Snake communities of moist rainforest and derived savanna sites of Nigeria: biodiversity patterns and conservation priorities

The taxonomic composition and the abundance of two communities of snakes we re studied in two different areas of southern Nigeria. One community was st udied in a derived savanna area (environs of Ejule, 06 degrees 54'N, 07 deg rees 23'E), and one community was studied in a moist rainforest area (envir ons of Eket, 04 degrees 50'N, 07 degrees 59'E). Both the specific diversity and the mean frequency of observation of snakes were significantly higher in the forest area than in the savanna area, and the dominance index was hi gher in the savanna than in the forest site. However, most of the species w ere found in only one of the two areas, depending on their habitat requirem ents (e.g. Gastropyxis smaragdina, Dispholidus typus, Thelotornis kirtlandi i, Dendroaspis jamesoni, Bitis nasicornis, Causus maculatus, etc). The fore st community housed a significant number of arboreal and semiaquatic taxa, but in both sites most of the species were terrestrial. The commonest speci es in the forest area was an oviparous, semiaquatic, batracophagous natrici ne snake (Afronatrix anoscopus), whereas the commonest species in the savan na area was an oviparous terrestrial lacertophagous psammophine snake (Psam mophis phillipsi). Some conservation implications of our biodiversity analy ses are presented. It is suggested that the moist rainforest represents a c ritically endangered habitat, and should deserve special attention by the i nternational scientific community. Oil industry activity is especially dang erous for snake communities, especially in the southernmost regions of Nige ria.