Endemic Animals of Cabo Verde








Cape Verde buzzard
The Cape Verde buzzard (Buteo bannermani ) is a medium to large bird of prey that is sometimes considered a subspecies of the widespread common buzzard (Buteo buteo ). As its name implies, it is native to Cape Verde. Some taxonomists consider it to be a distinct species.
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Cape Verde buzzard
Iago sparrow
The Iago sparrow (Passer iagoensis ), also known as the Cape Verde or rufous-backed sparrow, is a passerine bird of the sparrow family Passeridae. It is endemic to the Cape Verde archipelago, in the eastern Atlantic Ocean near western Africa. Females and young birds have brown plumage with black marks above, and a dull grey underside, and are distinguished from other species of sparrow by their large, distinct supercilium. Males have a brighter ...
underside and bold black and chestnut stripes on their head. At 12.5–13 centimetres (4.9–5.1 in) long, it is a smaller sparrow. This bird's vocalisations are mostly variations on its chirp, which differ somewhat between males and females.The Iago sparrow was once thought to be most closely related to the rufous sparrows, a group of species within the genus Passer which live in similar habitats on continental Africa. Though the Iago sparrow is closest to the rufous sparrows in appearance, it has a number of crucial differences in morphology and behavior, and is separated by thousands of kilometres. It may in fact be more closely related to the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow. In Cape Verde it occurs on all but one island, and on most of them it is quite common. The Iago sparrow occurs in most of the habitats that are available in its range, such as lava plains, rocky hills, and gorges; however, the house sparrow and Spanish sparrow are typically present instead in denser settlements and richer cultivated areas respectively. Because the Iago sparrow is not under any serious threats, it is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
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Iago sparrow
Raso lark
The Raso lark (Alauda razae ) is a small passerine bird with a highly restricted range, being found only on Raso islet in the Cape Verde Islands. This critically endangered member of the family Alaudidae lives in very arid terrain, and is considered one of the least known birds in the Western Palaearctic region, due to its remoteness and the lack of much ornithological study on the archipelago as a whole.
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Raso lark
Cape Verde warbler
The Cape Verde warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis ) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is also known as the Cape Verde cane warbler or Cape Verde swamp warbler, and in Creole as tchota-de-cana, chincherote, (also tchintchirote ). It breeds on Santiago, Fogo, and São Nicolau in the Cape Verde Islands. It previously bred on Brava. This species is found in well-vegetated valleys, avoiding drier areas. It nests in reedbeds, two to ...
three eggs being laid in a suspended nest.
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Cape Verde warbler
Cape Verde swift
The Cape Verde swift or Alexander's swift (Apus alexandri ) is a small bird of the swift family found only in the Cape Verde Islands. It has been recorded from all the islands except Santa Luzia although it probably breeds only on Santiago, Fogo, Brava, Santo Antão and São Nicolau. It is generally common with a stable population and is not considered to be threatened. The name Alexander's swift commemorates Boyd Alexander, an English o ...
rnithologist who led two expeditions to the islands in 1897.
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Cape Verde swift
Boyd's shearwater
Boyd's shearwater (Puffinus boydi ), also known as the Cape Verde little shearwater, is a small shearwater which breeds in the Cape Verde archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean some 570 km off the coast of West Africa. The epithet commemorates British ornithologist Arnold Boyd.
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Boyd's shearwater
Cape Verde storm petrel
The Cape Verde storm petrel (Hydrobates jabejabe ) is an oceangoing bird found in the Atlantic Ocean, especially around the islands of Cape Verde. It was at one time considered to be a subspecies of the band-rumped storm petrel, but is now considered to be a separate species by the International Ornithological Congress and other authorities.They breed much of year but most nest in the winter.
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Cape Verde storm petrel
Centrochelys atlantica
Centrochelys atlantica is an extinct species of tortoise that lived in the Pleistocene. It was first recorded in the volcanic crater on Sal, Cape Verde. It was initially identified as similar to the extant Testudo calcarata (= Centrochelys sulcata ). The species is no longer present anywhere in the Cape Verde islands. It has since been described as a new species, differentiated from C. sulcata by its smaller size and lesser robusticity. It does ...
not seem there is any evidence this species came into contact with humans. Kehlmaier et al. (2021) identified the type material of this species as belonging to a specimen of the red-footed tortoise, making C. atlantica a junior synonym of the latter species and leaving the extinct tortoise known from fossils excavated on the Sal Island in the 1930s without a scientific name.
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Centrochelys atlantica
Giant wall gecko
The giant wall gecko (Tarentola gigas ) is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of São Nicolau and on the nearby islets of Branco and Raso. The species was named by José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage in 1875.There are two subspecies:Tarentola gigas brancoensis Schleich, 1984Tarentola gigas gigas Bocage, 1875
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Giant wall gecko
Boa Vista wall gecko
The Boa Vista wall gecko (Tarentola boavistensis ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of Boa Vista. The specific name boavistensis refers to the type locality.
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Boa Vista wall gecko
Vaillant's mabuya
Chioninia vaillantii, also known commonly as Vaillant's mabuya or Vaillant's skink, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands. There are two recognized subspecies.
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Vaillant's mabuya
Cape Verde wall gecko
Cape Verde wall gecko, also Santo Antão wall gecko, (Tarentola caboverdiana ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs in the island of Santo Antão. The species was named by Hans Hermann Schleich in 1984. The specific name caboverdiana refers to Cape Verde, the type locality.
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Cape Verde wall gecko
Chioninia stangeri
Chioninia stangeri (English common name: Stanger's skink) is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands.
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Chioninia stangeri
Hemidactylus bouvieri
Hemidactylus bouvieri, also known commonly as Bouvier's leaf-toed gecko and the Cape Verde leaf-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands and is listed as critically endangered. There are two recognized subspecies.
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Hemidactylus bouvieri
Tarentola rudis
Tarentola rudis is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs in the southern part of the island of Santiago and on the Ilhéu de Santa Maria. The species was described as a variety of Tarentola delalandii by George Albert Boulenger in 1906 based on several specimens collected by Leonardo Fea.
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Tarentola rudis
Darwin's wall gecko
Tarentola darwini, also known commonly as Darwin's wall gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the islands of São Nicolau, Sal, Santiago, and Fogo.
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Darwin's wall gecko
Chioninia nicolauensis
Chioninia nicolauensis (English: São Nicolau skink) is a species of skinks in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the Cape Verde island of São Nicolau. Until around 2010, it was treated as a subspecies of Chioninia fogoensis.
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Chioninia nicolauensis
Chioninia spinalis
Chioninia spinalis is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, and has been found on the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago, Fogo and several smaller islets.
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Chioninia spinalis
Chioninia fogoensis
Chioninia fogoensis (English: Fogo skink or Santo Antão skink) is a species of skink in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. The species was named by Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy in 1874. After revision of the species in 2010 based on molecular evidence, it no longer includes the skinks of São Nicolau (Chioninia nicolauensis ), nor of the original type locality Fogo (hence the species name fogoensis ). ...
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Chioninia fogoensis
Hemidactylus lopezjuradoi
Hemidactylus lopezjuradoi is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands.
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Hemidactylus lopezjuradoi
Tarentola protogigas
Tarentola protogigas is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it is found on the islands Fogo, Brava and the smaller Ilhéus Secos The species was named by Ulrich Joger in 1984.
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Tarentola protogigas
Bocage's wall gecko
Bocage's wall gecko (Tarentola bocagei ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs in the island of São Nicolau. The species was first described and named in 2012. The type locality is Carriçal, in the eastern part of São Nicolau. The species is listed as least-concern species by the IUCN.
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Bocage's wall gecko
Fogo wall gecko
The Fogo wall gecko (Tarentola fogoensis ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it is found on the island of Fogo. The species was first described and named in 2012.
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Fogo wall gecko
Raso wall gecko
The Raso wall gecko (Tarentola raziana ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of Santa Luzia and the islets of Branco and Raso. The species was named by Hans Hermann Schleich in 1984. The specific name raziana refers to the islet Raso where it is found.
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Raso wall gecko
Maio wall gecko
The Maio wall gecko (Tarentola maioensis ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the island of Maio. The species was named by Hans Hermann Schleich in 1984. The specific name maioensis refers to the island of Maio, the type locality.
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Maio wall gecko
São Nicolau wall gecko
The São Nicolau wall gecko (Tarentola nicolauensis ) is a species of geckos in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde, where it occurs on the islands of São Vicente and São Nicolau. The species was named by Hans Hermann Schleich in 1984.
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São Nicolau wall gecko
Delalande's skink
Chioninia delalandii (English: Delalande's skink) is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to the Cape Verde Islands.
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Delalande's skink
Fissurella alabastrites
Fissurella alabastrites is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fissurellidae, the keyhole limpets.
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Fissurella alabastrites
Conus crotchii
Conus crotchii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus crotchii
Felimida purpurea
Felimida purpurea is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
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Felimida purpurea
Conus cuneolus
Conus cuneolus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus cuneolus
Conus delanoyae
Conus delanoyae, common name Delanoy's cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus delanoyae
Conus fuscoflavus
Conus fuscoflavus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus fuscoflavus
Conus raulsilvai
Conus raulsilvai is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies. Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus raulsilvai
Ondina strufaldii
Ondina strufaldii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
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Ondina strufaldii
Phorcus mariae
Phorcus mariae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
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Phorcus mariae
Conus ateralbus
Conus ateralbus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.These snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus ateralbus
Conus diminutus
Conus diminutus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus diminutus
Felimare aurantimaculata
Felimare aurantimaculata is a species of sea slug or dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
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Felimare aurantimaculata
Conus salletae
Conus salletae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Conidae, the cone snails, cone shells or cones.These snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans.
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Conus salletae
Conus antoniomonteiroi
Conus antoniomonteiroi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus antoniomonteiroi
Conus boavistensis
Conus boavistensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
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Conus boavistensis
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