Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is
a UNESCO World Heritage site and
harbours 10 primate species, some 110
other mammals, 348 bird species, 27
amphibians species, 14 snake species
(9 restricted range), 14 lizard
species and 310 butterfly species.
Bwindi is one of the most prominent
forests in Africa in terms of mammal
diversity, supporting at least 120
known species. It contains about
half of the world's mountain
gorillas (Gorilla beringei
beringei; IUCN category
‘Endangered’.
Another globally threatened
primate is the Eastern
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthi;
Endangered). Bwindi also hosts
Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus
mitis), Red-tailed Monkey (Cercopithecus
ascanius), Black and White
Colobus Monkeys (Colobus
guereza),
Baboon (Papio anubis) and
L’Hoest’s Monkeys (Cercopithecus
lhoesti) along with three
nocturnal primate species namely
the Potto (Perodicticus potto),
Demidoff’s Galago (Galagoides
demidoff) and the Spectacled
Galago (Galago matschiei).
The park supports Elephants (Loxodonta
africana; Vulnerable), Bush
Pigs (Potamochoerus larvatus),
Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus
meinertzhageni),
Black-fronted Duiker (Cephalophus
nigrifrons), Yellow-backed
Duiker (Cephalophus
silvicultor), Clawless Otter
(Aonyx capensis),
Side-stripped Jackal (Canis
adustus), Civet (Civettictis
civetta) and numerous other
species, especially of bats and
rodents.
Some 348 bird species have also
been recorded at Bwindi. They
include 25 restricted-range
species, of which 23 are
confined to the Albertine Rift
and four are globally
threatened: African Green
Broadbill (Pseudocalyptomena
graueri; Vulnerable),
Grauer’s Rush Warbler (Bradypterus
graueri; Endangered),
Chapin’s Flycatcher (Muscicapa
lendu; Vulnerable) and
Shelley’s Crimson-wing (Cryptospiza
shelleyi; Vulnerable).
The Rift’s high levels of
endemicity have been attributed
to long-term climatic stability,
which has enabled ancient,
biogeographically ‘relictual’
species to persist, while
promoting the adaptive radiation
of younger, restricted-range
species. Bwindi has three bird
species that are relictual, and
the only surviving
representatives of their
respective genera: African Green
Broadbill, Grauer’s Warbler (Graueria
vittata) and Short-tailed
Warbler (Hemitesia neumanni).
Indeed, both the broadbill and
Short-tailed Warbler are thought
to be more closely related to
Asian- than to African species.
As well as being the most accessible
site at which to study many of the
Albertine Rift’s endemic birds,
Bwindi also supports a number of
predominantly central- and west
African bird species known from only
a few sites in East Africa,
including Fraser’s Eagle Owl (Bubo
poensis), Western Bronze-naped
Pigeon (Columba iriditorques),
White-bellied Robin Chat (Cossyphicula
roberti), Lagden’s Bush-shrike (Malaconotus
lagdeni) and the scarce
Oberländer’s Ground-Thrush (Zoothera
oberlaenderi).
Twenty seven amphibian species have
been identified. Eleven are endemic
to the Albertine Rift. Six are of
global conservation concern
including the Western Rift
Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus
orophilus) (IUCN category
“vulnerable” VU) and Ahl's Reed Frog
(Hyperolius castaneus) (IUCN
category “vulnerable” VU).
Fourteen snake species, 9 of which
are endemic to Bwindi are known. Six
species of chameleon, 14 species of
lizards have also been recorded.
Bwindi hosts at least 220 butterfly
species including 8 Albertine rift
endemics. Three butterflies occur
only in Bwindi: the Cream- banded
swallowtail (Papilio leucotaenia),
Graphium gudenusi and
Charaxes fournierae. The
threatened
African
giant swallowtail (Papilio
antimachus) is also found in
Bwindi.
Very little is known about Bwindi’s other invertebrates though
there has been limited work on
molluscs and aquatic arthropods.
****** See
here
for a list of all mammals, amphibians and birds categorised as
'Vulnerable' or 'Endangered' on
IUCN's Red List and occurring in Bwindi or SW Uganda******
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