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Dorsal and ventral view of the two syntypes of Rappia nobrei Ferreira, 1904 (Top specimen: MHNFCP 017292; lower specimen: MHNFCP 017298). Scale bar = 10 mm.
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Catalogue of the amphibian and reptile type specimens of the Museu de História Natural da Universidade do Porto in Portugal, with some comments on problematic taxa We present an annotated catalog of the type specimens of amphibians and reptiles in the collections of the Museu de História Natural da Universidade do Porto in Portugal. These specimens...
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... and not bivittata . Noble (1924) did not consult the specimens in Porto, but acknowledged that the species was only known from the type specimens. The name Hyperolius ferreirai has been maintained to the present. Laurent (pers. comm., in Frost, 1985) suggested that Hyperolius ferreirai may be a synonym of Hyperolius platyceps Boulenger, 1900. More recently, Frétey et al . (2011), following Laurent in Frost (1985) grouped Hyperolius ferreirai as a synonym of Hyperolius platyceps . The colouration patterns of two best preserved syntypes are similar. Both present a pair of pale dorsolateral stripes extending from the anterior margin of the eye to the insertion of the leg, and some small dark spots are still visible on the dorsum especially in specimen (MHNFCP 017302). Both H. platyceps and Hyperolius cinnamomeoventris Bocage, 1866, exhibit this pattern, although H. cinnamomeonvetris usually presents a darker band separating the dorsolateral colouration from that of the venter (Schiøtz, 1999; Amiet, 2012). While this band is currently not visible in specimen MHNFCP 017291, Ferreira (1906) noted it in his description of Rappia bivittata . The morphology of the head also differs beween these two syntypes, with a more accuminate head (HW/HL of 92%) in MHNFCP 017291 and a broader head (HW/HL of 109%) in MHNFCP 017302. Amiet (2012) used both the wider head and shorter snout of H. platyceps as useful diagnostic features relative to H. cinnamomeoventris , and these two syntypes of Rappia bivittata also differ in this way (tab. 2). Another important difference noted by Amiet (2012) between these species is the presence of granulations on the palmar and plantar surfaces of H. platyceps and their absence in H. cinnamomeoventris , which again is similar to the differences between MHNFCP 017302 and 017291, respectively. Based on our comparisons and study of both the best preserved syntypes, we conclude that these represent two different species. The specimen from N’Golla Bumba (MHNFCP 017291) seems to represent Hyperolius cinnamomeoventris Bocage, 1866, while the specimen from Rio Luinha (MHNFCP 017302) represents Hyperolius platyceps Boulenger, 1900. According to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999), a nomen cannot stand in two synonymies, except in the specific case in which holotypes represent hybrids. We designate specimen MHNFCP 017302 as the lectotype of Rappia bivittata . Thus, Rappia bivittata and Hyperolius ferrerai are unambiguously junior synonyms of Hyperolius platyceps Boulenger, 1900, as already suggested by Laurent (pers. comm., in Frost, 1985), Schiøtz (1999), and Frétey et al . (2011). The two remaining syntypes, MHNFCP 017291 and 017296, should be considered paralectotypes. Original name. Rappia fasciata Ferreira, 1906: 164. Type specimen. A single specimen (MHNFCP 017294, ♀, SVL 25.1 mm) from “Quilombo”, captured by Francisco Newton in Angola during the 1903-1905 expedition and still present in Porto (fig. 4). Present name. Hyperolius platyceps (Boulenger, 1900). Remarks. Ferreira’s (1906:164) description of Rappia fasciata was based on a single specimen from Francisco Newton’s Angola collection. To date, this taxon remains known only from the type locality. Laurent (pers. comm. in Frost, 1985) suggested that Hyperolius fasciatus may be a synonym of Hyperolius platyceps Boulenger 1900, and this was followed recently by Frétey et al . (2011). Our comparison of the holotype with specimens of both Hyperolius platyceps and H. cinnamomeoventris , a sometimes similar species, confirms the suspicions of previous authors that this is a synonym of H. platyceps . These similarities are born out in measurements of relevant specimens (tab. 2). The general shape of the head and body of the holotype of Rappia fasciata is similar to that observed in H. platyceps (Amiet, 2012). Similar to H. platyceps , HL is approximately equal to HW, and the relative proportions of the snout (EN/IFE) are closer to the values observed in H. platyceps than in H. cinnamomeoventris . The holotype of Rappia fasciata presents characters that allow it to be identified specifically as the pleurotaenia morph of H. platyceps (Frétey et al ., 2011; Amiet 2012). These characters include its stout body, large head with a rounded snout, and prominent dorsolateral stripes. Amiet (2012) used both the wider head and shorter snout of H. platyceps as diagnostic features relative to H. cinnamomeoventris , and both characteristics are present in the holotype of Rappia fasciata . As also indicated by Amiet (2012), the flattened granulations on the palmar and plantar surfaces also indicate that the holotype is more similar to H. platyceps than H. cinnamomeoventris . Original name. Rappia nobrei Ferreira, 1904: 112. Type specimens. Two syntypes (MHNFCP 017292, ♀, SVL 19.7 mm; 017298, ♀, SVL 19.5 mm) collected by Francisco Newton in Angola during the 1903-1905 expedition and still in Porto, both from “Cabiri, Angola” (fig. 5). This species is a patronym for Augusto Nobre (1865-1946), director of the Museu de História Natural of the Academia Politécnica do Porto. Present name. Hyperolius cf. adspersus Peters, 1877. Remarks. In part because of the long lack of study of these type specimens, Frost (2014) considers this taxon as incertae sedis. Our study of the syntypes confirms that this is clearly a member of the genus Hyperolius . Based on both geographical distribution and measurement data (tab. 3), it is plausible that this taxon is a junior synonym of H. adspersus Peters, 1877, which was described based on a specimen also collected near the Atlantic coast at Chinchoxo, Cabinda (Peters, 1877), approximately 455 km NW of Cabiri. Hyperolius adspersus is part of the taxonomically problematic Hyperolius nasutus group, which currently contains 16 recognized species (Channing et al ., 2013). Of these 16 species, only three are known to occur near the type locality of Rappia nobrei : Hyperolius adspersus Peter, 1877, Hyperolius nasutus Günther, 1865, and H. benguellensis (Bocage, 1893) (see Channing et al ., 2013). Both syntypes of R. nobrei fall within the range of SVL for H. adspersus (SVL 18.1-21.6 mm; Amiet, 2012) but also H. benguellensis (SVL 19-24 mm; Poynton & Broadley, 1987) and present a rather large and blunt head, a character shared by both species. The pedal webbing of the R. nobrei syntypes is also similar to both H. adspersus and H. benguellensis . While the two syntypes currently lack distinct ...
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We present 71 herpetofauna species in Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and its buffer zone based on field surveys, rescue records, photo, and literature records. The list comprises 15 currently known species of amphibians and 56 species of reptiles. We recorded Laudanka Vine Snake Ahaetulla laudankia as a new species record for Nepal. Likewise, fo...
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... Yet, nearly 41% of all existing amphibians are threatened with extinction. According to (AmphibiaWeb, 2022), over 8524 amphibian species have been identified worldwide and occupy virtually all habitats, except the coldest and driest regions, as well as the most remote oceanic islands (Ceríaco et al., 2014). Nigeria has a variety of ecosystems ranging from mangroves, rainforests, savannahs, and mountainous habitats (Onadeko & Rodel, 2009). ...
Toads have relatively wide distribution, bimodal lifestyle, and ectothermic conditions with stable environmental temperatures. Currently, toads are among the world's most endangered animal groups. They are exhibiting a decline in their population as an indication of increased habitat loss, environmental pollution, global climate change, diseases, and Overharvesting. Land use coupled with indiscriminate usage of pesticides and fertilizers are the main drivers of habitat deterioration. The current study aimed to document the abundance, diversity, and distribution of toads for improved conservation plans and management policies. A total of Four (4) sampling sites were selected namely Bosso, Tunga, Chanchaga, and Gidan-Kwano covering Two (2) Local Government Areas in Minna. Data were gathered in both the rainy and dry seasons. Toad samples were collected for Twelve (12) months from 03 June 2020-29 May 2021 with the help of pond rangers at the study sites. Opportunistic observations, audio, and visual encounters were used to perform the survey. Temporal abundance of toads in the study areas showed that a mean total of 684.42 toads were sampled with Chanchaga having a total of 243.35 (35.55%) while Gidankwano, Bosso and Tunga ponds had a mean total of 170 (24.83%), 150 (21.91%) and 121.07 (17.68%) respectively. Toad species encountered at the sampling sites were Amietophrynus regularis, Sclerophrys regularis, and Amietophrynus gutturalis. Shannon's and Simpson's diversity index revealed that Chanchaga had the highest index value of 0.9841, while Tunga had the lowest diversity of 0.8244. This study improves knowledge of toad diversity and distribution in Minna, Niger State for improved conservation plans and management policies.
... According to [1], over 8524 amphibian species have been identified worldwide and occupy virtually all habitats, with the exception of the coldest and driest regions, as well as the most remote oceanic islands [2]. Amphibians play critical roles in the functioning of ecosystems [3] and they are increasingly being used in pollution studies as bioindicator organisms [4]. ...
The aim of the current study was to provide a description of the species composition and habitat association of anuran species found in the Keffa area of southwest Ethiopia, among the least studied natural areas in Ethiopia. Data were gathered in both the rainy and dry seasons. Opportunistic observations, audio, and visual encounters were used to perform the survey. To capture different frog species, drift fence and pitfall trap techniques were used. Three habitat types-wetlands, agricultural land, and riverine forests-were explored for the frog species. A total of 3672-person field hours were spent and 5678 individuals of 26 different anuran species from eight different families were recorded. Of these, six species were new records for the Keffa area. Species determination was assessed using morphology and validated with genetic barcoding. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI gene sequence analysis have been used in molecular systematic analyses of the frog species. The Leptopelis ragazzii that was discovered to be present in the earlier study was actually Leptopelis vannutellii, as evidenced by DNA sequencing. The Hyperolius individuals were initially categorized as H. nasutus, but after conducting DNA barcoding, they were found to be H. microps. At least three potential new candidate species (Leptopelis sp. 1, Leptopelis sp. 2, and Phrynobatrachus sp. 1) were discovered. Hyperoliidae was the most abundant family from the recorded anurans, followed by Phrynobatrachidae, while Conrauidae was the least abundant. Most species were found in the wetland habitat, followed by riverine forest, while agricultural land had the least. Wetlands had the highest values for the Shannon diversity index (2.131), followed by agricultural land (1.58) and riverine forests (1.459). The environmental variables revealed that temperature had a considerable negative impact, while precipitation had a non-significantly positive relationship with anuran abundance. The Keffa area is rich in frog species, accounting for 35% of the country's batrachofauna. However, the habitats have been fragmented and ruined by agricultural expansion, water drainage from the wetlands, and the conversion of horticulture to field crops. We recommend that non-governmental organizations, districts, regional officials, and local people in and around Keffa actively engage in wetland and forest conservation and protection.
... Amphibians are distributed all over the world, except in the coldest and driest regions, and most remote oceanic islands (Ceríaco et al., 2014;Foden and Stuart, 2009). They are increasingly used as bioindicator organisms in pollution studies due to their bi-phasic nature ( Jongsma et al., 2014;McMenamin et al., 2008;Saber et al., 2017). ...
The present study was carried out to describe the species composition, diversity, distribution, and species richness of endemic frog species in the Keffa area, southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected during the wet and dry seasons from 2018 to 2021. The survey was conducted through visual encounters, opportunistic observations, and acoustic encounters. Drift fence and pitfall trap methods were employed to capture frog species. Endemic anurans were investigated in three habitat types: wetland, agricultural land (enset vegetation), and riverine forest. From a total of 3672 person field hours, 2951 individuals belonging to 13 species such as Leptopelis susanae, Leptopelis ragazzii, Leptopelis vannutellii, Hemisus microscaphus, Afrixalus clarkei, Afrixalus enseticola, Paracassina obscura, Phrynobatrachus inexpectatus, Phrynobatrachus minutus, Xenopus largeni, Ptychadena beka, Ptychadena erlangeri, and Ptychadena neumanni were captured. Among these, Leptopelis susanae and Xenopus largeni were recorded for the first time in the study area. Arthroleptidae, Hyperoliidae, and Ptychadenidae families were the most represented, with three species each. The family Pipidae represented the least number comprising only one species. Agricultural land had the highest values for Shannon index (1.401), followed by riverine forest (1.182) and wetland (1.14) although species richness is highest in the wetlands. More endemic frog species were recorded in agricultural habitats, so local communities should continue to cultivate crops like enset plantations. The Keffa area is rich in endemic frog species, accounting for 34% of the country's frog endemism. Five of the thirteen identified endemic species have been identified as threatened by IUCN Redlist status. As a result, we propose that local communities, district and regional officials, and non-governmental organizations working in and around Keffa focus on wetland and forest conservation and protection.
... Despite their size, small collections can have disproportionate importance (Winker & Withrow 2013). This is certainly the case of the MHNCUP collections, whose number of type specimens is considerable for its size (see Ceríaco et al. 2014), but also harbour interesting and rare specimens, such as the one used as the holotype of the newly described species. Within the MHNCUP collections, the specimens collected by Francisco Newton during his 1903-1905 expedition to Angola are of special relevance for the study of the herpetofauna of the whole region. ...
... Within the MHNCUP collections, the specimens collected by Francisco Newton during his 1903-1905 expedition to Angola are of special relevance for the study of the herpetofauna of the whole region. This collection was studied in the past by Ferreira (1904Ferreira ( , 1906 but was then subsequently abandoned and forgotten by the scientific community until Ceríaco et al. (2014) published its type catalog. The collection has recently been reviewed and a detailed and commented list of its specimens published (Santos et al. in press). ...
Three species of Phrynomantis Peters, 1867, have been historically recorded for Angola: P. affinis, P. annectens and P. bifasciatus. As noted by all authors who have dealt with specimens of P. bifasciatus from the country, the Angolan population is characterized by an odd coloration pattern for the species, which led Boulenger to consider it a different variety. A revision of the extant specimens of Angolan Phrynomantis available in natural history collections, specimens collected in recent field surveys, as well as recent sightings and photographs allows the recognition of the Angolan population of P. cf. bifasciatus as a new species, endemic to the coastal lowlands of western Angola. The new taxon is described solely based on its coloration pattern and morphology, and it is separated from nominotypic P. bifasciatus by more than one thousand kilometers. The revision of these historical specimens also allowed us to confirm a second record of P. affinis in the country and to contribute to an overall better understanding of the distribution of the species of the genus on the continent.
... We focused mainly on records archived in MHNC-UP, in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU) and in Arquivo Histórico de Angola (AHA). As for bibliography, we consulted the published papers resulting from the study of the Newton's Angolan expedition collections (Ferreira, J.B. 1904(Ferreira, J.B. , 1906Nobre, 1905b;Seabra, 1905aSeabra, , b, c, 1906aSeabra, , b, c, 1907Seabra, , 1909 as well as recent reviews done by Ceríaco et al. (2014) and Marques et al. (2018). The MHNC-UP collection specimens were examined, and all present data was cross-referenced with the internal museum databases, documentation, and the resulting papers. ...
... The newly described taxa resulting from Newton's Angola expedition are presented in Table 2. The herpetological specimens have recently been addressed by Ceríaco et al. (2014) and Santos et al. (in press). Ceríaco et al. (2014) presented an updated catalogue of the amphibian and reptile type specimens extant today in MHNC-UP and located 12 of the 18 type specimens published by Ferreira, J.B. (1904Ferreira, J.B. ( , 1906. ...
... The herpetological specimens have recently been addressed by Ceríaco et al. (2014) and Santos et al. (in press). Ceríaco et al. (2014) presented an updated catalogue of the amphibian and reptile type specimens extant today in MHNC-UP and located 12 of the 18 type specimens published by Ferreira, J.B. (1904Ferreira, J.B. ( , 1906. In a recent review of the species of the genus Boaedon from Angola, Hallerman et al. (2020) used three specimens collected by Newton (MHNC-UP/REP 166-168) as paratypes in the description of Boaedon bocagei Hallermann, Ceríaco, Schmitz, Ernst, Conradie, Verburgt, Marques and Bauer 2020. ...
Francisco Newton (1864–1909) was an important Portuguese naturalist who conducted several expeditions for more than 25 years during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and who greatly contributed to the study of Portuguese overseas colonies. In 1902, Newton was nominated to undertake a zoological survey of Angola, commissioned by the Academia Politécnica do Porto (APP; precursor of University of Porto), an institution that had recently started to develop a zoological museum. Between 1903 and 1906, Newton collected several hundred zoological specimens that resulted in the description of 27 new taxa. Here we present a reconstruction of the expedition, providing georeferenced collecting localities and other historical data.
... The present type catalogue follows the structure of similar recent publications (see Ceríaco et al., 2014b;Conradie et al., 2015Conradie et al., , 2019. A list of all extant material in the MD collections is presented. ...
The herpetological collections of the Museu do Dundo in Lunda Norte Province, northeast Angola, are among the most important in southern Africa and represent one of the largest collections of Angolan amphibians and reptiles in the world. The collection comprises more than 2,750 preserved specimens, including type specimens of taxa described by Raymond F. Laurent during the 1950s and 1960s, when he was affiliated with the Musee royal de ´ l’Afrique centrale (RMCA) in Tervuren, Belgium, and the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where portions of these type series were also deposited. We provide details for all type specimens and summarize the history and taxonomy for each species represented in the type collection. The collections contain type specimens of 28 amphibian and reptile species, including seven snakes: Typhlops praeocularis lundensis, Dispholidus typus punctatus, Lycodonomorphus subtaeniatus, Lycophidion hellmichi, Gonionotophis brussauxi prigoginei, Prosymna ambıgua brevis ´ , and Elapsoidea decosteri huilensis; 13 lizards: Rhoptropus boultoni montanus, Rhoptropus taeniostictus, Hemidactylus nzingae, Lygodactylus tchokwe, Cordylus vittifer machadoi, Chamaesaura anguina oligopholis, Gerrhosaurus bulsi, Nucras scalaris, Ichnotropis bivittata pallida, Mabuya bayonii huilensis, Mabuya ivensii septemlineata, Trachylepis raymondlaurenti, and Eumecia anchietae major; one amphisbaenian: Monopeltis vanderysti vilhenai; and seven frogs: Hyperolius machadoi, Hyperolius marmoratus alborufus, Hyperolius vilhenai, Ptychadena grandisonae, Ptychadena loveridgei, Ptychadena perplicata, and Ptychadena upembae machadoi. The type specimens of the snake Xenocalamus bicolor machadoi were not found in the collections. A brief history of the museum and remarks on the overall herpetological collections are also provided. We also note additional information about the related type material of these taxa at the MCZ.
... Oliveira et al. 2016;Branch et al. 2017aBranch et al. , 2019bHeinicke et al. 2017;Agarwal et al. 2017;Gonçalves et al. 2019;Vaz Pinto et al. 2019). Other works related to the study of the Angolan herpetofauna include the revision of historical collections (Ceríaco et al. 2014b) and the publication of an atlas on the diversity and distribution of the amphibians and reptiles of the country ) and subsequent abridged syntheses of its overall diversity (Branch 2018;Baptista et al. 2019b;Branch et al. 2019c). Ongoing field surveys and several taxonomical reviews are under way, which will yield further additions to the knowledge of the herpetofauna of the country. ...
An integrative taxonomic review of the genus Boaedon in Angola is provided. A molecular phylogeny, based on 99 genetic samples for which the mitochondrial markers 16S rRNA have been sequenced, reveals 23 monophyletic species-level groups in Africa and indicates the presence of nine species in Angola. Based on both phylogenetic and morphological data, we revalidate and designate a neotype for B. angolensis, describe three new species for Angola (e.g. B. bocagei sp. nov., B. branchi sp. nov., and B. fradei sp. nov.), revalidate B. variegatus from its synonymy with B. lineatus and designate a lectotype for this taxon, and identify B. lineatus var. lineolatus as a junior synonym of B. variegatus. The taxonomic status of the recently described B. paralineatus from Central Africa is discussed with respect to the more inclusive B. lineatus group. Moreover, we report on a new country record for Angola, namely B. mentalis, which we elevate here to full species and discuss the taxonomic status of this species in southern Africa. Finally, we provide an identification key and updated distribution maps for all Boaedon species occurring in Angola, including the Cabinda enclave.
... Very few papers were published during this period (Poynton and Haacke 1993;Ruas 1996Ruas , 2002. After the war, numerous researchers initiated several independent research projects and a constant flow of papers, reporting faunistic data (Ceríaco et al. 2014(Ceríaco et al. , 2016a(Ceríaco et al. , b, 2018aConradie et al. 2016;Baptista et al. 2019b;Butler et al. 2019), new country records (Ernst et al. 2014(Ernst et al. , 2015Branch and Conradie 2015), and new species descriptions Stanley et al. 2016;Ceríaco et al. 2018bCeríaco et al. , 2020aBranch et al. 2019a;Marques et al. 2019a, b) has been published. An updated atlas for the Angolan herpetofauna was recently published by Marques et al. (2018), and, together with Branch et al. (2019b) and Baptista et al. (2019a), these sources can now be used as a general reference and overview that is constantly being updated as new discoveries are published. ...
We systematically assess the herpetofaunal diversity of the Serra do Pingano Forest Ecosystem (SPFE) and additional localities throughout the northern Angolan province of Uíge during four independent Rapid Assessment (RA) field campaigns held between 2013 and 2019. These assessments represent the first systematic surveys of amphibians and reptiles from the province, and thus we provide the first province-wide species list. We collected data on the status and current threats to amphibians and reptiles in the proposed Serra do Pingano Rainforest National Park and were able to document 33 species of reptiles from Uíge province. Of the 33 species recorded from the province, 10 species are exclusively found in the SPFE. Amphibian surveys yielded 47 amphibian species from the province. These include 14 new country records and additional records that may represent undescribed species. This raises the amphibian count for Angola to at least 133 species, which includes 18 species exclusively found within the SPFE. Species-richness estimators indicate that more species should be detected if survey efforts are intensified. The species composition in the SPFE is unique and consists of a high proportion of forest specialists with restricted ranges and species found nowhere else in the country. This emphasizes today's paramount importance of the SPFE, which is threatened by increasing agricultural encroachment and uncontrolled timber extraction and charcoal production. These principal factors need to be controlled and/or abandoned in already impacted areas. Conservation strategies should particularly consider the strict protection of remaining intact forests and both lentic and lotic aquatic systems. They are not only crucial for safeguarding a significant number of species that depend on these habitats for reproduction; they also provide key ecosystem services to the local population. Angola, and Uíge province in particular, is at a crossroads concerning decisions and trade-offs among utilization, conservation, and preservation of its forests and, thus, substantial parts of the country's biodiversity. The establishment of a National Protected Area in the Serra do Pingano Ecosystem is therefore a necessary and urgently needed first step towards protecting Angola's national biodiversity heritage.
... At the time, Augusto Nobre (1865Nobre ( -1946 was the chief naturalist of the Zoological Museum of the institution, and a long-time friend of Francisco Newton; the two had grown up together and were friends since their childhood days in Leça da Palmeira, on the outskirts of Porto (Nobre 1946). During this trip Newton collected zoological material in the Luanda, Bengo, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Malange, and Namibe provinces, which led to the description of several new amphibian and reptile taxa (Ferreira 1904(Ferreira , 1906Ceríaco et al. 2014), as well as the publication of several ornithological and mammalogical contributions (e.g. Seabra 1905aSeabra , 1905bSeabra , 1906Seabra , 1907. ...
Francisco Newton (18 May 1864–9 December 1909), who was born in Portugal, travelled to Angola at the age of 16 and during his initial stay, which lasted from 1880 until late-1884 or early-1885, he collected plant specimens. At the time Angola was a Portuguese colony. During a second expedition to Angola that lasted from 1903 to 1905, Newton did not collect any plant specimens. Newton’s plant specimens are kept in several European herbaria, including COI, K, LISU, PO, W, and G, but little is known about collecting activities during his first visit to Africa. We provide an analysis of his work while in Angola in the early- to mid-1880s. Information is provided on the typification of names of vascular plants that Newton collected in Angola.
... Rela -de -bocage Hyperolius bocagei (Steindachner, 1867) Laurent, , 1954Ceríaco et al., 2014b Laurent, 1954Ceríaco et al., 2016c, no prelo Rela -comprida -de--dartevelle ...
Os anfíbios de Angola têm sido estudados desde os meados do século xix por exploradores e cientistas de todo o Ocidente, com colecções depositadas em cerca de 20 museus e instituições da Europa, América do Norte e África. Este estudo sofreu uma interrupção significativa durante as quase quatro décadas da luta de libertação e guerra civil de Angola e, como consequência, o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade do país tornou‑se obsoleto, com lacunas críticas. Em 2009 começou uma nova era nos estudos da biodiversidade angolana, com expedições no Sudoeste, Nordeste, Sueste e Noroeste de Angola, e levando a descobertas empolgantes, como novos registos para o país, descrições de novas espécies, aumento de áreas de distribuição e actualizações taxonómicas. Actualmente, encontram‑se registadas 111 espécies de anfíbios neste país (das quais 21 são endémicas), mas este número é uma subestimativa e as diversas questões taxonómicas ainda não resolvidas desafiam o estudo de todos os outros aspectos relativos a este grupo. A fauna de anfíbios de Angola continua a ser uma das mais mal conhecidas de África e ainda há muito por fazer para compreender a sua diversidade, evolução e necessidades de conservação. Este capítulo apresenta uma panorâmica geral do conhecimento existente relativo aos anfíbios de Angola, incluindo uma lista de espécies actualizada, comentários sobre grupos problemáticos, espécies endémicas, biogeografia, descobertas recentes e tópicos de investigação prioritários.
