THE NATURAL WORLD
The Wildlife and Nature ofSão Tomé and Príncipe
One of the highest concentrations of endemic species on Earth. Explore the wildlife, the science, and the conservation effort.
São Tomé and Príncipe hold an extraordinary concentration of species found nowhere else on the planet. Twenty-nine endemic birds. Twenty-two endemic reptiles. Every amphibian unique to these islands. The pages below cover the wildlife, the geological forces that created it, the human history that shaped the landscape, and the organisations working to protect what remains.
Geography and Formation
Volcanic origins, the Cameroon Volcanic Line, and how 31 million years of geology built these islands.
ExploreEnvironment and Landscape
Five centuries of human settlement transformed the landscape. What visitors see today is not what was here before.
ExploreNatural History and Discovery
Over 200 years of scientific exploration, from collectors who died of tropical disease to expeditions still finding new species.
ExploreEvolution on the Islands
Why island species grow larger, lose their colour, and become tame. The science behind what makes the wildlife here so different.
ExploreBirds
29 endemic species in 1,000 square kilometres. The highest concentration of endemic birds for any island group of this size on Earth.
ExploreReptiles
29 species, 22 found nowhere else. Geckos, skinks, an endemic cobra, and a mystery green mamba that may or may not exist.
ExploreMammals
Eleven bat species, two endemic shrews that should not be here, and species still waiting to be formally described.
ExploreSpiders and Arachnids
Over 200 recorded spider species, including three species of giant baboon spiders. Dozens potentially endemic, and a fauna that has barely been surveyed.
ExploreSea Turtles
Five of the world's seven species nest here, including one of the most threatened hawksbill populations on Earth.
ExploreWhales and Dolphins
Twelve confirmed cetacean species, humpback whales breeding in the shallows, and the ruins of a whaling factory on the shore.
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