flora
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''.
E ...
and
fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
. The wildlife protected areas in the country total about 8.5 million hectares (21 million acres), which is 6.6% of the land area of the country, a figure which is expected to eventually reach the 11% percent target fixed by the IUCN with addition of more areas under the reserve category. The dama gazelle (''Gazella dama'' or ''Nanger dama'') has become a national symbol. Under the Hausa name ''meyna'' or ''ménas'' the dama appears on the badge of the Niger national football team, who are popularly called the ''Ménas''.Menas to test Pharaohs form Confederation of African Football. 10 September 2010
There are 136 mammal species in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesBird Life International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
has reported 528 species of birds of which three are globally threatened and one is an
introduced species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...
; many species may be yet to be discovered in the rich avifauna seen here in spite of thin vegetation.
Conservation of wildlife is ensured by laws and regulations enacted by the
Government of Niger
The government of Niger is the apparatus through which authority functions and is exercised: the governing apparatus of Nigerien state. The current system of governance, since the Constitution of 25 November 2010, is termed the Seventh Republic ...
, which has enforced a permanent ban on hunting so that animals such as lions, hippos and giraffes are safe in the wild. The arrival of
Abdim's stork
Abdim's stork (''Ciconia abdimii''), also known as the white-bellied stork, is a stork belonging to the family Ciconiidae. It is the smallest species of stork, feeds mostly on insects, and is found widely in open habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa an ...
s (''Ciconia abdimiiis'') heralds the impending monsoon season giving a signal to farmers to until the land for agricultural operations.
The Iullemeden, an aquifer rich in ground water resources, underlies Niger and its neighbors
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
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and is being closely monitored; these countries are jointly attempting to stop its
overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to replenish. The term app ...
, which is causing not only lowering of ground water levels but also the reduction of storage in the
Lake Chad
Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...
and perennial flows 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 ...
on which wildlife of the country is largely dependent.
Legal provisions
French colonial laws were the initial basis for environmental legislation. Hunting was officially banned in 1974. Over the years after independence, for conservation of wildlife, laws in the form of acts and regulations have been enacted and a large number of wildlife reserves and
national parks
A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual ...
have been established by the
Government of Niger
The government of Niger is the apparatus through which authority functions and is exercised: the governing apparatus of Nigerien state. The current system of governance, since the Constitution of 25 November 2010, is termed the Seventh Republic ...
.
Local social attitudes towards the environment
While the country is not lacking laws and acts in natural resources such as water, forests and trees on arable land, flora and fauna the main issue is of establishing proper implementation mechanism. A general sense of lack of any utility of the wildlife persists.
However, some of the local people in some regions feel the need to preserve a few species of birds and sacred forests for posterity. In the Air Mountains near Tchirzorone, a local
marabout
A marabout ( ar, مُرابِط, murābiṭ, lit=one who is attached/garrisoned) is a Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the function of a chaplain serving as a part of an Islamic army, notably in North Africa and the Saha ...
(a religious leader)) prevents destruction of trees and animals. They are also preserved for their medicinal qualities. In fact, the arrival of
Abdim's stork
Abdim's stork (''Ciconia abdimii''), also known as the white-bellied stork, is a stork belonging to the family Ciconiidae. It is the smallest species of stork, feeds mostly on insects, and is found widely in open habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa an ...
(''Ciconia abdimii'') is an indication of the arrival of monsoon season giving a signal to the farmers to until their land for agricultural operations.
Its dependence on international institutions and NGOs for assistance for wild life conservation is quite large as the finances of the state are inadequate to meet the annual expenses.
Geography
As a landlocked country of the sub-Saharan region, its topography is covered with sand dunes, deserts, uplands and so forth, spread over three broad regions of: The northern desert zone; the middle zone comprising the semi-arid zone; and the southwest zone which has fertile terrain. It shares its international borders with seven countries,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
and
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
, which is a feature which makes the wildlife of the countries cross the borders freely, thus necessitating creation of national parks and reserves managed under joint cooperation programme with some of the countries.
Niger's topography is comparatively flat, and in the elevation range of and . Tertiary sediments in horizontal layers is the common geological formation is in the lowlands. Plateaux created from the sediment deposits are superimposed by laterite formations not subject to erosion. Sand deposits are a common feature in low-lying areas. The upland areas have the scenic Aïr Mountains in the central north with Mount Greboun (), the Djado plateau in the north-east with elevation varying between and , and the
Termit Massif
The Termit Massif (Termit Mountains or simply the Termit) is a mountainous region in southeastern Niger. Just to the south of the dunes of Tenere desert and the Erg of Bilma, the northern areas of the Termit, called the Gossololom consists of b ...
which forms the central east part of the country, the maximum elevation is .
In all these hilly areas rainfall is heavy compared to the lowlands surrounding them. This condition also dictates the vegetation in the hilly areas, and even
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
and
Afromontane
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions ...
species are reported. Apart from the Niger River, the other sources of perennial surface water is the Komadougou Yobé River. In the southern region of the country where rainfall is adequate and has fertile and wooded landscape, dry land agriculture is practiced.
Drainage from this mountain ranges flows into 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 ...
, the only perennial source in the country, which flows in the southwest. It is a crucial major source of water for the sustenance of the wildlife of the country. Another source of surface water is
Lake Chad
Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme, ...
, which is an ephemeral lake as it gets filled only during rains, and during the dry season puddles of water are seen here (January to May). Over the years its size has also reduced.
Another source of water is ground water from a rich aquifer called the 'Iullemeden' which extends into the neighbouring countries of Mali and Nigeria and it is in a stage of over exploitation. Laws have been put in place by the three countries to prevent over extraction to avoid lowering of water table and also affecting flows into the Niger River. Oases is also a source of water in the desert region of the country.
Climate
Niger's climate, which dictates its wildlife distribution, is subtropical in the north and tropical in the south and data of Niamey is an indicator for the entire country. Drought conditions are quite common as the monsoon rainy season is short and its distribution in the three geographical regions vary.
While average rainfall for the country is reported as (May to September), its incidence is heavy to the extent of per day causing much of the flows draining out in quick time as surface flow without enriching the ground water aquifer. This condition coupled with high temperatures cause drought situation in many years affecting the vegetation.
Spatial distribution of the rainfall varies from region to region. In the northern Sahara desert region it is only or less annually (covering about 50% area of Niger), the Sahelian grasslands in the south receives a rainfall of during the monsoon months of June–August, and in the southern Sahelian zone, the annual rainfall varies between and during the monsoon months of June–September.
Temperatures average between a maximum of to a minimum of . Milder cold temperatures are reported during the three months of December, January and February. It is for this that the vegetation in the wildlife of the country richness is very limited; the Savannah region recording Herbaceous species of plants and trees. The annual temperature variation between northeast and the southwest is and respectively.
Tadres Reserve
The Tadrès Total Reserve (T'adéras/Tadress) (Réserve totale de Faune du Tadrès) is a nature reserve in the central north of Niger, southwest the city of Agadez. It is a Total Faunal Reserve IUCN type IV, covering some 788,928 hectares within ...
,
Tamou Reserve
The Tamou Total Reserve is a nature reserve in the southwest of Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages
Dallol Bosso
The Dallol Bosso ( Zarma: Boboye) is one of two major seasonal river valleys in southwest Niger. The Dallol Bosso valley runs from the Azawagh area in the Sahara west and south through the Dosso Region where it reaches the Niger River valley.
Hu ...
W National Park
The W National Park (french: Parc national du W) or W Regional Park (french: W du Niger, links=no) is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W (french: double v, links=no). The park includ ...
().
This is apart from 79 Forest Reserves covering and 51 restoration and land protection areas of encompassing three geographic regions;these are administered by the Direction de l'Environnement of the MHE. A few fishing reserves to conserve its aquatic resources are also proposed to be set up. Four wetlands have been included under
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
of Wetlands.
W National Park
W National Park
The W National Park (french: Parc national du W) or W Regional Park (french: W du Niger, links=no) is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W (french: double v, links=no). The park includ ...
, encompassing an area of , is located south of the Niamey, the capital city of Niger, in the southwestern corner of Niger. This trans border park has the affix of letter "W", as it is located in a bend of the Niger River which meanders in this stretch of the park to form the figure "W". As it is a transborder park and its management is under the control of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. It is home for four of the five big animal species – the elephant, lion, African buffaloes and the leopard. Within the park, the savanna habitat extends over an area of 10,000 km2.
The park is very rich in bird species, 450 species are reported, which is said to be "one of the largest varieties anywhere on earth." Commonly reported in the park are hippos, jackals and many types of monkeys, snakes and reptiles. It is a World heritage Site and also a Regional Biosphere Reserve. Home to the giraffe, ''
Giraffa camelopardalis peralta
The West African giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis peralta''), Niger giraffe or Nigerien giraffe is a subspecies of the giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots. It is found in the Sahel of West Africa.
In the 19th century it ranged from ...
'', it is reported to be last surviving population of the West African race.
Aïr and Ténéré Reserve
The Aïr and Ténéré Reserves of area (Aïr is a Massif and Ténéré is a desert area) have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, and declared endangered in 1998. It encloses both the eastern half of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the
Ténéré desert
The Ténéré (Tuareg: Tenere, literally: "desert") is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from northeastern Niger into western Chad, occupying an area of over . The Ténéré's boundaries are ...
. It is the second largest nature reserve in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world.
The reserve is rich in fauna and flora. Home to a dwindling population of ostriches, the Sahara conservation efforts are put in place to increase the number of this species in the reserve. It encloses the Addax Sanctuary Strict Nature Reserve, established in 1988, as a core area, specifically to protect the Addax ''( Addax nasomaculatus)''. It is also identified by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
as an
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
.
Termit Massif reserve
The Termit Massif reserve is now, since 2012, under a new decree. It encloses an area of area, which is the largest single reserve in Africa. It is also a Saharan antelopes conservation area since 1998 as it has a combination of desert and mountain habitats covering the Saharan and Sahelian zones in the country. The whole area of Termit Massif and Tin Toumma desert is considered a biodiversity hotspot. Its arid land fauna consists of addax, dama and dorcas gazelles, cheetah, Barbary sheep and striped hyena, bustards (Nubian and Sudan) and spurred tortoise. It is also the habitat for the Critically Endangered dama gazelle.
Wildlife
There are 136 mammal species in Niger, of which 2 are critically endangered, 2 are endangered, 9 are vulnerable, and 1 is near-threatened. One of the species listed for Niger can no longer be found in the wild.
Bird Life International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
has reported 528 species of birds of which three are globally threatened and one is an introduced species; many species may be yet to be discovered in the rich avifauna seen here in spite of thin vegetation.
Flora
The desert ecosystems dominates the land topography of Niger. In spite of this arid climate, it has 2124 plant species of which 210 have nutritive value (particularly during famine).
Floral vegetation in the wildlife of Niger is very limited due to the climatic conditions. The floral species reported in the Savannah region consist generally of kapok,
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 ...
, bastard mahogany,
shea tree
''Vitellaria paradoxa'' (formerly ''Butyrospermum parkii''), commonly known as shea tree, shi tree (), or vitellaria, is a tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is the only species in the genus ''Vitellaria'',prickly grass (''Cenchrus biflorus''),
acacia
''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...
trees. The total forest area reported at 11.2 million ha is only 8% of the land area of the country including 0.65 of classified forests.
Fauna
Mammals
There are 3200 faunal species which includes 2021 insects.
The topographic and climatic conditions of the country has resulted in faunal species dominated by rare species such as
African bush elephant
The African bush elephant (''Loxodonta africana'') is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to and a body ...
waterbuck
The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies ar ...
antelope
The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia.
Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...
,
common warthog
The common warthog (''Phacochoerus africanus'') is a wild member of the pig family (Suidae) found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, it was commonly treated as a subspecies of ''P. aethiopicus'', but today th ...
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 ...
es (''Hippopotamus amphibius'') in the Niger River,
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
s,
horned viper Horned viper may refer to:
* ''Cerastes (genus)'', North African desert vipers, a group of small, venomous species found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran
* ''Bitis caudalis'', the horned puff ...
s,
lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
Giraffa camelopardalis peralta
The West African giraffe (''Giraffa camelopardalis peralta''), Niger giraffe or Nigerien giraffe is a subspecies of the giraffe distinguished by its light colored spots. It is found in the Sahel of West Africa.
In the 19th century it ranged from ...
'') which is endangered, the Critically Endangered dama gazelle, which is the national symbol of Niger (named ''meyna'' or ''ménas'' in the
Hausa language
Hausa (; /; Ajami: ) is a Chadic language spoken by the Hausa people in the northern half of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin and Togo, and the southern half of Niger, Chad and Sudan, with significant minorities in Ivory Coast.
Hausa is a member ...
) as well as
Soemmerring's gazelle
Soemmerring's gazelle (''Nanger soemmerringii''), also known as the Abyssinian mohr, is a gazelle species native to the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan). The species was described and given its binomen by Germ ...
(''Nanger soemmerringii''), Grant's gazelle (''Nanger granti'') and
slender-horned gazelle
The rhim gazelle or rhim (''Gazella leptoceros''), also known as the slender-horned gazelle, African sand gazelle or Loder's gazelle, is a pale-coated gazelle with long slender horns and well adapted to desert life. It is considered an endangered ...
(''Gazella leptoceros'').
The population of the dama species, according to IUCN, declined from the stage of Vulnerable in 1986, Endangered in 1990 to Critically Endangered in 2006. Its numbers are low in the eastern Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve in Niger, and in the border region of Mali and Niger; this decline is attributed to loss of habitat and mostly to indiscriminate hunting.
Four species of
sympatric
In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sh ...
Egyptian wolf
The Egyptian wolf (''Canis lupaster lupaster'') or the Egyptian Jackal is a subspecies of African golden wolf native to northern, eastern and a part of western Africa.
Taxonomic and evolutionary history
The Egyptian wolf had an unresolved taxono ...
caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted e ...
, Striped hyena and Northeast African cheetah are also particularly reported from the Termit and Tin Toumma Reserves. To preserve the wildlife of this area, the Termit Reserve has been extended to include Tin Toumma region to cover an area of 100,000 km2, the largest single reserve in Africa.
Avifauna
The number of avifaunal species reported is 528 to 530. Threatened species of birds with the IUCN designations of Least Concern (LC), Near-threatened (NT), Vulnerable (VU) or Endangered (EN) are:
North African ostrich
The North African ostrich, red-necked ostrich, or Barbary ostrich (''Struthio camelus camelus'') is the nominate subspecies of the common ostrich from West and North Africa. It is the largest subspecies, making it the largest living bird.
Evolu ...
Stanley bustard
Denham's bustard, Stanley bustard or Stanley's bustard (''Neotis denhami'') is a large bird in the bustard family. It breeds in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a species of open ground, including agricultural land, grassland, flood-plains and ...
(''Neotis denhami'', NT);
Nubian bustard
The Nubian bustard (''Neotis nuba'') is a species of bird in the Otididae, bustard family. This is a medium-large bustard found in the sparsely vegetated interface between the southern margins of the Sahara desert and the northern part of the Sah ...
Eurasian curlew
The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred t ...
(''Numenius arquata'', NT);
black-tailed godwit
The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, ''Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest ...
(''Limosa limosa'', NT);
great snipe
The great snipe (''Gallinago media'') is a small stocky wader in the genus ''Gallinago''. This bird's breeding habitat is marshes and wet meadows with short vegetation in north-eastern Europe, including north-western Russia. Great snipes are mig ...
(''Gallinago media'', NT);
African skimmer
The African skimmer (''Rynchops flavirostris'') is a species of bird belonging to the skimmer genus ''Rynchops'' in the family Laridae. It is found along rivers, lakes and lagoons in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Description
African skimmers have long w ...
(''Rynchops flavirostris'', NT); European roller (''Coracias garrulus'', NT);
red-footed falcon
The red-footed falcon (''Falco vespertinus''), formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly ...
(''Falco vespertinus'', NT);
sooty falcon
The sooty falcon (''Falco concolor'') is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. The word sooty means to be covered in soot (ash), and is used to describe the color of the Sooty Falcon. Hence, ...
(''Falco concolor'', NT);
white-headed vulture
The white-headed vulture (''Trigonoceps occipitalis'') is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. Populations have been declining steeply in recent years due to habitat degradation and poisoning of vultures at carcasses. An extinct relative was a ...
(''Trigonoceps occipitalis'', VU);
Beaudouin's snake-eagle
Beaudouin's snake eagle (''Circaetus beaudouini'') is a species of snake eagle in the family Accipitridae found in the Sahel region of west Africa. It forms a superspecies with the Palearctic short-toed snake eagle ''Circaetus gallicus'' and ...
(''Circaetus beaudouini'', VU); lesser kestrel (''Falco naumanni'', VU); and
Egyptian vulture
The Egyptian vulture (''Neophron percnopterus''), also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus ''Neophron''. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and ...
(''Neophron percnopterus'', EN).
Six different
raptor
Raptor or RAPTOR may refer to:
Animals
The word "raptor" refers to several groups of bird-like dinosaurs which primarily capture and subdue/kill prey with their talons.
* Raptor (bird) or bird of prey, a bird that primarily hunts and feeds on v ...
species are well known. There are 41 migrant birds which visit Niger from Europe. Migrant birds are a common sight during the rainy season when the arid area turns into temporary wetland. The species types found are water birds and raptors. It is also noted that a few bird species such as nightingales and
whinchat
The whinchat (''Saxicola rubetra'') is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in central Africa. At one time considered to be in the thrush family, Turdidae, it is now placed in the Old World flycat ...
s migrate during summer season to gardens in Europe. The country does not have any endemic or near endemic species of birds.
Reptiles
The notable reptiles are the
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 ...
(''Crocodylus niloticus'') and lizard species such as ''
Varanus griseus
The desert monitor (''Varanus griseus'') is a species of monitor lizard of the order Squamata found living throughout North Africa and Central and South Asia. The desert monitor is carnivorous, feeding on a wide range of vertebrates and inverteb ...
'' and '' Varanus niloticus''. Also reported are the python species ''
Python sebae
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 ...
'' and ''
Python regius
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 ...
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Tortoise
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a turtle shell, shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, ...
species include the African spurred tortoise (''Testudo sulcata''); aquatic turtle species include ''
Trionyx triunguis
''Trionyx'' is a genus of softshell turtles belonging to the family Trionychidae. In the past many species in the family were classified in this genus, but today '' T. triunguis'', the African or Nile softshell turtle, is the only extant softshel ...
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Pelomedusa subrufa
The African helmeted turtle (''Pelomedusa subrufa''), also known commonly as the marsh terrapin, the crocodile turtle, or in the pet trade as the African side-necked turtle, is a species of omnivorous Pleurodira, side-necked terrapin in the Famil ...
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Aquafauna
The Niger River and Lake Chad are fish habitats. Lake Chad holds 85 fish species. The notable species is Nile perch (''Lates niloticus''), which has a rich economic potential. In the dry season, when the lake and water holes dry up, the fishes survive buried in the sands with a mucous protection membrane. Species of amphibians also survive in dry conditions by burying themselves in moist soil layers.
Threats
Environmental issues in Niger include destructive farming practices as a result of population pressure. Illegal hunting, bush fires in some areas, human encroachment upon the flood plains of the Niger River for paddy cultivation are environmental issues. Dams constructed on the Niger River in the neighbouring countries of Mali and Guinea and also within Niger itself are also cited as a reason for a reduction of water flow in the Niger River – which has a direct effect upon the environment. A lack of adequate staff to guard wildlife in the parks and reserves is another factor cited for loss of wildlife.