Ricinoides atewa | |
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Nymph of R. atewa | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Ricinulei |
Family: | Ricinoididae |
Genus: | Ricinoides |
Species: | R. atewa |
Binomial name | |
Ricinoides atewa Naskrecki, 2008 | |
Ricinoides atewa is a ricinuleid of the Ricinoididae family found in Ghana. [1] [2] It is known to inhabit evergreen forests in eastern Ghana, including the Atewa Range Forest Reserve from which it takes its specific epithet. It is a dark reddish brown arachnid densely covered in short, translucent setae with a broad cucullus. At 9.63 mm long, Ricinoides atewa is one of the world's largest ricinuleids, part of a group of nine West African species referred to as the 'giant' ricinuleids. [3]
Ricinulei is a small order of arachnids. Like most arachnids, they are predatory; eating small arthropods. They occur today in west-central Africa (Ricinoides) and the Americas from South America to as far north as Texas, where they either inhabit leaf-litter or caves. As of 2022, 103 extant species of ricinuleids have been described worldwide, all in the single family Ricinoididae. In older works they are sometimes referred to as Podogona. Due to their obscurity they do not have a proper common-name, though in academic literature they are occasionally referred to as hooded tickspiders.
The African golden cat is a wild cat endemic to the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is threatened due to deforestation and bushmeat hunting and listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It is a close relative of both the caracal and the serval. Previously, it was placed in the genus Profelis. Its body size ranges from 61 to 101 cm with a 16 to 46 cm long tail.
The Eastern Guinean forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of West Africa.
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Lissachatina fulica is a species of large land snail that belongs in the subfamily Achatininae of the family Achatinidae. It is also known as the Giant African land snail. It shares the common name "giant African snail" with other species of snails such as Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata. This snail species has been considered a significant cause of pest issues around the world. It is a federally prohibited species in the USA, as it is illegal to sell or possess. Internationally, it is the most frequently occurring invasive species of snail.
The Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania in tropical East Africa, comprise the easternmost ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The ranges of approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) long and about half that wide, are situated in the Lushoto District of the Tanga Region. They were formed nearly two million years ago by faulting and uplifting, and are composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks. They are split into two sub-ranges; the West Usambaras being higher than the East Usambaras, which are nearer the coast and receive more rainfall.
The Guinean forest-savanna, also known as the Guinean forest-savanna transition, is a distinctive ecological region located in West Africa. It stretches across several countries including Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon. This region is characterized by a unique blend of forested areas and savannas, creating a diverse and dynamic landscape.
Papilio antimachus, the African giant swallowtail, is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. With a wingspan between 18 and 23 centimetres, it is the largest butterfly in Africa and among the largest butterflies in the world. The shape of the wings differ between the males and females.
Conraua derooi is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. It is found in the Togo-Volta Highlands along the border of Togo and Ghana, where it is possibly endemic. The common name Togo slippery frog has been coined for this species. Previously feared to be extinct, a few populations were found in surveys between 2005 and 2007, after the species had gone unrecorded for more than 20 years.
The Congo serpent eagle is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Dryotriorchis, although it was formerly placed in Circaetus. This species is distributed across the African tropical rainforest, including upper and lower Guinean forests. This serpent eagle specializes in hunting in these forests’ dark understories. It has two subspecies, the nominate subspecies Dryotriorchis spectabilis spectabilis and Dryotriorchis spectabilis batesi. Though monotypic, it appears to be very closely related to Circaetus. This hawk is a medium-sized bird with distinctive short, rounded wings and a long, rounded tail. It is varying shades of brown on its back and has a slight crest. Its breast is white with variable amounts of a rufous wash and, in the nominate subspecies, is covered in round, blackish spots. The subspecies D. s. batesi only has these dots on its flanks. The Congo serpent eagle closely resembles Cassin's hawk-eagle, and some ornithologists believe that this likeness is a rare example of avian mimicry. It is a very vocal raptor, and often is one of the most heard species in its habitat.
Kibi or Kyebi is a town located in the East Akim Municipal District, Eastern Region of Ghana. Its population is 11,677 people as of 2013.
The Densu River is a 116 km long river in Ghana rising in the Atewa Range. It flows through an economically important agricultural region, supplies half the drinking water to Ghana's capital city of Accra. The river ends in an ecologically significant wetland delta on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The Densuano Dam and Weija Dam are situated on the Densu River.
The Birim River is one of the main tributaries of the Pra River in Ghana and the country's most important diamond-producing area, flowing through most of the width of the Eastern region. The river rises in the east of the Atewa Range, flows north through the gap between this range and the Kwahu Plateau, then runs roughly south-west until it joins the Pra. It gives its name to the Birimian rock formation, which yields most of the gold in the region. Ghana is the second largest producer of gold in Africa.
The Atewa Range Forest Reserve is in the Akyem Abuakwa region of southeastern Ghana, near the town of Kibi, and south-west of the Kwahu Plateau which forms the south-west boundary of Lake Volta. The range runs roughly north–south, consisting of steep-sided hills with fairly flat summits. It is the last remains of the Cenozoic peneplain that once covered southern Ghana, and contains ancient bauxitic soils. The range is the site of an important forest reserve, and the source of three major rivers.
The roots of Edumanom Forest Reserve trace back to 1970 when it was singled out as one of the proposed Forest Reserves by the Rivers State Government, a compilation encompassing 11 distinct regions. At that time, the Governor of Rivers State, acting under the authority vested by Section 28 of the Land Use Act, rescinded all prevailing Rights of Occupancy associated with the land enveloping Edumanom Forest Reserve. Subsequently, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, sanctioned by Section 8 of the Forestry Law Cap 55 of the Laws of Eastern Nigeria, 1963, officially labeled the region as a forest reserve. The forest reserve derives its name from the Edumanom family in Otuabagi, the entity possessing the largest segment of the reserve.
Ricinoides is an arthropod genus in the family Ricinoididae, first described by Henry Ewing in 1929.
Sandra Owusu-Gyamfi is a Ghanaian conservationist and the first woman herpetologist in Ghana. She is currently the Associate Executive Director and the Advocacy and Campaigns Director for SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana. In 2017, she became Manager of Research and Conservation at Ghana Wildlife Society's Science Unit.
Strephonema pseudocola is a species of flowering plant in the family Combretaceae. It is a tree found in the forests of tropical West Africa. It was first described from the Ivory Coast.
The majority of Ghana's income and jobs are produced directly and indirectly by the land, which is a vital resource for our nation's prosperity. It sustains the provision of ecosystem services as well as the agricultural, forestry, and fishing livelihoods of the vast majority of people, particularly those living in rural areas. Despite these advantages, there are a number of temporal and spatial factors contributing to the degradation of our land resources, such as deforestation, erosion, declining soil fertility and productivity, deterioration of rangelands, desertification, and deterioration of water bodies.