Carnegie Discoverers: An Island in a Sea of Sand: Describing New Amphibians and Reptiles from Angola’s Most Mysterious Mountain

Mariana P. Marques,MS, Collection Manager, Section of Amphibians and Reptiles, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Rising to 8,166 feet above sea level, Serra da Neve is an isolated mountain surrounded by miles and miles of arid habitats in southwestern Angola. This extinct volcano harbors a well-preserved forest and rich but unexplored biodiversity. In the last few years, my team and I have explored this lost world searching for amphibians and reptiles. What we found was beyond our wildest expectations. Learn about our findings, hear the stories behind these expeditions, and see how natural history collections play a fundamental role in species discovery and descriptions.

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