroxylon marginata, Lotus jacobeus, Lavandula rotundifolia, Sarcostemma daltonii, Euphorbia tuckeyana, Polycarpaea gayi and Erysimum caboverdeanum (wallflower). Several trees are indigenous such as the blue-green flat-topped dragon tree Dracaena draco
Dracaena draco
Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands Dragon Tree or Drago isa subtropical Dragon Tree native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores...
, Tamarix
Tamarix
The genus Tamarix is composed of about 50-60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa...
, tamateira or Phoenix atlantica
Phoenix atlantica
Phoenix atlantica or Tamareira, is a endangered species in the palm family Arecaceae, in the genus Phoenix. It is native to the Cape Verde Islands.-Overview:...
, in the lagoons and deserts of Boavista
Boavista
Circuito da Boavista was a street circuit in Oporto , Portugal used twice for the Formula One Portuguese Grand Prix.The course began at the harbor-front "Esplanada do Rio de Janeiro", continued on "Avenida da Boavista" , and then twisted its way through small neighborhoods back to the start-finish...
, the ironwood tree and a species of fig tree and acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
. As a result of extensive tree planting since 1975, there are pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
trees, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s and sweet chestnut
Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
s on the cool peaks of Santo Antao
Santo Antão
Santo Antão , or Sontonton in Cape Verdean Creole, is the westernmost and largest of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. The nearest main island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by a channel named Canal de São Vicente...
, eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
on the heights of Fogo, and forests of acacia on Maio.
Fauna
The island has five mammals out of which three are threatened, 75 species of birds including 2 threatened species, 19 reptiles, 132 varieties of fish species including one threatened species. However, the islands do not have snakes and large mammals.Mammals
The only indigenous mammal found in the island is the grey long-eared batGrey long-eared bat
The grey long-eared bat is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It hunts above woodland, often by day, and mostly for moths. It is extremely similar to the more common brown long-eared bat, and was only distinguished in the 1960s, but has a...
. Bat species on the islands account for about 20% of all mammals. Of particular note are those of the Vespertilionidae family, form the genus Hypsugo
Hypsugo
The genus Hypsugo contains many bats referred to as pipistrelles or pipistrelle bats. They belong to the family Vespertilionidae or vesper bats within the order Chiroptera.-Species:*Hypsugo alaschanicus...
, Pipistrellus
Pipistrellus
Pipistrellus is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae and subfamily Vespertilioninae. The name of the genus is derived from the Italian word Pipistrello, meaning "bat"....
and Plecotus
Plecotus
The genus Plecotus consists of the lump-nosed bats. Many species in the genus have only been described and recognized in recent years.-Species:Genus Plecotus - Lump-nosed bats*Plecotus ariel*Brown Long-eared Bat, Plecotus auritus...
, the latter of which the grey long-eared bat
Grey long-eared bat
The grey long-eared bat is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It hunts above woodland, often by day, and mostly for moths. It is extremely similar to the more common brown long-eared bat, and was only distinguished in the 1960s, but has a...
(Plecotus austriacus) belongs to. Feral goats are found on Fogo, the descendants of domestic goats introduced by the Portuguese. Rodent populations were introduced by the Portuguese from early ships which visited the islands. Monkeys are also present in Cape Verde, hailing from the African continent.
Birds
Cape Verde has many species of endemic birds, which are observed by keen ornithologists and bird watchers on the islands. 130 migrant birds are reported to visit the islands, out of which 40 odd birds nest here. The seabirds which breed on the island are: Fea's PetrelFea's Petrel
Fea's Petrel is a small seabird in the gadfly petrel genus, Pterodroma. It was previously considered to be a subspecies of the Soft-plumaged Petrel, P. mollis, but they are actually not closely related at all. However, P. feae is very closely related to Zino's Petrel and Deserta's Petrel, two...
(Pterodroma feae), frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) and Red-tailed Tropicbird
Red-tailed Tropicbird
The Red-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon rubricauda, is a seabird that nests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the rarest of the tropicbirds, yet is still a widespread bird that is not considered threatened. It nests in colonies on oceanic islands....
(Phaethon rubricauda). Four species of birds, (Alexander's Swift
Alexander's Swift
The Cape Verde Swift or Alexander's Swift is a small bird of the swift family found only in the Cape Verde Islands. It has been recorded from all the islands except Santa Luzia although it probably breeds only on Santiago, Fogo, Brava, Santo Antão and São Nicolau. It is generally common with a...
, the Raso Lark
Raso Lark
The Raso Lark is a small passerine bird with a highly restricted range, being found only on Raso islet in the Cape Verde Islands...
, the Cape Verde Swamp-warbler and the Iago Sparrow
Iago Sparrow
The Iago Sparrow , is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is also known as the Cape Verde Sparrow and the Rufous-backed Sparrow. It is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, in the eastern Atlantic Ocean....
) are also endemic here, while the Cape Verde Shearwater
Cape Verde Shearwater
The Cape Verde Shearwater , or Cagarra locally, is a medium-large shearwater, a seabird in the petrel family Procellariidae. It is a breeding endemic of the Cape Verde archipelago of Macaronesia in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of West Africa.-Taxonomy:The Cape Verde Shearwater was originally...
is a breeding endemic. The endemic and endangered Bourne's Heron
Bourne's Heron
Bourne's Heron , also known as the Cape Verde Heron, Cape Verde Purple Heron or Santiago Heron, or locally in Portuguese as the garça vermelha, is an endangered subspecies of the Purple Heron that is endemic to the Cape Verde archipelago, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa...
is sometimes considered a full species. Also common are the greater flamingo
Greater Flamingo
The Greater Flamingo is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia , and southern Europe...
(Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Egyptian vulture
Egyptian Vulture
The Egyptian Vulture is a small Old World vulture, found widely distributed from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to southern Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Neophron. It has sometimes also been known as the White Scavenger Vulture or Pharaoh's Chicken...
(Neophron percnopterus).
Lizards
Lizards reported on the islands are 15 species including 12 endemic species, such as the rare and endangered giant skink (Macroscincus coctei) on Ilhéu Raso, giant gecko (Tarentola gigas) on Raso and Branco islands, MabuyaMabuya
Mabuya is a genus of long-tailed skinks nowadays restricted to species from the Americas. The American mabuyas are primarily carnivorous, though many are omnivorous. Formerly, many Old World species were placed here, as Mabuya was a kind of "wastebasket taxon"...
skinks (5 species), Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus
Hemidactylus is a genus of the family of typical geckos, Gekkonidae. It is the second-most speciose genus in the family, with about 90 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical...
lizards (3 species) and Tarentola geckos (3 species).
Invertebrates
Cape Verde has a reported 58 endemic species of spiderSpider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
, including Luxuria lymphatica (jumping spider), and Hottentotta caboverdensis, a parthenogenetic scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
. It has a reported 15 endemic genera and 369 endemic species of insects. Of note are Ceylalictus capverdensis (bee) Monomorium boltoni (ant), Scopula paneliusi (geometrid moth), Serranegra petrophila, marine molluscs such as Favartia burnayi
Favartia burnayi
Favartia burnayi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails....
, Nassarius caboverdensis
Nassarius caboverdensis
Nassarius caboverdensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks....
, Prunum sauliae, the cone shell Conus josephinae
Conus josephinae
Conus josephinae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or...
and the Palinurus charlestoni, better known as the Cape Verde Spiny Lobster.
Aqua fauna
Marine diversity, which is tropical, in the common marine platform of islands of Boavista, Sal and Maio is reported to be high; Boavista is also part of the Macaronesia Wetlands.Marine species reported are bridled dolphin
Stenella
Stenella is a genus of aquatic mammals in Delphinidae, the family informally known as the oceanic dolphins.Currently five species are recognised in this genus:*Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, S. attenuata*Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, S. frontalis...
, Atlantic spotted dolphin
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin is a dolphin found in the Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their body.-Taxonomy:...
, Long-beaked common dolphin
Long-beaked Common Dolphin
The Long-beaked Common Dolphin is a species of common dolphin. It has a more restricted range than the Short-beaked Common Dolphin . It has a disjointed range in coastal areas in tropical and warmer temperate oceans...
, blue whale
Blue Whale
The blue whale is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales . At in length and or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed....
, bunch
Bunch
Bunch may refer to:* BUNCH, competitors in computer manufacturing* Bunch, Oklahoma, a village in the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America* Bunch grass, any grass of the Poaceae family* The Bunch, a 1972 folk rock group...
, Blainville's beaked whale
Blainville's Beaked Whale
Blainville's beaked whale , or the dense-beaked whale, is the widest ranging mesoplodont whale and perhaps the most documented. Henri de Blainville first described the species in 1817 from a small piece of jaw—the heaviest bone he had ever come across—which resulted in the name densirostris...
, common porpoise, barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
's, moray eel
Moray eel
Moray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray can sometimes be found in freshwater...
s and marine turtles (5 species). Turtles come to nestle during May to October, on their journey across the Atlantic, the most prominent, and listed as endangered species, is the loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
(Caretta caretta). Other four species of turtles here are; the Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate) which is critically endangered; the green sea turtle
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
(Chelonia mydas), endangered; leatherback sea turtle
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
(Dermochelys coriacea) and olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). Its reported curative effect for treating leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
with “diet of turtle meat and by rubbing the affected areas by turtle blood”, practiced in Cape Verde attracted the attention of King Louis XI when he deputed his representative to investigate and report since he had a notion that he suffered from this disease. This is one of the reasons for its hunting. Its hunting is unchecked as per UNEP report and hence turtle conservation measures are under active implementation, since 2008.
Coral reefs are also found extensively in Cape Verde, considered as one of the “world’s ten most important coral reefs”, though a disputed claim.
Also, whales, which were under total extinction in the 14th century, have been revived all over the world and several hundred of them visit Cape Verde to nestle on the islands, to mate and breed during their seasonal migration between Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Threats and legal redress
The status of biological resources of Cape Verdes, in the process of degradation, was recognized in 1996 which prompted action in 2005 with several legal instruments that were introduced by the Government of Cape Verdes. In spite of all the legislation, the level of degradation reported in the Red List of Threatened Species was "26% for angiosperms, over 40% of bryophytes, over 65% of pteridophytes and over 29% of lichens are threatened; furthermore, over 47% of birds, 25% of terrestrial reptiles, 64% of coleopterous, over 57% of arachnids and over 59% of terrestrial mollusks." The number count of Alauda razae (Calhandra-do-Ilhéu-Raso) and Himantopus himantopus (Perna-longa) has still shown a declining trend.Further, with a view to preserve the marine ecosystems and develop fisheries pragmatically the action initiated included creation of Marine reserves: Santa Luzia Island, and the Islets Raso and Branco, Boavista, Sal and Maio Islands; and Conservation of Cape Verde Endangered Marine Species Project.
Organizations
Institutions and organizations involved with preservation and conservation of the biodiversity of Cape Verde Islands are: The Directorate General of Agriculture, Forest and Livestock Production, the Institute for the Development of Fisheries (INDP) and the National Institute of Agricultural Research and Development (INIDA).
Noting that the exclusive biological species of Cape Verdes are not represented in any germplasm
Germplasm
A germplasm is a collection of genetic resources for an organism. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection or, for trees, in a nursery.-See also:*Germ plasm, the germ cell determining zone...
banks across the world and that its fauna and flora of Cape Verde are extremely vulnerable to climate adversities with the natural regenerative conditions considered as poor, INIDA has established "a collection of biological resources for ex situ conservation as a means of backing in situ conservation of species threatened in some way, as they may be introduced in the wild as needs be, in sites where they are best adapted, through a finely tuned reintroduction program."