The fauna of Africa, in its broader sense, is all the

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s living in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and its surrounding seas and islands. The more characteristic African fauna is found in the

Afrotropical realm The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

. Lying almost entirely within the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

, and equally to north and south of the equator creates favourable conditions for rich wildlife. Africa is home to many of the world's most famous fauna in human culture such as

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

s‚

rhino A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

s‚ cheetahs‚ giraffes‚

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 ...

, hippos,

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

s, zebras‚ and African elephants among many others.

Origins and history of African fauna

Whereas the earliest traces of life in fossil record of Africa date back to the earliest times, the formation of African fauna as we know it today, began with the splitting up of the

Gondwana Gondwana () was a large landmass, often referred to as a supercontinent, that formed during the late Neoproterozoic (about 550 million years ago) and began to break up during the Jurassic period (about 180 million years ago). The final stages ...

supercontinent in the mid-

Mesozoic era The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising ...

After that, four to six faunal assemblages, the so-called African Faunal Strata (AFSs) can be distinguished. The isolation of Africa was broken intermittently by discontinuous "filter routes" that linked it to some other Gondwanan continents (

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, and perhaps

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

), but mainly to

Laurasia Laurasia () was the more northern of two large landmasses that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from around ( Mya), the other being Gondwana. It separated from Gondwana (beginning in the late Triassic period) during the breakup of Pan ...

. Interchanges with Gondwana were rare and mainly "out-of-Africa" dispersals, whereas interchanges with Laurasia were numerous and bidirectional, although mainly from Laurasia to Africa. Despite these connections, isolation resulted in remarkable absences, poor diversity, and emergence of endemic taxa in Africa. Madagascar separated from continental Africa during the break-up of Gondwanaland early in the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...

, but was probably connected to the mainland again in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

. The first Neogene faunal interchange took place in the Middle Miocene (the introduction of Myocricetodontinae, Democricetodontinae, and Dendromurinae). A major terrestrial faunal exchange between North Africa and Europe began at about 6.1 Ma, some 0.4 Myr before the beginning of the Messinian salinity crisis(for example introduction of Murinae, immigrants from southern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

) During the early

Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...

, Africa was covered by a vast evergreen forest inhabited by an endemic forest fauna with many types common to southern Asia. In the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate grasslands, ...

fauna into Africa. At the beginning of the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

a moist period set in and much of the forest was renewed while the grassland fauna was divided and isolated, as the forest fauna had previously been. The present forest fauna is therefore of double origin, partly descended of the endemic fauna and partly from steppe forms that adapted themselves to forest life, while the present savanna fauna is similarly explained. The isolation in past times has resulted in the presence of closely related subspecies in widely separated regions Africa, where humans originated, shows much less evidence of loss in the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction, perhaps because co-evolution of large animals alongside early humans provided enough time for them to develop effective defenses. Its situation in the tropics spared it also from Pleistocene

glaciations A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...

and the climate has not changed much.

Invertebrates

There are large gaps in human knowledge about African invertebrates. East Africa has a rich coral fauna with about 400 known species. More than 400 species of

Echinoderms An echinoderm () is any member of the phylum Echinodermata (). The adults are recognisable by their (usually five-point) radial symmetry, and include starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers, as well as the sea li ...

and 500 species of

Bryozoa Bryozoa (also known as the Polyzoa, Ectoprocta or commonly as moss animals) are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. Typically about long, they have a special feeding structure called a l ...

live there too, as well as one Cubozoan species ('' Carybdea alata''). Of

Nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...

s, the ''

Onchocerca volvulus ''Onchocerca volvulus'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that causes onchocerciasis (river blindness), and is the second-leading cause of blindness due to infection worldwide after trachoma. It is one of the 20 neglected trop ...

'', '' Necator americanus'', ''

Wuchereria bancrofti ''Wuchereria bancrofti'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that is the major cause of lymphatic filariasis. It is one of the three parasitic worms, together with ''Brugia malayi'' and '' B. timori'', that infect the lymphatic s ...

'' and ''

Dracunculus medinensis ''Dracunculus medinensis'', or Guinea worm, is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, also known as guinea worm disease. The disease is caused by the female which, at up to in length, is among the longest nematodes infecting humans. In contr ...

'' are human parasites. Some of important plant-parasitic nematodes of crops include ''

Meloidogyne Root-knot nematodes are plant-parasitic nematodes from the genus ''Meloidogyne''. They exist in soil in areas with hot climates or short winters. About 2000 plants worldwide are susceptible to infection by root-knot nematodes and they cause appro ...

'', '' Pratylenchus'', '' Hirschmanniella'', ''

Radopholus ''Radopholus'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Pratylenchidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution. Species: *'' Radopholus arabocoffeae'' *'' Radopholus bridgei'' *'' Radopholus cavenessi'' *'' Radopholus citri'' ...

'', ''

Scutellonema ''Scutellonema'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Hoplolaimidae Hoplolaimidae is a family of plant pathogenic nematodes. It has two subfamilies, Hoplolaiminae and Rotylenchulinae. Typically hoplolaimids are ectoparasite, ecto- or ...

'' and '' Helicotylenchus''. Of the few Onychophorans, ''

Peripatopsis ''Peripatopsis'' is a genus of South African velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. The number of legs in this genus ranges from as few as 16 pairs (e.g., in '' P. clavigera'') to as many as 25 pairs (in '' P. moseleyi'') and varies within sp ...

'' and '' Opisthopatus'' live in Africa. Greatest diversity of freshwater mollusks is found in East African lakes. Of marine snails, less diversity is present in Atlantic coast, more in tropical Western Indian Ocean region (over 3000 species of gastropods with 81 endemic species). Cowry shells have been used as a money by native Africans. The

land snail A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...

fauna is especially rich in

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 ...

regions, and there are some endemic families in Africa (e.g. Achatinidae,

Chlamydephoridae ''Chlamydephorus'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Chlamydephoridae. It is the only genus within the family Chlamydephoridae.Herbert D. G. (1997). "The terrestrial slugs of KwaZulu- ...

) but other tropical families are common too ( Charopidae,

Streptaxidae Streptaxidae is a family of carnivorous air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the clade Stylommatophora. Six Streptaxidae subfamilies are accepted in the 2005 taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi. Stre ...

, Cyclophoridae,

Subulinidae Subulininae is a subfamily of small tropical air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Achatinidae. Distribution Worldwide.

, Rhytididae). 156 tardigrade species have been found, and about 8000 species of arachnids. The African millipede '' Archispirostreptus gigas'' is one of the largest in the world. 20 genera of

freshwater crab Around 1,300 species of freshwater crabs are distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, divided among eight families. They show direct development and maternal care of a small number of offspring, in contrast to marine crabs, which relea ...

s are present. The soil animal communities tropical Africa are poorly known. A few ecological studies have been undertaken on macrofauna, mainly in West Africa. Earthworms are being extensively studied in West and South Africa.

Insects

Approximately 100,000 species of insects have been described from

Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...

, but there are very few overviews of the fauna as a whole (it has been estimated that the African insects make up about 10-20% of the global insect species richness, and about 15% of new species descriptions come from Afrotropics). The only endemic African insect order is Mantophasmatodea. About 875 African species of dragonflies have been recorded. The migratory locust and

desert locust 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 ...

have been serious threats to African economies and human welfare. Africa has the biggest number of

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 ...

genera of all continents, and over 1,000 termite species. Of

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 ...

, the number of described African species is about 17,000. Natalimyzidae, a new family of acalyptrate flies has been recently described from

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. ''

Anopheles gambiae The ''Anopheles gambiae'' complex consists of at least seven morphologically indistinguishable species of mosquitoes in the genus ''Anopheles''. The complex was recognised in the 1960s and includes the most important vectors of malaria in sub- ...

'', ''

Aedes aegypti ''Aedes aegypti'', the yellow fever mosquito, is a mosquito that can spread dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever viruses, and other disease agents. The mosquito can be recognized by black and white markings on its legs ...

'' and

Tsetse fly Tsetse ( , or ) (sometimes spelled tzetze; also known as tik-tik flies), are large, biting flies that inhabit much of tropical Africa. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus ''Glossina'', which are placed in their own family, Glo ...

are important vectors of diseases. 1600 species of

bees Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...

and 2000 species of ants among other

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

ns are known from Africa. There live also 3,607 species of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

, being the best known group of insects. The caterpillars of mopani moth are part of the South African cuisine. Among the numerous species of African

beetles 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 ...

are the famous sacred scarab, the

centaurus beetle ''Augosoma centaurus'', the centaurus beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle found in tropical Africa, which measures about 40–90 mm. As common in many insect species, the male is larger than the female and usually two males will fight ...

, the manticora tiger beetle and enormous Goliath beetles.

Butterflies

Hotspots Hotspot, Hot Spot or Hot spot may refer to: Places * Hot Spot, Kentucky, a community in the United States Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Hot Spot (comics), a name for the DC Comics character Isaiah Crockett * Hot Spot (Tra ...

for butterflies include the Congolian forests and the

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 ...

. Some butterflies (''

Hamanumida daedalus ''Hamanumida daedalus'', the guineafowl butterfly, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae and only member of the genus ''Hamanumida''. Range It is found in the Afrotropical realm (Natal, Eswatini, Transvaal, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Botswana, ...

'', '' Precis'', '' Eurema'') are grassland or savannah specialists. Many of these have very large populations and a vast range.

has one of the highest proportions of Lycaenid butterflies (48%) for any region in the world with many species restricted in range. North Africa is in the Palaearctic region and has a different species assemblage.

Genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

which are species rich in Africa include '' Charaxes'', ''

Acraea Acraea (Ancient Greek: means 'of the heights' from ''akraios'') was a name that had several uses in Greek and Roman mythology. *Acraea, the naiad daughter of the river-god Asterion near Mycenae, who together with her sisters Euboea and Prosymn ...

'', ''

Colotis ''Colotis'', called orange tips or Arabs, is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Pierinae found mainly in Africa and south-western Asia. The larvae of all ''Colotis'' species specialize on plants in the family Capparaceae. Species Liste ...

'' and ''

Papilio ''Papilio'' is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word ''papilio'' is Latin for butterfly. It includes the common yellow swallowtail (''Papilio machaon''), ...

'', most notably '' Papilio antimachus'' and ''

Papilio zalmoxis ''Papilio zalmoxis'', the giant blue swallowtail, is an African butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. The name of the species is given in honor of Zalmoxis – a divinity of the Getae (a people of the lower Danube), mentioned by Herodo ...

''. The tribe Liptenini is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

Afrotropics The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

and includes species rich genera such as ''

Ornipholidotos ''Ornipholidotos'' is a genus of butterflies, commonly called glasswings or white mimics, in the family Lycaenidae. The species of this genus are endemic to the Afrotropical realm. Species * '' Ornipholidotos abriana'' Libert, 2005 * '' Orniphol ...

'', ''

Liptenara ''Liptenara'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. The three species of this genus are endemic to the Afrotropical realm. Species *''Liptenara batesi'' Bethune-Baker, 1915 *''Liptenara hiendlmayri'' (Dewitz, 1887) *''Liptenara sch ...

'', ''

Pentila ''Pentila'' is a genus of butterflies, commonly called pentilas or buffs, in the family Lycaenidae. The species of this genus are endemic to the Afrotropics. For other butterflies called buffs, see genus '' Baliochila''. Species Listed alphabe ...

'', ''

Baliochila ''Baliochila'' is a genus of butterflies, commonly called buffs, in the family Lycaenidae. They are found only in the Afrotropical realm. Species *'' Baliochila abri'' Henning & Henning, 2004 *'' Baliochila amanica'' Stempffer & Bennet, 1953 * ...

'', '' Hypophytala'', '' Teriomima'', '' Deloneura'' and '' Mimacraea''. The Miletinae are mostly African, notably '' Lachnocnema''. Other endemic lycaenids include the genus '' Alaena''. Endemic Nymphalidae include ''

Euphaedra ''Euphaedra'' is a butterfly genus in the subfamily Limenitidinae. The species are confined to the Afrotropical realm mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests. Description ''Euphaedra'' are large and showy butterfl ...

'', '' Bebearia'', '' Heteropsis'', '' Precis'', ''

Pseudacraea ''Pseudacraea'' is an Afrotropical butterfly genus in the subfamily Limenitidinae. Their placement in the tribe Limenitidini remains to be verified. Some of these species are mimics of Acraeinae and the present genus is thus known as false acra ...

'', ''

Bicyclus ''Bicyclus'' is a butterfly genus from the subfamily Satyrinae in the family Nymphalidae. The species are found in the Afrotropical realm. Species *''Bicyclus abnormis'' (Dudgeon, 1909) *''Bicyclus albocincta'' (Rebel, 1914) *''Bicyclus alboplag ...

'' and ''

Euxanthe ''Euxanthe'' is a genus of butterflies in the subfamily Charaxinae. Species There are six species all found in Afrotropical forests. The popular name is forest queen. *Subgenus ''Euxanthe'' Hübner, 819/small> **'' Euxanthe crossleyi'' (Ward, ...

''. Endemic Pieridae include '' Pseudopontia paradoxa'' and ''

Mylothris ''Mylothris'', commonly called dotted borders, is a genus of Pieridae, pierid butterfly, butterflies found in Africa. Species Listed alphabetically within groups:Sarangesa ''Sarangesa'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. Most of the contained species are found in the Afrotropical realm a few are Indomalayan Species *'' Sarangesa astrigera'' Butler, 1893 *'' Sarangesa aza'' Evans, 1951 *'' Saranges ...

''and '' Kedestes''. The highest species diversity is in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, home to 2,040 species 181 of which are endemic.

Fish

Africa is the richest continent of

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

fish, with about 3000 species. The East African Great Lakes ( Victoria,

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast ...

, and

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

) are the center of biodiversity of many fish, especially

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

s (they harbor more than two-thirds of the estimated 2000 species in the family). The West African coastal rivers region covers only a fraction of West Africa, but harbours 322 of West African’s fish species, with 247 restricted to this area and 129 restricted even to smaller ranges. The central rivers fauna comprises 194 fish species, with 119 endemics and only 33 restricted to small areas. The marine diversity is greatest near the Indian Ocean shore with about 2000 species. Characteristic to African fauna are Perciformes ('' Lates'', tilapias, Dichistiidae, Anabantidae,

Mudskipper Mudskippers are any of the 23 extant species of amphibious fish from the subfamily Oxudercinae of the goby family Oxudercidae. They are known for their unusual body shapes, preferences for semiaquatic habitats, limited terrestrial locomotion and ...

s, ''

Parachanna ''Parachanna'' is a genus of snakeheads native to freshwater habitats in tropical Africa. Three recognized extant (living) species are in this genus, but a phylogenetic study from 2017 indicates that a fourth, currently undescribed species also ...

'', '' Acentrogobius'', '' Croilia'', '' Glossogobius'', '' Hemichromis'', ''

Nanochromis ''Nanochromis'' is a genus of small cichlids endemic to the Congo River Basin in Central Africa. Species The genus ''Congochromis'' was split from ''Nanochromis'' in 2007. The following species remain in ''Nanochromis'': * '' Nanochromis conso ...

'', '' Oligolepis'', '' Oreochromis'', '' Redigobius'', ''

Sarotherodon ''Sarotherodon'' is a genus of oreochromine cichlids that are native to the northern half of Africa (south as far as the Congo River basin), with a single species, ''S. galilaeus'', also ranging into the Levant. A couple of species from this gen ...

'', '' Stenogobius'' and others),

Gonorhynchiformes The Gonorynchiformes are an order (biology), order of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish that includes the important food source, the milkfish (''Chanos chanos'', family Chanidae), and a number of lesser-known types, both ocean, marine and freshwat ...

( Kneriidae, Phractolaemidae), some

lungfishes Lungfish are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the order Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining ancestral characteristics within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and ancestral structures within Sarcopterygii, i ...

('' Protopterus''), many Characiformes (

Distichodontidae The Distichodontidae are a family of African freshwater fishes of the order Characiformes. Two evolutionary grades are found in this family; micropredators (predators of very small organisms like aquatic insect larvae) and herbivores have a nonp ...

Hepsetidae ''Hepsetus'' is a genus of African fishes, the African pikes or African pike characins, in the order Characiformes. It is the sole genus in the family Hepsetidae. It was long believed that only a single widespread species existed, ''H. odoe'', b ...

Citharinidae The Citharinidae, the lutefishes, are a small family of characiform fish. They are freshwater fish native to Africa, and are sufficiently abundant to be significant food fishes. They are deep-bodied, silvery fish, measuring up to in length and ...

Alestiidae African tetras (family Alestidae, formerly spelled Alestiidae) are a group of characiform fish exclusively found in Africa. This family contains about 18 genera and 119 species. Among the best known members are the Congo tetra, and African tigerf ...

), Osteoglossiformes ( African knifefish,

Gymnarchidae ''Gymnarchus niloticus'' – commonly known as the ''aba'', ''aba aba'', frankfish, freshwater rat-tail, ''poisson-cheval'', or African knifefish – is an electric fish, and the only species in the genus ''Gymnarchus'' and the family Gymnarchid ...

, Mormyridae,

Pantodontidae Pantodontidae is a family of ray-finned fish in the order Osteoglossiformes. It contains the living freshwater butterflyfish (''Pantodon buchholzi'') of Africa, as well as five extinct species from the Late Cretaceous ( Cenomanian) of Lebanon. ...

), Siluriformes (

Amphiliidae The loach catfishes are a family, Amphiliidae, of catfishes ( order Siluriformes). They are widespread in tropical Africa, but are most common in streams at high elevations; most species are able to cling to rocks in fast-flowing streams. The 13 ...

, Anchariidae, Ariidae, Austroglanididae, Clariidae,

Claroteidae The Claroteidae are a family of catfish (order Siluriformes) found in Africa. This family was separated from Bagridae. However, the monophyly of the family is sometimes contested. The 12 genera contain 86 known species of claroteids in two subfa ...

, Malapteruridae, Mochokidae,

Schilbeidae Schilbeidae is a family of catfishes native to Africa and Asia. These fish tend to swim in open water. Schilbid catfishes usually have dorsal fins with a short base and a spine, but ''Parailia'' lack a dorsal fin altogether. Most species also po ...

Osmeriformes The Osmeriformes are an order of ray-finned fish that includes the true or freshwater smelts and allies, such as the galaxiids and noodlefishes; they are also collectively called osmeriforms. They belong to the teleost superorder Protacanthopte ...

( Galaxiidae), Cyprinodontiformes (

Aplocheilidae Aplocheilidae, the Asian killifishes or Asian rivulines, is a family of fish in the order Cyprinodontiformes found in Asia. Some authorities use this family-group name, which is well-established, for a single lumped aplocheiloid family as it giv ...

Poeciliidae The Poeciliidae are a family of freshwater fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail. The original distribution of the family was t ...

) and

Cypriniformes Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of "Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 families, ...

('' Labeobarbus'', ''

Pseudobarbus ''Pseudobarbus'' is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cyprinidae. The type species is Burchell's redfin (''P. burchelli''). The scientific name is derived from the Ancient Greek ''pseudes'' ("false") and the Latin word ''barbus'' ("beard", ...

'', '' Tanakia'' and others).

Amphibians

Endemic to Africa are the families

Arthroleptidae The Arthroleptidae are a family of frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. This group includes African treefrogs in the genus ''Leptopelis'' along with the terrestrial breeding squeakers '' Arthroleptis'', and several genera restricted to the Guinea ...

, Astylosternidae, Heleophrynidae,

Hemisotidae The shovelnose frogs are the species of frogs in the genus, ''Hemisus'', the only genus in the family Hemisotidae. They are found in tropical and subtropical sub-Saharan Africa. The shovelnose frogs are moderate-sized frogs, reaching a length of ...

, Hyperoliidae,

Petropedetidae The Petropedetidae are a family of frogs containing three genera and 12 species. They are found in sub-Saharan tropical Africa and are sometimes known under common name African torrent frogs. They are inhabitants of the splash-water zone of cle ...

Mantellidae The Mantellidae are a family of the order Anura. These frogs are endemic to the islands of Madagascar and Mayotte. Systematics The family Mantellidae is composed of three extremely ecologically diverse groups of frogs, divided into three sub ...

. Also widespread are Bufonidae ('' Bufo'', ''

Churamiti ''Churamiti'' is a genus of toads endemic to Tanzania. It is monotypic and represented by a single species, ''Churamiti maridadi''. This species is only known from its type locality in the Mamiwa-Kisara Forest Reserve in the Ukaguru Mountains. ...

'', ''

Capensibufo ''Capensibufo'' is a genus of true toads commonly known as Cape toads or mountain toadlets. They are found in the Republic of South Africa from Breede River to north of Knysna, Western Cape Province The Western Cape is a province of South A ...

'', '' Mertensophryne'', '' Nectophryne'', '' Nectophrynoides'', '' Schismaderma'', '' Stephopaedes'', '' Werneria'', '' Wolterstorffina''),

Microhylidae The Microhylidae, commonly known as narrow-mouthed frogs, are a geographically widespread family of frogs. The 683 species are in 63 genera and 11 subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family. Evolution A molecular phylo ...

(''

Breviceps ''Breviceps'' is a genus of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae. Species in the genus ''Breviceps'' are commonly known as rain frogs or short-headed frogs. They occur in arid to semiarid climates of East Africa and Southern Africa. Taxonomy The ...

'', ''

Callulina ''Callulina'' (commonly known as the warty frogs) is a small genus of frogs in the family Brevicipitidae with nine members in Tanzania and Kenya. Originally ''Callulina'' was thought to be monotypic and widely distributed through Eastern Arc Mou ...

'', ''

Probreviceps ''Probreviceps'' is a small genus of brevicipitine frogs with only six members. They occur in the montane forests of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and possibly Mozambique. They are sometimes known as the forest frogs, forest rain frogs, big-fingered frogs ...

'',

Cophylinae Cophylinae is a subfamily of Microhylidae, microhylid frogs endemic to Madagascar. It has over 100 species in eight genera. Members of this subfamily range from minute ( 100 mm adult body size), and they are highly ecologically diverse. DNA ...

, '' Dyscophus'',

Melanobatrachinae ''Melanobatrachus'' is a genus of narrow-mouthed frogs in the family Microhylidae. It is the only remaining genus in the monotypic subfamily Melanobatrachinae. It contains a single species, ''Melanobatrachus indicus'', also known as the Indian ...

Scaphiophryninae The Scaphiophryninae are a subfamily of microhylid frogs native to Madagascar. Description Scaphiophryninae are small to middle-sized frogs, measuring in snout–vent length. They are terrestrial. Species living in drier environments are burr ...

Rhacophoridae The Rhacophoridae are a family of frogs that occur in tropical sub-Saharan Africa, South India and Sri Lanka, Japan, northeastern India to eastern China and Taiwan, south through the Philippines and Greater Sundas, and Sulawesi. They are commonly ...

(''

Chiromantis ''Chiromantis'' is a genus of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae, commonly known as foam-nest frogs or foam-nest tree frogs. It contains species from the Sub-Saharan African tropics. Following the molecular genetic study by Chen and colleagues (2 ...

''), Ranidae ('' Afrana'', ''

Amietia ''Amietia'' is a genus of frogs, commonly known as large-mouthed frogs or river frogs, in the family Pyxicephalidae. They are endemic to central and southern Africa. Formerly, the genus was named ''Afrana'' and was placed in the family Ranidae. ...

'', ''

Amnirana ''Amnirana'' is a genus of frogs in the family Ranidae, "true frogs". The genus is primarily found in Sub-Saharan Africa, but one species occurs in parts of southern and southeastern Asia. Some of the African species are widespread but contain u ...

'', ''

Aubria ''Aubria'' is a small genus of frogs, with two (possibly three) known species. All members of this genus are found in West Africa. Their common name is ball frogs or fishing frogs. Etymology The genus name ''Aubria'' is in honour of Charles Eug ...

'', '' Conraua'', '' Hildebrandtia'', '' Lanzarana'', ''

Ptychadena ''Ptychadena'' is a genus of frogs in the grassland frog family, Ptychadenidae. They are distributed in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as nilotic Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental c ...

'', ''

Strongylopus ''Strongylopus'' ('strongylos'=round, 'pus'=foot) is a genus of pyxicephalid frogs native to Africa. They are found in the area from southwestern South Africa and Namibia to northern Tanzania. Their common name is stream frogs. Description '' ...

'', ''

Tomopterna ''Tomopterna'' (common names: sand frogs, burrowing frogs, Old World bullfrogs) is a genus of frogs from sub-Saharan Africa. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Tomopterna'': * '' Tomopterna ahli'' (Deckert, 1938) * '' T ...

'') and

Pipidae The Pipidae are a family of primitive, tongueless frogs. The 41 species in the family Pipidae are found in tropical South America (genus ''Pipa'') and sub-Saharan Africa (the three other genera). Description Pipid frogs are highly aquatic and ...

('' Hymenochirus'', ''

Pseudhymenochirus Merlin's dwarf gray frog (''Pseudhymenochirus merlini''), or Merlin's clawed frog, is a species of frog in the family Pipidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Pseudhymenochirus''. It is found in southern Guinea-Bissau, western Guinea, and sout ...

'', ''

Xenopus ''Xenopus'' () (Gk., ξενος, ''xenos''=strange, πους, ''pous''=foot, commonly known as the clawed frog) is a genus of highly aquatic frogs native to sub-Saharan Africa. Twenty species are currently described within it. The two best-known ...

''). The 2002–2004 ‘Global Amphibian Assessment’ by

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

, Conservation International and NatureServe revealed that for only about 50% of the Afrotropical amphibians, there is least concern about their conservation status; approximately 130 species are endangered, about one-fourth of which are at a critical stage. Almost all of the amphibians of Madagascar (238 species) are endemic to that region. The West African

goliath frog The goliath frog (''Conraua goliath''), otherwise known commonly as the giant slippery frog and the goliath bullfrog, is a species of frog in the family Conrauidae. The goliath frog is the largest living frog. Specimens can grow up to in lengt ...

is the largest frog species in the world.

Reptiles

The center of

chameleon Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...

diversity is Madagascar. Snakes found in Africa include atractaspidids, elapids ( cobras, '' Aspidelaps'', '' Boulengerina'', ''

Dendroaspis Mambas are fast moving highly venomous snakes of the genus ''Dendroaspis'' (which literally means "tree asp") in the family Elapidae. Four extant species are recognised currently; three of those four species are essentially arboreal and green ...

'', ''

Elapsoidea ''Elapsoidea'' is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as African garter snakes. Despite the common name, they are unrelated to the harmless North American garter snake species. Species The following ten species are recognized as bei ...

'', '' Hemachatus'', ''

Homoroselaps ''Homoroselaps'' is a genus of venomous snakes of the family Atractaspididae.. Species * ''Homoroselaps dorsalis'' (Smith, 1849) * ''Homoroselaps lacteus ''Homoroselaps lacteus'', also known as the spotted harlequin snake, is a species of a ...

'' and '' Paranaja''), viperines, ('' Atheris'', ''

Bitis ''Bitis'' is a genus of venomous vipers found in Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. It includes the largest and the smallest vipers in the world. Members are known for their characteristic threat displays that involve inflating and defla ...

'', ''

Cerastes The cerastes (Greek: κεράστης, transliteration: ''kerastēs'', meaning "having horns"Causus ''Causus'' is a genus of vipers found only in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a group considered to be among the most primitive members of the family Viperidae based on head scalation, oviparity, venom apparatus, and because they have round pupils. How ...

'', ''

Echis ''Echis'' (common names: saw-scaled vipers, carpet vipersSpawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. .) is a genus of vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East ...

'', ''

Macrovipera ''Macrovipera'', known as the large Palearctic vipers,Spawls S, William Roy "Bill" Branch, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. . is a genus of Viperinae, vipers that inhabit the S ...

'', '' Montatheris'', '' Proatheris'', ''

Vipera ''Vipera'' (; commonly known as the palaearctic vipersSpawls S, Branch B (1995). ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa: Natural History, Species Directory, Venoms and Snakebite''. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books / Dubai: Oriental Press. 1 ...

''),

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

s ('' Dendrolycus'', '' Dispholidus'', ''

Gonionotophis ''Gonionotophis'' is a genus of snakes, known Common name, commonly as African ground snakes and file snakes, in the Family (biology), family Lamprophiidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to Central Africa. Species There are three recognized spe ...

'', '' Grayia'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Lamprophis ''Lamprophis'' is a genus of medium-sized, nonvenomous snakes commonly referred to as African house snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. Description Species of ''Lamprophis'' exhibit a wide variety of pattern variation, and may be spotted, strip ...

'', ''

Psammophis ''Psammophis'' is a genus of snakes in the family Psammophiidae. The genus comprises 33 species, which are found in Africa and Asia.. www.reptile-database.org. ''Psammophis'' are diurnal and prey on lizards and rodents which they actively hunt. ...

'', ''

Leioheterodon ''Leioheterodon'' is a genus of Pseudoxyrhophiidae, pseudoxyrhophiid snakes found only on the island of Madagascar. Three species are currently recognized. Common names include Malagasy hognose snakes, Malagasy brown snakes and Malagasy menara ...

'', '' Madagascarophis'', '' Poecilopholis'', ''

Dasypeltis ''Dasypeltis'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. It is one of only two taxonomic groups of snakes known to have adapted to feed exclusively on eggs (the other being the genus '' Elachistodon''). ''Dasypeltis'' are non-venomous and found throughout ...

'' etc.), the pythonids (''

Python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (pro ...

''), typhlopids ('' Typhlops'') and leptotyphlopids (''

Leptotyphlops ''Leptotyphlops'' is a genus of nonvenomous blind snakes, commonly known as slender blind snakes and threadsnakes, in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The genus is endemic to and found throughout Africa. Eleven species have been moved to the genus ...

'', '' Rhinoleptus''). Of the

lizards 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 althou ...

, many species of

gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from . Geckos ar ...

s (

day gecko ''Phelsuma'' is a large genus of geckos in the family Gekkonidae. Species in the genus ''Phelsuma'' are commonly referred to as day geckos. Some day geckos are seriously endangered and some are common, but all ''Phelsuma'' species are CITES App ...

s, ''

Afroedura ''Afroedura'' is a genus of African geckos, lizards in the family Gekkonidae. Member species are collectively known as rock geckos or flat geckos. In 2021, four new species of ''Afroedura'' were described from Angola. Species The genus ''Afroe ...

'', ''

Afrogecko The marbled leaf-toed gecko (''Afrogecko porphyreus'') is a gecko found in southern and southwestern South Africa (including many offshore islands) and in Namibia. It is a flat, medium-sized gecko. Description It has a mottled, greyish body, a l ...

'', '' Colopus'', '' Pachydactylus'', '' Hemidactylus'', '' Narudasia'', ''

Paroedura ''Paroedura'' (Madagascar ground geckos) is a genus of geckos, endemic to Madagascar and the Comoros. These geckos are typically terrestrial, though the young of most species can climb until they are too heavy for their feet to support. Species ...

'', ''

Pristurus ''Pristurus'' is a genus of geckos native to Arabia and Socotra Island as well as the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. Species of ''Pristurus'' are commonly known as rock geckos . The generic name ''Pristurus'' means "saw-tailed" in Latin. ...

'', '' Quedenfeldtia'', ''

Rhoptropus ''Rhoptropus'' is a genus of geckos endemic to Southern Africa, better known as Namib day geckos. Classification of genus ''Rhoptropus'' The following species are recognized: www.reptile-database.org. *'' Rhoptropus afer'' W. Peters, 1869 — ...

'', '' Tropiocolotes'', ''

Uroplatus ''Uroplatus'' is a genus of gecko Geckos are small, mostly carnivorous lizards that have a wide distribution, found on every continent except Antarctica. Belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, geckos are found in warm climates throughout t ...

''), Cordylidae, as well as

Lacertidae The Lacertidae are the family (biology), family of the wall lizards, true lizards, or sometimes simply lacertas, which are native to Afro-Eurasia. It is a diverse family with at least 300 species in 39 genera. They represent the dominant group o ...

(''

Nucras ''Nucras'' is a genus of African lacertid lizards, commonly called sandveld lizards. Species The following 13 species are recognized as being valid. *''Nucras aurantiaca'' *'' Nucras boulengeri'' - Uganda savannah lizard, Boulenger's scrub l ...

'', '' Lacerta'', ''

Mesalina ''Mesalina'' is a genus of wall lizards of the family Lacertidae. Species The following 20 described species are recognized as being valid."''Mesalina'' ". The Reptile DatabaseReptile-database.cz/ref> *'' Mesalina adramitana'' – Hadramaut s ...

'', ''

Acanthodactylus ''Acanthodactylus'' is a genus of lacertid lizards, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered lizards, fringe-toed lizards (though the latter common name is also used for the New World lizard genus ''Uma''), and spiny-toed lizards. Geographic ra ...

'', '' Pedioplanis''),

Agamas Religion *Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts *Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects *Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism Other uses * ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...

skink Skinks are lizards belonging to the family Scincidae, a family in the infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one of the most diverse families of lizards. Ski ...

s, plated lizards and some

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 recogn ...

s are common. There are 12 genera and 58 species of African

amphisbaenia Amphisbaenia (called amphisbaenians or worm lizards) is a group of usually legless squamates, comprising over 200 extant species. Amphisbaenians are characterized by their long bodies, the reduction or loss of the limbs, and rudimentary eyes. As ...

ns (e.g. ''

Chirindia ''Chirindia'' is a genus of amphisbaenians in the family Amphisbaenidae. Commonly known as pink round-headed worm lizards, species in the genus ''Chirindia'' are native to East Africa and southern Africa, from Tanzania to South Africa. They are ...

'', '' Zygaspis'', ''

Monopeltis ''Monopeltis'' is a genus of amphisbaenians in the family Amphisbaenidae. Species in the genus are commonly known as worm lizards, even though they are not lizards. The genus is endemic to southern Africa. 19 species are placed in this genus. S ...

'', '' Dalophia''). Several genera of

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, ...

s (''

Kinixys ''Kinixys'' is a genus of turtles in the family Testudinidae. The genus was erected by Thomas Bell in 1827. The species in the genus ''Kinixys'' are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and commonly known as hinged tortoises or hinge-ba ...

'', ''

Pelusios ''Pelusios'' is a genus of African side-necked turtles. With 17 described species, it is one of the most diverse genera of the turtle order (Testudines). Etymology The Latin name ''Pelusios'' means "mud" or "clay", and this is reflected by the ...

'', '' Psammobates'', ''

Geochelone ''Geochelone'' is a genus of tortoises. ''Geochelone'' tortoises, which are also known as typical tortoises or terrestrial turtles, can be found in southern Asia. They primarily eat plants. Species The genus consists of two extant species: A n ...

'', ''

Homopus ''Homopus'' is a genus of tiny tortoises in the family Testudinidae, endemic to southern Africa. Three species have been moved to the genus Chersobius. Naming As a group, these closely related species are commonly known in Europe and Africa as ...

'', '' Chersina''), turtles ( Pelomedusidae, ''

Cyclanorbis ''Cyclanorbis'' is a genus of softshell turtles in the family Trionychidae. The genus is endemic to Africa. Description In the genus ''Cyclanorbis'' the plastron has cutaneous flaps, under which the hind legs can be concealed. Species The genu ...

'', ''

Cycloderma ''Cycloderma'' is a genus of softshell turtles in the subfamily Cyclanorbinae of the family Trionychidae. The genus is endemic to Africa. Species The genus ''Cycloderma'' contains the following extant species: * Aubry's flapshell turtle – '' ...

'', '' Erymnochelys''), and 5-7 species of

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 (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 ...

, the West African crocodile, two species of

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 '' ...

, and 1-3 species of

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 ...

) are also present.

Birds

There live (temporarily or permanently) more than 2600

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

species in Africa (about 1500 of them

passerine A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by t ...

s). Some 114 of them are threatened species. The Afrotropic has various endemic

families, including

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...

es (Struthionidae),

mesite The mesites (Mesitornithidae) are a family of birds that are part of a clade (Columbimorphae) that include Columbiformes and Pterocliformes. They are smallish flightless or near flightless birds endemic to Madagascar. They are the only family wit ...

s, sunbirds,

secretary bird The secretarybird or secretary bird (''Sagittarius serpentarius'') is a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savanna of the sub-Saharan region. John Frederick Miller described ...

(Sagittariidae),

guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...

(Numididae), and mousebirds (Coliidae). Also, several families of passerines are limited to the Afrotropics. These include

rock-jumper The rockjumpers are medium-sized insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus ''Chaetops'', which constitutes the entire family Chaetopidae. The two species, the Cape rockjumper, ''Chaetops frenatus'', and the Drakensberg rockjumper, ''Chaetop ...

s (Chaetopidae),

bushshrike The bushshrikes are smallish passerine birds. They were formerly classed with the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, but are now considered sufficiently distinctive to be separated from that group as the family Malaconotidae, a name that allud ...

s (Malaconotidae), wattle-eyes, (Platysteiridae) and

rockfowl The picathartes, rockfowl, or bald crows are a small genus of two passerine bird species forming the family Picathartidae found in the rain-forests of tropical west and central Africa. They have unfeathered heads, and feed on insects and inverteb ...

(Picathartidae). Other common birds include parrots ( lovebirds, '' Poicephalus'', '' Psittacus''), various

cranes Crane or cranes may refer to: Common meanings * Crane (bird), a large, long-necked bird * Crane (machine), industrial machinery for lifting ** Crane (rail), a crane suited for use on railroads People and fictional characters * Crane (surname), ...

( crowned cranes, blue crane, wattled crane),

stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

s ( marabous,

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 ...

, saddle-billed stork), herons (

slaty egret The slaty egret (''Egretta vinaceigula'') is a small, dark egret. It is one of the species to which the ''Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds'' (AEWA) applies. It is classified as Vulnerable, the biggest thre ...

black heron The black heron (''Egretta ardesiaca''), also known as the black egret, is an African heron. It is well known for its habit of using its wings to form a canopy when fishing. Description The black heron is a medium-sized (42.5–66 cm ...

goliath heron The Goliath heron (''Ardea goliath''), also known as the giant heron, is a very large wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller, declining numbers in Southwest and South Asia. Description This i ...

), shoebill,

bustard Bustards, including floricans and korhaans, are large, terrestrial birds living mainly in dry grassland areas and on the steppes of the Old World. They range in length from . They make up the family Otididae (, formerly known as Otidae). Bustards ...

s ( kori bustard, '' Neotis'', '' Eupodotis'', '' Lissotis''),

sandgrouse Sandgrouse is the common name for Pteroclidae , a family (biology), family of sixteen species of bird, members of the order Pterocliformes . They are traditionally placed in two Genus, genera. The two central Asian species are classified as ''Sy ...

(''

Pterocles ''Pterocles '' is a genus of near passerine birds in the sandgrouse family. It includes all the species in the family except for two central Asian species in '' Syrrhaptes'' These sandgrouse have small, pigeon-like heads and necks, but sturdy co ...

''),

Coraciiformes The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful birds including the kingfishers, the bee-eaters, the rollers, the motmots, and the todies. They generally have syndactyly, with three forward-pointing toes (and toes 3 & 4 fused at their base) ...

( bee-eaters,

hornbills Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandibl ...

, ''

Ceratogymna ''Ceratogymna'' is a genus of large, primarily frugivorous hornbills (family Bucerotidae) found in the humid forests of Central and West Africa. They are sexually dimorphic: males are all black, while females have brown heads and a smaller casqu ...

''),

phasianid The Phasianidae are a family of heavy, ground-living birds, which includes pheasants, partridges, junglefowl, chickens, turkeys, Old World quail, and peafowl. The family includes many of the most popular gamebirds. The family is a large one and i ...

s ( francolins, Congo peafowl, blue quail,

harlequin quail The harlequin quail (''Coturnix delegorguei'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and in the Arabian Peninsula.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sull ...

stone partridge The stone partridge (''Ptilopachus petrosus'') is a bird of the New World quail family. This largely brown bird, which commonly holds its tail raised, is found in scrubland and lightly wooded habitats, often near rocks, from Kenya and Ethiopia to ...

, Madagascar partridge). The woodpeckers and allies include

honeyguide Honeyguides (family Indicatoridae) are near passerine birds in the order Piciformes. They are also known as indicator birds, or honey birds, although the latter term is also used more narrowly to refer to species of the genus '' Prodotiscus''. Th ...

African barbet The African barbets are birds in the family Lybiidae. There are 43 species ranging from the type genus ''Lybius'' of forest interior to the tinkerbirds (''Pogoniulus'') of forest and scrubland. They are found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, wit ...

African piculet The African piculet (''Sasia africana''), sometimes placed in the monotypic genus ''Verreauxia'', is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of ...

ground woodpecker The ground woodpecker (''Geocolaptes olivaceus'') is one of only three ground-dwelling woodpeckers in the world (the others are the Andean and campo flickers). It inhabits rather barren, steep, boulder-strewn slopes in relatively cool hilly and m ...

, '' Dendropicos'' and ''

Campethera ''Campethera'' is a genus of bird in the family Picidae, or woodpeckers, that are native to sub-Saharan Africa. Most species are native to woodland and savanna rather than deep forest, and multiple species exhibit either arboreal or terrestrial f ...

''. The birds of prey include the buzzards, harriers,

Old World vulture Old World vultures are vultures that are found in the Old World, i.e. the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa, and which belong to the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks. Old World vultures are not clos ...

s, bateleur, '' Circaetus'', ''

Melierax ''Melierax'' is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Established by George Robert Gray in 1840, it contains the following species: The name ''Melierax'' is a combination of the Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, fr ...

'' and others. Trogons are represented by one genus (''

Apaloderma ''Apaloderma'' is a genus of birds in the family Trogonidae. The name is a compound word composed of two Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek ...

'').

African penguin The African penguin (''Spheniscus demersus''), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Like all extant penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiff ...

is the only

penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

species. Madagascar was once home to the now extinct elephant birds. Africa is home to numerous songbirds ( pipits, orioles,

antpecker The antpeckers are a genus ''Parmoptila'' of small seed-eating birds in the family Estrildidae. They range across the tropical forests of western and central Africa. Taxonomy The genus ''Parmoptila'' was introduced in 1859 by the American ornith ...

s, brubrus, cisticolas, nigritas, olivebacks, pytilias,

green-backed twinspot The green-backed twinspot or green twinspot (''Mandingoa nitidula'') is an estrildid finch found in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern. Subspecies The green-backed twinspot has four ...

, crimson-wings, seedcrackers, bluebills,

firefinch The firefinches form a genus, ''Lagonosticta'', of small seed-eating African birds in the family Estrildidae. The genus was introduced by the German ornithologists Jean Cabanis in 1851. The type species was subsequently designated as the Africa ...

es, waxbills, amandavas, quailfinches,

munia ''Lonchura'' is a genus of the estrildid finch family, and includes munias (or minias) and mannikins. They are seedeating birds that are found in South Asia from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka east to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippine ...

weavers Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...

, tit-hylia, ''

Amadina ''Amadina'' is a genus of estrildid finches that are found in Africa. Taxonomy The genus ''Amadina'' was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalist William John Swainson with the cut-throat finch as the type species. The name ''Amadina'' is a ...

'', '' Anthoscopus'', ''

Mirafra ''Mirafra'' is a genus of lark in the family Alaudidae. Some ''Mirafra'' species are called "larks", while others are called "bush larks". They are found from Africa through South Asia to Australia. Taxonomy and systematics The phylogeny of lark ...

'', '' Hypargos'', ''

Eremomela The eremomelas are a genus, ''Eremomela'', of passerines in the cisticola family Cisticolidae. The genus was previously placed with the larger Old World warbler family Sylviidae prior to that genus being broken up into several families. The genus ...

'', '' Euschistospiza'', ''

Erythrocercus ''Erythrocercus'' is a genus of birds containing three flycatchers that are found in Africa. The genus is placed in its own family (biology), family Erythrocercidae that was introduced by Silke Fregin and collaborators in 2012. Species The ge ...

'', '' Malimbus'', '' Pitta'', '' Uraeginthus'', pied crow,

white-necked raven The white-necked raven (''Corvus albicollis'') is somewhat smaller (50–54 cm in length) than the common raven or its nearest relative, the thick-billed raven ''C. crassirostris''. It is native to eastern and southern Africa. Descriptio ...

thick-billed raven The thick-billed raven (''Corvus crassirostris''), a corvid from the Horn of Africa, shares with the common raven the distinction of being the largest bird in the corvid family, and indeed the largest of the passerines. The thick-billed raven a ...

Cape crow The Cape crow or black crow (''Corvus capensis'') is slightly larger (48–50 cm in length) than the carrion crow and is completely black with a slight gloss of purple in its feathers. It has proportionately longer legs, wings and tail too an ...

and others). The

red-billed quelea The red-billed quelea (; ''Quelea quelea''), also known as the red-billed weaver or red-billed dioch, is a small—approximately long and weighing —migratory, sparrow-like bird of the weaver family, Ploceidae, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. ...

is the most abundant bird species in the world. Of the 589 species of birds (excluding seabirds) that breed in the Palaearctic (temperate Europe and Asia), 40% spend the winter elsewhere. Of those species that leave for the winter, 98% travel south to Africa. See also: Endemic birds of southern Africa.

Mammals

More than 1100

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

species live in Africa. Africa has three endemic orders of mammals, the Tubulidentata ( aardvarks),

Afrosoricida The order Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three families of small mamma ...

(

tenrec A tenrec is any species of mammal within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae endemic to Madagascar. Tenrecs are wildly diverse; as a result of convergent evolution some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats, and mice. They occupy aquatic, a ...

s and golden moles), and Macroscelidea ( elephant shrews). The current mammalian phylogeny recognizes the clade Afrotheria (often viewed as a

superorder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

), which includes the exclusively African orders, as well as others believed to be of African origin. The East African plains are well known for their diversity of large mammals. African Eulipotyphla include the subfamilies Myosoricinae and Crocidurinae. Hedgehogs include

desert hedgehog The desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae. Basic facts The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is long and weighs about . The quills (or spines to give their corre ...

s, '' Atelerix'' and others. The

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

s are represented by

African bush squirrel The African bush squirrels are a genus of squirrels, ''Paraxerus'', in the subfamily Xerinae. They are only found in Africa. The 11 species in this genus are: * Alexander's bush squirrel (''P. alexandri'') *Boehm's bush squirrel (''P. boehmi'') ...

s, African ground squirrels, African striped squirrels, gerbils, cane rats,

acacia rat The acacia rat (''Thallomys paedulcus''), or black-tailed tree rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is a small arboreal rodent that is extensively dependent on Acacia trees. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Co ...

s, Nesomyidae, springhare, mole rats,

dassie rat The dassie rat (''Petromus typicus'') is an African rodent found among rocky outcroppings. It is the only living member of its genus, ''Petromus'', and family, Petromuridae. The name " dassie" means " hyrax" in Afrikaans,dassie rats are not to ...

s, striped grass mice,

sun squirrel Sun squirrels (genus ''Heliosciurus''), form a taxon of squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the tribe Protoxerini. They are only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Either the habit of basking in the sun on tree branches or the tail being commo ...

s, thicket rats,

Old World porcupine The Old World porcupines, or Hystricidae, are large terrestrial rodents, distinguished by the spiny covering from which they take their name. They range over the south of Europe and the Levant, most of Africa, India, and Southeast Asia as far ea ...

s, target rats,

maned rat The maned rat or (African) crested rat (''Lophiomys imhausi'') is a nocturnal, long-haired and bushy-tailed East African rodent that superficially resembles a porcupine. The world's only poisonous rodent, the maned rat borrows toxins from plants ...

Deomyinae The subfamily Deomyinae consists of four genera of mouse-like rodents that were placed in the subfamilies Murinae and Dendromurinae until very recently. They are sometimes called the Acomyinae, particularly in references that antedate the disc ...

, ''

Aethomys ''Aethomys'' is a genus of rodent from Africa.CHIMIMBA, CHRISTIAN T., NICO J. DIPPENAAR, and TERENCE J. ROBINSON.Morphometric and morphological delineation of southern African species of Aethomys (Rodentia: Muridae)" Biological Journal of the Li ...

'', '' Arvicanthis'', ''

Colomys The African wading rat or African water rat (''Colomys goslingi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, E ...

'', ''

Dasymys ''Dasymys'' is a genus of semiaquatic rodents in the subfamily Murinae, the Old World rats and mice. The genus is endemic to Africa.

'', ''

Dephomys ''Dephomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square m ...

'', ''

Epixerus ''Epixerus ebii'', also known as Ebian's palm squirrel, Temminck's giant squirrel, or the western palm squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Epixerus'', although eastern populations (subs ...

'', ''

Grammomys ''Grammomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa. It contains the following species: * Arid thicket rat (''Grammomys aridulus'') * Short-snouted thicket rat (''Grammomys brevirostris'') * Bunting's thicket rat (''Gramm ...

'', '' Graphiurus'', ''

Hybomys ''Hybomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square mi ...

'', ''

Hylomyscus ''Hylomyscus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square&nbs ...

'', ''

Malacomys ''Malacomys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae native to Africa. It is the only member of the tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage ...

'', '' Mastomys'', ''

Mus Mus or MUS may refer to: Abbreviations * MUS, the NATO country code for Mauritius * MUS, the IATA airport code for Minami Torishima Airport * MUS, abbreviation for the Centre for Modern Urban Studies on Campus The Hague, Leiden University, Neth ...

'', ''

Mylomys ''Mylomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It contains the following species: * African groove-toothed rat (''Mylomys dybowskii'') * Ethiopian mylomys The Ethiopian mylomys (''Mylomys rex'') is a species of rodent in the family M ...

'', ''

Myomyscus Verreaux's mouse or Verreaux's white-footed rat (''Myomyscus verreauxii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only member of the genus ''Myomyscus''. Other species that had been previously assigned to ''Myomyscus'' are now con ...

'', ''

Oenomys ''Oenomys'' is a genus of African rodents. Known as rufous-nosed rats or rusty-nosed rats, they occur from Sierra Leone east to Ethiopia and as far south as northern Angola. The nose is reddish, or at least the cheeks, which suggested both the ...

'', '' Otomys'', ''

Parotomys ''Parotomys'' is a small genus of rodent in the family Muridae. Member species are found in the African countries of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, ...

'', ''

Pelomys ''Pelomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa. It contains the following species: * Bell groove-toothed swamp rat (''Pelomys campanae'') * Creek groove-toothed swamp rat (''Pelomys fallax'') * Hopkins's groove-toothed s ...

'', '' Praomys'', ''

Rhabdomys ''Rhabdomys'' is a largely Southern African genus of muroid rodents slightly larger than house mice. They are known variously as striped or four-striped mice or rats. Traditionally the genus has been seen as a single species, ''Rhabdomys pumilio ...

'', ''

Stenocephalemys ''Stenocephalemys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. The genus is endemic to Ethiopia. Species ''Stenocephalemys'' contains six described species: * Ethiopian white-footed mouse (''Stenocephalemys albipes'') * Ethiopian narrow-he ...

'' and many others. African rabbits and hares include

riverine rabbit The riverine rabbit (''Bunolagus monticularis''), also known as the bushman rabbit or bushman hare, is a rabbit with an extremely limited distribution area, found only in the central and southern regions of the Karoo Desert of South Africa's No ...

Bunyoro rabbit The Bunyoro rabbit or Central African rabbit (''Poelagus marjorita'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Poelagus''.ITIS: Poelagus', listing only one species. Accessed 2012-10-26. It is found in ce ...

, Cape hare, scrub hare,

Ethiopian highland hare The Ethiopian highland hare (''Lepus starcki'') or Starck's hare is a medium-sized species of mammal in the rabbit and hare family, Leporidae. Its dorsal pelage is grizzled, buff white and spotted and streaked with black, while its belly fur is ...

, African savanna hare,

Abyssinian hare The Abyssinian hare (''Lepus habessinicus'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is almost entirely restricted to the nations of the Horn of Africa, though it extends marginally into eastern Sudan and may also occur in far northern ...

and several species of ''

Pronolagus The red rock hares are the four species in the genus ''Pronolagus''. They are African lagomorphs of the family Leporidae. Taxonomic history Species in this genus had previously been classified in the genus ''Lepus'', as done by J. E. Gray, or in ...

''. Among the marine mammals there are several species of

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

s, 2 species of sirenians and seals (e.g.

Cape fur seal The brown fur seal (''Arctocephalus pusillus''), also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and Australian fur seal, is a species of fur seal. Description The brown fur seal is the largest and most robust member of the fur seals. ...

s). Of the

carnivora Carnivora is a Clade, monophyletic order of Placentalia, placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all felidae, cat-like and canidae, dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are f ...

ns there are 60 species, including the conspicuous

hyena Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...

s, cheetahs, serval, African wild dog as well as the less prominent and understudied Side-striped jackal,

striped polecat The striped polecat (''Ictonyx striatus''), also called the African polecat, zoril, zorille, zorilla, Cape polecat, and African skunk, is a member of the family Mustelidae that resembles a skunk (of the family Mephitidae). The name "zorilla" co ...

African striped weasel The African striped weasel (''Poecilogale albinucha''), the lone member of the genus ''Poecilogale'', is a small, black and white weasel native to sub-Saharan Africa. Description The African striped weasel is one of the smallest mammalian carniv ...

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 ...

, honey badger, speckle-throated otter, several mongooses,

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

es and civets. The family Eupleridae is restricted to

. The African list of

ungulate Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Ungulata which primarily consists of large mammals with hooves. These include odd-toed ungulates such as horses, rhinoceroses, and tapirs; and even-toed ungulates such as cattle, pigs, giraffes, cam ...

s is longer than in any other continent. The largest number of modern

bovid The Bovidae comprise the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes cattle, bison, buffalo, antelopes, and caprines. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the ...

s is found in Africa ( African buffalo,

duiker A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophina ...

impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Germa ...

, rhebok,

Reduncinae The bovid subfamily Reduncinae or tribe Reduncini is composed of nine species of antelope, all of which dwell in marshes, floodplains, or other well-watered areas, including the waterbucks and reedbucks. These antelopes first appear in the fossil ...

oryx ''Oryx'' is a genus consisting of four large antelope species called oryxes. Their pelage is pale with contrasting dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the scimitar oryx, which l ...

, dik-dik,

klipspringer The klipspringer (; ''Oreotragus oreotragus'') is a small antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The sole member of its genus and subfamily/tribe, the klipspringer was first described by German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimm ...

, oribi, gerenuk, true gazelles, hartebeest,

wildebeest Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toe ...

dibatag The dibatag (''Ammodorcas clarkei''), or Clarke's gazelle, is a medium-sized slender antelope native to Ethiopia and Somalia. Though not a true gazelle, it is similarly marked, with long legs and neck. It is often confused with the gerenuk due ...

eland Eland may refer to: Animals *''Taurotragus'', a genus of antelope ** Common eland of East and Southern Africa ** Giant eland of Central and Western Africa Places * Eland, Wisconsin, United States * An old spelling of Elland, West Yorkshire * Ela ...

, '' Tragelaphus'', ''

Hippotragus ''Hippotragus'' is a genus of antelopes which includes two living and one recently extinct species, as well as some fossil relatives. The name comes from Greek ἵππος (''híppos''), "horse", and τράγος (''trágos''), "he-goat". Foss ...

'', ''

Neotragus ''Neotragus'' is a genus of dwarf antelope, native to Africa. The genus includes only a single species without any dispute, namely ''Neotragus pygmaeus''. Neotragus pygmaeus is the smallest antelope in the world, they usually weigh around 5 to 7 ...

'', ''

Raphicerus ''Raphicerus'' is a genus of small antelopes of the tribe Neotragini ( subfamily Antilopinae). ''Raphicerus'' is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Kenya in the north to the Western Cape in South Africa South Africa, officia ...

'', '' Damaliscus''). Other even-toed ungulates include

giraffe The giraffe is a large African hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa''. It is the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on Earth. Traditionally, giraffes were thought to be one species, ''Giraffa camelopardalis ...

s, okapis,

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,

warthog ''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...

s, giant forest hogs,

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 ...

s and bushpigs. Odd-toed ungulates are represented by three species of zebras, African wild ass,

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

and white rhinoceros. The biggest African mammal is the

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 ...

, the second largest being its smaller counterpart, the African forest elephant. Four species of

pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smut ...

s can be found in Africa. African fauna contains 64 species of

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

s.Colin A. et al., What hope for African primate diversity? African Journal of Ecology 44 (2), 116–133.(2006) Four species of great apes (

Hominidae The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); ''Gorilla'' (the ea ...

) are endemic to Africa: both species of

gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...

(

western gorilla The western gorilla (''Gorilla gorilla'') is a great ape found in Africa, one of two species of the hominid genus ''Gorilla''. Large and robust with males weighing around , the hair is significantly lighter in color than the eastern gorilla, ''G ...

, ''Gorilla gorilla'', and

eastern gorilla The eastern gorilla (''Gorilla beringei'') is a critically endangered species of the genus ''Gorilla'' and the largest living primate. At present, the species is subdivided into two subspecies. There are 3,800 eastern lowland gorillas or Graue ...

, ''Gorilla beringei'') and both species of the genus '' Pan'' (

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...

, ''Pan troglodytes'', and

bonobo The bonobo (; ''Pan paniscus''), also historically called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often the dwarf chimpanzee or gracile chimpanzee, is an endangered great ape and one of the two species making up the genus '' Pan,'' the other being the comm ...

, ''Pan paniscus'').

Human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

s and their ancestors originated in Africa. Other primates include colobuses, baboons, geladas, vervet monkeys, guenons,

macaque The macaques () constitute a genus (''Macaca'') of gregarious Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. The 23 species of macaques inhabit ranges throughout Asia, North Africa, and (in one instance) Gibraltar. Macaques are principally ...

mandrill The mandrill (''Mandrillus sphinx'') is a large Old World monkey native to west central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males ...

crested mangabey The crested mangabeys are West African Old World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Lophocebus''. They tend to have dark skin, eyelids that match their facial skin, and crests of hair on their heads. Another genus of mangabeys, ''Cercocebus'', was ...

s, white-eyelid mangabeys, kipunji,

Allen's swamp monkey The Allen's swamp monkey (''Allenopithecus nigroviridis'') is a species of Old World monkey and the only member of the genus ''Allenopithecus''. Phylogenetically, it is a sister clade to the guenons, but differs in dentition and habits. Allen's ...

Patas monkey The common patas monkey (''Erythrocebus patas''), also known as the wadi monkey or hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. Taxonomy There is some confusion surrounding ...

s and talapoins. Lemurs and

aye-aye The aye-aye (''Daubentonia madagascariensis'') is a long-fingered lemur, a strepsirrhine primate native to Madagascar with rodent-like teeth that perpetually grow and a special thin middle finger. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate. ...

are characteristic of Madagascar. See also

Lists of mammals of Africa A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...

References

External links

''African Invertebrates''''African Fauna''''FAUNA(French)FRI - A tool to assess and monitor the distribution of fresh and brackish waters fish species in Africa''''PPEAO - An information system on fish communities and artisanal fisheries in estuarine and lagoon ecosystems in West Africa (in French)''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fauna Of Africa Afrotropical realm fauna