Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 9.4. Diversity and endemism in the easten Africa orest herpetofauna
Number of forest
TIN endemics to
Forest(s)
species
TIN endemics
this forest
Usambara (! & E
a: 23
20123
=
86.9%
5120
=
25%
combined)
r: 29
16/29
=
55.1%
6/16
=
37.5%
36/52
=
69.2%
t: 52
11/36
=
30.5%
West Usambara
a: 22
19/22
=
86.39%
2/19
=
20.5%
14/23
=
60.8%
1/23
=
4.3%
r: 23
33145
=
73.3%
t: 45
3/42
=
7.1%
East Usambara
17/20
=
85%
a: 20
0
26
15/26
=
57.6%
1/26
=
3.8%
r:
32/46
=
69.5%
1/26
=
2.1%
t: 46
23/26
=
88.5%
6/23
=
26%
Uluguru
a: 26
18/24
=
75%
6/18
=
33.3%
r: 24
t: 50
41/50
=
82%
12/41
=
29.2%
Uzungwa
a: 19
18/19
=
94.7%
3/18
=
16.6%
r: 16
14/16
=
87.5%
3/14
=
21.4%
t: 35
32135
=
91.4%
6/32
=
18.7%
Rungwe
a: 3
313
=
100%
0
r: 6
4/6
=
75.1%
0
t: 9
7/9
=
77.7%
0
Malawi
a: 8
4/8
=
50%
1
r: 8
4/8
=
50%
0
t: 16
8/16
=
50%
0
Taita Hills
a: 2
212
=
100%
1/2
=
50%
r: 2
0
0
t: 4
214
=
50%
1/4
=
25%
No te:
TIN, Tanganyika-Nyasa forest; a, amphibians; r, repiles; t, total.
gurus as well as other forests before one can speak
of 'signiicant differences' in species diversiies.
Nowhere is this clearer than when examining
what at first glance would seem to be an obvious
difference in numbers between the Ulugurus and
the Uzungwas. At the ime of Loveridge (1933,
1952) it was felt that, based on the evidence then
available, the major affiniies of the Uzungwa
herpetofauna were with forests to the west and
southwest. But recent collecing at only two
localiies in the Uzungwa Mountains, Mwanihana
and Mufindi, has shown that many species that
were at the ime of Loveridge believed to be
endemic to the Usambara/Uluguru massifs are
present in the Uzungwas: Neaophynoies toniei,
Lptoplis u/uuuensis, L. barbouri, Arthrolep ties
matiensseni, Athrolep tis ai nis, Ca/ulina krti,
Bradypodion oyrhinum, Brookesia brvicauata,
Ty phlops gierrai and Atheris ceratophorus are all in
this category.
On present evidence there is what appears to be
a tapering off of numbers of species as one moves
away from the Usambaras and Ulugurus into the
Uzungwas, but
I
prefer to emphasise the similari-
ies between the Usambara/Uluguru herpeto-
fauna and that of the Uzungwas. Bearing in mind
that the Uzungwa Mountains represent the
largest mountainous forested area in Tanzania
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