Zoologia Caboverdiana Vol. 2, No. 2 (2011)
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The olive ridley sea turtle Lepidochelys olivacea has been recorded in the Cape Verde Islands, but the most recent published data (1998-2000) are of stranded individuals and remains only. This article presents new data on olive ridleys recorded during the years 2001-2011 on Boavista and Sal islands. The presence of this species does not appear to be related to nesting activity. The possible geographical origin of these turtles is discussed. In addition, we propose some studies that could help to reinforce the conservation of sea turtles in West Africa.
Leiosolenus aristatus (Dillwyn, 1817) new to the Cape Verde Islands (Mollusca, Bivalvia, Mytilidae)
(2011)
Leiosolenus aristatus (Dillwyn, 1817) is a small bivalve that pierces into calcareous substrata, particularly shells of other mollusks. Previously, the taxon has often been placed in Lithophaga Röding, 1798. It was then transferred to Myoforceps Fischer, 1886, which is now included in the synonymy of Leiosolenus Carpenter, 1856 (cf. Huber 2012).
Loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta may now be the only species of marine turtle nesting on the island of Maio, Cape Verde Islands. Threats to loggerhead turtles include hunting of females on land and males and females in the water, poaching of nests and, increasingly, light pollution and other disturbances related to tourism development. Length and remoteness of the beaches on Maio lead to limited monitoring and data collection. Although it is believed that Maio has one of the largest nesting populations of loggerheads in the Cape Verde Islands, very little information exists regarding the nesting beaches and the population of nesting females. During July 2009, a four day survey of the island was carried out in order to obtain insight as to the status of nesting loggerheads on Maio. The census showed that compared to the island of Sal the number of turtles nesting on Maio was higher at 19.64% more nests and 39.9% more tracks during the same period. It is recommended that in order to determine the true size of the Maio nesting population a full census should be undertaken over several seasons.
Based on a collection of spiders obtained during ecological fieldwork in 2009 and an extensive literature review, we summarize the current state of knowledge of spider biodiversity on the island of Maio. The total number of species reported from Maio is now 46, representing 18 families and including 16 species (35%) endemic to the Cape Verde Islands. The family Dictynidae (meshweb spiders), represented by the saline-adapted Devade cf. indistincta, is reported for the first time from Cape Verde.