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Simple Summary: Organisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexistence case between two species of freshwater turtles inhabiting the forest waterbodies of West Africa, focusing on the dietary habits of the two species. We found that both turtle species are omnivorous generalists, eating both vegetal and animal matter abundantly. However, there were clear interspecific differences, with the larger of the two species (P. cupulatta) eating more vertebrates (mainly fish but occasionally other vertebrates), whereas P. castaneus consumed more invertebrates. We also showed that interspecific competition for food does not occur between these two species; instead, previous studies demonstrated that a clear partitioning of the habitat niche occurs. Organisms that are similar in size, morphological characteristics, and adaptations, including vertebrates, often coexist by partitioning the available resources (food, space, and time). So, studies of the dynamics of these cases of coexistence are scientifically interesting. Here, we study a coexistence case of two species of freshwater turtles inhabiting the forest waterbodies of West Africa, focusing on the dietary habits of the two species. We found that both turtle species are omnivorous generalists, eating both vegetal and animal matter abundantly. However, there were clear interspecific differences, with the larger of the two species (P. cupulatta) eating more vertebrates (mainly fish but occasionally other vertebrates), whereas P. castaneus consumed more invertebrates. These patterns appeared consistently within the species and across sites, highlighting that the same patterns were likely in other conspecific populations from the Upper Guinean forest streams (Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia). Our study also showed that interspecific competition for food does not occur between these two species; instead, previous studies uncovered that a clear partitioning of the habitat niche occurs. We conclude that the food resource is likely unlimited in the study areas, as it is not the case in more arid environments (since food shortages may occur during the dry season). We anticipate that, within the Pelomedusidae communities throughout Africa, intense competition for food probably occurs in the Sahel and Sudanian vegetation zones, particularly during the dry months, but is unlikely within the Guinea and wet savannah region and even less likely in the Guineo-Congolian rainforest region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of animal communities along habitat gradients are useful in understanding the ecologicsl factors affecting species diversity and richness. Almost no investigations have been carried out on the community structure of vertebrate groups along habitat gradients modified by humans in historical or prehistoric times. Here, we analyze the community structures of lizards in suburban Lomé (Togo) and compare these with nearby savannah and forest sites using various statistical methods. We recorded a total of 25 lizard species in all sites. There was a heavy reduction in species richness from forest (18 taxa) to savannah (13) to suburbs (9); 24% of the species occurred in all habitat types, 40% solely in forest, and only two were found exclusively in suburban habitats. Suburban habitat types were relatively homogeneous in the number of observed species (maximum number of taxa per habitat = 6). There were significant interspecific differences in substratum type preferences and vertical spatial niche among species, but no evidence of nonrandom niche partitioning. There was a nonrandom "clustered" distribution of the various species along the available resource categories, indicating that species-specific preferences instead of community-driven mechanisms are more likely to explain the observed patterns. We conclude that lizard communities in tropical cities are (i) less species-rich than in the surrounding more natural habitats, (ii) usually clustered into specific habitat/substratum types (often artificial ones), and (iii) not assembled through competitive interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Understanding large- and small-scale patterns and the determinants of species richness is central for the study of evolutionary mechanisms. The extent to which species richness in local communities is related to larger-scale processes is a pre-eminent topic in ecological and evolutionary research. To investigate how local and regional species richness are related, we sampled freshwater turtle assemblages in seven localities to represent the variation in ecological conditions along a 90 km south–north megatransect in Benin, West Africa. In each locality, all turtles captured were identified and measured, and the microhabitat in which individual turtles were observed was classified. Based on these data, we used community diversity metrics to compare turtle assemblages. Spatial autocorrelation did not affect our data. For all localities pooled, two species (Pelusios castaneus and Pelomedusa olivacea) were the most common and one species (Trionyx triunguis) was the rarest. Analyses of the commonest and more numerous species showed that the abundance of Pelusios castaneus declined with an increase in latitude and longitude, but the opposite was true for Pelomedusa olivacea. We showed that various characteristics of the microhabitat were significantly correlated with the abundance of the two common species. We found significant but variable south–north gradients in microhabitat use for different turtle species. Our results highlight the importance of studying interactions between local environments, the ecological requirements of each species and their synecological relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) is a threatened species, especially in West Africa, where it shows a scattered distribution. In Burkina Faso, the species distribution is unknown and we documented the current distribution and potential habitat characteristics. We found evidence of the species in a few sites in the northern and eastern part of the country, whereas some records from the southern part of Burkina Faso were considered unreliable. Multiple specimens were recorded only in four localities, mainly in the Sahel ecological zone. Annual rainfall was negatively related to the observed number of tortoises per site, and indeed these tortoises were found in the Sahel and adjacent ecoregions where rainfall is lower than other regions in Burkina Faso whereas latitude and numbers of tortoise individuals observed in each site were positively related. In a sample of 12 measured specimens, the males were significantly larger than females. Although the present surveys demonstrated that C. sulcatais present in Burkina Faso, we can not conclusively determine whether they are native or originated from escaped or introduced animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In West Africa, the lion is currently characterised by small populations that are fragmented and often isolated from one another, with virtually no ecological connection. In addition, lion populations are generally declining. In recent reports, in Ghana the lion has been declared functionally extinct, if not completely eradicated, and recent surveys have made conclusions as to the probable extinction of lions in Mole National Park (MNP) in Ghana's Northern Territory. The aim of this report is to highlight the lion's continued presence in MNP, an area that must continue to be considered for species conservation, and therefore studied carefully. In April 2011, a young male lion was filmed using camera traps, and a roar was clearly audible. The choice of where to place the camera traps (n = 20) was based on a habitat suitability model developed using lion records collected over 41 years. Additional records support our data, which demonstrate that MNP could possibly still be considered as an area designated for lion conservation in West Africa, even considering the significant findings based on molecular biology that prove that lions in West and Central Africa are clearly differentiated from other African lions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource partitioning, the division of limited resources by species to help avoid competition, has been observed in freshwater turtle assemblages in several natural systems but has rarely been studied in tropical African ecosystems. Here, we investigate habitat preferences of two congeneric species in the family Pelomedusidae, Pelusios castaneus and P. cupulatta, in riverine/wetland habitats in the southern Ivory Coast (West Africa). Pelusios castaneus is a widespread species across West-central African savannahs and open forests, whereas P. cupulatta is endemic to the Upper Guinean forest region in West Africa. The two species have a similar diet composition (mainly carnivorous) but diverge considerably in body size, P. cupulatta being much larger. We use hand-fishing-nets and fishing funnel traps to record turtles in 18 distinct sites and analyze habitat preferences by species at two spatial scales. At a macro-habitat scale, P. castaneus is captured mainly in marshlands, whereas P. cupulatta is found in both rivers and wetlands. The two species differ significantly in their use of: (i) banks (P. castaneus being found primarily in spots with grassy banks, whereas P. cupulatta is found in spots with forested banks), and (ii) aquatic vegetation (P. cupulatta prefers spots with more abundant aquatic vegetation than P. castaneus), but both species select sites with no or moderate current. Additionally, in sites where P. cupulatta is not found, P. castaneus expands its spatial niche at multiple habitat scales, notably invading waterbodies with forested banks. Our results suggest that these two Pelomedusid turtle species potentially compete in the freshwater habitats in the southern Ivory Coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ebola virus disease, EVD, has been linked with wild meat. In Nigeria, strict restrictions on wild meat sales were applied after the first case in July 2014. We quantified wild meat trade in nine markets in southern Nigeria, during Oct. 2010 – Dec. 2019, and undertook consumer interviews during 2018–2019. Wild meat sales fell to low levels between during EVD (Jul. - Oct. 2014), after which Nigeria was declared Ebola-free. Prior to EVD (2012–2014), reptile carcass numbers declined markedly, collapsed during EVD, but rebounded immediately post-EVD until 2017 to values exceeding pre-EVD (especially true for turtles and tortoises). Reptile consumption increased as mammal numbers declined. After 2017, reptile numbers fell and remained low until the end of the study, indicating population collapses and depletion. Fruit bats and primates did not recover after EVD, but ungulates, rodents and carnivores increased significantly after EVD though never reached pre-EVD levels. Interviews revealed strong rural versus urban and age-specific differences regarding wild meat consumption and attitudes. Most people worried about Ebola and more than half of interviewees agreed that wild meat poses a transmission risk. Except urban males, over-60-year olds were least informed about the Ebola risk of wild meat, indicating that any future behavioural change campaign should focus on the younger age classes. Unlike other studies, our research clearly shows that changes in purchasing behaviour of consumers and education campaigns were effective in reducing the trade of bats and primates, animal groups likely to be implicated in the transmission of Ebola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]