Democratic Republic of the Congo

The DRC has several spectacular mammal species that occur nowhere else including two great apes, the Bonobo (bonobo.org) and Grauer’s Gorilla (WCS). Other endemic primates include the Black Mangabey (ARKive), the Golden-bellied Mangabey (ARKive), and Thollon's Red Colobus (flickr). The Okapi (ARKive) is a forest dwelling giraffe and an endemic genus. Other mammals exclusive to the DRC include the recently described Upemba Lechwe (Biodiversité au Katanga), the Aquatic Genet (Planet' Mammiferes)(ADW), and the Mount Kahuzi Climbing Mouse (EDGE).

The Congo Peacock (ARKive), an endemic genus, is the only pheasant native to Africa. Other birds restricted to the country include the Congo Bay-owl (African Bird Club), Schouteden's Swift (BirdLife Int'l)(eol), the Itombwe Nightjar (BirdLife Int'l)(Albertine Rift Birds), Prigogine's Greenbul (BirdLife Int'l)(Albertine Rift Birds), the Yellow-crested Helmet-shrike (BirdLife Int'l), Rockefeller’s Sunbird (BirdLife Int'l), the Lake Lufira Weaver (Biodiversité au Katanga pdf file), the Golden-naped Weaver (BirdLife Int'l), Chapin's Babbler (Albertine Rift Birds), and Bedford's Paradise-flycatcher (CollinsBirds)(BirdLife Int'l).

Reptiles unique to the DRC include the Upemba Bush Viper Atheris katangensis (AFPMB), the Congo Dwarf Gecko Lygodactylus depressus (fig. 2 at Google Books), a rough-scaled lizard Ichnotropis chapini (Google Books), a recently described chameleon Kinyongia gyrolepis (BioOne), a worm lizard Dalophia gigantea (Internet Archive), the Central African Mud Turtle Pelusios chapini (chelonia.org), and the Upemba Mud Turtle Pelusios upembae (Turtles of the World). Asukulu's Grass Lizard Congolacerta asukului (p. 12 of congobiodiv.org pdf file) is a recently described endemic genus.

Endemic amphibians include the Congo Banana Frog Afrixalus equatorialis (AmphibiaWeb), the Omaniundu Reed Frog Hyperolius sankuruensis (CI), Lang's Reed Frog Hyperolius langi (AmphibiaWeb), the Gembe Reed Frog Hyperolius robustus (ARKive), the Kunungu Reed Frog Hyperolius schoutedeni (AmphibiaWeb), the Kivu Screeching Frog Arthroleptis pyrrhoscelis (Eli Greenbaum), the recently described Itombwe Massif Clawed Frog Xenopus itombwensis (ARKive), the Itombwe River Frog Phrynobatrachus asper (AmphibiaWeb), and the Itombwe Golden Frog Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens (AmphibiaWeb).

Endemic genera of freshwater fish include the Congo Blind Barb Caecobarbus (IUCN pdf file), a bagrid catfish Gnathobagrus (ACSI), an amphiilid catfish Dolichamphilius (AMNH), the Striped Fin-eater Paraphago (BHL), the Congo Squeaker Acanthocleithron (Digimorph), and the cichlids Schwetzochromis (Cichlid Room Companion) and Teleogramma (FishBase). Additional cichlids unique to the DRC include Thoracochromis brauschi (Haplochromis), Phenacogrammus bleheri (aqua), Steatocranus mpozoensis (Aquapress Bleher), Neolamprologus nigriventris (Big Sky Cichlids), and Chromidotilapia schoutedeni (FishBase). Other endemic species include the elephantfish Pollimyrus schreyeni (Mormyridae) and Marcusenius schilthuisiae (AMNH), a barb Barbus janssensi (FishBase), a mochokid catfish Synodontis robertsi (PlanetCatfish), and several killifish: Aphyosemion congicum (Killifish of West Africa), Aphyosemion labarrei (Killifish of West Africa), and Hypsopanchax platysternus (Killifish of West Africa).

Insects known only from the Democratic Republic of the Congo include several butterflies: Charaxes thysi (Albertine Rift Butterflies), Graphium olbrechtsi (metafro), Acraea lualabae (Dominique Bernaud), Mylothris celisi (metafro), Spindasis dufranei (metafro), and Alaena unimaculosa (metafro). Other endemic invertebrates include a stag beetle Nigidius seguyi (Lucanidae du Monde), a ground beetle Graphipterus griseolineatus (Carabidae of the World), a leaf-chafer Goniorrhina flaviceps (Hannetons), a dragonfly Hadrothemis vrijdaghi (Africa Dragonfly), a damselfly Platycypha eliseva (Africa Dragonfly), an ant Pyramica inquilina (Ants of Africa), a jumping spider Alfenus calamistratus (jumping-spiders.com), a freshwater crab Potamonautes idjiwiensis (IUCN Red List), and a freshwater snail Bellamya contracta (ARKive).

Endemic plant genera include Karina (JSTOR), Nelmesia (JSTOR), Blighiopsis (JSTOR), Pseudomacrolobium (JSTOR), Pseudodacryodes (JSTOR), Chevalierella (JSTOR), Lebrunia (JSTOR), Hartliella (JSTOR), and Bampsia (JSTOR). Other plants unique to the country include the cycads Encephalartos schaijesii (Cycad Pages) and Encephalartos ituriensis (Cycads-n-Palms.com), Argocoffeopsis kivuensis (JSTOR), Spermacoce heteromorpha (Botanicus), and the orchids Tridactyle stipulata (Orchids C Africa), Angraecum mofakoko (JSTOR), Bulbophyllum horridulum (JSTOR), and Habenaria katangensis (JSTOR).

The DRC's Albertine Rift region (Albertine Rift Programme) is part of the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity Hotspots). The Congo Basin (WWF) is one of the world's richest areas for animals and plants. Important areas in the country include the Northeastern Congolian Lowland Forests (EoE) and the Salonga region (CARPE pdf file). The Congo River (WWF) and Lake Tanganyika (FEOW) are two of the world's top areas for endemic freshwater species. Congo tributaries such as the Kasai (FEOW) are noteworthy for unique fauna in their own right.