Cape Verde
Birds
found
exclusively in Cape Verde include the critically endangered Raso Lark (ARKive),
the Cape Verde Swamp Warbler (ARKive),
the Cape Verde Sparrow (ARKive),
and the Cape Verde Swift (ARKive).
Seven additional landbird and three additional
seabird
species are sometimes recognized (BirdLife
Int'l) including the Cape Verde Shearwater (Dick's
Birds) as a breeding species. Also included are Alexander's
Kestrel Falco alexandri
(Richard
Ek), the Cape Verde Buzzard Buteo bannermani (flickr),
the Cape Verde Barn Owl Tyto
detorta (Richard Ek),
and Bourne's Heron Ardea
bournei (Eco
Serra Malagueta).
Cape Verde's skinks are now all placed in the endemic genus Chioninia (UP
pdf file) and include
Vaillant's Skink Chioninia
(or Mabuya) vaillantii (p. 6 of
IICT
pdf file), Chioninia
(or Mabuya) fogoensis (Eco
Sao Nicolau), Chioninia
(or Mabuya) stangeri (caboverde.com), and the extinct Cape
Verde Giant Skink Chioninia
(or Macroscincus)
coctei (caboverde.com).
Other reptiles unique to Cape Verde
include the Cape Verde Leaf-toed Gecko Hemidactylus bouvieri
(flickr), the Cape Verde Wall
Gecko Tarentola
caboverdianus (p. 4 of IICT
pdf file), the Cape Verde Giant Gecko Tarentola gigas (GRO), and the recently described Tarentola fogoensis and Tarentola bocagei (both on p. 16 of CSIC-UPF pdf file).
The Cape Damsel
Similiparma hermani (FishBase)
and Bulldog Dentex
Virididentex acromegalus (eol)
are genera of marine fish known only from the waters around Cape Verde.
Other endemic marine fish include Lubbock’s Chromis Chromis lubbocki (FishBase),
the Cape Verde Skate Raja herwigi (eol),
a basslet
Liopropoma emanueli
(Dr.
Friedrich Pfeil pdf file), the Two-banded Seabream Diplodus prayensis (eol),
the combtooth blennies Scartella
caboverdiana (FishBase)
and Parablennius
salensis (FishBase),
the Barbel Clingfish Apletodon
barbatus (FishBase),
and the gobies Gobius
tetrophthalmus (FishBase)
and
Didogobius wirtzi
(p. 5 of Dr.
Friedrich Pfeil pdf file).
Among 58 endemic spider species is a jumping spider Luxuria lymphatica (Salticidae
of the World). Hottentotta
caboverdensis (skorpione.de)
is a parthenogenetic scorpion. By one count there are
369 endemic
species and 15 endemic genera of insects. These include a butterfly Chilades evorae (Michel
Libert), a
geometrid moth Scopula
paneliusi (Forum
Herbulot), the bees Chiasmognathus
batelkai (Science
Daily) and Ceylalictus
capverdensis (Atlas
Hymenoptera), a grasshopper Wernerella atlantica
(SysTax),
an ant Monomorium
boltoni (CREAF
pdf file), a skin beetle Trogoderma
caboverdiana (Andreas
Herrmann), and a seed bug Serranegra
petrophila (p. 59 of PBI
7 MB pdf file). Endemic land snails include Gastrocopta acarus
(fig. 8 at Internet
Archive), Leptaxis
bollei (figs. 53 & 54
at Internet
Archive),
and Eremina advena (figs. 84 &
85 at Internet
Archive). Marine molluscs known
solely from Cape Verde
include Tambja
fantasmalis (Sea Slug
Forum), Nassarius
caboverdensis (Eddie
Hardy), Volvarina
verdensis (Eddie
Hardy), and Favartia burnayi (Eddie
Hardy). Nearly 50 species of conesnails are
restricted to Cape Verde (Smithsonian
pdf file) including Conus josephinae
(coneshell.net),
Conus salreiensis
(ARKive),
and Africonus
boavistensis (Eddie
Hardy).
The Cape Verde Spiny Lobster Palinurus
charlestoni (SeaLifeBase)
is also endemic.
There are 84 vascular plant taxa unique to Cape Verde (Plantas
de mi Tierra) including the
endemic genus Tornabenea
(Botany.cz).
Additional plants restricted to Cape Verde include Aeonium gorgoneum (Plantas
de mi tierra), a bellflower Campanula jacobaea (Botany.cz),
Nauplius
smithii (IWÖ),
Globularia amygdalifolia
(Botany.cz),
a sagebrush Artemisia
gorgonum (Botany.cz),
a tree Sideroxylon
marginata (IWÖ),
Lotus jacobeus
(Plantas
de mi Tierra),
a lavender Lavandula rotundifolia
(Botany.cz),
Sarcostemma daltonii (Eco
Sao Nicolau), a spurge Euphorbia
tuckeyana (Botany.cz),
Polycarpaea gayi
(WNS
Stamps), Echium
stenosiphon (Botany.cz),
and a wallflower Erysimum
caboverdeanum
(Plantas
de mi tierra). Whether the Cape Verde Island Date
Palm Phoenix atlantica
(Wikipedia)
is
a distinct species has been controversial (palms.org),
although recent studies have suggested that it is (SpringerLink).
The nation comprises the Cape Verde Islands Dry Forests ecoregion (EoE)
which is part of the Mediterranean Basin
biodiversity hotspot (CI). The Cape Verde
Islands are also
considered one of the world's top ten coral reef hotspots (Reef
Guardian pdf file). A complete list of
Cape Verde's plants and terrestrial
animals
with endemic species and genera indicated is included in the "Lista
Preliminar de Especies Silvestres de Cabo Verde" (Biodiversidade
dos Açores 5 MB pdf file).