Fascinating wildlife and animals in Kenya

One of the most recognisable animals in Kenya is the cheetah. These spotty cats—each with their own unique patterns—are skilled hunters, in part because of their natural speed and agility. In fact, cheetahs are the fastest mammals on earth. They can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds. Another interesting cheetah fact? Unlike lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards, cheetahs can’t roar—they can only purr.

These cats live and hunt in open grasslands across Africa. They can be found in countries including Kenya, Algeria, South Africa, and Niger.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classes cheetahs as vulnerable. This means the species is at high risk of extinction in the wild. There are just 6,517 mature cheetahs left in the wild, and their population is decreasing. Cheetahs are at particular risk from habitat loss because they need such a large range. Most cheetahs live in unprotected areas, where they come into conflict with farmers.

2. African savannah elephants

The African savannah elephant is the world’s largest land mammal. It lives across many different habitats, including open savannahs, deserts, and forests. As these animals roam, they play an important role within their ecosystems. They disperse seeds through their dung, helping to fertilise the land; they clear paths through vegetation and overgrown bush, promoting plant diversity; and they use their tusks and feet to access water in dry riverbeds, creating small watering holes for other animals.

African savannah elephants are found in 23 countries across Africa. They have large populations in Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The IUCN classifies the African savannah elephant as endangered. This means it is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Their numbers are also decreasing. These elephants are poached for their ivory and their natural habitats are being converted into agricultural land and infrastructure by expanding human populations.

3. Black-backed jackals

The black-backed jackal is a member of the dog family. It has a rusty red coat with a black patch on its back and a black-tipped tail. It measures around 95 centimetres (37 inches) from head to tail.

As opportunistic omnivores, jackals eat what they can. They work in family packs to hunt small antelopes, but they’ll also feed on reptiles, insects, birds, fruits, berries, and carcasses left by larger predators.

There are two distinct populations of black-backed jackals in Africa—one in East Africa, in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, and one in southern Africa, in countries including Namibia, Angola, and South Africa.

These animals live in a wide variety of habitats, from deserts to grasslands to savannahs. The IUCN lists black-backed jackals as least concern, meaning they face few threats. However, they are hunted by farmers who kill them to protect their livestock.

4. Bat-eared foxes

The bat-eared fox is another Kenyan animal that belongs to the dog family. Its large ears are its defining characteristic. It also feeds on insects like termites, lives alone or in small groups, and has six more teeth than other foxes.

The bat-eared fox can be found in savannahs, arid scrublands, and grassy plains. It lives in countries including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe. The IUCN lists the bat-eared fox as least concern and as having a stable population, though they are threatened by hunters, disease, and drought.

5. Dik-diks

The dik-dik is a type of dwarf antelope that lives in arid regions of East Africa. They can live in such barren environments because they get water from the vegetation they eat. They also take cover in undergrowth to protect themselves from predators, including eagles and cats.

There are four species of dik-diks, but just two of them live in Kenya. These include Guenther’s dik-dik and Kirk’s dik-dik. Kirk’s is the largest dik-dik, though it’s still small in comparison to other antelopes. It stands at just 45 centimetres (18 inches) tall and weighs only 7.2 kilograms (15.8 pounds). Guenther’s dik-dik is smaller but has a longer snout.

The IUCN lists both Kirk’s dik-dik and Guenther’s dik-dik as least concern, though they are threatened by expanding agricultural settlements and excessive hunting in some areas.

6. Hyenas

There are two species of hyenas in Kenya—the striped hyena and the spotted hyena. They can be found throughout Africa, in all habitats except rainforests.

The spotted hyena (also called the laughing hyena) is the largest hyena species, with the females being larger than the males. Their coats are patterned with dark spots. These animals hunt fish, birds, and even hippo calves, and can work in packs to take down wildebeests or antelopes.

Striped hyenas are lesser known than their spotted cousins. They are more scavengers than hunters and typically come out at night to feed on carcasses left by other animals.

The spotted hyena is listed by the IUCN as least concern, and the striped hyena is near threatened. Human-wildlife conflict is the main threat to their survival.

7. White-bellied go-away birds

The white-bellied go-away bird has a call that sounds like ‘go-way’. It has grey plumage, a white belly, and a huge crest on the top of its head. It also has white marks on its tail, which are visible when the bird is in flight.

White-bellied go-away birds live in the arid savannahs and woodlands of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The IUCN lists this bird as least concern, with no major threats to its survival.

8. Rufous sengi

Also known as elephant shrews, there are around 20 different species of sengis. These animals are about the size of a rat and are named after their long, flexible snouts, which they use to turn over leaves and soil while they search for prey.

The rufous sengi hops around on long legs like a rabbit and has a long scaly tail. It eats ants, termites, other small insects, and earthworms in its savannah and grassland habitats. Rufous sengis are found throughout Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda. They’re listed by the IUCN as least concern and as having a stable population.

9. Dugongs

The dugong is a marine mammal that lives off the coast of East Africa, Asia, and Australia. These large animals can measure up to 3.4 metres (11 feet) in length and weigh up to 420 kilograms (925 pounds).

Dugongs are related to manatees and are similar in appearance. They have large, sensitive snouts that they use to graze on underwater grasses. Dugongs can dive as deep as 37 metres (120 feet) and they can hold their breath for up to six minutes. They have extremely long lifespans, with some individuals living until they’re 73 years old.

According to the IUCN, dugongs are vulnerable and at high risk of extinction in the wild. They are threatened by boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and illegal hunting.

10. Desert warthogs

The desert warthog is a member of the pig family. It has a large, warty head, a coarse mane, and two pairs of tusks. Unlike the common warthog, which can be found across most of Africa, the desert warthog only lives in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. It lives in savannah and shrubland habitats, where it feeds on grass and other vegetation and uses abandoned aardvark burrows as a place to shelter.

The desert warthog is listed by the IUCN as least concern. However, the population faces several risks in Kenya, including growing human and livestock numbers. This increases competition for both water and food.

11. African jacanas

The African jacana is a water bird. It has a chestnut-coloured body, a black and white head and neck, and a bright blue beak. Its enormous feet are another distinguishing feature. The African jacana uses its long claws and toes to walk across water lilies and other aquatic vegetation.

These birds live in the shallow lakes and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa. They’re widespread, ranging as far west as Mauritania, as far north as Mali, as far east as Kenya, and as far south as South Africa.

The IUCN classifies the African jacana as least concern. However, degradation, flooding, draining, and overgrazing of their habitat impact the bird’s ability to thrive.

12. Zebras

There are two species of zebras living in Kenya—the plains zebra and Grevy’s zebra. The plains zebra lives in grasslands across East and southern Africa, while Grevy’s zebra lives in arid and sparsely wooded areas in Kenya and Ethiopia.

You can tell these zebra species apart by looking at their black and white striped patterns. Plains zebras generally have wide stripes with wide spaces between them. They may also have shadow stripes (lighter-coloured stripes) between the main stripes. Grevy’s zebras, on the other hand, have narrow and closely- spaced stripes, along with a white belly. They also have a chevron on their rumps where their stripes meet.

The IUCN lists the plains zebra as near threatened. This means it is likely to become a threatened species in the near future. Grevy’s zebra is listed as endangered. The main threats to its survival include habitat degradation and competition from grazing livestock.

13. Thomson’s gazelles

Thomson’s gazelle is a small to medium-sized antelope with a sandy-brown coat, a black band across its flanks, a white belly, and a pair of powerful, ringed horns.

Thomson’s gazelles live exclusively in East Africa, in the savannahs and grasslands of Kenya and Tanzania. Here, in herds that sometimes number into hundreds, they feed on grasses, shoots, and leaves. They are preyed on by cheetahs, lions, and wild dogs, though, when under attack, Thomson’s gazelles can run extremely fast, reaching speeds of 65 kilometres (40 miles) per hour.

The IUCN lists Thomson’s gazelle as least concern. There are around 145,000 mature individuals in the wild that face threats related to human expansion and climate change.

14. Grant’s gazelles

Grant’s gazelle is a medium-sized antelope. It has a tan or light brown coat, a white belly, and lyre-shaped horns. It lives in the savannah, grassland, and shrubland of East Africa, including in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Grant’s gazelles are larger than Thomson’s gazelles. Males weigh 45 to 65 kilograms (100 to145 pounds) and measure up to 166 centimetres (5.5. feet) tip to tail.

According to the IUCN, Grant’s gazelle is classed as least concern. However, it’s important to note that their numbers are declining over large parts of their range due to hunting, drought, and human expansion.

15. Gerenuks

Gerenuk means ‘giraffe-necked’ in Somali, and this antelope has the longest neck of any gazelle. This—along with an ability to stand on its hind legs—helps the gerenuk eat leaves that are out of the reach of other antelopes. It lives in the arid savannah and shrubland of the Horn of Africa in countries including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

The IUCN lists the gerenuk as near threatened with a decreasing population. Its main threat is loss of habitat to farming, though civil war in Somalia has also affected its range in recent decades.

16. Green keel-bellied lizards

The green keel-bellied lizard is a medium-sized lizard that measures around 35 centimetres (13.8 inches) long, including its tail, which is huge in comparison to its body. Its most striking feature, though, is its bright colouring. Its skin is a shocking green colour, while its tongue and the inside of its mouth are bright orange. It lives in small pockets of forest and woodland in Kenya and Tanzania.

The IUCN lists the green keel-bellied lizard as near threatened. Its coastal forest habitat is rapidly disappearing, as urban and agricultural development pose a major threat to forests in the region.

17. Kenya coast galagos

The Kenya coast galago lives in the coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Also known as a bush baby, it’s a primate that spends most of its life in trees, where it eats fruit and insects. It’s a nocturnal animal and has large eyes that help it to see in the dark, as well as large ears that can rotate to pick up the sound of their prey.

According to the IUCN, the Kenya coast galago is classed as least concern. Nevertheless, its numbers are thought to be decreasing, and its habitat is being converted into farmland and plantations.

18. Mount Kenya dwarf chameleons

The Mount Kenya dwarf chameleon is only known to live on Mount Kenya, a mountain that is part of a national park in the centre of the country.

According to the IUCN, the Mount Kenya dwarf chameleon is near threatened. There is little information on how many remain, but as it lives at high altitudes where there are very few threats, it’s assumed that the population is stable. The primary threat they are thought to face is fire. Mount Kenya is a fire-prone region, and fires are likely linked to population decreases of these reptiles.

19. Kenya montane vipers

The Kenya montane viper lives in protected land in the Aberdare Mountains and on Mount Kenya. It lives in high altitude moorland at elevations of 2,700 to 3,800 metres (8,858 to 12,467 feet). Not much is known about the Kenya montane viper. It’s not clear whether this species is rare or just very shy. However, we do know that, like other vipers, it gives birth to two to three live young instead of laying eggs.

The IUCN lists the Kenya montane viper as near threatened. Moorland fires and large local human populations mean their habitat is at risk of disturbance and change.

20. Kenyan high-casqued chameleons

The Kenyan high-casqued chameleon is a small to medium-sized chameleon that lives in the central and western highlands of Kenya and eastern Uganda. These cool, temperate regions have lots of vegetation, including grasses, shrubs, dense bushes, and trees. The chameleon is also sometimes found on hedges in towns and gardens, in farmland, and in heathland.

Its ability to live in such a wide variety of habitats means the Kenyan high-casqued chameleon is more resilient to habitat change. The IUCN lists the Kenyan high-casqued chameleon as least concern.

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