Africa is the second largest continent in the world and is home to a variety of wild animals. For many of us, this is strange territory - dark, distant, hiding ancient secrets. More than 1100 live here various types mammals and more than 2,600 different species of birds. And hundreds of amphibians, reptiles and insects... Amazing, isn't it? The most famous mammals in Africa are called the "Big Five" - the elephant, lion, rhinoceros, leopard and buffalo.
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25Hippos are vegetarians
It's hard to believe, but hippos can consume 45 kg of plant food per day. And although hippos are quite aggressive towards people, it is believed that they do not disdain cannibalism; in fact, hippos are herbivores. Little research has been done in this regard, scientists are still studying behavior and eating habits hippos in the wild.
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24Did you say blue tongue? Cool!
Can you guess which animal has a blue tongue? Giraffe! The average length of a giraffe's tongue is about 50 cm, and yes, it of blue color. Long tongue allows them to pluck leaves from higher branches on trees. Scientists believe that melanin, a pigment that provides dark pigmentation to the skin, is responsible for the blue/purple hue of the giraffe's tongue. There is still no definitive answer as to why giraffes actually have blue tongues, but it is believed that this color was evolved to provide protection from the sun.
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23Life of a crocodile
Did you know that crocodiles appeared on earth before dinosaurs? You bet you don't know! Crocodiles have a good digestive system and they can live without food for several months. They can also hold their breath underwater for over ten minutes and are believed to have very strong immune system. And crocodiles are lucky enough to have the greatest bite force of any animal on earth. Impressive, isn't it?
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22African elephant
African elephants are the largest animals on earth. They differ from Asian elephants in the shape of their ears, which reach 1.2-1.5 meters in length and help the animal get rid of excess heat. These huge animals grow up to 7.5 meters in length and weigh up to seven tons. African elephants, unlike their Asian counterparts, also have two appendages at the end of their trunk. They live throughout almost the entire African continent, with the exception of North Africa.
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21Penguins? In Africa?
The last thing you would expect in Africa is to see penguins, but they are there! It's more common to see penguins against a backdrop of snow and ice, but African penguins have adapted to warmer climates. They live on the coast and islands of South Africa. They are also called donkey penguins because of their ability to make bleating noises similar to those made by donkeys when communicating. African penguins are covered in water-repellent feathers and live in herds.
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20Features of the pangolin language
Pangolins are mammals that belong to the order Pholidota. They drive night look life, and also very shy. They feed only on insects. The most amazing thing is that their tongues, long and sticky, can be rolled into a kind of cover, which is additionally attached to their chest cavity. The muscles that control the movements of the tongue are located throughout abdominal cavity and even in the pelvic area.
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19What does a giraffe have in common with humans?
It's hard to imagine that a giraffe could have anything in common with a human. We don't typically compare them in any way, but it has been found that giraffes and humans have the same number of cervical vertebrae.
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18Killer ostriches
No one can deny the fact that ostriches can kill people. They can literally beat a person to death; a blow from a paw easily breaks the spine and bones. But it has been observed that they can only strike in a straight direction, so it may be assumed that in the event of an attack it is safer to remain on the back and, if possible, to the side of the bird.
Africa is one of the most large continents(second in size only to Eurasia). It is divided into almost two equal halves by the equator line, respectively, from the tropics in the North through the equator and to the tropics in the South (only the very outskirts of Africa are slightly subtropical). The climate can be perfectly imagined without long-winded opuses - heat with great intensity day/night. The nature of Africa should be considered by conditionally dividing it into North and South.
A billion people live on a huge area of 30.3 million square kilometers, a seemingly expanse of 30 square kilometers, but people live extremely unevenly across the continent. This is due to harsh climatic conditions, availability of water (lack of quality drinking water reaches almost the size of its apogee). More than two thirds of the population are poor. In the North - the Mediterranean Sea, East and Northeast - the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, West - Atlantic Ocean. Africa is unusual, harsh and amazing.
Flora of Africa
North Africa
Africa, located above the equator, is almost all on the Sahara Plate. The relief is a system of plateaus and plateaus with erosion ulcers, which time immemorial originated on this part of the continent. Before talking about the plants of North Africa, you need to clearly understand that in summer in this part of the continent it can be up to 60 degrees Celsius with a “+” mark, “cold” winter - from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius.
Plants have evolved to grow in such conditions. Two subregions can be distinguished - the desert-tropical Sahara and the savannas of Sudan. About 1.2 thousand plant species have adapted to live in such extreme conditions - it is objectively clear that these are xerophytes and ephemerals; with rare exceptions, representatives of other species can be found.
South Africa
But South Africa is very special and more welcoming. More and more new plant species are taking root in this part of the continent, and now, for example, flowering plants, there are already more than 24,000 species. All of Europe together cannot compete with such diversity; this is almost 10% of the world's plants of this type.
The most favorable for them is a strip of 200 kilometers in width on the coast of the South-West of South Africa (vector - from the West (Clanwilliam) to the East (Port Elizabeth). The Cape kingdom of flora stretches over an area of 5.5 thousand square kilometers, which has a unique species composition plants.
There is no such concentration of so many plant species in a tiny area anywhere in the world. The flora of tropical rainforests stood nearby. For example, near Cape Town (Table Mountain) there are 1.5 thousand plant species in 60 square kilometers.
African fauna
North Africa
Both for plants and animals, North Africa is extremely harsh, demanding in terms of adaptability, the ability to survive and adapt to the most difficult conditions. Very few animals have chosen this region as their home. And those who have chosen are under constant threat of extinction. The following are disappearing: mammals - 40 species (9 species are already on the verge), birds - 10 species, reptiles - 7 species, fish - 1 species.
But although there are few animal species in the North, there are a lot of individuals of these few that were able to adapt. They are very mobile and travel for kilometers in search of food and food.
Typical animals of the Sahara, for example, are antelopes (oryx, addax), gazelles (dama, dorcas), Mountain goat. The value of skins and edibility are the most terrible enemies of animals; they, more than other factors, served as the engine of their gradual movement towards extinction.
There are both migratory and local birds. The desert raven is especially common.
Snakes, turtles, lizards - represent the world of reptiles of North Africa. You can also find a crocodile in some natural water reservoirs.
South Africa
And again - the South is not the North, no matter how banal it sounds. Species diversity The wildlife of South Africa amazes any person. Home to more than 500 species of birds, about 100 species of reptiles, many amphibians and insects.
Many residents of other continents go there specifically to see with their own eyes " big five" These are lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant. They are a universally recognized calling card of Southern Africa.
The stunning diversity of fauna is abundantly represented by rare, exotic animals. Nowhere in the world are there so many stunning individuals. But there are also problems. The problem is the person himself. It exterminates, destroys, and interferes with amazing representatives of nature. Poaching, illegal shooting, and improper management are the enemies of animals in Southern Africa.
There's a lot to think about. After all, whether we show our children and grandchildren amazing images of individuals who existed with us but have passed into history, or maybe we show them to them with our own eyes, depends only on us.
In my report on the environment, I will talk about the animal world of one of the six continents on the planet. This is Africa. The fauna of the continent is extremely rich and diverse. Throughout the continent you can find animals, reptiles, birds and insects. They have adapted to life in hot climates.
Fauna of equatorial forests
In the center of the continent is the kingdom of evergreens equatorial forests. The jungle is a paradise for monkeys, gorillas, baboons and other primates. Here they have a lot of food and vines. Dense thickets protect from danger.
Gorilla is the largest representative of primates.
Photo: flickr.com/Scott Chacon
Except for the monkeys, in the wet tropical forests can be found:
- peacocks, banana-eating birds, brightly feathered parrots;
- green mamba, horned and tree vipers and other snakes;
- wild boar, bongo antelope, okapi;
- crocodiles, pygmy hippopotamuses;
- leopards, wild cats, civets.
Most land animals are small in size. They do not have branched horns. They easily make their way through the jungle. It is not herbivores that live here, but animals that feed on leaves and branches.
African leopard - wild cat large sizes and most beautiful beast continent.
Photo: flickr.com/
Savannah
Large animals of the savannah constantly roam. They change pastures. Nature has endowed them with strong legs. Thanks to them, animals can go far to find food and water. They are able to escape from predators or catch up with prey. Many small animals sleep during drought.
Live in the savannah:
- antelopes, elands, gazelles, zebras, buffalos;
- giraffes, African elephants, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses;
- lions, servals, cheetahs, hyenas, jackals and other predators;
- vultures, ostriches, bustards, secretary birds, pelicans, marabou, flamingos and other birds;
- lizards, snakes, turtles;
- termites, ants, bright butterflies, tsetse fly and other insects.
African elephants live in herds and are able to protect their offspring in case of danger.
Photo: flickr.com/Allan Watt
Desert Animals
Sahara, Namib and Kalahari are African deserts. There is no water in them for many kilometers. The air warms up to +60°C, so there is sparse flora and fauna here. But some animals have adapted to such conditions in the following way:
- they can live for a long time without water;
- self-cooling;
- lead a nightlife;
- have pads on their feet for walking on hot sand;
- They are well camouflaged due to their coloring.
the king of this natural area is dromedary camel. In addition to it, in the desert there live, for example, the jerboa, scorpion, fennec fox, and Dorcas gazelle.
Dromedary camels are no longer seen in the wild.
Photo: flickr.com/DennisBernhard
Rare species
There are numerous nature reserves in Africa. Their goal is to preserve and protect representatives of flora and fauna from extinction.
A rare African animal is the okapi. It is a mixture of giraffe, zebra and horse.
Okapi are shaped like a horse or a giraffe, and their limbs are decorated with stripes like a zebra.
Photo: flickr.com/cuatrok77
The cheetah is considered the fastest wild animal in Africa. It is listed in the Red Book. TO rare species also include pygmy hippopotamuses, wild dogs, dwarf elephants, maned wolves and duikers.
Ecological problems
The fauna of Africa is unique. But it is caused irreparable damage by the thoughtless activities of people.
Environmental problems are associated with:
- insufficient cleaning harmful emissions into air, wastewater.
- deforestation;
- import and disposal of chemical waste and electronic waste from all over the world;
- poaching.
All this leads to the extinction of many species of African animals.
International environmental organizations are active on the continent. For example, Greenpeace is fighting against the barbaric deforestation of tropical forests. Also involved in environmental issues in Africa International Union The Nature Conservancy (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund.
Amazing and rich in variety animal world in Africa but, unfortunately, their numbers are catastrophically decreasing. The reasons include harsh climate, habitat loss and ruthless poaching in pursuit of profit. Therefore, many protected and environmental zones are being created on the African continent.
Aardvark
In its homeland, this mammal is called the ground pig, as colonists from Holland called it. And translated from Greek, its name means burrowing limbs.
Animal world Africa never ceases to amaze with its pets, the appearance of the animal is quite interesting, its body looks like a young pig, it has rabbit ears, and its tail is borrowed from a kangaroo.
An interesting fact is that the aardvark has only twenty molars; they are hollow and tube-shaped, growing throughout life. The animal’s body length is almost one and a half meters, and it weighs on average sixty to seventy kilograms. The skin is earth-colored, thick and rough, with sparse bristles.
The muzzle and tail of aardvarks are lighter in color; in females, the tip of the tail is completely white. Apparently nature colored them in such a way that babies would not lose sight of their mother at night.
The muzzle is elongated, elongated like a pipe with a long sticky tongue. Aardvarks look for anthills with termites, destroy them and eat the ants they come across. In one go, an aardvark can eat about fifty thousand insects.
Since they are nocturnal animals, their vision is poor, and besides, they are also color blind. But the sense of smell is highly developed, and there are many vibrissae near the patch. Their claws, ossified like hooves, are long and strong, which is why aardvarks are considered the best diggers.
The aardvark got its name from the shape of its teeth, which resemble tubes.
Cobra
The Portuguese call it the hooded snake. This is very poisonous snake, belonging to the family. By nature, the cobra is not aggressive unless provoked.
And in case of danger, she will not instantly attack her victim, but will first perform a special ritual with hissing and inflating her hood. These snakes inhabit the southern parts of the African continent, hiding in crevices, tree hollows and animal burrows.
Snake hunters say that if a cobra attacks a person, it will not always inject venom into the bite site. This is explained by the fact that the cobra leaves the toxin for hunting to soak in.
Her menu includes snakes and small monitor lizards, for which she is called the snake eater. During egg laying, the cobra continues three months does not eat anything at all, vigilantly guarding its offspring.
By inflating its hood, the cobra warns of an attack
Gyurza
It is also the Levant viper, one of the large and highly toxic species of snakes. It has a one and a half meter well-fed body, and a large triangular head.
In the spring, having awakened from hibernation, first the males, later the females, they awaken a brutal appetite. Then the snake, either hiding on the ground or climbing a tree, looks out for its prey.
As soon as the unfortunate animal approaches, the viper immediately attacks, grabs it with its teeth and does not let go of the already half-dead body until the poison has done its job. Then, having swallowed the prey, she again goes hunting.
When a snake feels that it is in danger, it will violently hiss and jump at the offender until it bites him. The length of her jump matches the length of her body.
Python
Pythons are not poisonous, they are relatives of anacondas and boa constrictors. They are one of largest snakes all over the world, and in nature there are about forty species of them. There is the largest python on earth, its length reaches ten meters and one hundred kilograms of weight. And the smallest one is no more than one meter in length.
Pythons have one feature that other reptiles do not have. They know how to regulate their body temperature themselves, and in case of hypothermia, warm themselves by playing with the muscles of the body, either contracting or relaxing them.
Mostly pythons have spotted colors, few of them are solid in color. Young pythons have striped bodies, but as they mature, the stripes will gradually turn into spots.
When hunting, having caught a victim, the python does not bite it with its large teeth, but wraps it in rings and strangles it. Then the python drags the already lifeless body into a wide open mouth and begins to swallow. The largest prey it can eat weighs no more than forty kilograms.
Green mamba snake
Blending flawlessly with the foliage, the green mamba hunts birds and possesses strong poison. The snake lives in trees, has an excellent sense of smell, and even more excellent vision thanks to big eyes.
The photo shows a green mamba
Gaboon viper
A large, heavy snake with the largest teeth reaching 8 cm. Thanks to its color, it is easily camouflaged among the leaves, patiently waiting for prey. Bite Gaboon viper the most painful in the world.
Gazelle
A beautiful and graceful artiodactyl with long legs and neck. A distinctive feature of the gazelle is some kind of glasses, two white stripes that run from the horns to the nose through both eyes. These animals go out to pasture in the morning and evening hours. At lunchtime they rest peacefully, somewhere hiding from the scorching sun.
Gazelles live territorially; the male will protect his territory and the female and her children from rivals. Male gazelles only show off their strength; they very rarely get into fights.
Antelope
An interesting-looking artiodactyl. After all, there are many subspecies of them. There are some antelopes that are slightly larger than a rabbit. And there are also huge ones - elands, their parameters are not inferior to an adult bull.
Some antelopes live in the arid desert, others live among bushes and trees. Antelopes have their own peculiarity, these are their horns, they come in a wide variety of shapes and grow throughout their lives.
The bongo antelope is distinguished by its bright red coloration with white vertical stripes. Lives in forest thickets
Their appearance bears some resemblance to a cow and a deer. Female bongos live in families with their offspring. And their adult males live in splendid isolation until the start of the rut. During drought, animals rise to the mountains, and with the advent of the rainy season, they descend to the plains.
Bongo antelope
Zebra
Zebras are divided into several subspecies: savanna, lowland, mountain, desert and burchellidae. Zebras live in herds, in which there are up to twenty females with cubs. The father of the family is a male who has reached the age of five, strong and courageous.
Zebras cannot do without water; it is vital for them. Therefore, the female always leads to the watering hole, followed by young animals of different ages. And the leader of the pack will always be the prisoner, covering the rear and protecting the family from ill-wishers.
Zebras breed all year round, after calving, the next time the female will bring a stallion in two to three years. Their pregnancy lasts a whole year, and a newborn baby can jump within an hour after birth.
Giraffe
He is the highest land animal, because his height from hooves to forehead is about six meters. Of which, two and a half meters is the height of the torso, everything else is the neck. An adult male giraffe weighs almost a ton - 850 kilograms, females are smaller, about half a ton.
On their heads there is a pair of hairy small horns. There are individuals that have two pairs of horns and a ossified bump on the forehead. An interesting fact is that the giraffe has a half-meter-long tongue that is dark gray in color. He is very muscular and, when necessary, completely falls out of his mouth in order to reach a leaf or twig.
The giraffe is spotted in color, with dark spots randomly scattered throughout the white fur. Moreover, their spots are individual, each has its own, separate pattern.
Despite their kilograms and thin legs, giraffes can outrun even horses when running. After all, their maximum speed reaches more than 50 kilometers per hour.
Buffalo
Black buffalo, one of the species of bulls that densely inhabit the African continent. Average weight this animal is seven hundred kilograms, but there are specimens that weigh more than a ton.
These bulls are black in color, their wool is thin and hard, and dark skin is visible through it. Buffaloes have their own distinctive feature - the fused base of the horns on their heads.
Moreover, in young bulls, the horns grow separately from each other, but over the years bone on them it grows so much that it completely covers the entire frontal part of the head. And this ossification is so strong that even a bullet cannot penetrate it.
And the horns themselves too unusual shape, from the middle of the head they diverge widely to the sides, then bend slightly in a semi-arc towards the bottom, towards the ends they rise up again.
If you look at them from the side, their shape is very similar to hooks from tower crane. Buffaloes are very sociable, they have created a whole system of communication with each other, while they moo, growl, twist their heads, ears and tail.
Black rhinoceros
The animal is of enormous size, its weight reaches two tons, this is with a body length of three meters. Unfortunately, in two thousand and thirteen, one of the species of black rhinoceroses received the status of an extinct species.
The rhinoceros is called black not because it is black, but because it is dirty. All the time he has free from eating and sleeping, he rolls out in the dirt. Along the rhinoceros's muzzle, from the very tip of the nose, there are horns; there can be two, or maybe five of them.
The largest is the one located on the nose, because its length reaches half a meter. But there are also individuals whose largest horn grows more than a meter in length. They live their whole life only in one territory chosen by them, and nothing will force the animal to leave its home.
They are vegetarians, and their diet consists of twigs, bushes, leaves and grass. He goes out for meals in the morning and evening hours, and spends lunch standing under some leaning tree, meditating in the shade.
Also, the daily routine of the black rhinoceros includes a daily walk to a watering hole, and it can cover distances of up to ten kilometers to the life-giving moisture. And there, having drunk enough, the rhinoceros will wallow in the mud for a long time, protecting its skin from the scorching sun and nasty insects.
A female rhinoceros stays pregnant for a year and three months, then feeds her baby for another two years. breast milk. But by the second year of life, the “baby” grows up to be such impressive size that he has to kneel to get to his mother's breast. In case of danger, rhinoceroses can reach speeds of more than forty kilometers per hour.
White rhinoceros
They live in the northern and southern parts of African lands. After the elephant, the white rhinoceros is the second largest land animal, because with its four-ton weight, its body length is four meters. The color of the animal does not quite correspond to its name, because it is far from white, but dirty gray.
White rhinoceros differs from black rhinoceros in structure upper lip. U white rhinoceros it is wider and flatter in shape. There is also a difference in the way of life, since white rhinoceroses live in small herds of up to 10 heads, black rhinoceroses live in solitary individuals. The lifespan of these huge mammals is 50-55 years.
Pygmy hippopotamus
These cute little animals are Westerners. African jungle. They differ from their direct relatives, ordinary hippopotamuses, in their smaller size and more rounded shape, in particular the shape of the head.
Pygmy hippos grow up to two hundred kilograms, with a body length of one and a half meters. These animals are very careful, so it is almost impossible to meet them by chance.
Because they live in dense thickets or in impassable swamps. Hippos spend less time in water than on land, but their skin has such a structure that it requires constant hydration.
Therefore, during the daytime sunshine, dwarfs take baths. And when night falls, they go into the nearest forest thickets for provisions. They live alone, and only during the mating period do their paths intersect.
Pygmy hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
These huge artiodactyls weigh up to three and a half tons, with a height of one and a half meters. He has a very well-fed body, a huge head and muzzle. Although the hippopotamus only eats plant foods, he has such teeth that in a fight he can easily bite himself in two big alligator.
His lower teeth, or rather fangs, do not stop growing throughout his life. And already in the old age of the animal they reach half a meter in length.
Wild animals of Africa The hippopotamus is considered not only big and strong, but also an intelligent and savvy animal. After all, if one of their predators gets into the head of attacking him on land, the hippopotamus will not even fight, but will simply drag the attacker into the water and drown him.
Elephant
Of all land animals, elephants are considered the largest. They grow up to four meters in height, and their body weight is on average 5-6 tons, but there are also larger individuals.
Elephants have rough gray skin, a large head, ears and trunk, a massive huge body, huge legs and a small tail. They have practically no fur, but the cubs are born covered with coarse fur.
Elephant ears are so large that you can fan them in hot weather like a fan. And the trunk is generally a universal organ: with its help they breathe, smell, and eat.
In hot weather, they douse themselves with water to protect themselves from enemies. Elephants also have unusual tusks; they grow throughout their lives and reach large sizes. Elephants live up to seventy years.
Cheetah
A graceful, fragile and muscular predatory mammal. He is the only member of the cat family who can reach speeds of up to one hundred kilometers per hour in a matter of minutes, while making leaps of seven meters in length.
Adult cheetahs weigh no more than sixty kg. They are dark sandy, even slightly reddish in color with dark spots all over the body. They have a small head and equally small ears with rounded ends. The body is one and a half meters long, the tail is eighty centimeters long.
Cheetahs feed only on fresh meat, while hunting, they will never attack the victim from the back. Cheetahs, no matter how hungry they are, will never feed on the carcasses of killed and decomposed animals.
Leopard
Recognizable by everyone predatory cat, characterized by a spotted color that is identical to human fingerprints, is not repeated in any animal. Leopards run fast, jump high, and climb trees well. This is inherent in their natural hunting instincts. Predators feed variedly; their diet includes about 30 species of various animals.
Leopards are light red with black polka dots. They have very beautiful fur, poachers, in pursuit of it and a lot of money, callously kill the unfortunate animals. Today, leopards are on the pages of the Red Book.
African lion
Beautiful predatory animals that live in families (prides), which consist of large groups.
An adult male can weigh up to two hundred and fifty kilograms, and can easily overwhelm a bull even several times larger than himself. Distinctive feature males have a mane. The older you get, the denser and thicker it is.
Lions don't hunt in large flocks, most often females go hunting. When catching prey, they act harmoniously as a team.
Jackal
The jackal family consists of three subspecies - black-backed, striped and European-African. All of them live in African territories. Jackals live in large families and even entire groups, feeding on carrion and more.
Due to their numbers, they attack animals, surrounding their prey en masse, then kill and eat the whole family. Jackals also enjoy eating vegetable and fruit food.
What is noteworthy is that if jackals form a pair, they do so for life. The male, along with the female, raises his offspring, arranges a hole and takes care of the children’s food.
Hyena
These animals live throughout the African continent. Hyenas grow up to a meter long and weigh fifty kilograms, like a large shepherd dog. They come in brown, striped and spotted colors. Their fur is short, and from the head to the middle of the spine the pile is longer and sticks out.
Hyenas are territorial animals, so they mark all their possessions and adjacent territories with secretions from their glands. They live in large groups, with the female at the head.
During a hunt, hyenas can literally beat their prey half to death, chasing it for hours. Hyenas are able to eat very quickly, eating hooves and fur in the process.
Monkey
In nature, there are 25 species of monkeys, they are of different sizes, colors, and behavior patterns. Intellectually, these primates are the most advanced of all animals. Animals live in large flocks and spend almost their entire lives in trees.
They feed on plant foods and various insects. During the period of flirting, the male and female show mutual signs of attention. And with the advent of offspring, children are raised together.
Gorilla
Of all the primates living in the forests of Africa, gorillas are the largest. They grow almost two meters tall and weigh more than one hundred and fifty kg. They have dark fur, large and long paws.
Sexual maturity in gorillas occurs at ten years of age. After almost nine months, the female gives birth to a baby once every three to five years. Gorillas can only have one baby, and it stays with its mother until the next heir is born.
In reports on African animals, They present amazing facts: it turns out that the brain of a gorilla is comparable to the brain of a three-year-old child. On average, gorillas live thirty-five years; there are some that live up to fifty.
Chimpanzee
The family of these animals consists of two subspecies - common and dwarf chimpanzees. Unfortunately, they are all listed in the Red Book as endangered species.
Chimpanzees are the most closely related species to humans from a genetic point of view. They are much smarter than monkeys, and skillfully use their mental abilities.
Baboon
The body length of these animals is 70 cm, the tail is 10 cm shorter. They are light brown, even mustard in color. Although baboons look clumsy, they are actually very agile and nimble.
Baboons always live in large families, the number of animals in them is up to one hundred individuals. The family is dominated by several leaders, who are very friendly with each other, and if necessary, they will always support each other.
Females are also quite sociable with their neighbors and with the younger generation. Sexually mature females stay with their mother for a long time, and young male sons leave the family in search of their mate.
Baboon
About these animals of Africa we can say that they live almost throughout the entire continent. Females are significantly different from males; they are almost half the size. They do not have a beautiful mane on their heads, and the fangs of males are quite large.
The baboons' muzzle is somewhat similar to a dog's, only it is bald and black. Their back part (i.e. butt) is also bald. When the female reaches adulthood and is ready to mate, this part of her swells greatly, becomes plump and becomes scarlet.
To communicate with each other, baboons use almost 30 different vowels and consonants, and also actively gesture and make grimaces.
Lemurs
There are about one hundred species of them, belonging to the most ancient order of primates. Lemurs are very different from each other, there are fifty gram individuals, and there are also ten kilogram ones.
Some primates eat only plant foods, while others prefer a mixed diet. Some are active only at night, the rest are day residents.
From external differences - they have different colors, fur length, etc. What they have in common is the large claw on their back toe and the impressive fangs they have on their lower jaw.
Okapi
It is also called forest giraffe. Okapi – one of the interesting animals of Africa. This is a large artiodactyl, two meters in body length and almost three hundred kilograms in weight.
They have long muzzle, big ears and the males have horns like a giraffe. The body is colored ruby brown, and hind legs painted with white transverse stripes. From the knees to the hooves of their legs white.
The thin tail ends with a tassel. Okapi live alone, only during mating games they form a pair, and then not for long. Then they each go their separate ways again.
Female okapi are very developed maternal instincts. During calving, she goes into the very depths of the forest and takes refuge there with her newborn baby. The mother will feed and protect the child until the calf is fully grown.
Duiker
These are small, shy and jumping antelopes. To avoid danger, they climb into the very thicket of the forest, into dense vegetation. Duikers feed on plant foods, fruits and berries, midges, mice and even feces of other animals.
Crocodile
One of the strongest predators in the world, with a jaw containing about 65 teeth. lives in water, it can submerge itself almost completely, but lays eggs on land; a clutch can contain up to 40 eggs.
The crocodile's tail makes up exactly half of its entire body; by pushing off with it, the crocodile can jump out of the water with lightning speed to catch prey. Having eaten well, a crocodile can go without food for up to two years. Amazing feature is that the crocodile never stops growing.
Chameleon
The only reptile that can be painted in all the colors of the rainbow. Chameleons change colors for camouflage, communication with each other, and during mood changes.
No one can escape his keen eye, as his eyes rotate 360 degrees. Moreover, each eye looks in its own, separate direction. He has such farsightedness that ten meters away he can spot a bug that will serve as his lunch.
Vulture
Vultures live in small groups. In African savannas they are often found only in pairs. Birds feed on carrion and are a kind of orderlies of nature. During all their free time from eating, vultures circle in the clouds, looking for food. To do this, they have to rise so high that they were seen at a height of ten kilometers.
The plumage of the vulture is light with long black feathers along the edges of the wings. The vulture's head is bald, with folds, and bright yellow, sometimes even orange, skin. The base of the beak is of the same color, the end of which, however, is black.
African ostrich
The African ostrich is the largest of modern birds, however, they cannot fly; ostriches have underdeveloped wings. The birds are of course impressive in size, their height is almost two meters, although most of growth went to the neck and legs.
Often ostriches graze together with herds of zebras and antelopes and, together with them, make long migrations across the African plains. Thanks to their height and excellent eyesight, ostriches are the first to notice danger. And then they rush to flight, reaching speeds of up to 60-70 km/h
Flamingo
Due to their delicate color, they are also called the bird of dawn. They are this color because of the food they eat. The crustaceans and algae eaten by flamingos have a special pigment that colors their feathers.
It is interesting to watch the flight of birds; to do this they need to accelerate well. Then, having already taken off, the birds’ legs do not stop running. And only, after some time, they no longer move, but still remain in an unbent position, so flamingos look like crosses flying across the sky.
Marabou
This is a one and a half meter bird with a wingspan of two and a half meters. Externally, marabou do not have a very presentable appearance: the head is bald, with a large and thick beak. Adult birds have a huge leathery sac hanging from their chest.
They live in large flocks, and build their nests on the highest branches of trees. The birds hatch their future offspring together, alternating each other. Marabou feed on carrion, so they are considered cleaners of the African savannah ecosystem.
Big-eared fox
This animal with a dog's face, large ears and a tail lives in the south and east. They live in burrows and eat ants, various bugs, mice and lizards.
During mating season, animals find one partner for life. After two months, the female fox crawls into the hole to give birth, and then feeds the cubs with her milk for another three months.
Canna
The largest antelopes inhabiting southern lands Africa. They are slow, but they jump high and far. The age of males can be determined by the hair on the frontal part of the head. The older the animal, the more magnificent it is.
Antelopes are born bright brown, darken with age, and by old age are painted almost black. The male differs from the female in the height of the horns; the male has almost one and a half meters in height, which is twice as much as that of the opposite sex.
Animals of Africa are presented in great diversity. Favorable conditions have developed on the African continent climatic conditions, due to the area of good illumination sun rays and rich water resources. Africa is washed by the Mediterranean Sea from the north, the Red Sea from the northeast, and the Atlantic Ocean waters from the east, west and south.
Mammals
The fauna of the second largest continent, the largest desert on the planet - the African Sahara, as well as the Kalahari and Namibi deserts with high temperature air and little precipitation, perfectly adapted to harsh living conditions. Currently, more than a thousand species of mammals live in Africa..
A predatory mammal belonging to the canine family. Inhabitants of arid areas live in flocks of 7–15 individuals. The animals belong to the category of nomads within the hunting area, covering 100–200 km 2, and are excellent runners, capable of reaching speeds of up to 40–55 km/h. The basis of the diet is represented by small antelopes, hares, rodents and other small animals.
Quite large artiodactyl mammal, belonging to the giraffe family and living in tropical forests. A very timid, solitary animal, it unites in pairs only during the breeding season. Along with giraffes, they feed on tree leaves, grass and ferns, fruits and mushrooms. When running, such an animal easily reaches speeds of up to 50-55 km/h. Today the IUCN classifies the okapi as Critically Endangered.
Widespread and one of the most large species antelope that lives in savannas and leads a sedentary lifestyle. Such animals always form small herds of 6-20 individuals and are active mainly at night. During the daytime, representatives of the species hide in vegetation thickets. Antelopes feed mainly on leaves and young branches.
The animal is also known as . Is a species African antelope, quite widespread in dry areas. Representatives of this species have a very characteristic, rather thin-shaped neck and not too strong legs. Animals are active in the morning or evening hours. The diet includes exclusively leaves, buds and young shoots of trees or shrubs available in the habitat.
Quite unusual appearance a genus of primates that is quite widespread in Africa. Nocturnal animals live in almost every large forest area. Galagos are also found in savannas and dense bushes. They live strictly alone in the trees, but sometimes descend to the ground. All species feed mainly on insects or the sap of African trees.
A nocturnal mammal that inhabits forests and savannas, often living near settlements. For the most major representative African civets are characterized by a unique coloration: white and black spots in the body area, black stripes around the eyes, as well as disproportionately large hind limbs and a short mane that rises up in a frightened animal. Civets are omnivores and indiscriminate eaters, so their diet includes insects, small rodents, wild fruits, reptiles, snakes, eggs and birds, as well as carrion.
Large animals with short and thick legs with four toes, allowing for fairly easy movement on the surface of the land. The head is quite large, located on a short neck. The nose, eyes and ears are located in the same plane. Weight adult often reaches several tons. Hippos feed on plant foods, eating about forty kilograms of grass per day.
An African predator that lives in semi-deserts and savanna areas. It feeds mainly on small rodents, birds and their eggs, larvae and insects, including termites, locusts and beetles. The animal is distinguished by very large ears, as well as a brown overall color, black tips of the ears, paws and tail.
Belonging to the elephant family, which is currently considered the most large mammals leading a terrestrial lifestyle. At the moment, there are a couple of species: forest and savannah elephant. The second species is noticeably larger, and its tusks are characteristically turned outward. Forest elephants are darker in color and their tusks are straight and point downward.
Birds
The African continent today is home to approximately 2,600 species of birds, slightly less than half of which are representatives of the order Passeriformes. Some species are classified as migratory, so they spend only the winter here and fly to other countries with the onset of summer.
The most common bird of the African savanna of Africa. During the nesting period, which begins during the rainy season, males acquire a motley outfit of rich red-black or yellow-black color. At other times, the birds have a very inconspicuous appearance.
An amazing bird that lives in the savannah and belongs to the genus of hornbills. The main feature is the presence of a huge beak, consisting of bone spongy tissue. The dwelling is built in hollows, the entrance to which is walled up with clay. The small hole serves to transfer food to the female and chicks, which is obtained only by the male during the breeding season.
Related to storks and having a very large beak. The head is not feathered, but covered with liquid fluff. In the neck area there is a pink, unattractive sac on which the massive beak rests. Nesting sites are located next to pelicans, along coastline natural reservoirs.
A bird of prey in Africa with high and long legs. A characteristic feature of such birds is the presence of feathers that usually hang down on the head, which quickly rise up when the bird is excited. The most favorite delicacies are snakes, lizards, locusts and all kinds of small animals.
The bird wintering on the continent belongs to the category of the most distant migrants, covering several thousand kilometers. - the symbol of happiness and kindness is large in size, distinguished by caution, slender and high legs, long neck and the same long beak. The plumage is predominantly white with black wings.
A bird widely distributed throughout the tropics, distinguished by its fan-shaped, luxurious crest. Birds are characterized by interesting dances, in which they are able to jump up very high, and also use one or both of their legs in movements.
Reptiles and amphibians
The amphibian families endemic to the African continent include Arthroleptidae, Heleophrynidae, Astylosternidae, Hemisotidae, Petropedetidae, Hyperoliidae and Mantellidae. In river equatorial waters West Africa lives the very largest of all modern tailless amphibians - the goliath frog.
The largest and one of the most widespread species African lizards characterized by a muscular torso, strong legs and powerful jaws. The animal has sharp claws used for digging, climbing and defense, as well as tearing apart caught prey. Along with other monitor lizards, the reptile has a forked tongue, which has a highly developed olfactory function.
Representatives of the suborder Lizards are distinguished by smooth and fish-like scales, which are underlain by special bony plates called osteoderms. The scales of the dorsal part of the body, as a rule, have few differences from the scales in the belly area. Only a few species are characterized by the presence of tuberous, keeled or spiked scales. The head of such lizards is covered with symmetrically arranged scutes. The eyes are characterized by round pupils and, as a rule, separate movable eyelids.
African geckos are truly nocturnal animals. They are quite slow, distinguished by a proportionally elongated body, relatively short and less thick legs. Such representatives of the class Reptiles and the order Scaly are not inclined to climb various vertical surfaces, and also prefer to lead a rather secretive lifestyle.
The largest existing African land turtle, it received its unusual name for the presence of fairly large femoral spurs. The color of the spurred tortoise is brown-yellow and uniform. Representatives of the suborder Hidden-necked turtles inhabit mainly deserts and savannas. Herbivorous animals occasionally consume protein foods of animal origin.
A large non-venomous snake belonging to the genus of true pythons, it is distinguished by a rather slender, but rather massive body. At the top of the python's head there is a dark stripe and a triangular spot. The pattern on the snake's body is represented by narrow zigzag stripes on the sides and back, connected by bridges. The rock python's body color is gray-brown. There is a yellowish-brown tint on the back of the snake.
One of the most common snakes on the African continent, the bite of which can cause death to a person. Noisy Viper Presents greatest danger at night, and during the daytime it is inactive and rarely reacts even to the appearance of potential prey. The thick snake has a wide and flat head, but adult males, as a rule, are noticeably larger than females and are distinguished by the presence of a more elongated tail.
An inhabitant of the semi-arid regions of the central, southern and part of the continent, it lives mainly in open forests and savannas. Poison can even knock you off your feet. The color is deadly dangerous snake varies from dark olive tones to grayish-brown with a noticeable metallic sheen. The diet includes small warm-blooded animals in the form of rodents, bats, and birds.
Fish
The underwater life of the African continent is represented by two thousand species of marine and three thousand species of freshwater inhabitants.
Large predatory fish, belonging to the African tetra family, is distinguished by the presence of 32 fang-like teeth. This fish is very popular as a sport fishing object in Africa, and is also often kept in exhibition aquariums with powerful filtration.
Members of the goby family have thickened pectoral fins that resemble arms and are used as support for movement during tides or for climbing vegetation. Special shape The head is well adapted for digging muddy surfaces in order to search for various edible particles.
Fish belonging to the genus Cyprinidae and highly specialized scrapers that have a wide lower mouth. The lower jaw is characterized by the presence of fairly sharp cutting horny sheaths, which easily and quickly scrape off the periphyton. All khramuli have a long intestine and an increased number of gill rakers that filter food.
Freshwater and brackish-water fish belonging to the family of pufferfish and the order of pufferfish. Along with other representatives of this family, the fahaca, at the first sign of danger, quickly swallows a sufficient amount of water or air, due to which it inflates into a large bag and acquires a characteristic spherical shape.
A small fish from the Notobranchiaceae family. The body of males glows blue and has rows of reddish dots and spots scattered in a rather complex pattern. The tail is similar in shape to a lyre, and the caudal, dorsal and anal fins of the fish are distinguished by a four-color color. Females are brownish-gray with reddish dots. The fins are round in shape, weak and uniform in color.
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