4. WETLAND WILDLIFE RESOURCES OF NIGERIA (Contd.)

Table 6. Major traditional and industrial uses of some aquatic macrophytes in Nigeria.

FAMILY and species

Parts edible/ used

Uses and products

Leaves

stem/ bark

Floral parts

Root

Fruit

Rhizome/ tuber

Seed

Whole plant

Bedding

Medicine

Food

Fertilizer

Music

Thatching

Mat making

Fishing

Oil/energy

Socio-cultural

Fuel

Fodder

Pulp/ paper

Perfumes

Construction

Salt

Fish feed

Local industry

AMARANTHACEAE

Alternanthera nodiflora

Pandiaka heudelotii

AMARYLLIDACEAE

Crinum natans

ARACEAE

Pistia stratiotes

AZOLLACEAE

Azolla africana

BORAGINACEAE

Heliotropium indicum

COMPOSITAE

Ethulia conyzoides

CONVOL VULACEAE

Ipomoea aquatica

CYPERACEAE

Cyperus articulatus

C. maculatus

C. papyrus

FABACEAE

Aeschynomene crassicaulis

GRAMINEAE (POACEAE)

Echinochloa pyramidalis

E. stagnina

Leersia hexandra

Paspalum virginiatum

Phragmites vulgaris

Sacciolepis africana

Sorghum arundinaceum

Vossia cuspidata

Oryza longistaminata

O. punctata

HYDROCHARITACEAE

Ottelia ulvifolia

LEMNACEAE

Lemna aequinoctialis

MIMOSACEAE

Neptunia oleracea

NYMPHAEACEAE

Nymphaea lotus

ONAGRACEAE

Jussiaea repens

Ludwigia stolonifera

ORCHIDACEAE

Eulophia angolensis

E. caricifolia

E. horsfallii

PALMAE (ARECACEAE)

Nypa fruticans

POLYGONACEAE

Polygonum salicifolium

P. senegalense

SALVINIACEAE

Salvinia nymphellula

TYPHACEAE

Typha australis

Table 7. A preliminary list of vertebrates (excluding birds) associated with freshwaters of Nigeria

	Species	Common name	Habitat
	Species	Common name	Rivers	Lakes	Ponds
REPTILES	Kinixys bellina	Water turtle	+++	+	+
Chelonia:	Pelaneadusa subrufa	Terrapin	+++	+	+
	Amyda tringuis	Water turtle	+++	+	+
	Pelusios adansoni	Gabon terrapin
Crocodilia:	Crocodylus niloticus	Nile crocodile	+++	+	-
	C. cataphractus	Long nosed crocodile	+	-	-
	Osteolaemus tetraspis	Short nosed crocodile	+	-	-
Squamata:	Varanus niloticus	Nile monitor lizard	+	+	+
	V. exanthematicus	Short monitor lizard	+	+	+
	Alligator sp*	Alligator
	Python regius	Royal python	+	+	-
	Python sebae	Rock python	+	+	-
MAMMALS	Aonyx capensis	Otter	-	+	-
Carnivora:	Potamogale velox	Otter shrew	+	+	+
	Atilax paludinosus	Marsh mongoose	+	+	-
	Genetta sp.	Genets	+	+	-
Sirenia:	Trichechus senegalensis	Manatee	+	++	-
Artiodactyla:	Hippopotamus amphibius	Hippopotamus	+	++	-
	Choeropsis liberiensis	Pigmy hippo	+	-	-
	Tragelaphus spekai	Sitatunga	+	+	-
AMPHIBIA**	Rana galamensis	Frog	+++	+	+
Frogs:	R. occipitalis	Frog	+++	+	+
	R. albolabris	Frog	+++	+++	+
	Xenopus tropicalis	Frog	+++	++	+
	Phrynobatrachus albolabris	Frog	+	++	+
	Ptyhaena moscareniensis	Frog	+	++	+
	Cardioglossa pulchra	Frog	+	++	+
Toads:	Bufo regularis	Toad	++	++	++++
	B. maculatus	Toad	+	+	++++

* Not indigenous, available in zoos
** Over 57 species reported in Nigeria and the West African Coast
++++ more than 100/ha;
+++ 50–100/ha;
++ 10–50/ha;
+ 1–10/ha, do not normally occur in such habitat.

Table 8. Status of some wetland wildlife of Nigeria.

Group	Common name	Species	Endemic species	Exotic species	Endangered species
Mammals	Otter	Aonyx capensis	Yes	No	Yes
	Manatee	Trichechus senegalensis	Yes	No	Yes
	Pigmy hippo	Choeropsis liberiensis	Yes	No	Yes
Reptiles	Nile crocodile	Crocodylus niloticus	Yes	No	Yes
	Short nosed crocodile	Osteolaemus tetraspis	Yes	No	Yes
	Nile monitor lizard	Varanus niloticus	Yes	No	Yes
	Short tailed monitor	Varanus exanthematicus	Yes	No	Yes
	Royal python	Python regius	Yes	No	Yes
	Rock python	Python sebae	Yes	No	Yes
Amphibians		all species	Yes	No	ND

ND = not determined

Table 9. Distribution of aquatic bird families in Nigeria and their status.

			Habitat		Status
Family	Genera	Species	Aquatic	Marine	RB	R(B)	PM	AM	Other
Podicipepididae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Procellariidae	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	1
Hydrobatidae	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-	1
Pelecanidae	1	2	2	-	2	-	-	-	-
Sulidae	1	2	2	-	-	-	-	-	2
Phalacrocoracidae	1	2	2	-	2	-	-	-	-
Anhingidae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Ardeidae	8	19	18	-	13	3	6	2	1
Scopidae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Ciconiidae	5	8	8	-	1	1	2	4	?
Threskiornithidae	4	6	6	-	3	1	2	-	-
Phoenicopteridae	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	1
Anatidae	10	24	24	-	8	3	10	-	2
Pandionidae	1	1	1	-	-	-	1	-	?
Accipitridae	27	47	1	-	27	9	9	2	-
Rallidae	9	16	6	-	8	2	3	-	3
Heliornithidae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Otididae	3	6	-	-	3	1	-	1	1
Jacanidae	2	2	2	-	1	1	-	-	-
Rostratulidae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Haematopodidae	1	1	-	1	-	-	1	-	-
Recurvirostridae	2	2	2	-	-	1	2	-	-
Burhinidae	1	4	1	-	2	1	1	-	-
Glareolidae	3	7	5	-	6	-	1	-	-
Charadriidae	3	19	17	-	9	-	?	?	-
Scolopacidae	9	26	24	2	-	-	25	1	-
Stercorariidae	1	4	-	4	-	-	4	-	-
Laridae	3	23	3	20	1	1	14	2	5
Rhynchopidae	1	1	1	-	1	-	-	-	-
Strigidae	6	12	2	-	9	2	2	-	-
Caprimulgidae	2	10	-	-	5	-	1	8	-
Apodidae	3	13	-	-	3	3	3	-	4
Coliidae	1	2	-	-	2	-	-	-	-
Trogonidae	1	2	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
Alcedinidae	4	12	3	-	9	3	-	-	-
Hirundinidae	4	21	4	-	13	2	3	1	2
Sylviidae	20	72	9	-	30	19	24	-	-
Muscicapidae	7	20	2	-	10	6	3	-	1
Total species	394

RB = Resident breedins
R(B) = Resident, breeding not proved
PM = Palaearctic migrant
AM = All intra-African migrants

Source: Elgood (1982)

Table 10. Distribution of five groups of large aquatic animals in the National Parks and Game Reserves of Nigeria.

National Park or Game Reserve	Area km²	Vegetation Zone	Major aquatic animals
			C	H	M	A	O
NATIONAL PARK
Lake Kainji	3,924	Mixed leguminous woodland	+	+	+	+	+
+Zunguruma Sector	+1,385
GAME RESERVES
Yankari	2,240	Undifferentiated wooded savanna	+	+	+	-	-
Orle River	54.4	Seasonal swamp forest	+	+	+	-	-
Gilli-Gilli	362	ditto	+	-	+	+
Kwale	13.4	Deltaic swamp complex	+	+	+	+
Kwaiambana	2,614	Isoberlinia spp	+	+	+	+
Alawa	296.2	ditto	+	-	-	-
Dagidda	294.22	ditto	-	-	-	+
Lame-Burra	2059.67	ditto	+	-	-	-
Falgore	*	ditto	-	-	-	+
Kumuku	1,200	ditto	+	-	-	-
Upper Ogun/ Old Oyo	*	Afzelia africana	+	-	-	-
Opara	*	ditto	+	-	-	-
Chosu	*	Moist semi-deciduous forest	+	-	-	-
Okomu	*	ditto	+	+	-	-
Ologbo	*	ditto	+	+	-	-
Ivi-Ada-Obi	*	ditto	+	+	-	-
Olobo-Emu-Uro	194.4	Seasonal swamp	+	+	-	-
Anambra	*	Forest savanna mosaic	+	+	-	-
Akpaka	*	ditto	+	-	-	-
Game Reserve A	*	Deltaic swamp complex	+	+	+	+	+
Game Reserve B	*	ditto	+	+	+	+	+
Obudu	582.3	Moist evergreen forest Rhizophora racemosa	+	-	+	+
Arubba Xewwk	*	Syzgium rowlandii (montane)	+	-	-	+	-
Pandam Wildlife Park	780	ditto	+	-	+	+	-
Pai River	2,214.8	ditto	+	-	+	+	-
Wase Rock	1,800	ditto	+	-	+	+	-
Ibi	1,560	ditto	+	-	+	-
Nasarawa (Bakono)	1,900	ditto	+	-	+	+	-
Ankwe River	*	Riparian	+	-	+	+	-
Damper Sanctuary	*	ditto	+	-	-	+
Udi-Nsukka	56	Moist deciduous	+	-	-	-	-
Wase Game Sanctuary	*	Montane	-	-	-	-	+
Gashaka/Gumti Forest Game Reserves	5,957	Forest savanna	+	+	+	+	+
Kambari Forest GRs	518	Wooded savanna	+	-	-	-	-
Sambisi Forest GRs	777	ditto	+	-	-	+	-
Chingurme-Duguma Forest GRs	362.6	ditto	+	+	-	-	+
Lake Chad Forest GRs	388.5	Swamp savanna	+	+	+	+	+
Ebba/ Kampe GRs	117	Wooded savanna	+	-	-	-	-

C = Crocodile;
H = Hippopotamus;
M = Manatee;
O = Otter;
A = Avian.

Table 11. Proposed sites for location of aquatic sanctuaries in Nigeria.

Group	Species	Common name	Proposed location
CROCODILE	Crocodylus niloticus	Crocodile	Anambra River, River Benue and Wase Rock Game Reserve
	C. cataphractus	Crocodile	River Oli, Kainji Lake NP. Gashaka/gumti GR.
	Osteolaemus tetraspis	Crocodile	Delta River/Orle and Kwale River swamp complex
CARNIVORE	Aonyx capensis	Otter	Kainji Lake NP, Obudu Reserve
SIRENIA	Trichechus senegalensis	Manatee	Kainji Lake NP, Gashaka/Gumti, Itu, Cross
			River and Epe Lagoon
CHELONIA	Kinixys bellina	Water turtle	Kainji Lake NP
	Pelusios adansoni	Terrapin	Kainji Lake NP.
	Amyda tringuis	Water turtle	Epe swamps
FROG	Rana sp.	Edible frog	Epe swamps, Old Oyo GR, Kainji Lake NP.