Turtles and Tortoises of Togo: Historical Data, Distribution, Ecology, and Conservation

Abstract The chelonian fauna of Togo (West Africa) has been scarcely studied to date. In this article, we review and summarize all available data on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of the chelonian species of Togo and present a short historical perspective on the development of studies on these reptiles. Overall, 13 chelonian species are found in Togo, 4 being marine, 3 terrestrial, and 6 freshwater. Among the marine species, only 2 of them nest on Togolese beaches (Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea). Two species (Chelonia mydas and L. olivacea) are still locally common. Concerning the terrestrial and freshwater species, they differed remarkably in terms of their distribution by ecological zone. Cluster analyses revealed the existence of 3 clusters of species, 1 that contains the “forest” species, 1 accommodating the Sudanese savannah species, and a third cluster for the generalist savannah species. The conservation status of the various species and their dissimilarities in...