Records of Ethiopian and Eritrean mammals in Italian literature and museums, with some taxonomic notes

Abstract

Published and unpublished data on Ethiopian and Eritrean mammals, mainly deriving from Italian sources, including some natural history museums, in the present contribution are intended as an amendment to the landmark Catalogue of Ethiopian and Eritrean mammals produced by Derek Yalden and collaborators between 1974 and 1996. Additionally, a few taxonomic notes including the proposal of two new subspecific names are included. The paper highlights the importance of historical data for a number of scientific applications, such as taxonomy, conservation biology, and restoration ecology. Two ‘cryptozoological’ records are also included.