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Monday, March 18, 2024

20 Distinct Animals That Resides in East Africa

20 distinct animals that resides in East Africa, is now available for your view during a safari trip, is mentioned here.

East Africa is famous for its many wildlife species from countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and lots more.

Apart from the warmth from that part of the continent, the landscape is outstanding, and the people wonderful.

The most famous animals in East Africa inhabit the ecosystem of the subtropical forest, the jungle, alpine, and the savanna forests. These animals still live in their native inhabitants, and it can be so breathtaking to view them.

The resources here include information about 20 distinct animals that reside in East Africa.

1. Elephant

Elephants are the largest land animals not just in Africa but the world at large because they live for up to 70 years which is enough time to grow.

Their lifespan depends solely on the way they live because as an elephant loses its tooth, another one will grow up until the last cannot be restored. At this stage, the elephant cannot feed, and this will lead to death.

The female elephant weighs up to 3500kg with a height of 3.4m, while the male weighs up to 6300kg with a 4m. Generally, elephants, especially male elephants, grow to their full size at 40 years.

Even more, elephants are pregnant for two years, approximately 22 months, and at birth, the calf weighs about 95kg.

Except at the spot where they are feeding, African elephants live in a herd of about 20, with the older female elephants ruling.

It is worthy to note that elephants have a great sense of smell and can perceive water from 12 miles.

Similarly, elephants value their trunks because they depend on them to smell, eat, bathe, and perform other functions.

They have susceptible but thick skin of about 2.5cm wide, and to keep it clean, they take regular dust and mud bath.

Above all, elephants eat a lot, and they spend about 16 hours daily eating and can consume up to 150kg of food. Surprisingly, they sleep for only 3 hours, and that’s evidence of how they value their food.

Elephants are found in more significant numbers in national parks in Kenya, Tanzania, and other East African countries.

2. Leopard

Leopards are known to be attractive, withdrawn, and secretive. They are rarely seen, unlike the other kinds of animals in East Africa.

Creepy animal always lives in an ambush on trees all days of its life while it hunts for its food. Not just in East Africa, leopards generally live in camouflage and have less interaction with other animals.

Those who have found them in the past view trees to see dangling tails and spot the shy leopard.

Precious panthers, also called the Black Panther, are the most common species of leopard seen in east Africa, especially in Kenya.

It seems like leopards have this incomparable strength, and they can even kill games more prominent than they are, thanks to their exceptional climbing skills.

Lastly, female leopards weigh about 60kg while the male weighs about 90kg with a length of up to 300cm. Even with the size, a prey can only realize its presence when the leopard is very near.

3. Lion

In the East African forests, especially in Kenya, the lion roars at night and trails in the day. Popularly called the king of the cats, the lion has spectacular teeth that easily tear its prey no matter how large.

Besides, female lions hunt for their food while the males eat and fight themselves. The male lion weighs about 225kg while the female weighs up to 150kg with a length of about 350cm and 250cm, respectively.

Noteworthy, the lions are lazy but strong. They run at full speed to their prey which usually is big herbivorous animals.

4. Buffalo

Buffalos are often called African cows because they share certain similarities with cows. They eat a lot to maintain their endurance and strength.

Please do not come to buffaloes that have curbs because they can be very violent. They can also be quiet, but not when you shock or terrorize them.

Generally, buffaloes live and move together in a family of about 2000, with most of their time spent grazing.

5. Cheetah

The cheetah is famous for its sprinting abilities and runs at a speed of about 112 kilometers per hour, and they can run for a badge of 300 meters each. The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world in terms of its sheer speed.

After running, the cheetah needs to regain its strength for about 30 minutes before running again. Despite its speed, it does not have the power as animals to hunt for its food.

It is regarded as the most feeble of all big cats, and instead of climbing trees, it fancies been on short trees and the ground.

Cheetahs have an approximate length of 220cm and weigh up to 60kg. Kenya and Tanzania are the two countries in East Africa that have an abundant of cheetahs.

6. Wild Dogs

Wild dogs are commonly found in Tanzania, Kenya, and Mozambique, wild dogs, are another distinct animal found in East Africa.

Wild dogs weigh about 35kg and have a length of about 150cm. They are always seen in a group of about 40. Regrettably, they are among the endangered species of animals.

7. Black Rhinoceros

Black rhinoceros are among the top mammals facing the danger of extinction because of their rare and priceless horns. Horns of this black rhinoceros are popular in Chinese medicine as well as other purposes.

Another reason for its endangerment is because its female put to bed only five years intervals. On maturity, the animal has a length of approximately 450cm and a weight of 1400kg.

8. Serval

Serval is a big graceful cat with stunning spots all over its body and outsized ears, a small tail, elongated neck, and imposing legs.

These features help the serval easily catch its prey, mainly birds and gnawing mammals like squirrels and porcupines, including reptiles.

It has a size double of a domestic cat with a length of 130cm and weight of 18kg. Kenya and Tanzania do have abundant of this wild cats.

9. Patas Monkey

Patas monkeys are speedy ground animals regarded as the fastest of all primates. Their running ability saves them a lot from predators as they can run for 55 kilometers per hour.

The omnivorous animal eats bird eggs, fruits, leaves, insects, and other items and can survive for 22 years of age.

10. Civet

Popularly called the civet cat, the civet is another distinct animal in East Africa known to produce oil from its perineal gland. The oil, though with a stinking smell, is used in making perfumes.

The mammal has a face similar to a cat, a spotted body, a hairy tail, and a thick body almost the same size as a domestic dog.

Civet is a shy animal and reserved too. It has a particular smell, and those do not move around in the day but are very active at night when it hunts for food.

11. Gorilla

Gorillas, commonly called African gorillas, are distinct animals found mainly in Rwanda and Uganda, usually in the mountains.

Matured male gorillas weigh 115kg while the female weighs about 210kg, and both share a similarity in length, which is usually about 180cm.

12. Hyena

The species of hyena found in East Africa are either striped or spotted, and these marks are usually more evident during summer.

Hyenas reside in deserts, grasslands, caves, and woodlands, among others. They weigh about 90kg with a length of 215cm and can run for about 50 kilometers per hour.

13. Hunting Dogs

Hunting dogs are carnivorous animals with round ears, dark muzzles, long legs, and black faces.

They go in groups, and when they see a prey, they jointly attack and can kill a game two times their size with persistent efforts.

14. Chimpanzee

The chimpanzee is a primate mammal with close similarities with human beings. They have deep-set eyes, a high level of intelligence, human-like behavior, and emotions.

They usually weigh up to 40kg with their length close to 90cm. These animals are found in almost all national parks in East Africa.

15. Oryx

Oryxes are species of large antelopes and among the distinct animals in East Africa. It is among endangered animals and is well sought after for its very long straight horns.

Some parts of the world use the horn for many purposes, including rituals, charms, and horns sold as unicorns. Others hunt them for their delicious meat and skin.

16. Aardvark

Aardvark is also called ant bear and feeds basically on termites and ants. It has a snout similar to a pig and a long ear identical to that of a rabbit, a long tongue, and a giant nostril.

With its sharp protruding nails and front like, it comes out mainly at night to tear up and feed on its prey, which is the nests of ants and termites species.

17. Olive Baboon

Olive baboon is among the monkey species and one of the biggest. You can find it in many countries across East Africa.

It has a length of about 180cm and a weight of about 80kg. The olive baboon defends itself from intruders by pouring water excrement when on top of trees.

18. Black and White Colobus Monkey

Black and white Colobus monkeys are beautiful primates with their distinct white and black colors. Without counting their tails, they are about 27cm inches long.

They mostly dwell in bamboo trees and are most sought after for their long fur. The red colobus monkey is a species of Colobus monkey but has gone extinct.

19. Honey Badger

Hiney badger, also called the ratel, got its name because it enjoys feeding honeybee larvae and honey.

Despite its minor nature, it can kill a lion by biting off its testicles. The very active animal weighs 15kg and is about 100cm long.

20. Greater Galago

Greater galago is also called thick-tailed bushbabies. This animal stays in hiding during the day but becomes very active at night because its eyes are responsive to light.

Because it bawls loudly like a baby, the natives gave it the name bush baby. They make noise and scent when they want to communicate with themselves.

How many animals live in East Africa?

In East Africa, there is an estimated number of 400 species of coral that inhabit the region. There are more than 500 species of other invertebrates living in the area ranging from butterflies and insects.

Others include over 2000 species of fishes, 200 species of amphibians, over 100 species of birds, more than 1000 species of mammals, and 100 species of reptiles.

These animals of different species of African fauna are known to be scattered across countries in East Africa.

What is the largest jungle in East Africa?

The largest jungle in East Africa is the Mau Forest, located in Kenya. The Mau Forest occupies an area of approximately 675,000 acres of land.

The Mau forest supplies water to the Njoro River, Mara River, Ewaso Ng’iro River, and Sondu River.

Conclusion

The varied habitats of East Africa, such as the savannah, woodlands, high mountains, and semiarid deserts, made it an enchanting place for wildlife.

On your next adventure and vacation, try and have a quick look at these animals, and you enjoy it. Some of these animals are pretty dangerous so, it will be better to plan for safety carefully while visiting.

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