Dispatches From African Islands
Join Academy scientists as they search for bats, snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, and spiders on the islands of São Tomé and Principé in Africa's Gulf of Guinea.
About 200 miles off the western coast of equatorial Africa, this chain of volcanic tropical islands teems with biological diversity. Despite
the proximity of the islands to mainland Africa and nearly 500 years
of Portuguese colonization, the animals here have gone largely unstudied.
To address this void, a team of experts from the Academy will document
the diversity of everything from mammals to diatoms, or tiny planktonic
algae, to conduct the first complete survey of the two islands of
São Tomé and Principé. |
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After
identifying both recognized and new species from these islands, the
team will compare their collection to that of a previous expedition
to the nearby island of Bioko. This will help them see what species
the islands have in common and help determine how small, isolated
populations of these species have evolved. Under a buttress-rooted tree, Academy Herpetologist Jens Vindum and local children uncovered caecilians (legless amphibians) buried in the leaf litter-a very surprising and exciting find. Discover why as the team of specialists post their latest adventures and discoveries from the Islands on the Science NOW Web site. Web Links: Latest Dispatches from São Tomé and Principé |
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