The causes of spatial distribution gaps for a given species may be either both natural (habitat discontinuities) or non-natural (local extinctions, inaccurate knowledge). These species are defined as ‘gap species’. We analyzed the country checklists for African chelonians in order to identify both gap species and gap countries. We also compared patterns observed in chelonians with those observed in African small mammals. Species richness was highest in South Africa, Congo, Nigeria, Tanzania, Angola and Ghana, and the countries exchanging the smallest number of species with neighboring countries were South Africa and Congo. The main gap countries were Togo, Benin, and Congo. Moist savannahs, tropical forests, and swamp areas were inhabited by significantly higher numbers of gap species. Body size of gap species was significantly larger than that of non-gap species, possibly due to bush-meat consumption. Increases in the number of gap species per country were significantly correlated between chelonians and small mammals. There was a significantly positive relationship of turnover rates by paired countries between chelonians and rodents as well as between chelonians and insectivores, and the mean turnover rates by country were highest in Sudan and Chad, whereas the whole southern portion of Africa and part of West Africa had low mean turnover rates. The high number of gap species in Congo, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), and Cameroon may be due to suboptimal research, and in Togo and Benin may depend on the Dahomey Gap. The tropical forests and the moist savannahs are the most important habitats for both groups. Appendix 1. Country-based checklists of African chelonians. ALGERIA Emys orbicularis, Mauremys leprosa, Testudo graeca. ANGOLA Cycloderma aubryi, Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys spekii, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios bechuanicus, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios gabonensis, Pelusios nanus, Pelusios rhodesianus, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. BENIN Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castaneus, Trionyx triunguis. BOTSWANA Chersina angulata, Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys lobatsiana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios bechuanicus, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Psammobates oculifera, Stigmochelys pardalis. BURKINA FASO Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa. BURUNDI Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios subniger. CAMEROON Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios gabonensis, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis. C.A.R. Kinixys erosa, Pelusios gabonensis. CHAD Cyclanorbis elegans, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Geochelone sulcata, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios adansonii, Pelusios gabonensis, Trionyx triunguis. CONGO Kinixys erosa, Pelusios carinatus, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios chapini. EGYPT Testudo graeca, Testudo kleinmanni, Trionyx triunguis. ERITREA Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Trionyx triunguis. ETHIOPIA Geochelone pardalis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios sinuatus, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. GABON Cycloderma aubryi, Kinixys erosa, Pelusios carinatus, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios gabonensis, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis, Pelusios marani. GHANA Cyclanorbis elegans, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios cupulatta (= gabonensis), Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis. GUINEA Kinixys belliana, Pelusios castaneus. GUINEA-BISSAU Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Trionyx triunguis. EQUATORIAL GUINEA Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis. IVORY COAST Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castaneus, Trionyx triunguis, Pelusios cupulatta. KENYA Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Malacochersus tornieri, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castanoides, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios williamsi, Pelusios broadleyi, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. LIBERIA Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis, Pelusios cupulatta. LIBYA Mauremys leprosa, Testudo graeca, Testudo hermanni, Testudo kleinmanni, Testudo marginata. MALAWI Cycloderma frenatum, Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castanoides, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Stigmochelys pardalis. MALI Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Mauremys leprosa, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios adansonii. MOROCCO Emys orbicularis, Mauremys leprosa, Testudo graeca. MAURITANIA Geochelone sulcata, Mauremys leprosa, Trionyx triunguis. MOZAMBIQUE Cycloderma frenatum, Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys natalensis, Kinixys spekii, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castanoides, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Stigmochelys pardalis. NAMIBIA Chersina angulata, Geochelone pardalis, Homopus signatus, Homopus bergeri, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios bechuanicus, Psammobates oculifera, Psammobates tentorius, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. NIGER Geochelone sulcata, Mauremys leprosa, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios adansonii, Trionyx triunguis. NIGERIA Cyclanorbis elegans, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios adansonii, Pelusios castaneus, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis. R.D.C. Cycloderma aubryi, Kiniyis belliana, Kinixys erosa, Kinixys homeana, Kinixys spekii, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios carinatus, Pelusios chapini, Pelusios gabonensis, Pelusios nanus, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Pelusios upembae, Pelusios williamsi, Trionyx triunguis. RWANDA Kinixys erosa, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios rhodesianus. SENEGAL Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Pelusios castaneus, Trionyx triunguis, Mauremys leprosa. SIERRA LEONE Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Pelusios castaneus, Trionyx triunguis. SOMALIA Geochelone pardalis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios sinuatus, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. S.AFRICA Chersina angulata, Geochelone pardalis, Homopus areolatus, Homopus boulengeri, Homopus femoralis, Homopus signatus, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys natalensis, Kinixys spekii, Kinixys lobatsiana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castanoides, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Psammobates geometricus, Psammobates oculifera, Psammobates tentorius, Stigmochelys pardalis. SUDAN Cyclanorbis elegans, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Geochelone pardalis, Geochelone sulcata, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios adansonii, Pelusios gabonensis, Pelusios niger, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. TANZANIA Cycloderma frenatum, Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Malacochersus tornieri, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castanoides, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Pelusios williamsi, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. TOGO Cyclanorbis elegans, Cyclanorbis senegalensis, Kinixys belliana, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios castaneus. TUNISIA Emys orbicularis, Mauremys leprosa, Testudo graeca. UGANDA Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys erosa, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios chapini, Pelusios williamsi, Trionyx triunguis, Stigmochelys pardalis. ZAMBIA Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys spekii, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios bechuanicus, Pelusios nanus, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Stigmochelys pardalis. ZIMBABWE Geochelone pardalis, Kinixys belliana, Kinixys spekii, Pelomedusa subrufa, Pelusios bechuanicus, Pelusios rhodesianus, Pelusios sinuatus, Pelusios subniger, Stigmochelys pardalis. Testudinidae Trionychidae
Added by: Sarina Wunderlich
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