Serra Malagueta

For the settlement, see Serra Malagueta (village).

Serra Malagueta is a mountain range located in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. At 1064 m elevation,^[1] it is highest point of northern Santiago. The mountain range is protected as the Serra Malagueta Natural Park (Parque Natural de Serra Malagueta), that was established on February 24, 2005 and covers 774 hectares.^[2][3] The natural park is situated in the municipalities Tarrafal, São Miguel and Santa Catarina. The summit is in São Miguel, south of the Ribeira Principal valley. The Serra Malagueta formation is of volcanic origin, and was formed between 2.9 and 2.4 million years ago.^[4]

Serra Malagueta
Serra Malagueta
Highest point
Elevation	1,064 m (3,491 ft)
Prominence	2nd in Santiago
Listing	List of mountains in Cape Verde
Coordinates	15°10′46″N 23°40′20″W
Geography
Serra Malagueta northern Santiago
Geology
Rock age(s)	Miocene and Pliocene
Rock type(s)	basalt, basanite
Climbing
Easiest route	dirt road

Flora

Echium hypertropicum (cowtongue) by Ribeira Principal

View of Serra Malagueta facing the southwest

The park features about 124 species of plants, of which 28 are endemic species or subspecies.^[5] The endemic plants are threatened by invasive species from outside the park including Lantana camara (lantana) and Furcraea foetida (giant cabuya). Limonium lobinii (carqueja de Santiago) is only found in this park.^[5]

The west of Serra Malagueta with Tarrafal from Monte Graciosa on a slight hazy day

Fauna

In the park there are 19 species of birds, of which eight are endemic. Many of these are endangered, including Ardea purpurea bournei (Bourne's heron), Acrocephalus brevipennis (Cape Verde warbler)^[6] and Cape Verde buzzard (Buteo bannermani).^[5] Four species of mammals are found, including one species of monkey. Six species of reptiles are found (four are endemic) and one endemic amphibian species.^[5] Invertebrates such as butterflies are found including Acherontia atropos and Papilio demodocus; one beetle is endangered: Diplognatha gagates.^[5]

See also

• List of mountains in Cape Verde

Notes

1. Serra Malagueta Natural Park Pardela (in Portuguese), accessed 2018-04-07
2. Resolução nº 36/2016, Estratégia e Plano Nacional de Negócios das Áreas Protegidas
3. Parques Naturais, Áreas protegidas Cabo Verde
4. Holm, P. M. (2008). "An 40Ar-39Ar study of the Cape Verde hot spot: temporal evolution in a semistationary plate environment". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 113. J. Geophys. Res.: B08201. doi:10.1029/2007JB005339.
5. "Ecology of Serra Malagueta". Eco Serra Malagueta. Archived from the original on 2011-12-28.
6. Batalha, Helena R.; Wright, David J.; Barr, Iain; Collar, Nigel J.; Richardson, David S. (2017-04-01). "Genetic diversity and divergence in the endangered Cape Verde warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis" (PDF). Conservation Genetics. 18 (2): 343–357. doi:10.1007/s10592-016-0909-3. ISSN 1566-0621.

External links

• Eco Serra Malagueta/Serra Malagueta Natural Park
• Wildlife of Serra Malagueta
• Serra Malagueta at the IUCN page