Mozambique
Reptiles found nowhere else than Mozambique include the Mount Mabu Chameleon (Guardian), the Gorongosa Pygmy Chameleon Rhampholeon gorongosae (Gorongosa WM), four additional species of Rhampholeon (Species New to Science), the Mecula Girdled Lizard (ResearchGate), the skinks Scolecoseps broadleyi (ResearchGate) and Scolecoseps boulengeri (GBIF), the Bazarutu Dwarf Burrowing Skink Scelotes insularis (p. 20 of Sabinet pdf), the Montane Skink (Extinct or Shy), the round-snouted worm lizards Zygaspis maraisi (ResearchGate) and Zygaspis violacea (eol), Loveridge's Flat Gecko (ResearchGate), the Gorongosa Flat Gecko (Species New to Science), the Namuli Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus regulus (Reptile Database), the Montane Forest Tree Snake Dipsadoboa montisilva (GBIF), the Mozambique Centipede Eater (Reptile Database), and the Mount Mabu Forest Viper (ResearchGate).
Amphibians
unique to Mozambique include the Yellow-spotted Reed Frog Hyperolius
stictus (iNaturalist)
(GBIF),
a poorly known ridged frog Ptychadena
boettgeri (IUCN),
an apparently undescribed Arthroleptis
from Mount Lico (fig. B at ResearchGate),
an undescribed Breviceps
from Mount Socone (fig. H at ResearchGate),
and
four species of mongrel frogs of the
genus Nothophryne
(Univ.
Lurio pdf)
including the Quirimbas Mongrel Frog Nothophryne unilurio
(IUCN).
Endemic mammals include Vincent’s Bush Squirrel Paraxerus vincenti (colnect)
(PLAZI), the Mount Mabu
Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus
mabuensis
(Univ.
Cambridge) (GBIF),
the Namuli Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus
namuli (BioOne),
and the Gorongosa Horseshoe
Bat Rhinolophus
gorongosae (Species
New to Science).
Endemic birds include the Namuli Apalis Apalis
lynesi (ARKive
WM)
(eBird)
and the Mozambique Forest-warbler Artisornis
sousae (xeno-canto).
Killifish unique to Mozambique include Nothobranchius hengstleri (WildNothos), Nothobranchius kadleci (WildNothos), and Nothobranchius krammeri (WildNothos). Other endemic freshwater fish include the elephantfishes Petrocephalus petersi (Mormyridae) and Marcusenius lucombesi (Mormyridae), the Gorongoza Kneria (p. 70 of Gorongosa WM pdf), the Broadtail Mountain Catfish Amphilius laticaudatus (p. 69 of Gorongosa WM pdf), the Estuary Sandlance (FishBase), a sleeper Eleotris soaresi (fig. 4 at BHL), and several cichlids: Maylandia nigrodorsalis (MalawiCarsten), Maylandia mossambica (malawi.si WM), Cynotilapia chilundu (IUCN), Melanochromis mossambiquensis (malawi.si WM), Melanochromis wochepa (IUCN), Copadichromis cyanocephalus (IUCN), Copadichromis parvus (malawi.si WM), Chetia brevicauda (ResearchGate), Chindongo saulosi (Malawicichlids.com), and Trematocranus pachychilus (ZooKeys).
Marine
fish known only
from
Mozambique include the African Coffinfish Chaunax
africanus (figs. 4-5 at ResearchGate),
the Blackfin Sweeper Pempheris
peza (FishBase),
Elaine's Threadfin Bream Nemipterus
elaine (GBIF),
the Delagoa Halfbeak Hyporhamphus improvisus (BHL), the Yellowface Sandlance Ammodytoides xanthops (FishBase), the Mozambique Dragonet Callionymus stigmatopareius (p. 461 of SAIAB pdf), the SAIAB Goatfish Upeneus
saiab (Zootaxa
pdf), Ida's Deepwater Cardinalfish Epigonus idai (GBIF), and the Sparcethorn Skate Rajella paucispinosa (GBIF). The Streaky
Clingfish Lissonanchus
lusheri (GBIF)
(BHL) represents an endemic genus.
Butterflies unique to
Mozambique include Acraea
dondoensis (iNaturalist),
Neptis collinsi
(Metamorphosis
pdf),
Iolaus malaikae
(ResearchGate), Iolaus collinsi (GBIF),
Cymothoe baylissi
(ResearchGate),
Leptomyrina congdoni
(ResearchGate),
Afriodinia lico (ResearchGate),
and Teriomima
williami (figs. 21-24 on p. 42 of Metamorphosis
pdf).
Endemic moths include a prominent moth Thacona
smithi (GBIF),
a tuft moth Mecothrix
maputuana (GBIF),
and a lichen moth Tumicla
arktos (GBIF).
Other endemic insects include the scarabs Cyclomera dispar (Hannetons WM) and Adoretus nathaliae (p. 25 of BJE WM pdf), the dung beetles Onitis janssenii (IICT WM) and Sisyphus genierorum (GBIF) and Pedaria jossoi (Gorongosa pdf), a water beetle Haliplus watsoni (BBC WM), the longhorn beetles Litopus argentatus (Cerambycidae Species WM) and Aphelogaster thomsoni (p. 7 of IRD pdf), a darkling beetle Toktokkus o-serraferrus (BioOne), a mydas fly Nomoneuroides melas (Smithsonian), the katydids Gorongosa carri (GBIF) and Ovonotus abreuae (GBIF) and Gonamytta deboisselae (Species New to Science), a wasp Aetheopompilus obliquetruncatus (WaspWeb WM), and the ants Proceratium carri (AntWiki) and Technomyrmex taylori (AntWiki),
Other endemic invertebrates include a baboon spider Augacephalus ezendami (Tarantupedia), the spiders Xevioso cepfi (GBIF) and Caerostris linnaeus (fig. 7 at EZ Lab pdf), a scorpion Iomachus ineichi (Scorpion Files), a harvestman Tetebius latibunus (BDJ), an undescribed land crustacean (Gorongosa WM), the freshwater crabs Potamonautes gorongosa (Species New to Science) and Potamonautes bellarussus (ResearchGate), the millipedes Hadrobolus crassicollis (GBIF) and Zinophora lobata (ResearchGate), a centipede Orphnaeus heteropodus (p. 11 of SABINET pdf), the freshwater snails Eussoia leptodonta (fig. 45g at Google Books) and Pettancylus junodi (fig. 84d at Google Books), and several land snails: Achatina vassei (Wikipedia), Trachycystis vengoensis (figs. 3-4 at BHL), Afristreptaxis vengoensis (fig. 2 at BHL), Opeas cressyi (fig. 27 at BHL), Vertigo bandulana (fig. 24 at BHL), and Dadagulella delgada (GBIF). A family of termite nest inhabiting woodlice, the Schoebliidae (fig. 8b at BHL), has been described from Mozambique.
Marine invertebrates known only from Mozambique include a slipper lobster Eduarctus perspicillatus (p. 120 of AToL Decapoda pdf), a sea cucumber Holothuria pseudonotabilis (PLAZI), and several molluscs: a miter snail Charitodoron rosadoi (Eddie Hardy), a murex Orania rosadoi (Eddie Hardy), the nudibranchs Jorunna liviae (ZSE) and Aldisa fragraria (p. 6 of biofund WM pdf), a margin snail Marginella monicae (Eddie Hardy), a cockle Nasticardium neokenyanum (BHL), a nutmeg snail Trigonostoma mozambicense (Eddie Hardy), and a family of deep sea slugs Bathyhedylidae (PeerJ). A moss animal Mixtopelta indica (bryozoa.net) (Google Books), the sole member of the Mixtopeltdae, is known only from a depth of 2606 m off the coast of Mozambique.
Among the 235 vascular plant species restricted to Mozambique (PhytoKeys) are a cycad Encephalartos munchii (Cycad Pages WM), Hartliella txitongensis (Springer), Aloe rulkensii (IUCN), Streptocarpus brachynema (Flora of Mozambique), Zanthoxylum delagoense (Flora of Mozambique), Impatiens wuerstenii (Flora of Mozambique), Euphorbia unicornis (Flora of Mozambique), Jatropha subaequiloba (Flora of Mozambique), Carissa praetermissa (Flora of Mozambique), Ceropegia spatuliloba (Flora of Mozambique), Memecylon incisilobum (Species New to Science), the legumes Vachellia torrei (POWO) and Brachystegia oblonga (IUCN), Occultia fragrans (GBIF), Eriolaena rulkensii (Flora of Mozambique), Casearia celastroides (ResearchGate), Warneckea cordiformis (IUCN), Crepidorhopalon droseroides (GBIF), a mistletoe Helixanthera schizocalyx (POWO), and an iris Tritonia moggii (Flora of Mozambique).
Endemic vascular plant genera include Micklethwaitia (flickr) (IUCN), Gyrodoma (Flora of Mozambique), Icuria (CES pdf) (IUCN), Pterothamnus (GBIF), Baptorhachis (JSTOR), and the likely extinct Emicocarpus (JSTOR) (BHL).
Fungi known only from Mozambique include Hexagonia zambeziana
(GBIF),
Inonotus globosporus
(GBIF),
and Antrodiella ochracea
(GBIF).
Endemic non-vascular plants include a moss Daltonia constricta
(GBIF
WM).
Mozambique includes portions of three biodiversity hotspots: the
Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM),
the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM),
and the Eastern Afromontane (Biodiversity
Hotspots WM).
The South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion (Nature) is especially notable for endemism. The Zambezian Coastal Flooded Savanna (WWF
WM)
is an ecoregion unique to Mozambique. Important freshwater
ecoregions include Lake Malawi (FEOW
WM)
and Coastal East Africa (FEOW
WM).
An overview of Mozambique's biodiversity can be found at (CBD
pdf). Key Biodiversity Areas are described at (biofund
WM
pdf).