Angola

The scarp region of western Angola (BirdLife Int'l) is home to many species unique to the country including such birds as the Gabela Helmet-shrike (ARKive), the Orange-breasted Bush-shrike (BirdLife Int'l), and Swierstra's Francolin (ARKive). The Angola Cave Chat (ARKive) represents a genus found only in a handful of high rocky areas in western Angola. Other endemic birds include the Red-crested Turaco (IBC), the Gabela Akalat (ARKive), the White-fronted Wattle-eye (IBC), the Gabela Bush-shrike (ARKive), the Pulitzer's Longbill (BirdLife Int'l), the Angolan Slaty Flycatcher (mountmoco.org), the Angola Swee (IBC), and the Red-backed Mousebird (IBC).

Angola's most famous endemic is a subspecies: the Giant Sable Antelope (Wikipedia). International attention has been focused on efforts to save this national symbol known locally as Palanca Negra. Other endemic mammals include Machado's Butterfly Bat (IUCN Red List), Vernay's Climbing Mouse (IUCN Red List), and a recently described soft-furred mouse Praomys coetzeei (naturkundemuseum-bw.de pdf file).

The nation boasts a rich, if poorly studied, diversity of endemic freshwater fishes with three endemic genera including Dundocharax bidentatus (FishBase) and an elephantfish Heteromormyrus pauciradiatus (Mormyridae). The Cuanza (or Quanza) River and its tributaries are especially important in this regard including such species as a loach catfish Doumea angolensis (FishBase). Other national endemics include an elephantfish Gnathonemus barbatus (Mormyridae), a barb Barbus chiumbeensis (FishBase), Raiamas ansorgii (Hippocampus Bildarchiv), a killifish Aplocheilichthys mediolateralis (FishBase), an airbreathing catfish Clarias nigromarmoratus (FishBase), a shellear Kneria sjolandersi (FishBase), and the mochokid catfishes Synodontis macropunctata (PlanetCatfish) and Chiloglanis angolensis (FishBase).

Unique reptiles include the Angolan Adder Bitis heraldica (SA Reptiles) and the Angolan Girdled Lizard Cordylus angolensis (Le Monde des Cordylus), both from the central highlands, as well as the Link-marked Sand Racer Psammophis ansorgii (fig. 4 at BHL), Barboza's Leaf-toed Gecko Hemidactylus bayonii (fig. 2 at Internet Archive), Marx's Rough-scaled Lizard Ichnotropis microlepidota (BHL), the skinks Sepsina copei (fig. 1 at Internet Archive) and Typhlacontias rudebecki (p. 17 of ZFMK pdf file), and a spade-snouted worm lizard Monopeltis luandae (p. 6 of AMNH Digital Library pdf file).

Endemic amphibians include a plethora of reed frogs (for example Hyperolius bicolor (SysTax) and such species as the Huila Forest Tree Frog Leptopelis anchietae (Pensar e Falar Angola), the Mossamedes Toad Bufo grandisonae (African Journal Archive pdf file), Ahl's Screeching Frog Phrynobatrachus brevipalmatus (SysTax), and the Cambondo Screeching Frog Arthroleptis carquejai (IUCN Red List).

Among insects restricted to Angola are the butterflies Bebearia hassoni (Metafro), Acraea bellona (Dominique Bernaud), and Charaxes loandae (BOLD). Other endemic insects include a grasshopper Quangula minuta (SysTax), a bush cricket Clonia angolana (SysTax), an ant Ocymyrmex ankhu (AntWeb), a plume moth Agdistis bouyeri (fig. 2 on p. 11 of Zool. Med. Leiden pdf file), a ground beetle Graphipterus albomarginatus (Carabidae of the World), a net-winged beetle Lycus fradei (JBT), a leaf-chafer Goniorrhina angolensis (Hannetons), and a leaf beetle Aethiopocassis angolensis (Cassidinae of the World). Other endemic invertebrates include a jumping spider Phintella lunda (Dr. Lech Boroweic pdf file), a freshwater mussel Mutela wistarmorrisi (MUSSELp), a freshwater crab Potamonautes kensleyi (BioOne), and the marine snails Conus zebroides (ARKive) and Conus cepasi (coneshell.net).

Roughly 1160 species and 17 genera of vascular plants are found only in Angola. Among the unique plant genera are Angoseseli (JSTOR), Pseudoselinum (JSTOR), Benguellia (JSTOR), Carrissoa (JSTOR), Angolaea (Podostemaceae), Dialytheca (ACTD), Streptolophus (JSTOR), Baumia (JSTOR), Polytepalum (JSTOR), Aidomene (ACTD), Piptophyllum (JSTOR), Streptolophus (JSTOR), Gossweilera (JSTOR), Muschleria (JSTOR), and Calanda (JSTOR). Additional plant species found nowhere else include a thorn tree Acacia andongensis (Virtual Field Herbarium) from Malanje, an orchid Satyrium aciculare (Google Books), Euphorbia semperflorens (euphorbia.de), Euphorbia opuntioides (euphorbia.de), Euphorbia vallaris (euphorbia.de), Sansevieria pfisteri (Picasa), Aloe scorpioides (PlantFiles), Aloe gossweileri (flickr), Aloe inamara (flickr), and Aloe andongensis (flickr).

In additon to the scarp region (EoE) and the Cuanza River watershed (FEOW), regions rich in species unique to the nation include the Angolan Miombo Woodlands (EoE) and the Angolan Montane Forest-grassland Mosaic (EoE).  The Flora of Angola Online can be found at (FLAN).