PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Series 4, Volume 65, Supplement II, pp. I-50I, 413 figs., 5 tables. Appendix. September 28, 2018 
Diversity and Distribution of the 
Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola 
Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840-2017) 
Mariana P. Marques Luis M. P. Ceriaco David C. Blackburn 
and Aaron M. Bauer 
1 Centro de Investigagdo em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos {CIBIO), INBIO, Universidade do Porto, 
Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairdo, 4485-661 Porto, Portugal ^ Departamento de Zoologia e 
Antropologia (Museu Boeage), Museu Naeional de Historia Natural e da Cieneia, Universidade de Lisboa, 
Rua da Eseola Politeeniea 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, Portugal ^ Department of Biology, Villanova University, 
800 Laneaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA. ^ Department of Natural History, Florida 
Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. ^ Researeh Assoeiate, 
California Aeademy of Seienees, 55 Musie Coneourse Drive, San Franeiseo, California, 94118, USA. 
FOREWORD 
(English version) 
The rieh and distinetive Angolan herpetofauna has engendered the interest of eountless sehol- 
ars around the world. Angola’s unique geographie loeation, at the interseetion of the eentral and 
southern regions of the Afriean eontinent, has given it two diserete faunas of amphibians and 
reptiles. Of different eolors, sizes, forms, and behaviors, these speeies have, over the years, entieed 
biologists, explorers and seientists to boldly and selflessly dedieate themselves to their study. 
The interest shown by speeialists in the study of Angolan speeimens dates baek more than one 
hundred years. Sinee the nineteenth eentury, books and papers have been published on the topie as 
the result of these investigations. The first major bibliographie referenee about the Angolan 
herpetofauna, Herpetologie d’Angola et du Congo by Jose Vieente Barbosa du Boeage, dates from 
1895. Many researchers and publications followed, greatly enriching the scientific bibliography on 
the topic. However, the scattered nature of the published works, as well as the dearth of available 
specimens from earlier times, has made it difficult for researchers, scholars or curious amateurs to 
access to this information. Because of these difficulties, and to facilitate the access to available data 
on the Angolan herpetofauna, the Ministry of Environment, through its National Institute of 
Biodiversity and Conservation Areas, decided to present, in a single volume, all the available 
scientific records published so far on the diversity of amphibians and reptiles. Such a task, which 
has its basis in the National Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity and Conservation Areas of 
Angola, was dependent upon the helpful collaboration of important international partners. 
The present Atlas will be of inestimable assistance to the study of the Natural History of Ango¬ 
la, not only because of its standardized taxonomic and geographical accounts with distribution 
maps for all of the amphibians and reptiles known in Angola, but also because of its competent 
approach to the physiography, climate, biomes, historical herpetological research in Angola, 
conservation, and other topics. The thoughtful way the book is arranged, with straightforward text, 
clear tables and interesting figures, makes it easy for even laymen to read and understand. 
At 501 pages long, profusely documented and richly illustrated, this Atlas provides a grand 
1 
