Africa is home to some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. From gentle giants to little legends, every animal contributes to the continent’s magic.
Some of the most famous animals in the world are found in Africa. But there’s so much more to African wildlife than meets the eye.
Giants of the Land
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal. It can weigh more than 6 tonnes! Male elephants can be up to 3.4 m tall, while female elephants can be up to 2.6 m tall. African elephants' ears are shaped like the continent of Africa and play an important role in cooling elephants down. On very hot days, elephants like to spray water or put mud behind their ears where there are lots of small veins. This cools the veins helping the elephants to cool down. In the heat, elephants tend to constantly flap their ears which in turn cools down their bodies.
Elephants are highly social animals. They live in herds which are led by an older female matriarch. African elephants are family-oriented animals with a complex social structure. There are 2 types of herds: family herds led by a matriarch and herds of bachelor males. Elephants play an important part in their ecosystem, dramatically affecting the landscape. As they march through the bush, they create clearings that boost tree regrowth and make it possible for smaller grazers to reach new patches of food.
Another gentle giant is the Giraffe. Standing tall and proud at 19 feet, giraffes need only about 30 minutes of sleep at a time, and around 4 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. This behaviour is because sleeping makes them easy prey. More interestingly, giraffes that live in zoos sleep for a couple of hours more than giraffes in the wild. Also, they almost always stand while they sleep.
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The Gorilla is the largest primate on Earth. Male Gorillas can weigh up to 195 kg, while female Gorillas can weigh up to 113 kg. Gorillas live in the forests of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reptiles and Amphibians
The Nile crocodile is the largest reptile in Africa. They can be 5 metres long! The Nile crocodile is one of Africa’s deadliest reptiles, but it has another superpower - it can live to be over 100 years old. In fact, as a species, crocodiles have been around for 15 million years.
The Goliath frog is the largest living frog on Earth. They can grow to be 32 cm long and are found in Africa in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The IUCN classes goliath frogs as endangered. The major threat to their survival is hunting for consumption. Goliath frogs are often sold at bushmeat markets.
Birds of Africa
The ostrich is the largest bird on Earth. Male ostriches grow to be 2.8 m tall, while female ostriches grow to be 2 m tall. They live in savannas in Africa. The brain of an ostrich weighs around 40 grams, compared to one of their eyes which weighs around 60 grams. They do NOT stick their heads in the sand or the ground - this is an urban myth. The male ostrich is called a rooster, and the female is called a hen. Males and females both roost on their eggs. The birds are known to build their nests in trees and sometimes even in tall buildings. The female usually lays between three to five eggs.
Did you know that penguins live in Africa? There is a large colony of African penguins living near the cape in South Africa. African penguins are nicknamed Jackass penguins because of the braying sound they make (which sounds a lot like a donkey…). African penguins pair-bond and mate for life. Adults lay clutches of two eggs-which they sometimes burrow in guano, their excrement-and the two parents take turns sitting on the eggs until they hatch.
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Speed and Stealth
The fastest African land animal is the cheetah. Leopards are renowned for their agility and strength. They can run up to 36 miles per hour and keep that pace for long periods (unlike their cousin, the lion). They can leap up to 19 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically. Pound for pound, leopards are the strongest of the big cats. They’re able to climb trees, even when carrying heavy prey, and often choose to rest on tree branches during the day.
The Big Five
In Africa, the five animals tourists want to see the most on safari are called the Big Five. The phrase 'Big Five' was originally made by hunters as these animals are the hardest to hunt on foot. Contrary to popular belief, the term Big Five does not indicate that these are the 5 biggest animals in Africa. These are, in fact, the 5 most dangerous animals a person can encounter in the African bush when on foot.
Meet the stars of African wildlife: the Big 5.
- Lion: Lions are the most social of all the big cats. They live together in groups called “prides”, consisting of about 15 lions at a time. Male lions defend the pride’s territory and female lions (lionesses) do the hunting. Their roars can be heard from as far as 5 miles away! Though they are fierce predators, lions know what it means to enjoy a lazy day in the shade, as they may sleep up to 20 hours a day. A lion's roar can be heard over 8km away. Lions can roar so loudly due to a ligament in their voice box. This ligament is stretched to enable more air to pass across the vocal cords, making incredibly deep and loud sounds. Lions have a white line right underneath their eyes which assists them with night vision. There is a reflective coating behind the eye which helps to amplify the light emitted by stars and the moon.
- Leopard: Leopards are renowned for their agility and strength. They can run up to 36 miles per hour and keep that pace for long periods (unlike their cousin, the lion). They can leap up to 19 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically. Pound for pound, leopards are the strongest of the big cats. The leopard is probably the most adaptable of the African big cats when it comes to human interference. This is the main reason why leopards are spotted close to urban areas. Leopards have strong necks, which allow them to drag prey (that weighs more than themselves) into trees. Leopard cubs are born blind and are therefore completely dependent on their mothers. Their eyes start opening about 10 days after birth. A leopard’s tail is almost the same length as its body.
- Rhino: There are actually 2 types of rhinos you can find in Africa: the black rhino and the white rhino. You can tell them apart by the shape of their mouths. White rhinos have a square-shaped upper lip that’s perfect for grazing, while black rhinos have a more pointed lip designed to pick fruit off of trees. Black rhinos have a sort of “attack first, ask questions later” attitude. When they catch a human scent or anything unfamiliar, they’re likely to charge. While both types of rhinos are a target for poachers, the black rhino is considered critically endangered. Recent success in conservation brings hope for the species, but there’s still a long way to go. Humans are the biggest threat to adult black rhinos. Their horns are made from keratin, which is the same material human nails are made of. Like humans, the skin of a rhino is very sensitive to the sun.
- Elephant: The African elephant is the largest animal walking the earth. Their herds wander through 37 countries in Africa, so you are likely to see them on safari in southern or eastern Africa. African elephants are family-oriented animals with a complex social structure. There are 2 types of herds: family herds led by a matriarch and herds of bachelor males. Elephants play an important part in their ecosystem, dramatically affecting the landscape. African elephants' ears are shaped like the continent of Africa and play an important role in cooling elephants down. On very hot days, elephants like to spray water or put mud behind their ears where there are lots of small veins. This cools the veins helping the elephants to cool down. In the heat, elephants tend to constantly flap their ears which in turn cools down their bodies. Did you know that elephants are either right-handed or left-handed? One can see this when looking at their tusks. They normally have one tusk which is broken or more worn than the other. The average daily food intake of an African elephant is between 150 kg to 300 kg per day, and when drinking they can consume between 100 and 200 litres of water.
- Buffalo: The African buffalo, also known as the Cape buffalo, is thriving, and you’re likely to see this species all over southern and eastern Africa. These guys are big, and they know how to handle themselves. Their horns are used to protect themselves and to take on any other buffalo that tries to battle them. The buffalo is oddly enough seen as one of the most dangerous of the Big 5 animals. This has a lot to do with the fact that other animals usually show some warning signs before they attack. Buffalo are very good swimmers, as they often cross large rivers to find good grazing fields. One also often sees lonely buffalo bulls (also known as dagga boys) lying in water and mud. The name dagga boy comes from the word “dagga” which refers to a cement mixture used in building houses. Buffalo are usually found in large herds, sometimes hundreds of animals in one herd. These huge herds are often closely followed by lions.
Wild Animals Song for Children | African Big 5 Song for Kids | English Song for Students
The Little Five
A lesser-known grouping of smaller animals that we have in Africa, is the Little 5. These are 5 smaller animals that share parts of their names with the Big 5 animals.
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- Antlion: The largest of the lacewing family. Their larvae are found all over southern Africa in soft sand and they stay in funnel-shaped pits, used to catch their prey. They sit at the bottom of the pit hidden in the sand, and when they detect an insect entering the pit, they throw sand towards them to make the prey fall to the bottom.
- Leopard Tortoise: They have unique markings on their shells. They are mostly plant eaters, however, they often gnaw on bones and also eat hyena droppings.
- Elephant Shrew: They eat invertebrates and also fruit, seeds and leaves.
- Rhino Beetle: The males use these horns to fight each other for territory and possession of females. They are part of the scarab family. There are over 300 types of rhino beetles worldwide.
- Buffalo Weaver: These weavers are communal and live in large colonies.
Other Fascinating Creatures
Africa is also home to many other unique and interesting animals:
- Aardvarks: The aardvark is a burrowing, nocturnal mammal with a pig-like nose on a long, thin snout. It also has long, rabbit-like ears and a long tail. An aardvark can weigh up to 65 kilograms (145 pounds) and is up to about 2 meters (7 feet) long. They are found across much of Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and their habitat is savannah and semiarid areas.
- Bat-eared foxes: Found in the African savannah, the bat-eared fox is known for its distinctly large ears. These ears help distribute heat across their bodies and also help them locate prey. It is a relatively small mammal, growing about 80 centimeters (32 inches) long and weighing 3-4.5 kilograms (6-10 pounds). All foxes are considered canids-the family of dogs-and the bat-eared fox is the only truly insectivorous canid, meaning it eats bugs instead of meat.
- Shoebills: The shoebill is a bird in the order Pelecaniformes (alongside pelicans, herons, and other water birds) known for its enormous, shoe-shaped bill. It can reach up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. Its abnormally large feet help it stand on aquatic vegetation while hunting, and its large wings are well-adapted for soaring.
- Gerenuks: Also known as the giraffe gazelle because of its extremely long neck, the gerenuk is a species of antelope found in East Africa. Its name means ‘giraffe-necked’ in Somali. They have a very small head but large eyes and ears, and males have horns.
Conservation Efforts
Africa is home to some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems that host an incredible variety of wildlife. At least one-sixth of all the world’s plant species are found only on the African continent. Africa also hosts about one-quarter of the world’s mammal and bird species. In total, Africa is home to an estimated 50,000 to 73,000 plant species, 1,100 mammal species, 2,500 bird species, 3,000 to 5,500 freshwater fish species, 950 amphibian species, and 1,600 to 2,100 reptile species.
As a conservation and rescue organization, IFAW works in Africa and around the world to protect wildlife, preserve their habitats, and help animals and people thrive together.
Interesting Facts
| Animal | Interesting Fact |
|---|---|
| Elephants | They can smell water from about 12 miles (19.3 kms) away! In times of drought, they’ll even dig deep into dry riverbeds, creating makeshift wells that benefit other thirsty animals. |
| Termites | Termites can build towering mounds that reach up to 30 feet or 9.1 metres high (which is like a mega-giant skyscraper if you compare them to humans). Plus, they play an important role in soil health and decomposition. |
| Dung Beetles | Researchers believe that dung beetles use our galaxy as a reference to go in a straight line, and use the difference in brightness between different parts of the Milky Way to determine which way to go. |
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