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- Farooq, Harith, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Can we identify european snakes by color patterns?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Salamandra. - 0036-3375. ; 57:4, s. 520-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigated to what extent European snakes can be identified by using their color, pattern and location. We coded these criteria for all 84 snake species of Europe, including European Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey as their eastern border. Brown and blotched snakes are most common, followed by dark (brown, black) and uniformly colored species. Some highly variable species can have a dozen or more color patterns. However, in 96% of localities (grid cells) these three criteria are sufficient to narrow down the number of possible species to no more than 10, and in most cases proper identification is possible with a few photos for comparison. Given that about two dozen European vipers (and a few other species) are venomous, accurately identifying snakes is also of medical importance. In addition to identifying snakes, we provide color and pattern data for future phylogenetic and for future phylogenetic and ecological studies. © 2021 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde.
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- Farooq, Harith, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping Africa's Biodiversity: More of the Same Is Just Not Good Enough
- 2021
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Ingår i: Systematic Biology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1063-5157 .- 1076-836X. ; 70:3, s. 623-633
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Species distribution data are fundamental to the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes. Yet, such data are strongly affected by sampling biases, mostly related to site accessibility. The understanding of these biases is therefore crucial in systematics, biogeography, and conservation. Here we present a novel approach for quantifying sampling effort and its impact on biodiversity knowledge, focusing on Africa. In contrast to previous studies assessing sampling completeness (percentage of species recorded in relation to predicted), we investigate whether the lack of knowledge of a site attracts scientists to visit these areas and collect samples of species. We then estimate the time required to sample 90% of the continent under a Weibull distributed biodiversity sampling rate and the number of sampling events required to record 50% of the species. Using linear and spatial regression models, we show that previous sampling has been strongly influencing the resampling of areas, attracting repeated visits. This bias has existed for over two centuries, has increased in recent decades, and is most pronounced among mammals. It may take between 172 and 274 years, depending on the group, to achieve at least one sampling event per grid cell in the entire continent. Just one visit will, however, not be enough: in order to record 50% of the current diversity, it will require at least 12 sampling events for amphibians, 13 for mammals, and 27 for birds. Our results demonstrate the importance of sampling areas that lack primary biodiversity data and the urgency with which this needs to be done. Current practice is insufficient to adequately classify and map African biodiversity; it can lead to incorrect conclusions being drawn from biogeographic analyses and can result in misleading and self-reinforcing conservation priorities.
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- Farooq, Harith, 1986, et al.
(författare)
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Species perceived to be dangerous are more likely to have distinctive local names
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1746-4269. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Species with direct uses, such as sources of food, shelter, building material and medicine tend to have more specific local names. But could the same apply for species that people fear? Methods To address this question, here we explore the behavior and perception of species diversity and dangerousness through a survey of 1037 households in nine villages in Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique. We compare people's knowledge of snakes with that of lizards and amphibians. Results We find that northern Mozambicans know four to five times more local names for snakes than for lizards and frogs, despite the local species richness of snakes being comparable to the diversity of lizards and frogs. We further find that local knowledge was on par with the academic literature regarding snakebite symptoms. Conclusions Our results suggest that fear can increase the level of specificity in naming species among indigenous communities, which could lead to biases in the mapping and protection of species that include data from citizen reports.
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