Non-marine mammals of Togo (West Africa): an annotated checklist

Amori, Giovanni; Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoudé; Decher, Jan; Assou, Délagnon; Gippoliti, Spartaco; Luiselli, Luca

doi:10.5252/z2016n2a3

Cited by 25 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(20 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our study indicates that only P. tricuspis is present in Togo, supporting the observations in Amori et al (2016) and Wilson and Reeder (2005). The presence of S. gigantea, as suggested by PNAE-Togo ( 2002), remains doubtful, as there is no single voucher individual from Togo and we did not directly observe any animal in the field or heard of the species in our interviews.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Ingram et al, 2019). For Togo, little is known on the conservation status of pangolins (see Amori et al, 2016) and according to the national report on biodiversity for the country (PNAE-Togo, 2002) only two species are known (P. tricuspis and S. gigantea). However, based on museum specimens and historical and peer-reviewed literature, S. gigantea may not occur in Togo (see Amori et al, 2016;Wilson & Reeder, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa)

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pangolins are considered among the most threatened mammal species, both globally and also in Africa. However, almost nothing is known on their status and distribution across wide areas of their range, particularly in West African countries. Here, we assess the status and distribution of pangolin species in Togo. Fieldwork was carried out in five localities around the Fazao Malfakassa National Park, five sites around the Togodo Protected Areas Complex (Togodo North and Togodo South National Parks), 'Les Deux Béna' and Missahohe Forest Reserves, Yikpa-Dzigbe, Evou and Afagnan Community Forests. In all of these protected areas and forest islands, only one pangolin species was recorded: the white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis); we found no evidence of the giant ground pangolin (Smutsia gigantea), a species that now appears unlikely for Togo. Due to their nocturnal behaviour, we searched for pangolins by spotlighting and estimated their relative abundance using the Kilometric Index of Abundance. Our results show that P. tricuspis is still relatively abundant in suitable habitats in Fazao-Malfakassa National Park, in Togodo North National Park and in the Assoukoko Forest Reserve. These habitats are dense remnant forest patches where numerous termite mounds and ant nests occur. The present study provides unprecedented information on the status of pangolins in Togo to help inform the development of a conservation programme for this species in this country. RésuméLes pangolins sont considérés comme l'une des espèces de mammifères les plus menacées, aussi bien en Afrique que dans le monde entier. Cependant, leur situation et leur répartition au sein de vastes zones de leur aire de répartition reste peu connue, en particulier dans les pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué la situation et la répartition des espèces de pangolins au Togo. Des travaux de terrain ont été menés au sein de cinq localités situées dans les environs du parc national de Fazao Malfakassa, de cinq sites situés dans les environs du complexe de zones protégées de Togodo (parcs nationaux de Togodo-Nord et Togodo-Sud), des réserves forestières des Deux Béna et de Missahohe, ainsi que des forêts communautaires de Yikpa-Dzigbe, Evou et Afagnan. La présence d'une seule espèce de pangolins a | 343 SEGNIAGBETO ET Al.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa)

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For both wildlife and plants, local common names provided by vendors in Ewe and Fon were translated into English. A list of inferred species and their respective scientific names were assigned to each common name based on the documented presence of wild populations in Togo, according to Amori et al (2016) and Segniagbeto et al (2007Segniagbeto et al ( , 2011Segniagbeto et al ( , 2014Segniagbeto et al ( , 2015. Where taxonomy differed in more recently published assessments, we used scientific names according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2020, hereafter the IUCN Red List).…”

Section: Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snake oil and pangolin scales: insights into wild animal use at “Marché des Fétiches” traditional medicine market, Togo

D’Cruze¹,

Assou²,

Coulthard³

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Traditional medicine beliefs are culturally important in some West African communities, where there is a thriving domestic consumer demand for wild animal derivatives. Yet, such practices can threaten the conservation of wild populations and negatively impact animal welfare. To identify those species most likely to be affected, we investigated wildlife derivative trade at the largest fetish market of West Africa in Togo. Specifically, we asked what wild animals or animal products were most profitable, which wild animals were perceived by vendors to have increased most in rarity and what they were used for. A key question was whether vendors also sold plant-based alternatives. Vendors provided 36 local animal names, from which we inferred an estimated 281 species. Thirteen percent of these inferred species are categorised on the IUCN Red List as threatened (n = 35); 26% are declining (n = 72). The most commonly cited most profitable wildlife derivatives were “Pangolin” and “Python”; the most commonly cited most profitable live wild animal was “Chameleon”. Overall, wildlife use was predominantly spiritual rather than medicinal. Plant-based alternatives were available, but comprised < 40% of sales and appeared to be considered less important or less useful than wild animal products. The legal status of this domestic trade in Togo is unclear given the existence of potentially conflicting national legislation. In addition to further research focused on the actual impacts on populations and individuals of the species indicated, socio-economic importance of this trade, societal pressures driving consumer demand and an assessment of the feasibility of sustainable plant-based alternatives is warranted.

show abstract

“…As a consequence of its location, the Togolese landscape consists, from south to north, of a succession of ecosystems ranging from coastal grasslands to equatorial and wet tropical forests and ending in Sudan savannahs in the North (Segniagbeto et al 2011). These diverse ecosystems harbour a great number of animal species, as indicated by the presence of approximately 178 extant species of mammal (Amori et al 2016), 43 species of lizard (Segniagbeto et al 2015) and 91 species of snake (Segniagbeto et al 2011).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for snakes: ball python hunting in southern Togo, West Africa

D’Cruze¹,

Harrington²,

Assou³

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The ball python (Python regius) is the single most exported live CITES-listed species from Africa, with a large proportion of snakes being sourced from Togo, West Africa, officially via a system reported nationally as "ranching". This study represents the first in-depth review of ball python hunting being carried out by rural communities in Togo for nearly 15 years. Our approach, focused at the bottom of the trade chain, permitted extensive detailed data to be collected from hunters, and provides a unique insight into the practices, drivers and impacts associated with this type of large-scale commercial wildlife trade activity. We show that ball python hunting remains an economically valuable endeavour for these rural hunters. However, it also highlights a number of potential legal, conservation and animal welfare issues associated with the current hunting practices being carried out in Togo (and neighbouring range States) to supply the snake farms and ultimately the international exotic pet trade. Our findings suggest that the methods applied on the ground do not accurately reflect those being reported to national authorities and international regulatory mechanisms such as CITES. This irregular, if not illegal, trade may also be unsustainable, as suggested by hunters reporting that there are fewer ball pythons in the wild than there were five years A peer-reviewed open-access journal Neil D'Cruze et al. / Nature Conservation 38: 13-36 (2020) 14 previously. We recommend that additional scientific investigation (focusing on the size and status of the wild population), better management, and enforcement of regulations, are required to ensure that ball python populations are managed in a sustainable, legal and traceable way.

show abstract

Non-marine mammals of Togo (West Africa): an annotated checklist

Cited by 25 publications

References 46 publications

Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa)

Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa)

Snake oil and pangolin scales: insights into wild animal use at “Marché des Fétiches” traditional medicine market, Togo

Searching for snakes: ball python hunting in southern Togo, West Africa

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About