Let's explore a handful of fascinating animals unique to each African subregion. Each image will link to a website giving a full account of the animal. For brevity, we've listed a fun fact for each animal below its photo.
Northern Africa
As this region is defined primarily by the Sahara Desert, let's look at a couple animals that can only be found within it.
Ostrich
Image from Flickr. Creator: Lip Kee
Fun Facts: Ostriches are the world's largest and fastest birds (and they're flightless!)
Saharan Horned Viper
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: It warns others by making a rattling or rasping sound from rubbing its serrated scales together.
Eastern Africa
The rainforests of Eastern Africa are home to the densest populations of Africa's "Big 5" - the top 5 animals people associate with Africa.
Lion
Image from Animalia.
Fun Facts: Lions sleep for about 20 hours a day. The females hunt while the males defend the pride's territory.
Leopard
Image from Flickr. Creator: GRID-Arendal
Fun Fact: A leopard's spots are called "rosettes" due to their shape.
African Elephant
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: The African Bush Elephant is the largest land animal in the world!
African Buffalo
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: Their herds can number as many as 2000 buffalo.
Black Rhinoceros
Fun Facts: A group of rhinos is called a "crash" and they have extremely poor vision, being able to see only about 30ft. ahead.
Central Africa
Check out these animals that originate from the Congo river basin.
Gorilla
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: These are extremely intelligent creatures. They've been recorded making and using their own tools.
Pygmy Hippopotamus
Image from Flickr. Creator: Tambako The Jaguar
Fun Fact: Despite being herbivores, hippos are the deadliest land mammal on the planet. They are very territorial and possess great speed and power.
Southern Africa
Being geographically defined by the Cape of Good Hope, discover more about these "Cape" animals which can only be found naturally in South Africa.
Cape Cobra
Image from Flickr. Creator: Robert Wallace
Fun Fact: Being one of the most venomous creatures in the world, it's a great thing they prefer to live in isolation (coming together only during mating season). In fact, they are completely independent as soon as they hatch.
Cape Genet
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: They are often kept as exotic pets!
Cape Mountain Zebra
Image from Animalia
Fun Fact: A small breed of zebra with a white belly with no stripes (so, zebras are white with black stripes!)
Western Africa
Known for the Savanna, join our exploration of wildlife native to this habitat.
Aardvark
Image from Animalia.
Fun Fact: Along with being the first non-article word in the dictionary, the aardvark can eat up to 60,000 ants or termites a night!
Leopard Tortoise
Image from Wikimedia Commons.
Fun Fact: Leopard tortoises have a bursa sac they use to store water for dry months, and this helps females soften the sun-baked ground to make nests for eggs.
