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Abuko Nature Reserve
Abuko National Park is a nature reserve in the Gambia lying south of the town of Abuko. It is a popular tourist attraction and was the country's first designated wildlife reserve. History The area was first accorded some measure of protection in 1916 when the Lamin Stream, which flows through the reserve, was fenced to form a water collection point. The enclosure of the stream saw an increase in the stock of wildlife and flora in the forest. In 1967 wildlife officer Eddie Brewer and his daughter Stella Marsden visited the area and realised the conservation importance of the forest and its wildlife. Brewer made a request to the government for the area to be protected. In 1968 the Department of Wildlife, now the Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management was established at the reserve. Flora The flora consists of a typical savanna and gallery forest landscape. Typical trees, up to thirty feet high, are: oil palm, mahogany, iroko and anthocleista procera. Fauna The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of National Parks Of Africa
This is a list of national parks in Africa. The nature of the parks varies considerably not only between countries but also within some nations - the degree of protection, accessibility and type of environment for which it is intended to deliver protection. Some parks have been cleared of their original human population, others have always been essentially uninhabited, while yet others contain significant population centers. National parks can be found in a large majority of African countries, being most numerous in Gabon, Kenya and Tanzania. Some nations also have considerable areas designated as private parks, game reserves, forest reserves, marine reserves, national reserves and natural parks. These are not included in the list below, even though some of these may resemble some national parks. For more information on such zones, see the individual articles on each country. Algeria * Ahaggar National Park *Belezma National Park * Chrea National Park * Djebel Aissa Natio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Palm Civet
The African palm civet (''Nandinia binotata''), also known as the two-spotted palm civet, is a small feliform mammal widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Characteristics The African palm civet is grey to dark brown with dark spots on the back. It has short legs, small ears, a lean body, and a long ringed tail. It has two sets of scent glands on the lower abdomen and between the third and fourth toes on each foot, which secrete a strong smelling substance used to mark territory and in mating. Adult females reach a body length of with a long tail and weigh . Adult males reach in body length with a long tail and weigh . The African palm civet's ear canal is not divided and cartilaginous at the end. Distribution and habitat The African palm civet ranges throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa from Guinea to South Sudan, south to Angola and into eastern Zimbabwe. It has been recorded in deciduous forests, lowland rainforest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Green Mamba
The western green mamba (''Dendroaspis viridis'') is a long, thin, and highly venomous snake species of the mamba genus, ''Dendroaspis''. This species was first described in 1844 by American herpetologist Edward Hallowell. The western green mamba is a fairly large and predominantly arboreal species, capable of navigating through trees swiftly and gracefully. It will also descend to ground level to pursue prey such as rodents and other small mammals. The western green mamba is a shy and agile snake that lives mainly in the coastal tropical rainforest, thicket, and woodland regions of western Africa. Its venom is a highly potent mixture of rapid-acting presynaptic and postsynaptic neurotoxins (dendrotoxins), cardiotoxins and fasciculins. Some consider this species not to be a particularly aggressive snake, but others have suggested that they are extremely nervous and are prone to attack aggressively when cornered. Conflict with humans is low compared to some other species found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Arietans
The puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Venomous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. . It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition.Spawls S, Howell K, Drewes R, Ashe J. 2004. ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles Of East Africa''. A & C Black Publishers Ltd., London. 543 pp. . Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. The species is commonly known as the puff adder,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 359 pp. .Spawls S, Branch B. 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pythonidae
The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 42 species are currently recognized. Distribution and habitat Pythons are found in sub-Saharan Africa, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, southeastern Pakistan, southern China, the Philippines and Australia. In the United States, an introduced population of Burmese pythons, ''Python bivittatus'', has existed as an invasive species in the Everglades National Park since the late 1990s. Common names * Sinhala - පිඹුරා (''Pimbura'') *Telugu - కొండచిలువ (Kondachiluva) * Odia - ଅଜଗର (Ajagara) *Malayalam - പെരുമ്പാമ്പ് (perumpāmp) *Hindi - अजगर ('Ajgar') Conservation Many species have been hunted aggressively, which has greatly reduced the population of some, such as the Indian python, ''Python molu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naja
''Naja'' is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as cobras (or "true cobras"). Members of the genus ''Naja'' are the most widespread and the most widely recognized as "true" cobras. Various species occur in regions throughout Africa, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Several other elapid species are also called "cobras", such as the king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') and the rinkhals (''Hemachatus haemachatus''), but neither are true cobras, in that they do not belong to the genus ''Naja'', but instead each belong to monotypic genera ''Hemachatus'' (the rinkhals) and ''Ophiophagus'' (the king cobra/hamadryad). Until recently, the genus ''Naja'' had 20 to 22 species, but it has undergone several taxonomic revisions in recent years, so sources vary greatly. Wide support exists, though, for a 2009 revision that synonymised the genera ''Boulengerina'' and '' Paranaja'' with ''Naja''. According to that revision, the genus ''Naja'' now includes 38 species. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spitting Cobra
A spitting cobra is any of several species of cobras that can defensively spray a toxic secretion - functioning as both a venom (that can be injected via a wound) and a toxungen (that can be sprayed on the target surface) - from their fangs into the eyes of an attacker. Venom The spat toxungen is generally harmless on intact mammalian skin (although contact can result in delayed blistering of the area), but can cause permanent blindness if introduced to the eye; if left untreated it may cause chemosis and corneal swelling. The toxungen sprays out in distinctive geometric patterns when muscles squeeze the glands to squirt it out through forward-facing holes near the tips of the fangs. Individuals of some species of spitting cobras make hissing exhalations/lunging movements of their heads when "spitting", and such actions may assist in propelling the venom, but research does not support the hypothesis that they play any major functional part except possibly enhancing the threat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dwarf Crocodile
The dwarf crocodile (''Osteolaemus tetraspis''), also known as the African dwarf crocodile, broad-snouted crocodile (a name more often used for the Asian mugger crocodile) or bony crocodile, is an African crocodile that is also the smallest extant (living) species of crocodile. Taxonomy and etymology The second species has had a somewhat convoluted taxonomical history. It was first described as ''Osteoblepharon osborni'' by Schmidt in 1919, based on a few specimens from the Upper Congo River Basin in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, Inger in a 1948 paper found the specimens wanting of characteristics that would justify a generic separation from ''Osteolaemus'' and referred the specimens to '' Osteolaemus osborni''. In 1961, it was reduced to subspecies rank. A study of morphology published in 2007, and studies of DNA in 2009, 2013 and 2015 indicate that three distinctly different populations of ''Osteolaemus'' may merit full species recognition. These are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, eastern, and southern regions of the continent, and lives in different types of aquatic environments such as lakes, rivers, swamps, and marshlands. In West Africa, it occurs along with two other crocodilians. Although capable of living in saline environments, this species is rarely found in saltwater, but occasionally inhabits deltas and brackish lakes. The range of this species once stretched northward throughout the Nile, as far north as the Nile Delta. On average, the adult male Nile crocodile is between in length and weighs including stomach stones. However, specimens exceeding in length and weighing up to have been recorded. It is the largest freshwater predator in Africa, and may be considered the second-largest extant reptile in the w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monitor Lizard
Monitor lizards are lizards in the genus ''Varanus,'' the only extant genus in the family Varanidae. They are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and one species is also found in the Americas as an invasive species. About 80 species are recognized. Monitor lizards have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. The adult length of extant species ranges from in some species, to over in the case of the Komodo dragon, though the extinct varanid known as megalania (''Varanus priscus'') may have been capable of reaching lengths more than . Most monitor species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known. While most monitor lizards are carnivorous, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds, insects, and small mammals, some also eat fruit and vegetation, depending on where they live. Distribution The various species cover a vast area, occurring through Africa, the Indian subcontinent, to China, the Ryukyu Islands in southern Japan, s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cane Rat
The genus ''Thryonomys'', also known as the cane rats or grasscutters, is a genus of rodent found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the only members of the family Thryonomyidae. They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest species on many crops. The family name comes from the Greek word ''thryon'', meaning a "rush" or "reed" and ''mys'' meaning "mouse". Characteristics Cane rats range in body length from 35–60 centimetres. They commonly weigh 6-7 kilograms in captivity, and can attain weights up to 10 kilograms in the wild. They are heavily built rodents, with bristly brown fur speckled with yellow or grey. They live in marshy areas and along river and lake banks, and are herbivores, feeding on aquatic grasses in the wild. In agricultural areas they will – as the name suggests – feed on sugarcane in plantations, making them a significant crop pest. Females give birth to litters of 2–4 young at least once a year, and more frequently in s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Galago
Galagos , also known as bush babies, or ''nagapies'' (meaning "night monkeys" in Afrikaans), are small nocturnal primates native to continental, sub-Sahara Africa, and make up the family Galagidae (also sometimes called Galagonidae). They are considered a sister group of the Lorisidae. According to some accounts, the name "bush baby" comes from either the animal's cries or its appearance. The Ghanaian name ''aposor'' is given to them because of their firm grip on branches. In both variety and abundance, the bush babies are the most successful strepsirrhine primates in Africa, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. Taxonomic classification and phylogeny Galagos are currently grouped into six genera. ''Euoticus'' is a basal sister taxon to all the other galagids. The 'dwarf' galagids recently grouped under the genus ''Galagoides'' have been found, based on genetic data, and supported by analysis of vocalisations and morphology, to actually consist of two clades, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
