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This ecoregion is one of the most biologically distinctive areas in Africa, with exceptionally large numbers of endemic plants and animals. There are all sorts of life to amaze you in this high forest region, but you'll want to keep an eye out for some endemic winged creatures. At least 14 species of butterflies and 37 species of birds are found here and nowhere else in the world--the highest figure in Africa for any equivalent-sized area.
The Albertine Rift Montane Forests begin near the lowland Congolian rainforests, then stretch eastward up and over the area's mountain ranges, with some isolated mountains nearly reaching the shores of Lake Tanganyika. If you were to travel through the forests from west to east, you'd see a great number of species of plants and animals in the transition from lowland to highland habitat. The area has a significant number of endemic amphibians, most notably the bamboo frog, copper-colored tree frog, and the giant torrent frog. The Johnston’s chameleon is just one of the reptiles that help make these montane forests so special. The vulnerable cream-banded swallowtail butterfly is confined to this region. In addition to the many endemic species of smaller size, the mountain gorilla, one of the most critically threatened large mammals in Africa, is also found in a few places within the ecoregion. The ecoregion also contains some of the easternmost populations of chimpanzee in Africa. However, despite the forests’ high biological importance, much of them remain poorly studied.
A chorus of birdsong fills the Albertine Rift Montane Forests throughout the day. Grauer's warblers, Chapin's flycatchers, and the Rwenzori turacos are just a few of the birds that sing here and nowhere else on Earth. Stay quiet, and you may also hear the hoots and chest-beating drum of a mountain gorilla. While you're at it, keep your eyes peeled for the locally endemic cream-banded swallowtail butterfly, Ruwenzori sun squirrel, or the copper-colored tree frog.
The biodiversity of this region is threatened by a number of activities: agriculture, grazing of livestock, hunting, and logging. Many of the montane forests have already been cleared, but some sizable blocks of montane forest still occur in areas such as the Virunga, Itombwe, and Rwenzori Ranges.
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