Comoros
Each
of the major
islands of the Comoros has its own unique owl: the Anjouan Scops-owl (African
Bird Club), the Grand Comoro (or Karthala) Scops-owl (BirdLife
Int'l), and the Moheli
Scops-owl (ARKive).
Other birds found nowhere else include
Humblot’s Sunbird (BirdQuest),
the Moheli
Brush Warbler (Biodiversity
Comores), the Comoro Thrush (BirdQuest),
the
Comoro
Bulbul (BirdQuest),
the
Grand
Comoro Drongo (ARKive),
and the Mount Karthala White-eye (IBC).
Humblot's
Flycatcher (BirdQuest)
is an endemic genus. The Moheli Bulbul Hypsipetes moheliensis (Avibase) has recently been recognized as a full species.
Bats restricted to the Comoros include Livingstone’s Flying
Fox (Action
Comores) and the Comoro Rousette (Action
Comores).
Endemic
reptiles
include the Comoro
Flapnose Chameleon
Furcifer cephalolepis (flickr),
the Comoro Day Gecko
Phelsuma comorensis (phelsumania),
the snake-eyed skinks
Cryptoblepharus mohelicus (Biodiversity
Comores) and
Cryptoblepharus ater (p. 3 of Miguel
A. Carretero 4 MB pdf file), and a blind snake Typhlops comorensis (fig. 5d at ZooKeys)
.
The African Coelacanth (ARKive)
was long assumed to breed only in the Comoros, but there is increasing
evidence of populations in deep canyons elsewhere in eastern Africa.
Other endemic marine fish include a moray eel Gymnothorax hansi
(fig. 4D on p. 6 of Rhodes
Univ. pdf file), a sole Aseraggodes
brevirostris (FishBase),
the Comoro Cat Shark Scyliorhinus comoroensis
(fig. 4A on
p. 6 of Rhodes
Univ. pdf file), and a combtooth blenny
Mimoblennius
cas (p. 22 of Smithsonian
pdf file).
Butterflies known only from the Comoros include Charaxes nicati (Charaxes),
Charaxes viossati
(BOLD),
Charaxes paradoxa
(BOLD),
Acraea
comor (acraea.com),
and two swallowtails: Papilio aristophontes (Papilionidae of the World) and
Graphium levassori
(NHM
- London). Other endemic invertebrates include a stick insect
Achrioptera
griveaudi (p. 2 of IRD
pdf file), a grasshopper Pissodogryllacris
picea (SysTax),
the longhorned
beetles Sternotomis
pupieri (Lamiaires
du Monde) and Sternotomis
lavassori (Lamiaires
du Monde),
two scarab beetles: Comencya
mohelica (Hannetons)
and Djadjoua viettei
(Hannetons),
a pholcid spider Spermophora
lambilloni (fig. 25 on p. 5 of Pholcidae
pdf file), and
a jumping spider Veissella
milloti (p. 17 of Peckham
Soc. pdf file).
Orchids unique to the Comoros include Angraecum scottianum
(Biodiversity
Comores), Bulbophyllum comorianum
(JSTOR),
Jumellea comorensis
(IOPSE),
Jumellea pailleri
(IngentaConnect), Aeranthes
virginalis (flickr),
and
Vanilla humblotii (JSTOR).
Endemic palms include Dypsis
lanceolata (PACSOA),
Ravenea
hildebrandtii (PACSOA),
and Ravenea moorei
(PlantFiles).
Additional plants found nowhere else include
Polyscias
felicis (JSTOR),
Aloe alexandrei
(PBase),
Tambourissa comorensis
(Plantes
et botanique), Gyrostipula
comorensis (JSTOR),
Cyphostemma comorense
(JSTOR),
and Impatiens wibkeae
(JSTOR).
The nation is included in the Comoros Forests ecoregion (EoE)
and is part of the Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands biodiversity
hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). The CBD Strategy and Action Plan can be
found at (CBD
pdf file).