Animal Info - Cameroon

Contents

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Cameroon and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. 

  • Critically Endangered:
    • Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).
    • Eisentraut's Shrew (Crocidura eisentrauti). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Pitch Shrew (Crocidura picea). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Rumpi Mouse Shrew (Myosorex rumpii). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
  • Endangered:
    • Arrogant Shrew (Sylvisorex morio). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
    • Crested Genet (Genetta cristata).
    • Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus). (Previously listed as Papio leucophaeus.) 
    • Eisentraut's Mouse Shrew (Myosorex eisentrauti). 
    • Eisentraut's Striped Mouse (Hybomys eisentrauti). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Giant African Water Shrew (Potamogale velox).
    • Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).
    • Hartweg's Soft-furred Mouse (Praomys hartwigi).
    • Mittendorf's Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys mittendorfi). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Mt. Oku Rat (Lamottemys okuensis). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Preuss's Monkey (or Preuss's Guenon) (Cercopithecus preussi).
    • Western Vlei Rat (Otomys occidentalis).
    • Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).
    • Wimmer's Shrew (Crocidura wimmeri). 
  • Vulnerable:
    • African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
    • African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata). 
    • African Pygmy Squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio).
    • Allen's Striped Bat (Chalinolobus alboguttatus).
    • Black Colobus (Colobus satanas).
    • Cameroon Climbing Mouse (Dendromus oreas). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Cameroon Soft-furred Mouse (Praomys morio). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
    • Cooper's Mountain Squirrel (Paraxerus cooperi). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Hun Shrew (Crocidura attila).
    • Isabella Shrew (Sylvisorex isabellae).
    • Ja Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris major).
    • Lion (Panthera leo).
    • Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx). 
    • Oku Mouse Shrew (Myosorex okuensis). (Endemic to Cameroon.)
    • Red-eared Guenon (Cercopithecus erythrotis).
    • Red-fronted Gazelle (Gazella rufifrons).
    • Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis).
    • West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).
  • Other

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 297 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 13 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 32 (10.8 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 37 (12.5 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Cameroon contains portions of the Congolian Coastal Forests, Western Congo Basin Forests, Sudanian Savannas, Sahelian Flooded Savannas, Gulf of Guinea Rivers & Crater Lakes, Guinean-Congolian Coast Mangroves, and Gulf of Guinea Marine Ecosystems Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
Cameroon contains portions of the Guinean Forests of West Africa Global Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 1999a)

Population

Population in 1995: 13,521,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 28.4 people/sq km (73.7 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 15,029,433 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 3.0 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 475,442 sq km (183,569 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

  • Major Wetland: 4 %
  • Grass and Shrub: 31 %
  • Crop and Settlements: 7 %
  • Interrupted Woods: 21 %
  • Major Forests: 37 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 15 %; Medium: 51 %; High: 33 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 20,340 sq km (7,851 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 2.17 % totally protected; 2.11 % partially protected; 4.28 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $858 (WRI 1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $1,230 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 21 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 43 % (1990), 19 % (1970); Male: 66 % (1990), 47 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Cons. Intl. 1999a, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Cameroon): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles; Links for Cameroon: Camnet (French), CARPE (Central African Regional Program for the Environment), World Wildlife Fund/Cameroon

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Last modified: February 19, 2006;

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