Urban Animal Diversity in the Global South

Urban animal ecology is a rapidly growing research area, yielding fascinating insights into the patterns and processes that shape biodiversity in the city. However, much of this research has focused on cities in the developed world, where the mechanisms affecting biodiversity might be very different to those in the developing cities of the Global South. Here we detail how the contemporary cities of the Global South diverge from their Global North counterparts and explain how several key differences in pattern can have important consequences for urban animal diversity and ultimately ecological function and ecosystem services. Our focus in this chapter is on several key taxonomic groups, including, birds, mammals, herpetofauna and invertebrates, and incorporates a case study on urban predators, as well as some views on novel insights that can be gained from studying urban animal diversity in the Global South. Additionally, we synthesise the available urban animal diversity research from the Global South and explore how varying landscape patterns, distinct abiotic conditions, and vastly different socio-economic contexts can lead to greatly different outcomes for biodiversity in Global South cities.