Item Details

Title: THE DIVERSITY OF AMPHIBIANS, REPTILES AND MAMMALS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN THE VICTORIA AND KYOGA LAKE BASINS

Date Published: December 2000
Author/s: Mathias Behangana
Data publication:
Funding Agency :
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Affiliation: National Agricultural Research Organisation,
Fisheries Resources Research Institute,
P. O. Box 343, Jinja. Uganda, Department of Zoology, Makerere University P.O Box 7062 Kampala -Uganda
Keywords:

Abstract:

The documentation of the biodiversity of Lake Victoria and her surroundings carumt be complete without studying the amphibian, reptile and mammal fauna.
Some amphibian fauna such as Bulo vitallus are known to be common inhabitants of the littoral and ecotone zones of lacustrine ecosystems and can even indicate how far inland the flood zones of a lake extends.
Some reptiles, such as the Water Cobra -Naja melanoleuca and the File Snake Meheleya capensis are important predators of fish in water while the Nile Crocodyle Crocodylus nilolicus uses aquatic ecosystems for its habitation and the Nile Monitor Varanus niloticus constantly uses the wetlands fringing aquatic ecosystems as a habitat and constantly visits the Iittoral zone to feed on fish.