Maxime Lamotte was only 21 years old when he first explored mount Nimba in Guinea. There, he discovered an endemic viviparous frog, restricted to the summit grassland, which provoked a strong and never-ending interest for this mountain of tropical Africa. Returning to it many times, he trained many fellows, geographers, botanists, zoologists, the first of whom is the co-editor of this book, Roger Roy. Lamotte later became the head of the Zoology department of the Ecole normale superieure in Paris and Roger Roy became responsible for the Entomology department of the Institute fondamental d'Afrique Noire in Dakar. Both authors are associated here with leading specialists to provide a synthesis of more than a half century of zoological research at mount Nimba, nowadays a biosphere reserve and a world heritage site. This book represents the first global faunistic approach of a mountain of West Africa, and provides a timely initiative in the present context of the strong interest in biodiversity in the scientific community. The history of the scientific African expeditions is reported, setting the frame for an ecological description of the biota. More than 500 new species have been described from Nimba, 56 of which are originally published in the present book which also provides ecological data for several hundreds of invertebrate and vertebrate species. This outstanding book, abundantly illustrated, is invaluable for scientists, teachers, students and all those interested in present knowledge, and conservation, of tropical ecosystems.
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