BIODIVERSITY
The Príncipe’s Island (classified in 2012 by UNESCO, along with its islets, as a World Biosphere Reserve) hosts high native biodiversity in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Primary rainforests, shade forests, palm forests, low-lying riparian habitats, turtle and seabird breeding habitats, cetaceans, and coral forests make this region a biodiversity hotspot and a site of great global conservation interest.
More than 50% of the species of bats, birds, amphibians and molluscs found on Príncipe’s Island are endemics.
Tordo-do-Príncipe
Ilustration Pedro Mendes
The recent discovery of eight new tree species underlines the potential for other vascular flora species to be discovered, including plants with medicinal characteristics.
However, even before the complete mapping of the pristine island's floristic biodiversity, preliminary Red List analyses already warn for its vulnerability.
Also for arthropods, there will certainly be a highly diversified yet unknown collection, posing an enormous challenge for taxonomists and protected area managers.
ORAL TRADITION
In traditional tales and legends of São Tomé and Príncipe, animal characters constitute an element of extreme relief, personifying the virtues and defects of humans.
However, there is no knowledge of the existence of works that interlink this traditional heritage with the living entities that served as inspiration or metaphor for the cultural message and, on the other hand, the character species are, for the most part, non-endemic.
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In the written form, the records of traditional santomense tales do not abound and, in the context of Príncipe’s Island, the availability of published registers is even scarcer, and references to endemic species are practically non-existent.
