Catalogue of the mammals of Ethiopia and Eritrea. 7. Revised checklist, zoogeography and conservation

Abstract

This review of the Ethiopian and Eritrean mammal fauna recognises provisional totals of 277 terrestrial and 11 marine species. The terrestrial fauna is dominated by savanna forms (47 .2% of the total), most of which are widespread but with significant numbers being derived from either the East African savannas or the sub-Saharan savanna belt. Deserticolous species (16.2%) include many which are clearly associated with the Somali-arid zone. The 29 endemics are almost exclusively confined to the central plateaux at altitudes in excess of 1800 m and most are denizens of grassland or moorland habitats; few are forest species. Sylvicolous mammals are equally poorly represented amongst non-endemic forms (6.5%) and it is concluded that Ethiopian forests have an impoverished fauna compared with those of Uganda and Zaire.Conservation of wildlife, perennially starved of resources, has suffered greatly from neglect, poaching and destruction of property during the political crises of recent years. This situation is not irredeemable, given the return of peace and some measure of prosperity. If the region's actual and proposed national parks were to be fully established and effectively administered, they have the potential to provide sanctuary for 210 (76%) of the terrestrial mammals, including all but five of the endemic species (one shrew and four rodents). Amongst larger mammals which are unprotected, the apparently precarious situation of the Dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei) gives particular cause for concern.

Genetic diversity within and among gelada (<i>Theropithecus gelada</i>) populations based on mitochondrial DNA analysis

“…The classification of T. gelada gelada and T. g. obscurus is under debate (Yalden and Largen, 1992;Yalden et al, 1996;Gippoliti, 2010). According to our observations, the boundary between these subspecies is the central tableland, crossed by the road from Wereta to Weldya, on the northern plateau (a watershed of the Takazze and Blue Nile rivers, with Mount Guna, 4275 m high, on the west).…”

“…A subspecies was later documented by Heuglin (1863). Geladas from the northern (north of Lake Tana and west of the Takazze river) and southern regions (south of Lake Tana and east of the Takazze river) are believed to be T. gelada gelada and T. gelada obscurus, respectively; however, a clear distinction between them has not yet been determined (Yalden et al, 1977(Yalden et al, , 1996Gippoliti, 2010). Several studies have detailed the natural history of this species (Jolly, 1972;Delson, 1993;Jablonski, 1993).…”

Species composition and abundance of small mammals in Chebera-Churchura National Park, Ethiopia

“…The country has 284 species of mammals of which 39.4% are small mammals (Lavrenchenko et al, 1997;Datiko et al, 2007;Habtamu and Bekele, 2008). The country possesses 84 rodent species of which 15 are endemic (Bekele, 1996a;Lavrenchenko et al, 1998), comprising 25% of the Ethiopian mammal fauna and about 50% of the total endemic species (Bekele, 1996b;Yalden et al, 1996;Datiko et al, 2007). Despite this diversity, only few studies on the taxonomy and population ecology of rodents have been conducted in Ethiopia (Bekele, 1996a).…”

Hemisus microscaphusLaurent 1972, a little-known Ethiopian endemic (Amphibia Anura)

“…The morphological resemblances between these taxa might, therefore, be attributable mainly to convergent evolution in species experiencing similar ecological conditions, but could they also be interpreted as an indication of close relationship? YALDEN et al (1996) observed that remarkably few sylvicolous mammals are known to be common to both northeastern Zaire and southwestern Ethiopia, despite the fact that these forested areas are separated by a belt of dry savanna that is scarcely more than 500 km wide and a "stepping-stone" is provided by the forests of the Imatong Mountains in southeastern Sudan. A very similar conclusion seems applicable to the distribution of amphibians and reptiles, although it must be emphasised that southwestern Ethiopia is a conspicuously poorly-known region in a territory where the herpetofauna as a whole is still far from perfectly documented.…”