The wildlife of

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

is very diverse due to the wide variety of different habitats. The southern part of the country lies within

Guinean Forests of West Africa The Guinean forests of West Africa is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which includes the belt of tropical moist broadleaf forests along the coast of West Africa, running from Sierra Leone and Guinea in the west to ...

Biodiversity Hotspot A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after which the co ...

, while the north-east is characterized by dry savanna woodlands. Ecoregions of Guinea are

Western Guinean lowland forest The Western Guinean lowland forests ecoregion (WWF #AT0130) is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of West Africa. It is centered on Liberia, with portions in surrounding countries. It is the westernmost tropical rainforest in Africa, an ...

, Guinean montane forest,

Guinean forest-savanna mosaic Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

West Sudanian Savanna The West Sudanian savanna is a tropical savanna ecoregion that extends across West Africa. Geography The ecoregion stretches east and west across West Africa, from the Atlantic coast of Senegal to the Mandara Mountains on Nigeria's eastern borde ...

, and

Guinean mangroves The Guinean mangroves are a coastal ecoregion of mangrove swamps in rivers and estuaries near the ocean of West Africa from Senegal to Sierra Leone. Location and description Guinean mangroves can be found: in the Saloum River and Casamance del ...

. Declining populations of large mammals are restricted to uninhabited distant parts of parks and reserves, because of the inappropriate

nature conservation Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values unde ...

. A noteworthy NGO specialized to nature conservation is the Guinean Parks. Famous strongholds of Guinean wildlife are Pinselly Classified Forest,

National Park of Upper Niger The National Park of Upper Niger is a national park in Guinea that was gazetted in January 1997 with a core area of . The park protects important tracts of forest and savannah, and is considered a conservation priority for West Africa as a whole. ...

, Badiar National Park,

Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve is a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in both Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, extending over a total of area of 17,540 hectares, with 12,540 hectares in Guinea, and 5,000 hectares in Côte d'Ivoire ...

Ziama Massif The Ziama Massif is a forested mountain range in Nzérékoré Region of southeastern Guinea. Geography The Ziama Massif extends northeast-southwest, continuing south into Liberia as the Kpo Range. The eastern slopes are drained by the St. Paul ...

, Bossou Hills Reserve, and Diécké Classified Forest.

Fauna

Mammals

African buffalo *

African forest buffalo The African forest buffalo (''Syncerus caffer nanus''), also known as the dwarf buffalo or the Congo buffalo, is the smallest subspecies of the African buffalo. It is related to the Cape buffalo (''Syncerus caffer caffer''), the Sudan buffalo ...

African forest elephant The African forest elephant (''Loxodonta cyclotis'') is one of the two living African elephant species. It is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a should ...

Bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'') is a common and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.Wronski T, Moodley Y. (2009)Bushbuck, harnessed antelope or both? ''Gnusletter'', 28(1):18-19. Bushbuck are found in a wide ra ...

Guinea baboon The Guinea baboon (''Papio papio'') is a baboon from the Old World monkey family. Some (older) classifications list only two species in the genus '' Papio'', this one and the hamadryas baboon. In those classifications, all other ''Papio'' species ...

Giant forest hog The giant forest hog (''Hylochoerus meinertzhageni''), the only member of its genus (''Hylochoerus''), is native to wooded habitats in Africa and is generally considered the largest wild member of the pig family, Suidae; however, a few subspecie ...

Hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

Pygmy hippopotamus The pygmy hippopotamus or pygmy hippo (''Choeropsis liberiensis'') is a small hippopotamid which is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. It has bee ...

Red river hog The red river hog (''Potamochoerus porcus'') or bushpig (a named also used for the '' Potamochoerus larvatus''), is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests. It is rarel ...

Royal antelope The royal antelope (''Neotragus pygmaeus'') is a West African antelope, recognized as the world's smallest antelope. It was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It stands up to merely at the shoulder and weighs . A chara ...

West African lion ''Panthera leo leo'' is a lion subspecies, which is present in West Africa, northern Central Africa and India. In West and Central Africa it is restricted to fragmented and isolated populations with a declining trajectory. It has been referred to ...

Western chimpanzee The western chimpanzee, or West African chimpanzee, (''Pan troglodytes verus'') is a Critically Endangered subspecies of the common chimpanzee. It inhabits western Africa, specifically Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea ...

* Western Giant Eland * Western Bongo * Zebra duiker

Birds

'' List of birds of Guinea'' *

Blue-headed wood-dove The blue-headed wood dove (''Turtur brehmeri''), also known as the blue-headed dove, is a medium-sized (up to long), rufous brown wood-dove with bluish-grey head, iridescent green patches on wings, reddish bill, dark brown iris, and dark red fe ...

Iris glossy-starling The emerald starling (''Lamprotornis iris'') is also known as the iris glossy starling. It is a small starling with a metallic green crown, upper body, wings and tail. The ear-coverts and underparts are metallic purple. Both sexes are similar. Mo ...

White-necked rockfowl The white-necked rockfowl (''Picathartes gymnocephalus'') is a medium-sized bird in the family Picathartidae, with a long neck and tail. Also known as the white-necked picathartes, this passerine is mainly found in rocky forested areas at higher ...

White-breasted guineafowl The white-breasted guineafowl (''Agelastes meleagrides'') is a medium-sized, up to 45 cm long, terrestrial bird of the guineafowl family. Description It has a black plumage with a small, bare, red head, white breast, long, black tail, gree ...

Reptiles

* ''

Atractaspis aterrima ''Atractaspis aterrima'', commonly known as the slender burrowing asp or mole viper, is a species of fossorial, venomous snake in the family Atractaspididae. The specific epithet, ''aterrima'', meaning "blackest", is the superlative form of the L ...

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African puff adder 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. ...

African rock python The Central African rock python (''Python sebae'') is a species of large constrictor snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of 11 living species in the genus ''Python''. Africa's largest snake and ...

Ball Python The ball python (''Python regius''), also called the royal python, is a python species native to West and Central Africa, where it lives in grasslands, shrublands and open forests. This nonvenomous constrictor is the smallest of the African p ...

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 extan ...

*''

Bitis rhinoceros :''Common names: West African Gaboon viper, Gabino viperMallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .'' ''Bitis rhinoceros'' is ...

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Nile monitor The Nile monitor (''Varanus niloticus'') is a large member of the monitor family (Varanidae) found throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile, with invasive populations in North America. The population in West African forests and sa ...

Savannah monitor The savannah monitor (''Varanus exanthematicus'') is a medium-sized species of monitor lizard native to Africa. The species is known as Bosc's monitor in Europe, since French scientist Louis Bosc first described the species. It belongs to the su ...

Slender-snouted crocodile ''Mecistops'' is a genus of crocodiles, the slender-snouted crocodiles, native to sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy and etymology Traditionally placed in ''Crocodylus'', recent studies in DNA and morphology have shown that it is in fact basal to '' ...

West African crocodile The West African crocodile, desert crocodile, or sacred crocodile (''Crocodylus suchus'') is a species of crocodile related to – and often confused with – the larger and more aggressive Nile crocodile (''C. niloticus''). Taxonomy Compared ...

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 mamb ...

* ''

Hormonotus ''Hormonotus'' is a genus of snakes. At present, this genus is monotypic, as there is only one commonly accepted species in it, ''Hormonotus modestus'', commonly known as the Uganda house snake or yellow forest snake. It is widespread in tropica ...

'' * West African mud turtle *

White-headed dwarf gecko The white-headed dwarf gecko or painted dwarf gecko (''Lygodactylus picturatus'') is a species of ''Lygodactylus'' gecko widely distributed in Africa. One subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used fo ...

Amphibians

* '' Arthroleptis bivittatus'' * '' Arthroleptis crusculum'' * ''

Arthroleptis poecilonotus ''Arthroleptis poecilonotus'' (common names: West African screeching frog, mottled squeaker) is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. This adaptable species has a wide range within the Sub-Saharan Africa and is not considered threaten ...

'' * ''

Astylosternus occidentalis ''Astylosternus occidentalis'' is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in southern Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and western Ivory Coast from sea level to elevations of about . Its natural habitats are secondary and prima ...

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Aubria subsigillata ''Aubria subsigillata'', commonly known as the brown ball frog or the West African brown frog, is a species of frog belonging to the family Pyxicephalidae. It has a discontinuous distribution from southern Guinea through Liberia and Ivory Coast, ...

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Conraua alleni ''Conraua alleni'' or Allen's slippery frog is a species of frogs in the family Conrauidae found in the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, along with a single outlying site in the Sui River Forest Reserve, Ghana. Its natural habitats ...

'' * ''

Geotrypetes angeli ''Geotrypetes angeli'' is a species of amphibian in the family Dermophiidae. It is only known from Labé—the type locality which could refer to several places in Guinea—and from Beyla, Guinea and Tingi Hills, Sierra Leone. Common name Ange ...

'' * '' Geotrypetes pseudoangeli'' * ''

Hylarana fonensis ''Amnirana fonensis'' is a species of frog in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Simandou, Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed h ...

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Hyperolius concolor ''Hyperolius concolor'', also known as the variable reed frog or Hallowell's sedge frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in West Africa, West and Middle Africa. Distribution ''Hyperolius concolor'' is known from easter ...

'' * '' Hyperolius fusciventris'' * ''

Hyperolius guttulatus ''Hyperolius guttulatus'' is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It occurs in West and Middle Africa between Sierra Leone in the west and Gabon in the east/south. Common name dotted reed frog has been coined for this species. Distri ...

'' * '' Hyperolius igbettensis'' * ''

Hyperolius nitidulus ''Hyperolius nitidulus'' is a species of frog from the family Hyperoliidae. It is found on the West African savannas between Guinea and Mali in the west and Nigeria and Cameroon in the east. Common name plain reed frog has been coined for it. De ...

'' * ''

Hyperolius occidentalis ''Hyperolius occidentalis'' is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is western reed frog. It is found in the coastal lowlands of westernmost West Africa in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. De ...

'' * ''

Hyperolius picturatus ''Hyperolius picturatus'' is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in northern and eastern Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana; its range might extend to Togo. Common names coined for this species ar ...

'' * '' Hyperolius soror'' * '' Hyperolius wermuthi'' * ''

Kassina cochranae ''Kassina cochranae'', sometimes known as the Cochran's running frog, is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in southern Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, western Ivory Coast (the Mount Nimba area, possibly wider), and at least ...

'' * ''

Kassina fusca ''Kassina fusca'' is a species of frog in the family Hyperoliidae. Its common name is brown running frog or pale running frog. It is found in the West African savanna zone in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, To ...

'' * ''

Kassina schioetzi ''Kassina schioetzi'' is a species of frogs in the family Hyperoliidae. It is found in Ivory Coast and extreme southeastern Guinea. Its range probably extends into northwestern Ghana. Etymology The specific name ''schioetzi'' honours , a Danish ...

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Leptopelis macrotis ''Leptopelis macrotis'', sometimes called the big-eyed forest tree frog, is a species of frog in the family Arthroleptidae. It is found in the rainforests of Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and southern Ghana. Notice that sim ...

'' * '' Leptopelis spiritusnoctis'' * '' Leptopelis viridis'' * Merlin's dwarf gray frog * Mount Nimba screeching frog * Nigeria banana frog * '' Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis'' * ''

Odontobatrachus ''Odontobatrachus'' is a genus of frogs comprising the family Odontobatrachidae. In a 2014 research project Barej, Rödel, Loader & Schmitz separated the genus from the established genus ''Petropedetes'' and separated the new family from the esta ...

'' * '' Phlyctimantis boulengeri'' * ''

Phrynobatrachus guineensis ''Phrynobatrachus guineensis'' is a species of frog in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, and western Ivory Coast. Common name Guinea river frog has been coined for it, although it is actually ...

'' * ''

Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus ''Phrynobatrachus phyllophilus'' is a species of frogs in the family Phrynobatrachidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, southern Guinea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast. Prior to its description in 2002, it was confused with ''Phrynobatrachus guineensis'' ...

'' * '' Ptychadena pujoli'' * '' Ptychadena submascareniensis'' * '' Ptychadena tournieri'' * '' Ptychadena trinodis''

Insects

''Insects of Guinea''

Butterflies and moths

Flora

Flora of Guinea Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms ''gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. Et ...

References of Flora and founa

External links

{{WildlifeofAfrica Biota of Guinea

Nature conservation in Guinea