Côte d'Ivoire
Freshwater
fish
species found exclusively in Côte d'Ivoire include a cichlid Limbochromis (or Chromidotilapia) cavalliensis
(Cichlid
Room Companion), two mochokid catfish Synodontis comoensis
(PlanetCatfish)
and Synodontis
punctifer
(PlanetCatfish),
a walking catfish Clarias
lamottei (ACSI),
Barbus traorei
(p. 65 of IRD
7 MB pdf file), two African tetras Brycinus
derhami (p. 20 of IRD
3 MB pdf file) and Micralestes eburneensis
(p. 33 of IRD
3 MB pdf file), and a killifish Epiplatys
etzeli (p. 66 of IRD
5 MB pdf file).
Amphibians unique to the country include a toad Bufo (or Amietophrynus) taiensis (AmphibiaWeb),
the Rainforest Running Frog Kassina
lamottei (ARKive),
two reed frogs Hyperolius
nienokouensis (ARKive)
and
Hyperolius nimbae (CI),
the Tai River Frog Phrynobatrachus
taiensis (IUCN
Red List), and the recently described endemic genus Morerella cyanophthalma
(ARKive).
Endemic reptiles include the Tai Hairy
Bush Viper Atheris
hirsuta (ARKive),
the White-bellied Worm Snake Leptotyphlops
albiventer (naturkundemuseum-bw.de), and a worm lizard Cynisca
rouxae (p. 62 of AMNH
Digital Library 19 MB pdf file).
One
mammal species, Wimmer's Shrew (IUCN
Red List) is known only from Côte
d'Ivoire.
A symphytognathid spider Anapistula caecula (Natuurinformatie)
may be the smallest of all the world's spiders. Butterflies known only
from Côte
d'Ivoire include the butterflies Euphaedra aubergeri
(metafro),
Bebearia dallastai
(metafro),
Celaenorrhinus nimba
(BOLD),
and Ornipholidotos
carolinae (Michel
Libert). Other endemic invertebrates include a jumping spider Phlegra touba (Salticidae
of the World), a goblin spider Antoonops bouaflensis
(AMNH),
a wolf spider Amblyothele
hamatula
(ZooKeys),
a land snail Saphtia
lamtoensis (p. 22 of Zool.
Med. Leiden pdf file), an aquatic snail Neritina tiassalensis
(fig. C at Google
Books), a
grasshopper Duviardia
fishpooli (AcridAfrica),
a cricket Paragryllodes
fuscifrons (p. 13 of MNHN
pdf file), a stag beetle Prosopocoilus
girardi (Lucanes
du Monde), a ground
beetle Chlaenius
morettoi (p. 44 of Entomofauna
pdf file), a scarab
Epipholis assiniensis
(Hannetons),
and two plant bugs: Charagochilus
mollis (AMNH)
and Lygidolon athamas
(AMNH).
Plant genera restricted to Côte
d'Ivoire include Gymnostemon
(p. 40 of CSRS
3 MB pdf file) and an endangered tree Monosalpinx
(WNS
Stamps). Other endemic plants include the extinct
in the wild Monanthotaxis
capea (WNS
Stamps), Elytraria
ivorensis (JSTOR),
Cassia tuhovalyana
(WNS
Stamps), Albertisia
cordifolia (Google
Books), Albertisa (or Epinetrum) mangenotii (JSTOR),
Dracaena scabra (JSTOR),
Uvaria sassandrensis
(JSTOR),
Macropodiella taylorii
(Podostemaceae), Cercestis
taiensis (JSTOR), Zanthoxylum
mezoneurispinosum (MNHN
pdf file),
Clerodendrum sassandrense
(JSTOR),
Psychotria (or Uragoga) abouabouensis (JSTOR),
Rytigynia
constricta (JSTOR),
and Psydrax manensis
(JSTOR).
The Eastern Guinean Forest ecoregion (EoE) portion
of Côte
d'Ivoire is included in the Guinean Forests of West Africa biodiversity
hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Notable freshwater ecoregions include
the Southern Upper Guinea (FEOW)
and Mount Nimba (FEOW).
For an overview of the nation's biodiversity see "Diversite
Biologique de la Cote d’Ivoire" (CHM
pdf file).