Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an island country and archipelago in the central Atlantic Ocean, made up of ten volcanic islands with a total land area of approximately 4,033 square kilometers. They are located between 600 and 850 kilometers west of the Cap-Vert, the most westerly point of continental Africa. Together with the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Savage Islands, Cape Verde is part of the Macaronesia ecoregion. Each of the volcanic islands of Cape Verde is unique, and all of them have parks under their authority. Except for bats, Cape Verde has no truly endemic mammal species. Only creatures that can fly or swim, or that have been introduced by humans, have made their way to the archipelago. The islands were first discovered in 1456, but were only settled in 1462. At that time, people brought their livestock with them, such as donkeys, pigs, cattle and goats. Many of the latter have now become so wild that they resemble ibex. Over the centuries since the beginning of settlement, waves of settlers have pushed their way in with an increasing number of land species, such as the Green Vervet Monkey, cats, dogs, mice, rats and rabbits. The absence of snakes on the archipelago has allowed many other reptile species such as geckos, frogs and lizards to thrive. These reptiles and amphibians' main predators would be, in addition to each other, a variety of birds of prey, including the Egyptian Vulture, the Eurasian Buzzard, kestrel, osprey, Peregrine Falcon, and the rare Cape Verde Kite. These islands are key migratory and breeding grounds for many birds and 20 different species of cetaceans.