Ethiopian Region - University of Rajshahi

ETHIOPIAN REGION

Boundary, Climate and Vegetation, Sub-Regions, Faunal Distribution, and Endemic Fauna

MAJOR BOUNDARIES OF THE WORLD

1. Holartic 2. Afro-Tethyan 3. Latin American 4. Islands

ETHIOPIAN REGION

• Ethiopian region, also called Afrotropical Region, one of the major land areas of the world defined on the basis of its characteristic animal life.

• Part of the Paleo tropical, or Afro-Tethyan, realm, it encompasses Africa south of the Sahara and the southwestern tip of Arabia. It has big rivers, high mountains, vast grassy plains, and thick tropical forest.

• The region in bounded by all its side by sea except on northern

side which is continuous with Sahara desert. The desert form an

effective barrier between Ethiopian and Palearctic region.

ETHIOPIAN REGION- MADAGASCAR

ETHIOPIAN REGION- MADAGASCAR

ETHIOPIAN REGION- MADAGASCAR’S MANGROVE

ETHIOPIAN REGION- SAHARA DESERT

SUB-REGIONS

• Ethiopian region was divided into four sub regions.

• East African sub region

• West African sub region

• South African sub region

• Malagasy sub region

SUB-REGIONS

• East African sub-region

• Includes tropical Africa and tropical Arabia, and because of high temperature desert conditions are available. Sahara desert is included in the region. In this region desert animals are found. Giraffe, Zebra, Camel, Ostrich etc., are common.

• West African sub-region

• This region shows thick forest and includes River Congo is. Due to heavy rainfall, it has rich flora which supports good fauna. Gorilla, Gibbon, Great Apes are present, also Elephants, Panthers, Lions are found here. Pittedae family of Birds are common.

EAST AFRICAN SUB-REGION

Giraffe Zebra Camel

EAST AFRICAN SUB-REGION

Ostrich of African Savana Ostrich family

WEST A FRI C A N SU B- REG IO N G REA T A PES

Gorilla Gibbon

Chimpanzee Bonobos

WEST A FRI C A N SU B- REG IO N M A M M A LS

African Elephant Elephant family

Lion Panther

SUB-REGIONS

• South African sub-region

• Southern part of the African continent is included in this region. It shows peculiar fauna. E.g. Secretory birds, African Mole Rats, Bandicoots, South African lung fish (Protopterus) etc.

• Malagasy sub-region

• Includes Madagascar and nearby islands. Darlington separated this Madagascar from Ethiopian region. In this region Chameleons are more popular.

• It has no connection with the main land. Evolution in African continent is continued, But in Madagascar there is no fresh Evolution. Hence this sub-region shows dissimilarity in Fauna when compared to the main land.

SOUT H A FRI C A N SU B- REGI ON

Bandicoot African mole rat

Secretary Bird Lungfish (Protopterus)

M A LA G A SY SU B- REG IO N C H A M ELEO N S

Chameleons Chameleons

Chameleons Chameleons

FAUNAL DISTRIBUTION

Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes of Ethiopian Region

MAMMALS

Faunal Affinities with other regions and Endemic fauna

MAMMALS

• Most varied with 38 families excluding bats

• In number of unique family it rank second to Neotropical

• Apart from 12 exclusive families, rest of families shared with

either palearctic or oriental region

MAMMALS- WIDELY DISTRIBUTED

• Shrews

• Cricetid mice

• Murid mice

• Dogs

• Mustelids

• Badgers, Otters etc.

• Cats

• Bovids (hollow-horned ruminants)

• Mostly antelopes, Cape buffaloes etc.

M AM M ALS - WI D EL Y D ISTRI BU TED

Shrews

Badgers

Cape buffaloes Otters

MAMMALS- PALEARCTIC & ORIENTAL FAMILY

• Fam. Shared with both palearctic and Oriental Regions

• Hedgehogs

• Porcupines

• Civets

• Hyenas

• Pigs

M A M M A LS - PA LEARC TI C & O RI EN TA L F A M IL Y

Pigmy Hedgehog Porcupine

Civet Hyena

MAMMALS- PALEARCTIC FAMILY

• Family Shared with Palearctic

• Dormice

• Jerboas (Dipodidae)

• Coneys

• (e.g. Hyrax called as Dassie in S. Africa)

• Wild Horses

MAMM A LS - PA LEA RC TI C F A MI LY

Dormice Jerboas

Rock Hyrax Wild Horses

MAMMALS- DIFFERENCE WITH PALEARCTIC

• Palearctic fam. not represented in Ethiopian region

• Eurasian Moles

• Eurasian Beavers

• Eurasian Bears

• Camels (camels seen in Africa are domesticated)

M A M M A LS - D IFFEREN C E WI TH PA LEARC TI C

Eurasian Moles Eurasian Beaver

Eurasian Brown Bear Bactrian Camel

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAM.

• 8 families- 3 primates and two large ungulates

• Pangolins or scaly anteaters, only genus shared by both regions,

• All other shared families are different at generic level in the two regions.

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

African Elephant (Loxodonta

africana) Indian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

Ethiopian family

• White African Rhinoceros each with two nasal horns

• Black African Rhinoceros each with two nasal horns

Oriental family

• Indian Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros unicornis (with 1horn)

• Javan Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros sondaicus (with 1horn)

• Sumatran Rhinoceros, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis (with 2 horn)

MAMM A LS - ORI EN TA L FA MI LY

White African Rhino Indian Rhino

Black African Rhino Javan Rhino

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

• Ethiopian region have white and black African Rhinoceros each with two nasal horns (2).

• Three oriental genera, one of which 2 horned (Sumatran Rhinoceros) and another two have 1 horn (Indian Rhinoceros and Javan Rhinoceros).

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

• Primates lives in Africa

• Pottos (Tailless ape)

• Galagoes (Bush babies, Nagapies, Little night monkeys)

• Primates lives in Oriental

• Slender lorises (Lorisidae) in

Oriental

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

Potto Galago Slender Loris

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

• Old world monkeys are more diverse and varied in Africa

• Macaques, Drills, Baboons, Mangabeys, Guenons and Geladas

• Old world monkeys are less diverse in Oriental

• Only small number of Oriental Langurs

MAMM A LS - ORI EN TA L FA MI LY

Baboon Galago Drill

Olive Baboon Guenon Mangabey

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

Hanuman Langur Golden Langur

MAMMALS- ORIENTAL FAMILY

Ethiopian family

• Apes- Gorilla, Chimpanzee in Western and Central Africa

Oriental family

• Apes- Orangutan and Gibbon in Oriental region

MAMM A LS - ORI EN TA L FA MI LY

Gorilla Gibbon

Chimpanzee Orangutan

MAMMALS

• No mammal family exclusively in common with either Nearctic or Neotropical

• Herds of large herbivorous animals on open plains, zebras, loping giraffes, leaping and springing antelopes, rhinoceros, elephants along with lions and other members of the cat family are commonly seen

MAMMALS- EXCLUSIVE FAMILY

In Ethiopian region there are12 unique families of mammals are found

• Giraffe (2 genera) and Aardvarks

• Hippopotamus (2 genera)

• Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis (Pygmy Hippopotamus)

• Hippopotamus amphibius

• 3 families of insectivores

• 6 families of rodents (interesting comparison with neotropical whose rodents are also diverse and restricted).

MAMMALS- EXCLUSIVE FAMILY

Giraffe Hippo Aardvarks

GIRAFFE FAMILY- TWO GENERA

Giraffe Okapi

HIPPOPOTAMUS FAMILY- TWO GENERA

Pygmy Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

AARDVARKS- ORDER TUBULIDENTATA – ONLY 1GENUS

• Cape anteater- size of a small pig with a highly curved back, long snout and long tongue.

• The four digits of its front feet and the five of its hind feet have sharp hoofs for digging through termites nests)

MAMMALS- ENDEMIC INSECTIVORES

• Otter shrews

• Golden moles

• Elephant shrews

Endemic InsectivoresOtter shrews Golden molesElephant shrews

MAMMALS- ENDEMIC RODENTS

• Family Anomaluridae (anomalures or scaly-tailed flying squirrels)

• Anomalurus (Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrels), Idiurus (Flying Mice), Zenkerella (Cameroon Scaly-tail or Flightless Scaly-tailed Squirrel)

• Some are squirrel like but others are more like mice; Some are gliders like, the gliding Idiurus and the african flying squirrel, Anomalurus but some are not.

• Family Pedetidae

• The sole representative- Pedetes capensis (Spring Haas/Spring Hare)

MAMMALS- ENDEMIC RODENTS

Anomalurus pusillus Idiurus macrotis

MAMMALS- ENDEMIC RODENTS

Zenkerella Pedetes capensis

MAMM A LS - EN D EMI C RODE N TS

^rodents

• Cave rats and Rock rats (affinities with

old world

procupines)

• Gundis and Blesmols

(Mole Rats) Nacked Mole Rat Cave Rat

Gundis Mole Rat Rock Rat

MAMMALS- OVERVIEW

• Diverse mixture of widely distributed family

• Family shared with oriental regions

• Exclusive families are present

• A few families with other relationships

• Oriental Relationships are relatively stronger than shown for many Ethiopian genera and even some species of mammals also occur in Oriental Region or have some close relatives there

BIRDS

Faunal Affinities with other regions and Endemic fauna

BIRDS

• Numerous having strong affinities with Oriental Region

• 67 families, 53 occur all or much of the world

• Six exclusive families

• Three – honey guides, broad bills and bulbuls shared only or mainly with oriental region

• Five– crab plover, sand grouse, hoopoes, a doubtful bomby cillid and a doubtful honey eaters have special or doubtful relationship

BIRDS

Common Birds

• Cuckoos

• Woodpeckers

• Hornbills

• Sunbirds

• Orioles

• Many birds of prey

• Few pigeons, parrots and pheasants

Widely Distributed birds

• Hawks

• Owls

• Herons

• Storks

• Kingfisher

• Larks

• Swallow

• Thrushes

BI RD S- C O M M O N BI RD S

Cucooks Hornbill

Woodpecker Sunbird

BI RD S- C O M M O N BI RD S

Golden Oriole Grey Parrot

Black-headed Oriole Pheashant

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Harrier Hawk Grass Owl

Hawk Egle Scops Owl

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Black-headed heron White Heron

Grey Heron Cattle Egret

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Botswana Stork Shoe-billed Stork

Open-billed Stork White Stork

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Malachite Kingfisher Pigmy Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher Woodland Kingfisher

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Dunni Lark Olive Thrush

African lark Karoo Thrush

BI RD S- WI D EL Y SPRE A D

Barn Swallow Cliff Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow Wire-tailed Swallow

BIRDS- OLD WORLD FAMILY

• Bustards

• Rollers

• Bee eaters

• O. world flycatchers

• Warblers

• Weaver birds

• Starlings

BI RD S- O LD W O RL D F A M IL Y

Bustards Roller

Bee Eater Roller

BI RD S- O LD W O RL D F A M IL Y

Blue Flycatcher Typical Warbler

White-eyed Flycatcher Gnatcatcher Warbler

BI RD S- O LD W O RL D F A M IL Y

Rufous-tailed Weaver Black-headed Weaver

Typical Weaver Sociable Weaver

BI RD S- O LD W O RL D F A M IL Y

European Starling Daurian Starling

Common Starling Spot-winged Starling

BIRDS- TROPICAL/ OLD WORLD TROPICAL FAMILY

• Trogons

• Hornbills

• Barbets

• Honey guides

• Pittas

• Bulbuls

• Sunbirds

BIRDS- TROPICAL/ OLD WORLD TROPICAL FAMILY

Ward’s Trogon

Black-headed Trogon

Citreoline Trogon

BIRDS- TROPICAL/ OLD WORLD TROPICAL FAMILY

Collared Trogon Rufous Trogon Cuban Trogon

BIRDS- TROPICAL/ OLD WORLD TROPICAL FAMILY

Gilded Barbet White-cheek Barbet Bearded Barbet

BIRDS- TROPICAL/ OLD WORLD TROPICAL FAMILY

Cassin Honeyguide Greater Honeyguide Lesser Honeyguide

BI RDS - TRO PI C A L/ O LD W O RLD TRO PI C A L F A M IL Y

Ashy Bulbul Flavescent Bulbul Red-vented Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul Scaly-breasted Bulbul Strip-throated Bulbul

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE/ ENDEMIC

• Ostriches

• Ostrich is the only member of a unique order, doubtfully related to other large flightless birds in other parts of the southern hemisphere

• Secretary birds

• Hammer-heads/ Hamerkop

• Crested touracos

• Mouse birds

• Helmet shrikes

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE/ ENDEMIC

Ostrich Secretary Bird Hamerkop

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE/ ENDEMIC

Crested Turaco Mouse Bird Helmet shrikes

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE SUBFAMILY OR NEARLY SO

• Guinea fowls

• Tree hoopoes

• Bush shrikes

• Buffalo weavers

• Widow birds

• Tick bird

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE SUBFAMILY OR NEARLY SO

Guinea Fowl Tree Hoopes Bush Shrikes

BIRDS- EXCLUSIVE SUBFAMILY OR NEARLY SO

Bush Shrikes Widow Bird Tick Bird

BIRDS- OVERVIEW

• Less distinctive

• Strongly oriental in their main relationships

• Few exclusive groups

REPTILES

Faunal Affinities with other regions and Endemic fauna

REPTILES-SNAKES

• Many snakes

• Constricting pythons

• Biting poisonous vipers

REPTILES-SNAKES

Rock Python Rock Python

REPTILES-SNAKES

Gabon Viper Carpet Viper

REPTILES - LIZARDS

• Exclusive family- Cordylidae or Spiny-tailed Lizards or girdle-tailed lizards

• Chameleon family – nearly exclusive, only 4 of 50 sp. Found outside Africa and only one lizard lives as far as India.

• A few Agamid (Agama sp.) and Lacertid (wall lizard/ True Lizard) lizards

• No Iguanids

REPTILES - LIZARDS

Spiny-tailed Lizards Spiny-tailed Lizards

RE PT IL ES - LI ZA RD S

Panther Chameleon Jackson’s Chameleon

Read-Headed Agamid Rainbow Agamid

REPTILES- CROCODILES AND TURTLES

• Crocodiles and turtles abound

• Pelmedusid turtle- side necks (Neotropical) (Pelomedusa and Pelusios)

• Trionychids

• Testudinine land tortoises (Some Endemic)

• An Emydine in northwestern Africa

REPT ILES - TU RTLE A N D TER RA PI N

Helmeted Terrapin (Pelomedusa sp.) Helmeted Terrapin (Pelomedusa sp.)

Mud Turtle (Pelusios sp.) Mud Turtle (Pelusios sp.)

RE PT IL ES - LA ND T O RT O ISE S

Angonoka tortoise Leopard tortoise

Radiated tortoise Pancake tortoise

RE PT IL ES - LA ND T O RT O ISE S

Speke's hinge-back tortoise Aldabra giant tortoise

African spurred tortoise Lobatse hinge-back tortoise

REPTILES- SOFTSHELL TURTLE

• Giant African softshell turtles Trionyx triunguis

AMPHIBIA

Faunal Affinities with other regions and Endemic fauna

AMPHIBIANS

• Amphibians Less distinctive

• Widespread frogs and toads

• Pipid family

• Xenopus, the African clawed toad or Platanna (like neotropical relative aquatic)

• Bufonidae-

• Hylid tree frogs absent

• Polypedatids tree frog present

• No tailed amphibians

A MPHIBI A - FROG S A N D T O A D S

African clawed toad Red African Frog

African Dwarf Frog African Tree Frog

FISHES

Faunal Affinities with other regions and Endemic fauna

FISHES- COMMON

• Diverse Group

• Carps

• Ethiopian Straight fin Barb

• Ripon barbell

• Old world Cat fishes

• Cat fish

• Bayad

• Diverse groups of fishes are found like:

• Carps

• Ethiopian Straightfin Barb

• Tana Lake Stone Loach

• Bayad

• Cat fish

• Ripon barbell

FISHES - ENDEMIC

• Mormyrids

• From their electric organs in their tails, the mormyrids generate an electric field and they are made aware of prey in their muddy pools when this field is distorted.

• Not related to electric eels of Amazon

• Characin

• A family Shared by Ethiopian and Neotropical

• Lung fish- Protopterus

• Related to Neotropical Lung fish Lepidosiren

FISHES - ENDEMIC

• Tana Lake Stone Loach (Afronemacheilus abyssinicus)

• Known from the Blue Nile at its outlet from Tana Lake (the type locality), with records from the Baro River. Originally the only species in its genus, in 2013 A. kaffa was described based on the Omo population, formerly included in A. abyssinicus.