Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa
West Africa is exceptionally biodiverse, yet its wildlife remains largely understudied despite the rapid and ongoing land-use changes. Large swaths of Guinea-Bissau’s landscape were historically characterised by native forest-savannah mosaics. However, key areas of savannah habitats have been conver...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Biodiversity Data Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/147388/download/pdf/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849711442391990272 |
|---|---|
| author | Francisco dos Reis-Silva Fernanda Alves-Martins Javier Martínez-Arribas Cristian Pizzigalli Sambu Seck Ana Rainho Ricardo Rocha Ana Filipa Palmeirim |
| author_facet | Francisco dos Reis-Silva Fernanda Alves-Martins Javier Martínez-Arribas Cristian Pizzigalli Sambu Seck Ana Rainho Ricardo Rocha Ana Filipa Palmeirim |
| author_sort | Francisco dos Reis-Silva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | West Africa is exceptionally biodiverse, yet its wildlife remains largely understudied despite the rapid and ongoing land-use changes. Large swaths of Guinea-Bissau’s landscape were historically characterised by native forest-savannah mosaics. However, key areas of savannah habitats have been converted to rice agroecosystems and forests are being transformed into cashew monocultures at unprecedented rates. Amphibians and reptiles comprise some of the most threatened species by human-induced habitat change and yet are not as studied as other vertebrate terrestrial taxa. Here, we provide two comprehensive datasets on amphibians and reptiles (classes Testudines and Squamata) from northern Guinea-Bissau: (1) a standardised survey dataset (encompassing sampling events and occurrences) in forest fragments, cashew orchards and rice paddies and (2) an opportunistic dataset reporting occurrences across the entire study area. Standardised surveys were carried across 21 sampling sites, seven in each habitat type, while opportunistic surveys include all other records. For standardised surveys, a total of 703 amphibian and 265 reptile (class Squamata) encounters are reported, corresponding to nine and 13 taxa, respectively. Opportunistically, we report 62 amphibian and 93 reptile encounters, corresponding to 10 amphibian taxa, 25 Squamata taxa and two turtles (class Testudines).Based on 126 sampling hours of both diurnal and nocturnal standardised surveys, in addition to opportunistic surveys, these datasets comprise the first overview for amphibians and reptiles in mainland Guinea-Bissau across two seasons and different habitat types. Each of the 968 standardised and 155 opportunistic occurrences corresponds to a genus or species and is accompanied by geographic coordinates, a timestamp and, for standardised data, the land-use type. The datasets fill the distribution gaps in Guinea-Bissau of at least three species, including the frog Hildebrandtia ornata, the skink Trachylepis keroanensis and the snake Dendroaspis polylepis – and include the re-discovery of the lizard Latastia ornata in Guinea-Bissau. Before this work, the L. ornata was only known from the 1938 holotype in Bafatá (ca. 60 km away from the study area) and, in 2023, from Guinea-Conakry (ca. 700 km away from the type specimen location). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb3336c68ca34c5dadfb5de6267ceedb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1314-2828 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biodiversity Data Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb3336c68ca34c5dadfb5de6267ceedb2025-08-20T03:14:38ZengPensoft PublishersBiodiversity Data Journal1314-28282025-04-011312010.3897/BDJ.13.e147388147388Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West AfricaFrancisco dos Reis-Silva0Fernanda Alves-Martins1Javier Martínez-Arribas2Cristian Pizzigalli3Sambu Seck4Ana Rainho5Ricardo Rocha6Ana Filipa Palmeirim7Global Change and Conservation Research Group, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of HelsinkiBIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de VairãoCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do PortoCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do PortoFederação KAFO, Guiné-Bissau CP 1186, Centro Camponês de Djalicunda, sector de Mansaba, região de OioCentre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute. Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de LisboaDepartment of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Rd, OX1 3SZCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do PortoWest Africa is exceptionally biodiverse, yet its wildlife remains largely understudied despite the rapid and ongoing land-use changes. Large swaths of Guinea-Bissau’s landscape were historically characterised by native forest-savannah mosaics. However, key areas of savannah habitats have been converted to rice agroecosystems and forests are being transformed into cashew monocultures at unprecedented rates. Amphibians and reptiles comprise some of the most threatened species by human-induced habitat change and yet are not as studied as other vertebrate terrestrial taxa. Here, we provide two comprehensive datasets on amphibians and reptiles (classes Testudines and Squamata) from northern Guinea-Bissau: (1) a standardised survey dataset (encompassing sampling events and occurrences) in forest fragments, cashew orchards and rice paddies and (2) an opportunistic dataset reporting occurrences across the entire study area. Standardised surveys were carried across 21 sampling sites, seven in each habitat type, while opportunistic surveys include all other records. For standardised surveys, a total of 703 amphibian and 265 reptile (class Squamata) encounters are reported, corresponding to nine and 13 taxa, respectively. Opportunistically, we report 62 amphibian and 93 reptile encounters, corresponding to 10 amphibian taxa, 25 Squamata taxa and two turtles (class Testudines).Based on 126 sampling hours of both diurnal and nocturnal standardised surveys, in addition to opportunistic surveys, these datasets comprise the first overview for amphibians and reptiles in mainland Guinea-Bissau across two seasons and different habitat types. Each of the 968 standardised and 155 opportunistic occurrences corresponds to a genus or species and is accompanied by geographic coordinates, a timestamp and, for standardised data, the land-use type. The datasets fill the distribution gaps in Guinea-Bissau of at least three species, including the frog Hildebrandtia ornata, the skink Trachylepis keroanensis and the snake Dendroaspis polylepis – and include the re-discovery of the lizard Latastia ornata in Guinea-Bissau. Before this work, the L. ornata was only known from the 1938 holotype in Bafatá (ca. 60 km away from the study area) and, in 2023, from Guinea-Conakry (ca. 700 km away from the type specimen location).https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/147388/download/pdf/agroecosystemshabitat conversionherpetofauna |
| spellingShingle | Francisco dos Reis-Silva Fernanda Alves-Martins Javier Martínez-Arribas Cristian Pizzigalli Sambu Seck Ana Rainho Ricardo Rocha Ana Filipa Palmeirim Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa Biodiversity Data Journal agroecosystems habitat conversion herpetofauna |
| title | Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa |
| title_full | Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa |
| title_fullStr | Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa |
| title_short | Amphibian and reptile dataset across different land-use types in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa |
| title_sort | amphibian and reptile dataset across different land use types in guinea bissau west africa |
| topic | agroecosystems habitat conversion herpetofauna |
| url | https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/147388/download/pdf/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT franciscodosreissilva amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT fernandaalvesmartins amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT javiermartinezarribas amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT cristianpizzigalli amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT sambuseck amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT anarainho amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT ricardorocha amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica AT anafilipapalmeirim amphibianandreptiledatasetacrossdifferentlandusetypesinguineabissauwestafrica |