During the last decade we have been surveying almost all the forest blocks of the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania. In some cases they were previously biologically unexplored areas. These first years of fieldwork resulted in the discovery of an unprecedented number of new species, and therefore an awareness that the biological importance of the Eastern Arc Mountains is proportionally greater than expected.
Our long-term research has been conducted alongside colleagues in Tanzania, in particular at the University of Dar es Salaam with prof. Kim Howell and Wilirk Ngalason.
In addition to training, and cooperating in building up infrastructure in the country, we have developed important scientific collaborations. We have also established an important exchange of information and collected material between affiliated organizations, institutions and individuals working in Tanzania. This has all contributed to a fuller understanding of biodiversity patterns in the Eastern Arc. Combining an impressive number of new records from our own work and various other collaborators, our aim is to establish the spatial range of every amphibian and reptile species found in the Eastern Arc. This will include the formal description of some 60 species. Of these species, probably 80% will include species with narrow distributions, restricted to single mountain blocks. There will be serious conservation concerns for many of these newly described species. Given the increasing pressure on forest habitats and predicted climate change impacts, species with narrow distributions are clearly much more susceptible to the threat of extinction. Our wide aim is to provide an objective and clearly defined assessment of all the species in the EAM.

The photo-gallery shows some of the species discovered in the Eastern Arc Mountains during the last ten years, all the species depicted are still unnamed.

Over 60 species of Amphibians and Reptiles have no name, and thus are not assessed in global conservation assessments and are unable to direct or influence conservation policy. In other words, they do not exist, neither for the scientific community nor for the conservation decision makers.

for further informations see the website: www.tanzaniaherps.org
Michele Menegon & Simon Loader