Dogon country (French: ''Pays Dogon'') is a region of eastern

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

and northwestern

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...

populated mainly by the

Dogon people The Dogon are an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa, south of the Niger River, Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara, and in Burkina Faso. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. They spe ...

, a diverse ethnic group in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...

with diverse languages. Like the term

Serer country Serer may refer to: * Serer people * Serer language * Serer religion *Rafael Calvo Serer Rafael Calvo Serer (born 6 October 1916 at Valencia, Spain, died 19 April 1988 at Pamplona, Navarra, Spain) was a Professor of History of Spanish Philosophy, a ...

occupied by the Serer ethnic group, Dogon country is vast, and lies southwest of the

Niger River The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through ...

belt. The region is composed of three zones: the plateau, the escarpment and the Seno-Gondo plain.Velton, Ross, ''Mali: The Bradt Safari Guide'',

Bradt Travel Guides Bradt Travel Guides is a publisher of travel guides founded in 1974 by Hilary Bradt and her husband George, who co-wrote the first Bradt Guide on a river barge on a tributary of the Amazon River, Amazon. Since then Bradt has grown into a leading ...

(2009), pp. 159, 187, (retrieved March 25, 2020

/ref>Silverman, Raymond, ''Museum as Process: Translating Local and Global Knowledges'',

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...

(2014), p. 189, (retrieved March 25, 2020

/ref> In Mali, this historic region belongs to the Mopti Region and extends on either side of the

Bandiagara Escarpment The Bandiagara Escarpment is an escarpment in the Dogon country of Mali. The sandstone cliff rises about above the lower sandy flats to the south. It has a length of approximately . The area of the escarpment is inhabited today by the Dogon pe ...

. Dogon country in Mali is the most visited tourist area of the country, due to the Dogon people's rich cultural heritage.

Sangha, Mali Sangha (sometimes spelled Sanga) is a rural commune in the Cercle of Bandigara in the Mopti Region of Mali. The commune contains around 44 small villages and in the 2009 census had a population of 32,513. The administrative centre (''chef-lieu ...

is the heart of Dogon country with its rich history of

Dogon religion The Dogon are an ethnic group indigenous to the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa, south of the Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara, and in Burkina Faso. The population numbers between 400,000 and 800,000. They speak the Dogon ...

, shrines and temples.

Landscapes

Starting from the

in a south-eastern direction, towards

, we successively meet three types of

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

s in Dogon country: plateau, cliff and plain.

Plateau

The region is a vast sandstone

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

rising gradually from the river to the cliff. It is on this plateau that

Bandiagara Bandiagara () is a small town and urban commune in the Mopti Region of Mali. The name translates roughly to "large eating bowl"—referring to the communal bowl meals are served in. Mainly on its Bandiagara Escarpment it has about 2,000 speakers ...

, the “

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

” of Dogon country is established.

Cliff

Its often almost vertical wall faces

. With a height varying from 100 to around 400 m, it overlooks the Seno plain, which is between 250 and 300 m above sea level. It is about 200 km long and oriented from southwest to northeast starting from Ségué in the south, and ending in

Douentza Douentza (Fulfulde: ''Duwayⁿsa'') is a town and urban commune in the Mopti Region of central Mali. The town lies 145 km east-northeast of Mopti on the RN16, a paved road that links Mopti and Gao. It is the administrative center of the Do ...

in the north. The altitude increases from south to north until it reaches 791 m near Bamba,

Koro Koro may refer to: Geography *Koro Island, a Fijian island * Koro Sea, in the Pacific Ocean * Koro, Ivory Coast *Koro, Mali * Koro, Wisconsin, United States, an unincorporated community Languages *Koro language (India), an endangered language spo ...

. It is the

emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often use ...

atic place of the country and its main center of

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural b ...

Plain

Located at the foot of the cliff, the Séno-Gondo

plain In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands ...

stretches to the Burkinabé border.

Archeology

The Dogon country has many vestiges of ancient habitat from successive periods of occupation. From the ancient

Toloy Toloy is the name given to the first occupantsBedaux, Rogier Michiel Alphons, « Tellem, reconnaissance archéologique d'une culture de l'Ouest africain au Moyen Âge : recherches architectoniques », ''Journal de la Société des Africanistes'' ( ...

and

Tellem The Tellem (meaning: "those who were before us" or "We found them" in the Dogon languageBedaux, Rogier M. A., ''Tellem, reconnaissance archéologique d'une culture de l'Ouest africain au Moyen Age : recherches architectoniques'', Journal de la ...

, to the

Dogon Dogon may refer to: *Dogon people, an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa *Dogon languages, a small, close-knit language family spoken by the Dogon people of Mali *'' Dogon A.D.'', an album by saxophonist Juliu ...

. There is the rocky channel located near

Sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...

where the remains of the Toloy were found, such as

granaries A granary is a storehouse or room in a barn for threshed grain or animal feed. Ancient or primitive granaries are most often made of pottery. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals ...

, skeletons, pottery and plants, with a

carbon-14 dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of radiocarbon, a radioactive isotope of carbon. The method was dev ...

3rd Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

and

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...

centuries BC.Bedaux, Rogier Michiel Alphons, « Tellem, reconnaissance archéologique d'une culture de l'Ouest africain au Moyen Âge : recherches architectoniques », ''Journal de la Société des Africanistes'' (1974), nº 42, n

Persée ''Persée'' (''Perseus'') is a tragédie lyrique with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault, first performed on 18 April 1682 by the Opéra at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. Roles Synopsis ACT I: The Pal ...

(retrieved March 15, 2020)

Religion and festivals

The

is the Traditional African religions, traditional African beliefs of the

of Mali. Those who follow this spiritual path believe in one Supreme Creator,

Amma Amma or AMMA may refer to: Acronym * American Medical Marijuana Association * Amhara Mass Media Agency (created in 1993), a media organisation in Amhara Region in Ethiopia * Association of Malayalam Movie Artists * Assistant Masters' and Mist ...

(or Ama Insoll, Timothy, ''Archaeology, Ritual, Religion'',

(2004), p. 123–125, (retrieved March 3, 2020

/ref>), the Omnipotence, omnipotent,

omniscient Omniscience () is the capacity to know everything. In Hinduism, Sikhism and the Abrahamic religions, this is an attribute of God. In Jainism, omniscience is an attribute that any individual can eventually attain. In Buddhism, there are diffe ...

and

omnipresent Omnipresence or ubiquity is the property of being present anywhere and everywhere. The term omnipresence is most often used in a religious context as an attribute of a deity or supreme being, while the term ubiquity is generally used to descri ...

Creator. They also believe in ancestral spirits such as the Serpent Ancestor Lebe, and the "Water Spirits"

Nommo The Nommo or Nummo are primordial ancestral spirits in Dogon religion and cosmogony (sometimes referred to as demi deities) venerated by the Dogon people of Mali. The word Nommos is derived from a Dogon word meaning "to make one drink." Nommos a ...

. Veneration of the ancestors forms an important aspect of Dogon religion. They hold ritual

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practic ...

dances immediately after the death of a person and sometimes long after they have passed on to the

next life The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...

. Twins, "the need for duality and the doubling of individual lives" (masculine and feminine principles) is a fundamental element in their belief system. Like other

traditional African religions The traditional beliefs and practices of African people are highly diverse beliefs that include various ethnic religions.Encyclopedia of African Religion (Sage, 2009) Molefi Kete Asante Generally, these traditions are oral rather than scriptura ...

, balance, and reverence for nature are also key elements. Many Dogons have also converted to Islam recently despite centuries of fleeing persecution and Islamization from other dominant communities.

Villages

Most Dogon villages are located within Mopti Region, Mali. The tables below list the number of villages by Dogon language group as of 2004. All of the villages and cercles listed below are located within Mopti Region, with the exception of

Tominian Cercle Tominian Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Ségou Region of Mali. The administrative center of the local government is in the town of Tominian. The Cercles of Mali, Cercle is divided into Communes of Mali, Communes, and below this, qu ...

Ségou Region Ségou Region ( Bambara: ߛߋߓߎ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Segu Dineja) is an administrative region in Mali, situated in the centre of the country with an area of , around 5% of Mali. The region is bordered by Sikasso Region on the south, Tombouctou an ...

. However, due to the presently ongoing

Mali War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Mali War , partof = the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel and the War on terror , image = MaliWar.svg , image_size = 380 , caption = Military situation ...

that had begun in the early 2010s, some of the villages in the region may have already been abandoned. In addition, there is one Tomo-kan village in

Djenné Cercle Djenné Cercle is an administrative subdivision of the Mopti Region of Mali. The administrative center (''chef-lieu'') is the town of Djenné. In the 2009 census the cercle had a population of 207,260 people. Administrative subdivisions The ...

Biodiversity

The irregularities of the rocky plateau generate very high concentrations of water, which means that, beyond a typical

Sahelian The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid cli ...

vegetation, extremely arid zones can rub shoulders with all kinds of lush green oases, pockets of extraordinary

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

. Each

microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...

in the region offers a unique assortment of medicinal plants and tree species with significant value for the population, such as shea, the

locust bean The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit pods, and as an ornamental tree in gardens and lands ...

, ''

Faidherbia albida ''Faidherbia'' is a genus of leguminous plants containing one species, ''Faidherbia albida'', which was formerly widely included in the genus ''Acacia'' as ''Acacia albida''. The species is native to Africa and the Middle East and has also been ...

'', the

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

, African palmyra palm, and the

baobab ''Adansonia'' is a genus made up of eight species of medium-to-large deciduous trees known as baobabs ( or ). They are placed in the Malvaceae family, subfamily Bombacoideae. They are native to Madagascar, mainland Africa, and Australia.Tropic ...

. The Dogon country also has many bird species."Pays Dogon", « La nature et biodiversité �

nDogoncountry.com (retrieved 25-03-2020

Insects

Dogon

ethnoentomology Human interactions with insects include both a wide variety of uses, whether practical such as for food, textiles, and dyestuffs, or symbolic, as in art, music, and literature, and negative interactions including serious damage to crops and exten ...

has been thoroughly documented by

Jeffrey Heath Jeffrey Heath (born November 29, 1949) is Professor of Historical linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Morphology (linguistics), Morphology, Arabic and Linguistic anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology at the University of Michigan, US. He is know ...

. The following are various types of insects that are well known to the Northern

. ;

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s *'' Steraspis'' and '' Sternocera'' (jewel beetles) *

Bostrichidae The Bostrichidae are a family of beetles with more than 700 described species. They are commonly called auger beetles, false powderpost beetles, or horned powderpost beetles. The head of most auger beetles cannot be seen from above, as it is down ...

(rectangular black beetles) *'' Elephenus fasciatus'' (click beetle) *'' Dineutus'' sp. (whirlygig beetle) *

Lampyridae The Lampyridae are a family (biology), family of Elateroidea, elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are bioluminescence, light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, ...

(fireflies) *

Meloidae Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematically colored, announcing their ...

(blister beetles) *'' Pachnoda'' and '' Rhabdotis'' (millet beetles): including '' Pachnoda cordata'', ''

Pachnoda interrupta ''Pachnoda interrupta'', commonly known as the sorghum chafer, is a species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae and subfamily Cetoniinae. Description This species can reach a body length of about . It is very variable in colour, from dappled y ...

'', '' Pachnoda marginata'', and '' Rhabdotis sobrina'' *''

Allogymnopleurus aeneus ''Allogymnopleurus'' is a genus of scarab beetles in the tribe Gymnopleurini. It includes 20 species; 17 are restricted to the Afrotropics, one is Afrotropical/ Palearctic, and two Oriental. Characters These include: *A suture where the thorax ...

'' (dung beetle) *'' Trachyderma hispida'' (nocturnal house beetle) *'' Vieta senegalensis'' (beetle found on grounds of millet fields) *'' Epomis croesus'' (ground beetle) *'' Scarites guineensis'' (ground beetle) *'' Crossotus albicollis'' (longhorn beetle) *'' Euryope rubra'' (orange leaf beetle) *'' Phyllognathus burmeisteri'' (rhinoceros beetle) *'' Pogonobasis'' sp., '' Thalpophila schweinfurthi'', '' Pimelia grandis'', and ''

Zophosis ''Zophosis'', known generally as frantic surface beetles is a genus of darkling beetles in the family Tenebrionidae. They are found in the Palearctic realm, Palearctic, tropical Africa, and Indomalaya. References External links

* Pime ...

'' sp. *Other beetle species: '' Pseudoprotaetia stolata'', '' Cyaneolytta chopardi'', '' Hycleus affinis'', '' Lydomorphus dusaulti'', '' Zonitoschema gigantea'', ''

Apate terebrans ''Apate terebrans'', common names shot-hole borer or trunk borer or girdler, is a species of horned powder-post beetles belonging to the family Bostrichidae. Description ''Apate terebrans'' can reach a length of . The body is black or dark br ...

'', '' Sinoxylon senegalense'', '' Oplostomus fuligineus'', ''

Callosobruchus maculatus ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' is a species of beetles known commonly as the cowpea weevil or cowpea seed beetle.Tran, B. M. D. and P. F. Credland. (1995)Consequences of inbreeding for the cowpea seed beetle, ''Callosobruchus maculatus'' (F.) (Cole ...

'', ''

Lanelater notodonta ''Lanelater'' is a genus of click beetle belonging to the family Elateridae Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clic ...

'', and '' Cybister'' sp.Christfried Naumann & Tom Güldemann & Steven Moran & Guillaume Segerer & Anne-Maria Fehn & Robert Forkel (eds.) 2020.
Tsammalex: A lexical database on plants and animals
'. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. ;

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

(flies) *

Asilidae The Asilidae are the robber fly family, also called assassin flies. They are powerfully built, bristly flies with a short, stout proboscis enclosing the sharp, sucking hypopharynx. The name "robber flies" reflects their notoriously aggressive pre ...

(robber flies) *

Muscoidea Muscoidea is a superfamily of flies in the subsection Calyptratae. Muscoidea, with approximately 7000 described species, is nearly 5% of the known species level diversity of the Diptera, the true flies. Most muscoid flies are saprophagous, coprop ...

Calliphoridae The Calliphoridae (commonly known as blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, or cluster flies) are a family of insects in the order Diptera, with almost 1,900 known species. The maggot larvae, often used as fishing ba ...

(blowflies) *cf. '' Hypoderma'' sp. (botfly) *cf. ''

Sarcophaga ''Sarcophaga'' is a genus of true flies and the type genus of the flesh-fly family (Sarcophagidae). The members of this cosmopolitan genus are frequently known as common flesh flies. This genus occurs essentially worldwide. These flies are gene ...

'' sp. (flesh fly) *''

Actia In Ancient Roman religious tradition, Actia (Greek: '')'' was a festival of Apollo, celebrated at Nicopolis in Epirus, with wrestling, musical contests, horse racing, and sea battles. It was reestablished by Augustus, in commemoration of his vic ...

'' sp. ;

True bug Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to around ...

s *

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...

s *''

Anoplocnemis curvipes ''Anoplocnemis curvipes'' is a species of sap-sucking insect in the genus ''Anoplocnemis''. They are native to Sub-Saharan Africa, sub-saharan Africa where they are considered a major pest of many types of agricultural plants such as trees and sh ...

'': feeds on legumes and flies *pod-sucking bugs on

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...

s, etc. *'' Nariscus'' sp.: feeds on

calabash Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...

plants *

Pentatomidae Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.Robert G ...

(stink bugs) *'' Dysdercus volkeri'' (cotton-stainer bug) *'' Cyclogastridea'' sp.: a flat green bug in found in ''

Combretum glutinosum ''Combretum glutinosum'' is a shrub species of the genus ''Combretum'', found in the Sahel belt in parts of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, the Gambia, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, across to parts of Sudan. It is known as dooki in Pulaar, Ka ...

'' tree leaves *'' Laccotrephes fabricii'', ''

Lethocerus ''Lethocerus'' is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of speci ...

'' sp.: large "water scorpion" bugs found in pools of water ;Bees and wasps *'' Oxybelus'' sp. (digger wasp) *

Chrysididae Commonly known as cuckoo wasps or emerald wasps, the hymenopteran family Chrysididae is a very large cosmopolitan group (over 3000 described species) of parasitoid or kleptoparasitic wasps, often highly sculptured, with brilliant metallic colors ...

(cuckoo wasps) *'' Delta emarginatum'' (large mud-dauber wasp);

Eumeninae Potter wasps (or mason wasps), the Eumeninae, are a cosmopolitan wasp group presently treated as a subfamily of Vespidae, but sometimes recognized in the past as a separate family, Eumenidae. Recognition Most eumenine species are black or brown, ...

(mason wasps) *''

Polistes Wasps of the cosmopolitan genus ''Polistes'' (the only genus in the tribe Polistini) are the most familiar of the polistine wasps, and are the most common type of paper wasp in North America. Walter Ebeling coined the vernacular name "umbrella ...

'' sp. (paper wasp) *'' Belonogaster'' sp. (paper wasp) ;Ants *''

Pachycondyla ''Pachycondyla'' is a ponerine genus of ants found in the Neotropics. Distribution ''Pachycondyla'' is currently distributed from southern United States to northern Argentina, but some fossil species (e.g. '' P. eocenica'' and '' P. lutzi'') a ...

'' sp. (stinging black ant, very common) *'' Camponotus maculatus'' (yellow honey ant) *''

Messor ''Messor'' is a myrmicine genus of ants with more than 100 species, all of which are harvester ants; the generic name comes from the Roman god of crops and harvest, Messor. The subterranean colonies tend to be found in open fields and near roa ...

'' sp. (army ant) *''

Camponotus sericeus ''Camponotus sericeus'' is a species of carpenter ant Carpenter ants (''Camponotus'' spp.) are large () ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandi ...

'' (black ant) *'' Cataglyphis'' spp.: long-legged and fast-moving, prefer sandy areas *''

Dorylus ''Dorylus'', also known as driver ants, safari ants, or siafu, is a large genus of army ants found primarily in central and east Africa, although the range also extends to southern Africa and tropical Asia. The term siafu is a loanword from Swah ...

'' sp. (large army ant) ;Grasshoppers *'' Chrotogonus senegalensis'': small "toad grasshopper" *'' Acrida bicolor'' *'' Sherifuria haningtoni'': common in rocky areas, eats grasses and grains *'' Acorypha glaucopsis'': eaten by the Dogon *'' Diabolocatantops axillaris'': millet pest *'' Anacridium melanorhodon'': tree locust *'' Kraussaria angulifera'': millet pest, also eaten by the Dogon *''

Cataloipus cymbiferus ''Cataloipus cymbiferus'' is a West African species of grasshopper in the family Acrididae. In Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, ita ...

'': large "horse grasshopper"; millet pest *'' Kraussella amabile'': eaten by the Dogon *'' Hieroglyphus daganensis'': eaten by the Dogon *'' Oedaleus senegalensis'': millet pest *'' Scintharista notabilis'' *'' Conocephalus conocephalus''; other

Acrididae The AcrididaeMacLeay WS (1821) ''Horae Entomologicae or Essays on the Annulose Animals'' 2 are the predominant family of grasshoppers, comprising some 10,000 of the 11,000 species of the entire suborder Caelifera. The Acrididae are best known bec ...

species: '' Acanthacris ruficornis citrina'', '' Acorypha clara'', '' Acrotylus blondeli'', '' Acrotylus patruelis'', ''

Aiolopus simulatrix ''Aiolopus simulatrix'' is a species of locust Locusts (derived from the Vulgar Latin ''locusta'', meaning grasshopper) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects ...

'', '' Cataloipus fuscocoeruleipes'', '' Catantops stramineus'', '' Cryptocatantops haemorrhoidalis'', '' Duronia chloronota'', '' Eurysternacris brevipes'', '' Gastrimargus africanus'', '' Harpezocatantops stylifer'', '' Heteracris annulosa'', '' Heteracris leani'', '' Homoxyrrhepes punctipennis'', '' Humbe tenuicornis'', ''

Locusta migratoria The migratory locust (''Locusta migratoria'') is the most widespread locust species, and the only species in the genus ''Locusta''. It occurs throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. It used to be common in Europe but has now become ...

'', '' Locustana pardalina'', '' Morphacris fasciata'', ''

Nomadacris septemfasciata The red locust (''Nomadacris septemfasciata'') is a large grasshopper species found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its name refers to the colour of its hind wings. It is sometimes called the ''criquet nomade'' in French language, French, due to its nomad ...

'', '' Ochrilidia gracilis'', '' Ornithacris cavroisi'', '' Orthacanthacris humilicrus'', '' Oxycatantops spissus'', '' Paracinema tricolor'', ''

Schistocerca gregaria The desert locust (''Schistocerca gregaria'') is a species of locust, a periodically swarming, short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. They are found primarily in the deserts and dry areas of northern and eastern Africa, Arabia, and sou ...

'', '' Sphingonotus canariensis orientalis'', '' Trilophidia conturbata'', '' Zacompsa festa'';

Pyrgomorphidae Pyrgomorphidae is a family of grasshoppers in the order Orthoptera; it is the only family in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea, with a pan-tropical distribution. Their name is probably derived from ''pyrgos'' (Greek: ''Πύργος'') meaning "tow ...

species: ''

Atractomorpha acutipennis ''Atractomorpha'' may refer to: * ''Atractomorpha'' (alga), an algae genus in the family Sphaeropleaceae * ''Atractomorpha'' (grasshopper), a grasshopper genus in the family Pyrgomorphidae {{genus disambiguation ...

'', '' Poekilocerus bufonius hieroglyphicus'', ''

Pyrgomorpha vignaudi ''Pyrgomorpha''Serville (1838) 839''Histoire naturelle des insectes. Orthoptères'' 583. is the type genus of grasshoppers in the family Pyrgomorphidae and the tribe Pyrgomorphini. Species are found in Southern Europe, Africa and the middle East ...

'' ;

Neuroptera The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in th ...

(

antlion The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. They are known for the predatory habits of their larvae, which mostly dig pits to trap passing ants or other prey. In North America, the larvae ...

s, etc.) *''

Lachlathetes ''Lachlathetes'' is a genus of antlions in the subfamily Palparinae Palparinae is an antlion subfamily in the family Myrmeleontidae The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neuropteran family Myrmeleontidae. Th ...

furfuraceus'' and ''

Creoleon ''Creoleon'' is a genus of antlions (neuropteran insects in the family Myrmeleontidae) in the subfamily Myrmeleontinae Myrmeleontinae is a subfamily of Myrmeleontidae The antlions are a group of about 2,000 species of insect in the neur ...

africanus''

Mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They ha ...

es (such as '' Eremiaphila reticulata''),

earwig Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 families, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forcep-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded ...

s (such as '' Forficula senegalensis''),

termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...

s (such as '' Macrotermes subhyalinus''), and many other types of insects are also found in Dogon Country.

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

n species are diverse, including ''

Agrius convolvuli ''Agrius convolvuli'', the convolvulus hawk-moth, is a large hawk-moth. It is common throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, partly as a migrant. In New Zealand, it is also known as the kumara moth, and in the Māori language ...

'' and many

pearl millet Pearl millet (''Cenchrus americanus'', commonly known as the synonym ''Pennisetum glaucum''; also known as 'Bajra' in Hindi, 'Sajje' in Kannada, 'Kambu' in Tamil, 'Bajeer' in Kumaoni and 'Maiwa' in Hausa, 'Mexoeira' in Mozambique) is the most w ...

and

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

pest species. Among non-insect arthropods, the scorpions ''

Androctonus amoreuxi ''Androctonus amoreuxi'', the African fattail scorpion, is a species of scorpion found in Africa. In the Dogon Country of Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤� ...

'' (a common house scorpion) and '' Pandinus imperator'' (black emperor scorpion, locally called the "horse scorpion"), which are non-insect arthropods, are also common in the region. Spiders include '' Galeodes olivieri''. Ticks include ''

Hyalomma impeltatum ''Hyalomma'' is a genus of hard-bodied ticks common in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. They are also found in Southern Africa. The name is derived from Greek: hyalos (ὕαλος) crystal, glass; and omma (oμμα) eye. The genus is believed to ...

'' and '' Rhipicephalus turanicus''. Millipedes include ''

Archispirostreptus ''Archispirostreptus'' is a genus of giant African millipedes in family Spirostreptidae, containing 26 species: * '' Archispirostreptus arabs'' Pocock, 1876 * '' Archispirostreptus beccarii'' Silvestri, 1895 * '' Archispirostreptus boettegi'' S ...

'' sp., and centipedes include ''

Scolopendra ''Scolopendra'' (through Latin from Greek , ''skolopendra'') is a species-rich genus of large tropical centipedes of the family Scolopendridae. Description The genus ''Scolopendra'' contains many species of centipedes found across the world' ...

'' sp.

Gallery

File:Village du plateau Dogon.jpg, Plateau village File:Village Dogon1.jpg, The plain seen from the foot of the cliff File:Marché Dogon.jpg, Market in a village at the foot of the

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

File:Pays Dogon (73).JPG, The

festival File:Pays Dogon (15).JPG, Weaving in Dogon Country File:Pays Dogon (82).JPG, Mask dance

References

External links

Database of Dogon villages
(data mostly collected in the early 2010s just prior to the

) {{Dogon topics, state=collapsed Regions of West Africa Geography of Mali Mopti Region Tourism in Mali Dogon holy places Sacred sites in traditional African religions