The wildlife of Cape Verde is spread over its archipelago of ten islands and three islets, which all have parks under their jurisdiction by decree promulgated by the Cape Verde government. Located off the west coast ofAfrica, the total land area of the island nation is 4,564 square kilometres (1,762 sq mi). The wildlife consists of many tropical dry forest and shrub land, endemic flora and fauna, and rare breeding seabirds and plants, which are unique to this group of islands.

Some of the wildlife species of Cape Verde are considered as endemic, evolving over millions of years of isolation; the grey-headed kingfisher (Halcyon leucocephala) survived here on insects in the absence of water in the lands of the islands.

In the process of development, many lands in the islands were converted to agricultural fields and several hundred varieties of herbaceous plant and tree species were introduced, resulting in depletion of the original vegetation. However, efforts are now underway at reforestation to improve the wildlife of Cape Verde, with reported planting of three million new trees every year (about 7000 per day), with pine, oak, sweet chestnut and acacia as the prominent varieties being planted. Cape Verde is also one of the world's top ten coral reef Biodiversity hotspots.

 

 

 

Historically

Cape Verde was probably not rich with greenery, although the evidence of the situation in earlier times is severely lacking. When Cape Verde was first discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, the wildlife consisted mainly of dry forests and scrub habitat, which underwent a sea change under the influence of the inhabitants of this then isolated and uninhabited group of islands. The endemic flora and fauna of the islands were disturbed and have now remained confined mostly in the mountain peaks, steep slopes and other inaccessible areas.

Vegetation in the islands is basically of the savannah or steppe type. There are trees typical of both temperate and tropical climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain semi-desert plants while the higher lands have arid shrubland. The leeward slopes tend to contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic. A number ofxerophilous plants grow in the brackish subsoil of Maio, Sal, and Boa Vista.

 

There are 664 listed plant species, which include two threatened species. Over 80 vascular plant taxa are reported to be endemic to Cape Verde; these include Tornabenea, Aeonium gorgoneum, Campanula bravensis (bellflower), Nauplius smithii,Artemisia gorgonum (sagebrush), Sideroxylon marginata, Lotus jacobaeus, Lavandula rotundifolia, Sarcostemma daltonii,Euphorbia tuckeyana, Polycarpaea gayi and Erysimum caboverdeanum (wallflower). Several trees are indigenous such as the blue-green flat-topped dragon tree Dracaena draco, Tamarix, Phoenix atlantica (tamateira), in the lagoons and deserts of Boavista, the ironwood tree and a species of fig tree and Faidherbia albida (formerly known as Acacia albida and locally called simply "acácia". As a result of extensive tree planting since 1975, there are pine trees, oaks and sweet chestnuts on the cool peaks of Santo Antao, eucalyptus on the heights of Fogo, and forests of acacia on Maio.

 

 

 

Fauna

 

The island has five mammals out of which three are threatened, 75 species of birds including 2 threatened species, 19 reptiles, 132 varieties of fish species including one threatened species. However, the islands do not have snakes and large mammals.

 

 

Mammals

 

The only indigenous mammal found in the island is the grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus). Bat species on the islands account for about 20% of all mammals. Of particular note are those of the family Vespertilionidae: Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii) and Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) in addition to the grey long-eared bat. Feral goats are found onFogo, the descendants of domestic goats introduced by the Portuguese. Rodent populations were introduced by the Portuguese from early ships which visited the islands. Monkeys are also present in Cape Verde, hailing from the African continent. The slender mongoose(Galerella sanguinea) has also been introduced.

 

 

Birds

 

Cape Verde has many species of endemic birds, which are observed by keen ornithologists and bird watchers on the islands. 130 migrant birds are reported to visit the islands, out of which over 40 nest there. The seabirds which breed on the island are: Fea's petrel (Pterodroma feae), frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) and red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda). Four species of birds, (Alexander's swift, the Raso lark, the Cape Verde swamp-warbler and the Iago sparrow) are also endemic here, while the Cape Verde shearwater is a breeding endemic. The endemic and endangeredBourne's heron is sometimes considered a full species. Also common are the greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

 

 

Invertebrates

 

Cape Verde has a reported 58 endemic species of spider, including Wesolowskana lymphatica (jumping spider), and Hottentotta caboverdensis, a parthenogeneticscorpion. It has a reported 15 endemic genera and 369 endemic species of insects. Of note are Ceylalictus capverdensis (bee), Thyreus denolii (cuckoo bee),Thyreus batelkai (cuckoo bee), Thyreus schwarzi (cuckoo bee), Thyreus aistleitneri (cuckoo bee), Chiasmognathus batelkai (cuckoo bee), Monomorium boltoni (ant),Scopula paneliusi (geometrid moth) and Serranegra petrophila, a true bug in the family Lygaeidae. There also are endemic marine species, including molluscs such as Favartia burnayi, Nassarius caboverdensis, Prunum sauliae, the cone shell Conus josephinae and the Cape Verde spiny lobster, Palinurus charlestoni.