Homes’s Hinge-Back Tortoise (Kinixys homeana)

Figure 1. Previous (dots) (from Iverson 1992) and recently discovered (open circles) sites of occurrence of Kinixys homeana in West Africa. Arrows indicate sites of suspected decline or disappearance of this tortoise. Note that tortoises are especially threatened in coastal areas and much of the region remains unsurveyed. The isolated subpopulations of The Democratic Republic of Congo should be studied to verify if they are identical to the other subpopulations of the species, or if they have diverged to achieve the status of different subspecies or species.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™

Table 1. Results of preliminary pilot surveys (October–November 2003) conducted in Benin Republic and in southern Ghana for establishing trade intensity and apparent frequency in the field of Kinixys homeana. The main markets around Cotonou and Porto Novo (Benin) and around Accra and Koforidua (Ghana) were surveyed. Locality Numbers in Market Numbers in the Field (Effort of Research in Hours) Cotonou (Benin) 97 in 3 visits 1 tortoise (29 hours) Porto Novo (Benin) 109 in 3 visits 0 tortoises (31 hours) Great Accra Region 14 in 5 visits 0 tortoises (71 hours) (Ghana) Koforidua (Ghana) 61 in 4 visits 2 tortoises (64 hours)

Table 2. Export quotas for Kinixys homeana for 2002 declared to CITES, and published in the Notification to the Parties of 25 April 2002. Country Number of Declared Source specimens Benin 4,600 Ranched Gabon 10 Live Gabon 10 Carapaces Ghana 340 Live; wild-taken; quota resulting from recommendations of AC and SC Togo 500 Wild-taken Togo 2,000 Ranched

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Table 3. Potential extent of occurrence of Kinixys homeana in 1992. Country Estimated range (km2) Liberia 111,369 Cote d’Ivoire 37,123 Ghana 109,000 Togo 5,600 Benin 2,600 Nigeria 184,700 Cameroon 160,000 Equatorial Guinea 28,051 Congo (DRC) 150,000 TOTAL 788,443

Table 4. List of turtle and tortoise species found in four forest-zone protected areas in southern Nigeria. All data are current as of August 2004 (data from field studies by L. Luiselli and associates). Note that Kinixys homeana is still present in all areas. (UOFR = Upper Orashi Forest Reserve (Rivers State), TCFR = Taylor Creek Forest Reserve (Rivers and Bayelsa States), SCFR = Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve (Akwa-Ibom State), CRNP = Cross River National Park). Species UOFR TCFR SCFR CRNP Trionyx triunguis + + + Pelusios niger + + + + Pelusios castaneus + + + Pelusios adansonii + Pelomedusa subrufa + Kinixys homeana + + + + Kinixys erosa + + + + Kinixys belliana nogueyi +

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