São Tomé and Príncipe

África

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São Tomé and Príncipe is a volcanic archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea that was never joined to the continent, which has made its two main islands one of the places in the world with the highest proportion of species found nowhere else per unit of area. Its mountains, covered in cloud forest and pierced by volcanic spires such as Pico Cão Grande, keep the native forest known as obô, dense, humid and with a flora full of endemics. The islands hold close to thirty birds that exist nowhere else, as well as frogs, bats, snails and reptiles of their own. The southern beaches receive the nesting of five species of sea turtle, and the surrounding waters are a humpback whale breeding area between July and October.

The nature of São Tomé and Príncipe

National animal: No official national animal; the grey parrot is the archipelago's emblematic bird

Did you know?

The São Tomé grosbeak, the largest finch in the world, was known only from three specimens collected in 1888 and was given up for extinct for more than a century. In 1991 it was rediscovered in a remote valley in the southwest of the island, and it has been known since then to survive in a tiny area of primary forest with a population of barely a few dozen birds, which makes it one of the rarest birds on the planet.

Biodiversity profile

Africa Central (archipielago volcanico del Golfo de Guinea)33% de la ecoregion compartida Sao Tome-Principe-Annobon esta protegida (323 km2 de un total de 978 km2)

Climate

•Ecuatorial humedo (Af), calido y humedo, con fuerte gradiente de precipitacion segun altitud

Main biomes

•Bosque tropical humedo de tierras bajas (cubre aprox. 74% del territorio)
•Bosque nuboso de montaña (Pico de Sao Tome, por encima de 1.400 m)
•Bosque de niebla insular
•Selva de tierras bajas obô
•Isla volcánica oceánica
•Playa de puesta de tortugas
•Manglar
•Aguja volcánica
•Litoral rocoso

Marine and coastal ecosystems

•Hotspot marino del Golfo de Guinea, con alta diversidad de peces e invertebrados de arrecife
•Islotes Tinhosas, colonia de aves marinas de importancia mundial

Flagship wildlife

•Ibis oliva (subespecie endemica de Principe, posiblemente la mas rara del archipielago)
•Tortuga carey, verde y laud (anidacion costera)
•Aves endemicas de bosque nuboso
•Picogordo de Santo Tomé
•Ibis enano de Santo Tomé
•Loro gris
•Ballena jorobada
•Tortuga verde
•Tortuga laúd
•Rana arborícola gigante de Santo Tomé
•Rabijunco etéreo
•Delfín mular
•Murciélago frugívoro

Notable endemic species

•28 especies de aves endemicas de la ecoregion (16 exclusivas de Sao Tome, 7 de Principe)
•Unico gimnosperma del pais (Afrocarpus mannii) es endemico y exclusivo del bosque nuboso de Sao Tome
•4 especies vegetales restringidas exclusivamente al bosque de niebla del Pico de Sao Tome (1.400 m hasta la cumbre)
•Picogordo de Santo Tomé
•Ibis enano de Santo Tomé
•Estornino de Príncipe
•Rana arborícola gigante de Santo Tomé
•Musaraña de Santo Tomé

Notable threatened species

•Ibis oliva de Principe (posiblemente la especie de ave mas rara del archipielago)
•Casi todos los bosques de tierras bajas del pais ya han sido alterados o perturbados, concentrando el valor de conservacion en las zonas montañosas remanentes

Notable protected areas

•Parque Natural Obo de Sao Tome (252 km2, bosque nuboso mejor conservado)
•Parque Natural Obo de Principe (45 km2)
•Islotes Tinhosas (colonia de aves marinas)
•Parque Natural Obô de Santo Tomé
•Reserva de la Biosfera de la Isla de Príncipe
•Pico Cão Grande
•Playa de Jalé
•Islote de las Rolas

Main conservation threats

•Alteracion casi total de los bosques de tierras bajas originales
•Sobrepesca y practicas pesqueras dañinas en aguas costeras
•Aislamiento insular que concentra riesgo de extincion en especies de rango extremadamente restringido

Notable natural phenomena

•Principe fue reconocida como Reserva de la Biosfera UNESCO en años recientes, comparandose su riqueza de endemismo con archipielagos icónicos como Galapagos

Conservation

The island of Príncipe has been a biosphere reserve since 2012 and has markedly reduced the hunting of endemic birds. Invasive species, especially rats, cats and introduced mona monkeys, are the main threat to the islands' wildlife.

Where and when to watch wildlife

The obô forest between June and September for endemic birds. The southern beaches between November and February for turtle nesting. The waters of the archipelago between July and October for humpback whales.

Sources: Fauna & Flora - Sao Tome and Principe | Wikipedia - Sao Tome Principe Annobon forests | Wikipedia - Wildlife of Sao Tome and Principe | Springer - Biodiversity Conservation Gulf of Guinea Oceanic Islands

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