Nigeria
Birds
unique to Nigeria include the Jos Plateau
Indigobird (APLORI),
the
Rock Firefinch (African
Bird Club),
the Anambra Waxbill (Birdlife
Int'l), and the Ibadan Malimbe (Birdlife
Int'l).
Mammals found nowhere
else include Sclater's Guenon (CERCOPAN),
Fox's Shaggy Rat (IUCN
Red List), the Gotel Mountains Soft-furred Mouse (IUCN Red List),
the Savanna Swamp Shrew (IUCN Red List),
and a recently described forest shrew Sylvisorex corbeti (ZFMK
pdf file). The Delta Red Colobus Procolobus
(or Piliocolobus)
epieni
(Primate
SG pdf file) is also frequently considered a full species .
Endemic reptiles include Dunger’s File Snake Mehelya egbensis (AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), Cross’ Beaked Snake Rhinotyphlops crossii
(fig. 5 at Google
Books), a wormsnake Leptotyphlops
greenwelli (BioOne),
the Nigeria Crag Gecko Cnemaspis
petrodroma (Reptile
Database), and a worm lizard Cynisca nigeriensis
(p.
58 of AMNH
Digital Library 19 MB pdf file).
The Nigerian Toad Bufo
(or Amietophrynus) perreti (ARKive)
and the recently described Danko Puddle Frog Phrynobatrachus danko
(p. 16 of Univ.
Canterbury 3 MB pdf file) are endemic amphibians.
Among the killifish restricted to Nigeria are Aphyosemion (or Fundulopanchax) deltaense (Killifish of West
Africa), Fundulopanchax
arnoldi (Killifish of West
Africa), Epiplatys
longiventralis (Epiplatys.de),
and Epiplatys
biafranus (Google
Books). Other
endemic freshwater fish
include the Blue Diamond Tetra Alestopetersius
smykalai (Hippocampus),
an African characin Neolebias
axelrodi (FishBase),
a cichlid Thysochromis
annectens (Cichlid
Room Companion), the Silver-bellied
Climbing Perch Ctenopoma
argentoventer (FishBase),
the Fog Bushfish Ctenopoma
nebulosum (FishBase),
a bagrid catfish Parauchenoglanis
buettikoferi (FishBase),
and a sleeper goby Dormitator
pleurops (p.
8 of IRD
pdf file). Endemic genera include the Niger Tetra Arnoldichthys
spilopterus (FishBase)
and Citharidium ansorgii
(BHL).
Butterflies known solely from Nigeria include Euphaedra wojtusiaki
(metafro),
Acraea
kaduna (Dominique
Bernaud), Acraea actinotina (Dominique
Bernaud), Charaxes
chevroti (BOLD),
Bebearia denticula (metafro),
Tumerepedes flava
(BHL),
and Euptera
knoopi and Stempfferia
boormani (both at Michel
Libert). Other endemic arthropods include the bush
crickets Anepitacta
egestoides (OSF)
and Pseudorhynchus
crosskeyi (OSF),
a longhorned beetle Anthrococentrus
nigerianus (p. 5 of Cerambycoidea.com
pdf file), a plant bug Termatophylum
rhea (AMNH),
an ant Cataulacus
boltoni (Antbase),
the Hercules Baboon Spider Hysterocrates
hercules (NHM-London),
and a goblin spider Antoonops
iita (AMNH).
Endemic freshwater crabs include Sudanonautes
kagoroensis
(NMU
pdf file) and Potamonautes
reidi (IUCN Red
List).
Among over 200 vascular plant species exclusive to
Nigeria are the orchids Genyorchis
apertiflora (JSTOR),
Genyorchis
summerhayesiana (Orchids
of C Africa), Habenaria
linguiformis
(JSTOR),
Polystachya anthoceros
(JSTOR),
and Diaphananthe
dorotheae (JSTOR).
Other endemic plants include Huernia
nigeriana (rsasucculents),
Cola gigas
(JSTOR),
Talbotiella
eketensis (JSTOR),
Oldenlandia rhabdina
(JSTOR),
Acioa eketensis
(JSTOR),
Soyauxia talbotii
(JSTOR), Keetia inaequilatera
(JSTOR),
Hymenostegia
talbotii (JSTOR),
Napoleonaea reptans
(JSTOR),
Chassalia subnuda
(JSTOR),
Jatropha neriifolia
(JSTOR),
Eugenia talbotii
(JSTOR),
Chlorophytum
caulescens (JSTOR),
Psychotria arborea
(JSTOR),
Rytigynia argentea
(JSTOR),
and Clerodendrum
tomentellum (JSTOR).
Parts of Nigeria belong to the Guinean Forests of West
Africa hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Terrestrial ecoregions unique to Nigeria
include the Jos Plateau Forest-grassland Mosaic (EoE),
the Niger Delta Swamp Forests (EoE),
and the Cross-Niger Transition Forests (EoE).
Important freshwater ecoregions include the Northern Gulf of
Guinea Drainages (FEOW),
the Lower Niger-Benue (FEOW),
and the Niger Delta (FEOW).
For more information on endemic species in Nigeria see the
"National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan" (CBD
pdf file).