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Long-term ecological studies are important for understanding wild populations’ dynamics and processes and the actual factors that can determine their decline. Here, we report the results of a 28-years-long (1992–2019) monitoring of three distinct populations of a tortoise, Testudo hermanni, in Central Italy, with an emphasis on their population abundance trends and on the eventual variation in their habitat use across years and among the study areas. Samplings were conducted by Visual Encounter Survey (VES) methodology, and using a suite of statistical analyses including correlations and Generalized Linear Models analyses. Our data showed a statistically significant decline in tortoise sightings through time, and concurrently also a variation in habitat use by tortoises. In all the three study areas, we observed a significant increase of tortoise sighting frequency in the habitat type characterized by high (>taller than 200 cm) shrubby and wooded vegetation. Since our analyses revealed no significant change in the habitat type availability by year in each study area, we suggest that T. hermanni was increasingly selecting closed vegetation spots throughout the years. We hypothesize that this observed trend of shift in habitat selection could be due to lowering their body temperatures to prevent overheating. So, the selection of more covered spots would be a thermal ecology adaptive consequence of the ongoing global warming.

Despite many scientific articles were devoted to study aspects of community ecology of ungulates in African savannahs , only very few studies focused on communities from Western Africa . In this paper , we analyse the interspecific interactions of savannah ungulates in the Nazinga Game Ranch (Burkina Faso) in relation to rainfall patterns and potential competitor density, using long-term (1985-2008) line-transect data. We estimated the population sizes of all species by using distance sampling . There was no effect of the year on the population sizes of all the species , but , when 5-year-period groups were analyzed, there were significant fluctuations over time intervals for at least some of the species. Generalized Linear Models on the interspecific relationships (either positive or negative) between pairs of species would suggest that interannual population size fluctuations of the various ungulates were likely attributable to fluctuations in poaching intensity, the influences of rainfall regimes (for at least three browser species ), and negative density dependence., Effets de la densité des compétiteurs et du régime des pluies sur la dynamique de population à long terme d’une communauté d’herbivores dans une savane ouest-africaine En dépit de beaucoup d ’ articles scientifiques consacrés à l’écologie des communautés des ongulés dans les savanes africaine, seules quelques études se sont focalisées sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Dans cet article, sur la base de line-transects sur le long terme (1985-2008 ), nous analysons les interactions entre les espèces d’ongulés de savane dans le Ranch de Gibier de Nazinga (Burkina Faso) en relation avec les pluies et la densité de leurs compétiteurs potentiels. Nous avons estimé la taille des populations de toutes les espèces par comptage à distance. Il n’est pas apparu d’effet année sur la taille des populations pour toutes les espèces mais, en analysant par groupes de cinq années, des fluctuations significatives ont été décelées au moins pour certaines espèces. Des modèles linéaires généralisés sur les relations interspécifiques (tant positives que négatives) entre paires d’espèces suggèrent que les fluctuations interannuelles de la taille des populations des divers ongulés seraient vraisemblablement imputables aux variations de l’intensité du braconnage, à l’influence du régime des pluies (pour au moins trois espèces brouteuses) et à une densitédépendance négative., Hema Emmanuel M.,Ouedraogo Boukare,Belemsogbo Urbain,Di Vittorio Massimiliano,Dendi Daniele,Guenda Wendengoudi,Petrozzi Fabio,Luiselli Luca. Effects of competitor density and rainfall regime on the long-term population dynamics of an herbivore community in a western African Savannah . In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 73, n°4, 2018. pp. 492-503.

Human-elephant conflict represents a noteworthy issue in many developing countries, but very little is known concerning its dynamics in West African countries. In this paper, we analyse the ecological correlates of Elephant (Loxodonta africana) raiding at ten villages situated in the surroundings of Nazinga Game Ranch, southern Burkina Faso, during the years 2002 and 2006. In both years, the correlates of elephant raiding were consistent : elephants attacked preferentially three southern villages, whereas seven northern villages were practically ignored despite no significant difference in the distance from the ranch between these groups of villages. In addition, elephants focused especially on yam plantations or yam-cassava mixed plantations, and, in at least one year, they even actively avoided other crops (sorghum, corn, millet and cotton). Elephants also targeted preferentially smaller than larger plantations, whereas human population size in each village did not influence the probability of their raids (as the three southern targeted villages were not smaller in terms of population size than the non-or rarely-targeted villages). Group size of raiding elephants was larger in 2006 than in 2002. The ecological and conservation implications of these patterns are discussed in this paper. _________________________________________________, Incursion ou non ? Étude des corrélations écologiques du conflit Homme-Éléphant dans le Ranch de Gibier de Nazinga (Burkina Faso) Le phénomène de conflit Homme-Éléphant constitue une préoccupation majeure dans de nombreux pays en voie de développement. Cependant, on ne dispose que de peu d’informations sur sa dynamique dans les pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Dans cet article, nous analysons les corrélations écologiques de la conservation de l’Éléphant (Loxodonta africana) dans dix villages riverains du Ranch de Gibier de Nazinga, au sud du Burkina Faso, au cours des années 2002 et 2006. Pour chacune des deux années, les corrélats de dégât d’éléphants étaient consistants : les éléphants ont attaqué préférentiellement trois villages du sud, tandis que sept villages du nord ont été pratiquement ignorés bien qu’aucune différence significative n’existait entre les distances de ces groupes de villages par rapport au Ranch. De plus, les éléphants ont surtout ciblé les plantations d’igname ou les plantations mixtes d’igname et de manioc; et pendant au moins un an, ils ont activement évité d’autres cultures (sorgho, maïs, mil et coton). Ils ont également ciblé les petites plantations. La taille de la population humaine dans chaque village n’a pas influencé la probabilité des dégâts (les trois villages-cibles du sud n’étaient pas plus petits en termes de taille de la population que les villages qui n’ont pas ou rarement été ciblés). La taille des groupes d’éléphants qui causaient les dégâts a été plus importante en 2006 qu’en 2002 . Les implications écologiques et en matière de conservation de ces patterns sont discutées dans cet article., Hema Emmanuel M.,Sirima Djiama,Niagabarè Banzourou,Nama Néti,Petrozzi Fabio,Di Vittorio Massimiliano,Guenda Wendengoudi,Luiselli Luca. Raiding or not raiding ? A study of the ecological correlates of human-elephant conflict at Nazinga Game Ranch (Burkina Faso). In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 73, n°1, 2018. pp. 3-11.

Varanus exanthematicus (Bosc, 1792) Lacerta exanthematicus Bosc, 1792: 25. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 7 specimens: Togo. Bassar, ZMB 16041; Binanparba, RMCA 73.009.R.0188-0189; Bismarkburg (actually Yégué in Adélé), ZMB 11254; Moba (actually Dapaong), ZMB 24920; Mango, ZMB 16040; Sokodé, ZMB 16275. HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This is a widespread species in the Guinea and Sudanese savannahs. It was recorded by Matschie (1893) and Tornier (1901) for Bismarkburg, Bassar, Mango, Sokodé and Yendi (actually in Ghana). It was also generally reported to occur in Togo by Bayless (2002). It is heavily exported for the international pet trade: for instance, according to the CITES division of the DFC, 20350 live specimens were exported between 2001 and 2005 (see also Affre et al. 2005)., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 396, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["BOSC L. 1792. - Lacerta exanthematica. Actes de la Societe d'Histoire naturelle de Paris 1: 25, pl. V.","TORNIER G. 1901. - Die Crocodile, Schildkroten und Eidechsen in Togo. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte (Beiheft) 1901: 65 - 88.","BAYLESS M. K. 2002. - Monitor lizards: a pan-African check-list of their zoogeography (Sauria: Varanidae: Polydaedalus). Journal of Biogeography 29: 1643 - 1700.","AFFRE A., INEICH I. & RINGUET S. 2005. - West-Africa, Madagascar, Central- and South-America: main origins of the CITES-listed lizard pet market in France. Herpetological Review 36 (2): 133 - 137."]}

Gastropholis echinata (Cope, 1862) Lacerta (Zootoca) echinata Cope, 1862: 189. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 2 specimens: Liberia. No precise locality, ZMB 38683. Ghana. Koforidua ZMB 45223. DISTRIBUTION. — We never recorded this species during our surveys. Its overall distribution, ranging from Liberia to RDC (Matschie 1893; Chirio & LeBreton 2007), as well as a specimen from Koforidua, Ghana (ZMB 45223), a locality close to the border of Togo, suggests that it should be present in Togo. In Ivory Coast this arboreal forest species is also known to occur in plantations (Rödel 1996)., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 389, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["COPE E. D. 1862. - On Lacerta echinata and Tiliqua dura. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14: 189 - 191.","CHIRIO L. & LEBRETON M. 2007. - Atlas des Reptiles du Cameroun. Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; IRD, Paris, 688 p. (Patrimoines naturels; 67)."]}

Genus Lepidothyris Cope, 1892 Lepidothyris fernandi (Burton, 1836) (Fig. 4) Tiliqua fernandi Burton, 1836: 62. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 14 specimens: Togo. Badou, MNHN 2006.2243, ZMB 77925-77929; Notsé, MNHN 2006.2242; Badou, ZMB 77925-77929. Bénin. No precise locality, MNHN 1986.768-769. HABITATS, NATURAL HISTORY AND DISTRIBUTION. — Lepidothyris fernandi is essentially a forest species, although in Nigeria it may also be found in plantations at the border of the main forest (Akani et al. 2009). This species is usually active in the evening, and most of the specimens spend the whole day inside their burrows (Akani et al. 2009). Isopoda and Coleoptera dominated in the dietary samples of Nigerian specimens, but also other lizards were frequently eaten (at least in swamp forest habitat during the wet season; Eniang et al. 2014b). This species is here recorded for the first time from Togo, although many individuals (for instance, up to 1540 specimens between 2001 and 2005) are regularly exported every year for the pet trade. The genus attribution of this species follows Wagner et al. (2009)., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 387, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["BURTON E. 1836. - A saurian reptile of the family Scincidae and of the genus Tiliqua, Gray. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1836: 62.","AKANI G. C., LUISELLI L., OGBEIBU A. E., UWAEGBU M. & EBERE N. 2009. - Activity patterns and habitat selection in a population of the African fire skink (Lygosoma fernandi) from the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Herpetological Journal 19: 207 - 211.","ENIANG E. A., AMADI N., PETROZZI F., VIGNOLI L., AKANI G. C. & LUISELLI L. 2014 b. - Inter-seasonal and inter-habitat variations in the diet of the African fire skink, Lygosoma fernandi, from southern Nigeria. Amphibia-Reptilia 35: 371 - 375.","WAGNER P., BOHME W., PAUWELS O. S. G. & SCHMITZ A. 2009. - A review of the African red-flanked skinks of the Lygosoma fernandi (Burton, 1836) species group (Squamata: Scincidae) and the role of climate change in their speciation. Zootaxa 2050: 1 - 30."]}

Gerrhosaurus major (Duméril, 1851) Gerrhosaurus major major Duméril, 1851: 139. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 6 specimens: Togo. Alédjo, RMCA 73.013.R.0011-0013. DOA (Deutsch Ost-Afrikas). ZMB 18814. Ghana. Kété Kratchi, ZMB: 16608 and 17699. HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species was first cited for Togo by Tornier (1901) from Kété-Kratchi, which today is in Ghana. It was also recently reported from the forests bordering Togo and Ghana (Leaché et al. 2006). In Togo it is only known in the areas of the Monts Alédjo and in the mountain chain of Atakora, hence, in the forests of ecological zone IV (Adélé) and in the dry forests of ecological zone II (Fazao Malfakassa and Alédjo forest). In 2003, Fouchard (pers. com) indicated that some specimens were collected in Hiheatro (surroundings of Atakpamé) for the international pet trade. NOTES. —Recently, Bates et al. (2013) erected a new genus (Broadleysaurus) for this species, based on molecular phylogeny data using two mitochondrial markers (ND2, 732 bp; 16S, 576 bp) and one nuclear marker (PRLR, 538 bp). Further studies should confirm whether this genus can be definitely accepted., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 389, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["DUMERIL A. M. C. & DUMERIL A. H. A. 1851. - Catalogue methodique de la collection des reptiles du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Gide et Baudry / Roret, Paris, 224 p.","TORNIER G. 1901. - Die Crocodile, Schildkroten und Eidechsen in Togo. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte (Beiheft) 1901: 65 - 88.","LEACHE A. D., RODEL M. - O., LINKEM C. W., DIAZ R. E., HILL- ERS A. & FUJITA M. K. 2006. - Biodiversity in a forest island: reptiles and amphibians of the West African Togo hills. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 4: 22 - 45.","BATES M. F., TOLLEY K. A., SHELLEY E., DAVIDS Z., DA SILVA J. M. & BRANCH W. R. 2013. - A molecular phylogeny of the African plated lizards, genus Gerrhosaurus Wiegmann, 1828 (Squamata: Gerrhosauridae), with the description of two new genera. Zootaxa 3750: 465 - 493."]}

Genus Ptyodactylus Owen, 1817 Ptyodactylus ragazzi Anderson, 1898 (Fig. 13) Ptyodactylus hasselquistii var. ragazzii Anderson, 1898: 69. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 12 specimens: Togo. Dapaong, coll. JFT 2300; Nanergou, RMCA 73.009.R.0023-0031; no precise locality, ZMB 16312 and 16622. HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — It is a species occurring in Sudanese savannah and in the dry forests. This species was reported to occur in Togo as Ptylodactylus hasselquistii togoensis by Tornier (1901) from the locality of Zogbegan. This latter taxon was put into synonymy with Ptylodactylus ragazzi Anderson, 1898 by Heimes (1987). The species was also recorded in Togo by Loveridge (1947) and Bauer et al. (2006)., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 394, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["ANDERSON J. 1898. - Zoology of Egypt. Volume First. Reptilia and Batrachia. Bernard Quaritch, London, xv + 371 p., 50 pls.","TORNIER G. 1901. - Die Crocodile, Schildkroten und Eidechsen in Togo. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte (Beiheft) 1901: 65 - 88.","HEIMES P. 1987. - Beitrag zur Systematik der Facherfinger (Sauria: Gekkonidae: Ptyodactylus). Salamandra, 23: 212 - 235.","LOVERIDGE A. 1947. - Revision of the African lizards of the family Gekkonidae. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 98: 1 - 469, pl. 1 - 7.","BAUER A. M., TCHIBOZO S., PAUWELS O. S. G. & LEN- GLET G. 2006. - A review of the gekkotan lizards of Benin, with the description of a new species of Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Zootaxa 1242: 1 - 20."]}

Agama doriae Boulenger, 1885 Agama doriae Boulenger, 1885: 127. DISTRIBUTION. — We did not examine any specimen of this species. PNAE (2002) and Chirio & LeBreton (2007) list this species for Togo without mentioning any specific record. Trape et al. (2012) indicated that this species may occur in Togo since the westernmost record was near Accra, Ghana., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 394, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["BOULENGER G. A. 1885. - Description d'une espece nouvelle d'agame. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale di Genova, ser. 2, 2: 127 - 128","CHIRIO L. & LEBRETON M. 2007. - Atlas des Reptiles du Cameroun. Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris; IRD, Paris, 688 p. (Patrimoines naturels; 67).","TRAPE J. - F., TRAPE S. & CHIRIO L. 2012. - Lezards, crocodiles et tortues d'Afrique occidentale et du Sahara. IRD editions, Marseilles: 1 - 503."]}

Trachylepis quinquetaeniata (Lichtenstein, 1823) Scincus quinquetaeniatus Lichtenstein, 1823: 103. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 19 specimens: Togo. Agoé, coll. GHS-W 0231-0232, 0236-0237, 0281 and 0283; Dapaong, coll. JFT 2299; Huiléhoé, coll. JFT 2172; Mango, ZMB 16604 (2 specimens); Togblékopé, MNHN 2006.2234 - 2241; no precise locality, ZMB 16286. HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is spread across all the five ecological zones of Togo. It is also relatively common in urban areas, e.g., in Lomé (Segniagbeto, unpublished observations). It was first cited to occur in Togo by Tornier (1901) for Mango, and for Atakpamé by Werner (1902). 860 specimens were exported from Togo in the years 2000-2005 according to the CITES Division of the Direction de la Faune et de Chasse of the Ministère de l'Environnement et des Ressources forestières., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 387, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["LICHTENSTEIN M. 1823. - Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der Konigl. Universitat zu Berlin nebst Beschreibung vieler bisher unbekannter Arten von Saugethieren, Vogeln, Amphibien und Fischen. T. Trautwein, Berlin, x + 118 p.","TORNIER G. 1901. - Die Crocodile, Schildkroten und Eidechsen in Togo. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte (Beiheft) 1901: 65 - 88.","WERNER F. 1902. - Ueber westafrikanische Reptilien. Verhandlungen der Zoologischen Botanischen Gesellschaft Wien 52: 332 - 348."]}

Varanus niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766) Lacerta nilotica Linnaeus, 1766: 369. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 10 specimens: Togo. Agou, MRAC 73014.0010, 73014.0054; Borgou (Dapaong), Mango, ZMB 16039; Sokodé, ZMB 53519 and 16276. Ghana. Kéta, ZMB 13833, ZMB 25879; Kété Kratchi, ZMB 26788 and 16037. HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This is a widespread species, occurring in all habitat types in Togo. It is locally abundant, for instance along the Mono River, the Lake Togo, and in Togodo National Park. This species was recorded in Togo for the first time by Matschie (1891, 1893). Tornier (1901) recorded this species from Sokodé, Mango, Sebbe (Zebé, actually Aného), Bismarkburg (Adélé) and Kété-Kratchi (actually in Ghana). Other authors also recorded this species in the country (Werner 1898; Böhme & Ziegler 1997; Bayless 2002). It is heavily exploited for the international pet trade: according to the CITES division of the DFC, a total of 19889 live specimens were exported between 2001 and 2005 (see also Affre et al. 2005). Eniang et al. (2014a) showed that West African V. niloticus populations, despite being relatively habitat generalist, do not select habitat types in relation to their availability, and that they shift resting places ontogenetically, with smaller individuals being relatively more arboreal than adults., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 396, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["LINNAEUS C. 1766. - Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio duodecima, reformata. Tomus I. Holmiae, Laurentii Salvii, 532 p.","MATSCHIE P. 1891. - Verzeichniss von Reptilien von Bismarkburg im Togolande. Zoologische Jahrbucher 5: 612 - 618.","TORNIER G. 1901. - Die Crocodile, Schildkroten und Eidechsen in Togo. Archiv fur Naturgeschichte (Beiheft) 1901: 65 - 88.","WERNER F. 1898. - Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Togoland, Kamerun und Tunis dem kgl. Museum fur Naturkunde in Berlin. Verhandlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 58: 191 - 230, 1 pl.","BOHME W. & ZIEGLER T. 1997. - A taxonomic review of the Varanus (Polydaedalus) niloticus (Linnaeus, 1766) species complex. Herpetological Journal 7: 155 - 162.","BAYLESS M. K. 2002. - Monitor lizards: a pan-African check-list of their zoogeography (Sauria: Varanidae: Polydaedalus). Journal of Biogeography 29: 1643 - 1700.","AFFRE A., INEICH I. & RINGUET S. 2005. - West-Africa, Madagascar, Central- and South-America: main origins of the CITES-listed lizard pet market in France. Herpetological Review 36 (2): 133 - 137.","ENIANG E. A., AKANI G. C., VIGNOLI L., LUISELLI L. & PETROZZI F. 2014 a. - Size-related habitat selection of a population of Nile monitors (Varanus niloticus) from western Nigeria. African Journal of Ecology, http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1111 / aje. 12177"]}

Acanthodactylus boueti Chabanaud, 1917 Acanthodactylus (Latastia) boueti Chabanaud, 1917: 87. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 1 specimen: Togo. Payo, RMCA 73.009.R.0148. DISTRIBUTION. — We examined only one specimen, which was collected in the northern part of the country. This is the first record for Togo. The species' distribution in Togo remains totally unknown. A. boueti was also collected at Bassila (Bénin) by Trape et al. (2012), less than 10 km from the border of Togo (ecological zone III)., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 389, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["CHABANAUD P. 1917. - Enumeration des reptiles non encore etudies de l'Afrique occidentale, appartenant aux collections du Museum, avec la description des especes nouvelles. Bulletin du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle 23: 83 - 105.","TRAPE J. - F., TRAPE S. & CHIRIO L. 2012. - Lezards, crocodiles et tortues d'Afrique occidentale et du Sahara. IRD editions, Marseilles: 1 - 503."]}

Holaspis guentheri Gray, 1863 Holaspis guentheri Gray, 1863: 152. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 2 specimens: Cameroun. Bipindi, ZMB 27197. DOA. No precise locality ZMB 10482. DISTRIBUTION. — This species was not recorded fromTogo till recently. Leaché et al. (2006) found it in the mountain forests between Togo and Ghana. Thus, this species should be present in Fazao-Mafakassa National Park boarding the Kyabobo Park in Ghana, where Leaché et al. (2006) collected it., Published as part of Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Trape, Jean-François, Afiademanyo, Komlan M., Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Ohler, Annemarie, Dubois, Alain, David, Patrick, Meirte, Danny, Glitho, Isabelle Adolé, Petrozzi, Fabio & Luiselli, Luca, 2015, Checklist of the lizards of Togo (West Africa), with comments on systematics, distribution, ecology, and conservation, pp. 381-402 in Zoosystema 37 (2) on page 389, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n2a7, http://zenodo.org/record/4577806, {"references":["GRAY J. E. 1863. - Descriptions of two new genera of lizards (Holaspis and Poriodogaster, A. Smith, MS.). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1863: 152 - 155.","LEACHE A. D., RODEL M. - O., LINKEM C. W., DIAZ R. E., HILL- ERS A. & FUJITA M. K. 2006. - Biodiversity in a forest island: reptiles and amphibians of the West African Togo hills. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 4: 22 - 45."]}

Il leone africano (Panthera leo) nel corso dello scorso secolo ha subito un forte decremento di popolazione a causa di molti fattori quali la perdita di habitat (sfruttamento dei territori a fini agricoli, distruzione dell’habitat a causa di guerre, estrazione di materie prime dal sottosuolo, etc), e la persecuzione diretta , sia come animale “nocivo” rispetto le attività antropiche, sia per l'utilizzo di alcune parti del suo corpo, per rituali tribali e/o legati all’animismo. Studiando le stime della popolazione africana, dalla metà del secolo scorso ad oggi si nota una diminuzione drastica del suo numero. Infatti la popolazione storica dei leoni in tutta l’Africa, all’inizio del XX secolo, si aggirava intorno alle 400.000 unità, nel 1990 si stimava una popolazione che andava dai 30.000 ai 100.000 leoni. Per quanto riguarda l’areale storico, esso si estendeva in tutta l’Africa, ad eccezione del deserto del Sahara e delle foreste del Congo, quello attuale, altamente frammentato, è stimato intorno ai 3.000.000 km2, in pratica meno di un quarto dell’areale storico. Uno degli ultimi gruppi di leone occidentale è rappresentato dall’esiguo numero presente nel Mole National Park (12-28 individui), che risulterebbe essere la quasi totalità della popolazione di leoni del Ghana. Risulta così estremamente importante il ruolo svolto da questo parco, vasta area protetta (4.800 Km2 circa) che può garantire l’oculata conservazione e gestione dei leoni, una volta identificati e monitorati, per la sua vicinanza con altre aree protette di nazioni limitrofe. La popolazione di leone presente in questo parco non è mai stata studiata, ad eccezione di alcuni studi recenti sulla presenza di carnivori, a carattere introduttivo. Lo scopo della presente ricerca è quello di creare e validare un modello di idoneità ambientale per il leone. L'elaborazione di tale modello è stata sviluppata analizzando gli avvistamenti storici di leone all’interno del parco ed interpolandoli con le tipologie di habitat presenti nell'area, andando poi a costruire un nuovo modello ed esaminare dove la presenza del leone risulta maggiormente probabile. Ciò è stato fatto in visione anche del differente habitat in cui la specie vive in Africa occidentale, ed in modo particolare nel Mole National Park, la cui estensione è principalmente occupata da savana molto chiusa (savana occidentale o guineana) e circondata da foreste, un fattore altamente discriminante. Una volta creato il modello di idoneità si è proceduto alla validazione di questo tramite due metodologie: l’utilizzo di foto-trappola e l’esecuzione di transetti sia a piedi, che su autoveicolo 4x4 per osservazioni e record vari diretti e/o indiretti, come tracce di leone (orme, resti di predazione, escrementi). Tramite transetto, sia in automobile che a piedi, sono stati coperti complessivamente circa 900 Km. Per i transetti effettuati tramite autoveicolo si è proceduto con una velocità media di 20 km orari con 5 osservatori. I transetti effettuati a piedi avevano una lunghezza che variava dai 2 ai 4 Km ognuno. Le foto-trappola posizionate sono state 18 in differenti aree del parco, sia a livello territoriale, sia a livello di potenziale idoneità ambientale, per un totale di 3600 giorni/trappola e di 23 postazioni, spostando 5 foto-trappola. I luoghi dove sono state ubicate sono principalmente aree nei pressi di pozze, fiumi o zone di abbeverata, approfittando del fatto che soprattutto durante la stagione secca gli animali tendono a concentrarsi in tali aree. Le analisi statistiche, modelli backward stepwise e modello di Von Bertalannfy, hanno dato come risultato cinque variabili correlate alla presenza del leone e dimostrano come la popolazione selezioni positivamente la savana chiusa e le aree nei pressi di foreste -(P < 0.033), modello backward stepwise AIC = 75.006 e modello di Von Bertalannfy AIC = 75.117; ΔAIC = 0.111-, evitando la savana aperta; inoltre dimostrano come la presenza della popolazione del parco sia influenzata positivamente dall’indice pluviometrico - (P