Animals who live in Africa. What animals live in Africa? Python is considered one of the largest reptiles
Africa is one of the largest and hottest continents on the planet, washed by two oceans and two seas. It contains arid deserts, impenetrable forests and rivers. Rich in fauna and vegetation. Please note that they live here:
- Over 1 thousand species of mammals;
- More 2500 bird species;
- A bunch of freshwater fish and insects.
The most popular representatives of African fauna are:
The largest land animal on the planet. It reaches 4 meters in height, 7.5 m in length and up to 7 tons in weight. Even the Indian elephant is smaller in size than the African one. There are two types of African elephant: savannah and forest. They feed on vegetation and have virtually no enemies;
This is interesting! Unlike their Asian relatives, the African elephant has tusks in both males and females. The largest tusks found were more than 4 meters long and weighed 230 kilograms. Elephants use them as weapons for defense against predators. Although such large animals have practically no natural enemies, there are cases when lonely, old and weakened giants are attacked by starving lions. In addition, elephants use their tusks to dig the ground and strip bark from trees.
Elephants are really very afraid of bees. Due to their delicate skin, they can cause them a lot of trouble. There are cases where elephants changed their migration routes because there was a high probability of encountering swarms of wild bees.
Despite weighing up to 3 tons, it is a rather cautious equid mammal. During the day they sleep, and with the onset of twilight they begin to be active. They got their name because of the characteristic horns on their head. It is because of them that they are the target of poaching. There are two species in Africa: white And black rhinoceroses. Their name and skin color depend on the area where they live. The fact is that rhinoceroses love to wallow in mud and they get their color from the color of the mud and soil of the territory. Rhinoceroses are vegetarians, but some love meadow grass, while others love bush leaves;
This is interesting! In ancient times white rhinoceros was widespread throughout the African continent. In South Africa in 1938, there were only 30 white rhinoceros left, but measures taken to protect the animal allowed the population to increase to three thousand animals by the 1980s and begin to spread to other regions. In contrast, on the Upper Nile, where some 2,000 white rhinoceroses were discovered in the early 20th century, there are almost no animals left due to widespread poaching.
The black rhinoceros's eyesight is very poor. Even at a distance of 40-50 m, he cannot distinguish a person from a tree trunk. Hearing is much better developed, but the sense of smell plays the main role in recognizing the outside world. Even in an open place, the mother searches for a lost cub by following its tracks. If there is no wind, a rhinoceros can, out of curiosity, come literally close to a person, but a weak breeze is enough for him to recognize the danger and take flight or go on the attack.
Another large representative of the African animal world, feeding on tree leaves. Despite the fact that the giraffe, like all mammals, has seven cervical vertebrae, their neck is unusually long. It is this feature of the body that allows them to reach tree branches that are out of reach of other animals. The giraffe is the tallest animal on the planet. They reach heights of up to 5.5 - 6 m and weigh more than 1000 kg;
This is interesting! The giraffe has a rather interesting tongue: it is dark, almost brown, long and very muscular, it allows the animal to grab tree branches at a great height, protruding 40-45 cm. With such a long tongue, giraffes can even clean their own ears.
On a note! How do giraffes sleep?
The giraffe bends its long legs under itself, moving one of them to the side, and then, bending into a ball, puts its head on its croup. Giraffes can also sleep standing up.
Sleep does not last long: during the night the giraffe gets up every now and then to drink or eat something. The mammal does not require many hours of sleep - the giraffe only needs 10 minutes to 2 hours of sleep per night.
The main dish for the giraffe remains juicy acacia; less often, giraffes eat mimosa and sweetish shoots of wild apricot. Every day he consumes about 30 kg of food and spends 16-20 hours a day eating. Feeding on succulent leaves, the giraffe can go without water for a long time. When a giraffe drinks, it spreads its front legs wide to lower its head towards the water. A giraffe can drink up to 38 liters of water at one time.
This unusual animal looks like a zebra and even has white stripes on its legs, but it is still a member of the giraffe family. Today, the okapi population is stable due to conservation activities. In captivity, these mammals have difficulty taking root, so they are almost impossible to see in zoos. Due to their low prevalence, they are listed in the Red Book. Okapi's body length is about 2 m, height 140 cm, body weight 240 kg.
The okapi has a long blue tongue. With its help, she washes her eyes and separates food. Okapi live only in Africa;
This is interesting! Okapi became a real zoological sensation of the 20th century. Until 1890, no one suspected that such a bizarre animal lived in the tropical forests of the Congo. The famous British traveler Henry Stanley, describing his impressions of his stay in this country, noted that the pygmies told him about the strange forest horses that lived in their area.
Okapi have well-developed hearing; they are able to detect the smallest rustle in the forest. Their vision also allows them to see far into the twilight of the forest. Due to its stealth and good perception, which allows the okapi to recognize potential danger at distant approaches, this animal is very difficult to detect.
The fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of up to 112 km/h in 3 seconds. A predator of the cat family, lives in the open spaces of Africa. Unlike other predators, the cheetah stalks its prey and does not attack from behind. The graceful, slender body has strong muscles. The weight of an adult cat is 40 - 65 kg, body length 140 cm, height at the withers up to 90 cm;
Cheetahs apparently nearly went extinct during the last Ice Age, going through a bottleneck. Living cheetahs are closely related, so they show signs of genetic degeneration caused by inbreeding. For example, cheetahs have a very high infant mortality rate: more than half of the cubs do not survive one year.
Previously, cheetahs, due to the special structure of their body, were classified as an independent subfamily of cheetahs (Acinonychinae), but molecular genetic studies revealed their close relationship with the puma genus, which is why cheetahs began to be classified as a subfamily of small cats (Felinae).
The king cheetah is a rare mutation that differs from the normal cheetah in coloring. The coat is covered with black stripes along the back and large merging spots on the sides.
A predatory mammal similar to a lynx. Prefers steppe terrain and hides in rock crevices. Although this cat has long legs and good speed, it does not hunt large animals. Its food includes small and large rodents, reptiles and even insects. Hiding its dead prey from other predators, the caracal drags it up a tree.
The animal's body weight is 11 - 19 kg, length 65 - 82 cm, height at the withers 45 cm. At the tips of the ears there are tassels up to 5 cm long. The caracal can go without water for a long time; it receives the necessary liquid from the prey it eats;
Among the characteristics of the caracal is an unusual voice. It resembles a quiet chirping; in a good mood the pet purrs loudly. Representatives of this breed are self-sufficient and do not tolerate familiarity. At the same time, with friends and owners, the caracal can be very affectionate and sociable.
Caracals are easy to tame. In Asia (India, Persia) they hunted hares, pheasants, peacocks and small antelopes with tame caracals. In ancient times, such hunting was very popular in the East; In India, the caracal is called the "little cheetah" or the "poor man's cheetah" because, unlike cheetahs, caracals were captured and kept by poor people. Now such hunts are rare.
In South Africa, the caracal is quite common and is considered a pest. There is a special culture of caracal hunting: they lure it with devices that imitate the cry of a wounded hare or mouse, and at night they shoot it from under the headlights. In addition, in South Africa, caracals are used to drive away birds (mainly guinea fowl) from the runways of military airfields.
The most dangerous animal in Africa is not the lion and cheetah, but the hyena. The mammal is more like a dog, but belongs to the order Felidae. It does not disdain to feed on carrion, but also does not miss the opportunity to attack a living prey, such as a zebra or antelope. Hyenas are cautious and even cowardly, but their advantage is that they attack as a whole pack. Their jaws are so powerful and their digestive system is unique that hyenas easily chew and digest bones and are able to eat a whole carcass;
This is interesting! Rarely do any animals cause such hostility in people as hyenas - neither their appearance nor their wild behavior during the hunt inspires positive emotions in anyone. For a long time they were considered one of the most mysterious and little-studied creatures of this world, and therefore the most incredible rumors circulated about them, which, oddly enough, even the most prudent people believed.
For example, the indigenous people of Africa, looking at the persistence and enthusiasm with which these animals tore up graves, were convinced that hyenas were associated with evil spirits, and that they themselves were werewolves. When the Arabs killed this animal, they buried its head as deep as possible in the sand so that it would not return and take revenge for its murder.
Important! If earlier these animals were considered relatives of dogs, then recently scientists came to the conclusion that such a classification was incorrect and added them to the family of cats and civets.
Zebras are one of the most beautiful creatures that inhabit Africa. People know their famous stripes on their bodies and can’t decide whether they are white with black stripes or black with white.
In fact, they are white with black or dark brown stripes. However, the skin underneath the fur is black.
While running, animals move in a zigzag. This makes it harder for a predator to catch them.
The black and white striped pattern of their cover is a good protection from insects that nature has given them. Horseflies and other bloodsuckers stay away from it.
In Roman circuses, the zebra was usually called "tiger-horse", or "horse-tiger".
The mother zebra isolates the foal from other members of the herd for several days until it becomes accustomed to her smell, voice and appearance.
Zebras are one of the few mammals that are (commonly believed) to have color vision.
Zebra speed is 65 km/h.
As a rule, zebras do not lie down while sleeping. They are standing.
Since childhood, we all know the cartoon story about a hippopotamus who was afraid of vaccinations. Uninformed people may get the impression that these multi-ton African giants are absolutely harmless, sedentary creatures. In fact, hippos are the most dangerous and aggressive animals in Africa.
The mouth of a hippopotamus is impressive. It can open almost 180 0, while its size is almost one and a half meters! The bite force of its jaws is 230 kg; an angry animal can easily bite the spine of an adult crocodile.
Hippos come onto land to find food. As a rule, this happens at night. These lumps can travel up to 10 km in search of food. To be well-fed, an adult hippopotamus needs more than 50 kg.
What do hippos eat? For a long time it was believed that they were herbivores. Moreover, they do not eat algae.
But recently, scientists have proven that hippos, of course, eat grass, but also love meat. They diversify their diet with meat from crocodiles, antelopes and other African animals.
How do such bumpkins manage to catch fast “food”? Easily. If necessary, hippos can be very mobile, they have a good reaction, and the speed they develop when running can reach 50 km/h.
Humans are also the enemy of hippos. Firstly, people are reclaiming the lands where hippopotamuses have lived since ancient times, thereby forcing the animals to leave their habitable places. Secondly, the animals themselves often come at night to graze in fields and vegetable gardens sown with cultivated plants. They destroy crops, so people often kill them to protect their lands.
The largest bird in the world is the African ostrich. And it must be said that these birds grow to truly impressive sizes. An adult ostrich can be up to 2.7 m tall and weigh approximately 156 kg. But it is not only the large size of the ostrich that attracts attention to it, but also its manner of caring for a lady, hatching and then raising offspring and a host of other interesting features.
This is interesting! You can often see these beautiful birds grazing with zebras or antelopes, making long treks with them across the plains. Artiodactyls do not drive them away, because they, thanks to their excellent vision and high growth, can see a moving predator at a great distance - up to 5 km.
In case of danger, emitting a warning sound, this huge bird runs away (and the speed of the ostrich in case of danger reaches 70 km/h). The herd, warned by the bird, also scatters. So having such a sentinel is very beneficial for herbivores!
The ostrich cannot fly - this is a well-known fact. This is how nature ordered it. His muscles in the thoracic region are poorly developed, his wings are underdeveloped, and the ostrich's feathers, curly and loose, do not form tightly closed hard fan blades. Its skeleton is not pneumatic.
The ostrich lays her eggs in one nest, which the male digs in the ground or sand. As a result, there are up to 30 of them, and for ostriches living in East Africa, up to 60. True, the dominant female makes sure that her eggs are located in the center of the clutch, and the rest are around. This is how the law of survival through numbers works.
The ostrich egg is the largest in the world (it is 24 times larger than a chicken egg), but if you compare it with the size of the hen itself, it is the smallest! What a case!
A dominant ostrich sits on a nest during the day. It serves as a kind of conditioner for eggs, preventing them from cooking in 50-degree heat. And at night the male climbs on them to save them from hypothermia.
These animals especially attract human attention. They are funny, unpredictable, but can be dangerous at times. Although we call all primates monkeys, they are still divided into many subspecies:
Short-nosed macaques
![](https://i0.wp.com/mfina.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Macaca_sylvanus_Morocco_1-e1482567927125.jpg)
Mandrills
![](https://i0.wp.com/mfina.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/95152398-e1482568030717.jpg)
Gibbon
![](https://i1.wp.com/mfina.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/gibbon16-e1482568217846.jpg)
The largest representative of monkeys is gorilla.
This is interesting! The gorilla is an animal that can stand up and walk on its hind legs, but mostly walks on all fours. Gorillas, like chimpanzees, when walking, rely not on the pads of the fingers and on the palms of the forelimbs, like many other animals, but on bent fingers (on the back side). Thanks to this, they keep the very sensitive skin on the inside of the hand intact when walking.
The fauna of the African continent is famous for its diversity; only human intervention leads to changes in ecosystems and a decline in population numbers. Moreover, hunting and poaching have led to many species being threatened with extinction. To preserve the fauna in Africa, the largest national and natural parks, reserves and sanctuaries were created. Their number on the planet is greatest here. The largest are the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Masai Mara, Amboseli, Etosha, Chobe, Nechisar and others.
Predatory animals
The most famous and dangerous representative of the African animal world is the lion. In the north and south of the continent, lions were destroyed, so large populations of these animals live only in Central Africa. They live in savannas, near bodies of water, not only alone or in pairs, but also in groups - prides (1 male and about 8 females).
African lion
There are two types of rhinoceroses in Africa - black and white. A favorable habitat for them is savannas, but they can be found in open forest or steppe conditions. There are large populations of them in many national parks.
White rhinoceros
Among other large animals, African elephants can be found in savannas or forests. They live in herds, have a leader, are friendly with each other, and zealously protect their young. They know how to recognize each other and always stay together during migrations. Herds of elephants can be seen in African parks.
African elephant family
Leopards live everywhere except the Sahara Desert. They are found in forests and savannas, on river banks and in thickets, on mountain slopes and plains. This representative of the cat family hunts well, both on the ground and in the trees. However, leopards themselves are hunted by people, which leads to significant extermination.
Unusual animals of Africa
Africa is home to many unusual animals. Among them are lemurs - lemur-like prosimians. They live in Madagascar and some adjacent islands.
Lemur
On the continent it is a representative of the giraffe family. They live in the Congo River valley and are currently little-studied animals.
in wild nature
One of the brightest representatives of African fauna is the giraffe, the tallest mammal. Different giraffes have individual coloring, so no two animals are alike. You can meet them in forests and savannas, and they live mainly in herds.
African giraffe
Interesting animals are zebras, which belong to the equine breed. A large number of zebras were destroyed by humans, and now they inhabit only the eastern and southern parts of the continent. They are found in deserts, plains, and savannas.
Zebras
Africa is home to various species: baboons, chimpanzees and gorillas. They live in southern and eastern Africa, found in both forests and open plains.
Photo of a baboon
Inhabitants of rivers and lakes
The narrow-snouted crocodile is endemic to Africa. In addition to them, there are blunt-nosed and Nile crocodiles in the reservoirs. These are dangerous predators that hunt animals in water and on land. Hippopotamuses live in families in different bodies of water on the mainland. They can be seen in various national parks.
Thus, Africa has a rich fauna. Here you can find small insects, amphibians, birds and rodents, as well as the largest predators. Different natural zones have their own food chains, consisting of those species that are adapted to life in certain conditions. If someone happens to visit Africa, then by visiting as many national reserves and parks as possible, they will be able to see a huge number of animals in the wild.
Documentary film about animals of Africa
Elena Smirnova
Abstract of the educational activity “Animals of Africa”
Abstract of GCD
activity - entertainment « Animals of Africa»
Target: To consolidate children’s ideas about African animals.
Tasks:
O. o. "Communication"
Improving speech and the ability to more accurately characterize an object.
Formation of the ability to defend one’s point of view.
Enrich children's speech with nouns denoting names animals, tropical climate zones.
Enrich children's speech with adjectives that characterize appearance and habits animals, ways of feeding them.
Improving the ability to distinguish by ear and pronunciation all the sounds of the native language. Improving phonemic hearing.
Practice agreeing nouns with adjectives in gender and number.
Exercise children in the formation and use of possessive adjectives in speech.
Improve the dialogical form of speech.
Strengthen the skill of composing complex sentences with conjunctions a, and.
To develop the skill of writing a story - describing according to a diagram.
Develop logical thinking.
O. o. "Cognition"
Formation of a holistic picture of the world, broadening the horizons of children. Consolidating children's ideas about African animals.
Continue to develop your ability to compare animals, establish their similarities and differences.
O. o. "Socialization"
Improve the ability to work in pairs, teams, and accomplish a common task.
Continue to enrich the experience of cooperation and friendly relationships with peers.
O. o. "Health"
Preserve and strengthen the physical and mental health of children through physical exercise.
O. o. "Physical Culture"
To form in children correct posture and the ability to consciously perform movements.
Improve children's motor skills and abilities.
Methods and techniques:
Practical;
Visual;
Verbal (conversations);
Problem-search questions;
Surprise moment.
Forms of organizing joint activities
Motor
Productive
Solving problem situations:
Communicative
Musical and artistic
Materials and equipment:
Subject pictures depicting wild animals of hot countries, figurines animals, globe, stencils animals and their tracks, pictures – juice, onion, cloud, scissors. ; Pictures animals, cut into pieces; diagram - description animal; microphone; camcorder; simple pencils; plasticine.
Progress of the lesson.
L: - Guys, do you like to travel? (children's answer).
I invite you to take a trip to Africa to find out about animals living there.
Let's find Africa on the globe and see our route.
(Children stand around the table on which there is a globe; look where Russia is, Africa)
L: - What type of transport will we need?
(Children's answer : train, plane, ship)
Let's go by plane. Do you agree?
The eyes are closing,
The wings spread.
The plane flies forward
IN People are rushing to Africa.
And to make it more fun for us to fly, we are with you let's play:
Finger gymnastics "On a visit".
African hippopotamus
He goes to visit the elephant.
Definitely on the way
He also wants to come:
To the zebra, lion and rhinoceros.
Show him the way!
(children perform movements, pronouncing poems first in a whisper, and then in a full voice.)
L: - Dear passengers! Our plane is reducing speed and altitude. Be careful, sit down so as not to fall.
L: - And then our plane landed. What country did we fly to? (children's answers)
L: - Africa, Africa- a magical continent,
All over the big planet
There is no more beautiful earth!
L: - We guys found ourselves in the center Africa - in the savannah.
A game “Whose traces?”
Many different things live here animals. Look at someone's footprints. I will name the owners of the tracks, and you will form adjectives from them.
Elephant.
Crocodile.
Crocodiles.
A game "Say a word"
Children, do you know what animals live in Africa?
Well, then listen carefully and answer in unison.
In the heat Africa lives a clumsy... hippopotamus
He doesn’t need a lot of food, he’s full of dry thorn... camel
Among the animals he is known as a king, he is called the maned... lion
He wears a horn on his nose and is called... rhinoceros
A huge, good-natured ... elephant is clumsy, but strong
A green... crocodile came to visit us frequently.
Outgrown a huge wardrobe wonderful... giraffe
The monkey loves oranges and bananas very much
And now the most difficult riddles. Listen carefully.
You won’t find a longer neck; it will tear off any branch... (hedgehog - giraffe)
How he jumped into his mother’s bag at the bus lounge... (elephant - kangaroo)
The sun's ray has gone out over the forest, the king of beasts is sneaking... (rooster - lion)
The pachyderm picks up the fruit with its trunk... (hippopotamus - elephant)
Leading: We remembered African animals,
Now let's all do a massage together.
Massage « Africa»
Giraffes have spots, spots,
spots, specks everywhere. clap hands all over the body
There are on the noses, on bellies, knees and toes. both index fingers
fingers touching parts of the body
Elephants have folds, folds,
folds, folds everywhere. pinch themselves as if collecting folds
There are on the noses, on bellies, knees and toes
And a big trunk. depict a trunk with a hand
And the zebra has stripes
there are stripes everywhere. run the edges of the palm over the body
On the forehead, ears, neck, elbows,
There are on the noses, on bellies, knees and toes.
The zebra also has hooves - they represent a zebra running.
And a lion has fur, fur,
fur, fur everywhere. stroke themselves, smoothing their fur
On the forehead, ears, neck, elbows,
There are on the noses, on bellies, knees and toes
And the large mane on the head is depicted by spreading the fingers of the hands.
A game "Guess the word"
We rested a little, and here is a new task. You need to guess the encrypted word. There are pictures on the board (juice, onion, cloud, scissors). Name the first sound in the words and read what is written here. We have deciphered the word, and now I propose to create a sound diagram for the word ELEPHANT. Who guessed how many sounds are in our word? What is the first, second, third, fourth? How many vowels? How many consonants?
Didactic game "True False"
V. Now let’s check what you know about African animals?.
The giraffe has the longest neck. (yes, it’s true, the giraffe has the longest neck)
Elephant is the biggest animal. (Yes, really, the elephant is the biggest animal)
Lions eat grass. (No, it's a lie, lions don't eat grass, they are predators)
The crocodile has sharp teeth. (Yes, it’s true, he is a predator; sharp teeth are needed to feed him)
Didactic game "Collect animal»
IN: Look, something happened here with animals. Do you think we can help them? What should be done?
Children pick up the body to the head the animal is called, whose head, whose body, whose paws, whose tail
Finger game "Naughty Monkeys" (E. Chistyakova)
Mischievous monkeys in a clearing in the wild jungle
(jumping in a circle, arms with palms outstretched)
They jump, tumble, climb up tree trunks,
They throw bananas and swing on their tails.
(for each word-action we bend one finger on both hands)
These are the monkeys having fun in the clearing.
(claps hands) .
Compiling a comparison story based on a diagram.
IN: There are so many interesting things in Africa. I have idea: let's talk about animals and send this message to television. Who will be the journalist? (distribution of roles).
Speaker: Dear viewers, we are in African savannah. Our journalists will tell you how its inhabitants differ from each other. I pass the microphone to the journalist.
Journalist: Giraffe is a herbivore animal, eats leaves, and the crocodile is a carnivore, attacks others animals. The giraffe lives in the savannah, and the crocodile lives in the swamp. The giraffe is tall and the crocodile is long. The giraffe has a yellow spotted skin, while the crocodile has green skin. The giraffe runs, and the crocodile swims and dives. A giraffe has one small baby, while a crocodile's eggs hatch into several small babies.
Speaker: You listened to a message from a distant hot place Africa.
Drawing without a brush "Amulet".
IN: Guys, it's time for us to go home. But as a memory of our journey, we will make real ones african amulets. They will protect us while traveling.
(Children choose stencils animals, trace them along the contour, lay them out with plasticine.)
IN: The amulets are ready. You can go back.
Goodbye, Africa,
Wonderland!
It was interesting here
Wonderful and wonderful
But it's time for us to go home!
Africa... How many interesting and mysterious things are hidden in its tropical forests and endless savannas. Animals of enormous size and very small and inconspicuous live here, although it is not a fact that some insect is completely harmless in comparison with, for example, a huge elephant or a lion, with which a rare daredevil dares to be close. The African fauna is so colorful and amazing that the interest in getting closer to it and learning more about its representatives will probably never dry up. So, ZENUN will tell you who the very best animals in Africa are.
The rarest animal in Africa
Okapi. The forest giraffe, or, as it was previously called, Johnson's horse, looks like a hybrid of three animals: a horse, a giraffe and a zebra. Henry Stanley, a famous traveler and journalist, first heard about these animals from local aborigines. When the skin of a forest giraffe fell into the hands of researchers, it was initially mistakenly attributed to the horse family, but subsequent study of the rare and very timid animal led to the conclusion that the strange animal is more similar to the dwarf giraffe, which by some miracle had been preserved since the Ice Age.
An amazing animal with the body of a horse, long legs painted like a zebra, an elongated neck and a clearly giraffe-like face is hiding from human eyes in the Congo Basin.
The most unusual animal in Africa
Belttail. This is the kind of thing that will amaze any nature connoisseur. This lizard, which lives in rocky areas near the southern borders of the Sahara, is the surviving child of a dragon. Reaching a length of 70 cm, the belt-tail seems to be assembled, like a construction set, from rectangular scale plates. There are up to 70 species of these spiny dragons, and each species has its own food preferences. Introducing video about these lizards:
The most dangerous animal in Africa
Probably no other continent is home to so many especially dangerous animals. Snakes, poisonous flies, scorpions, mosquitoes, not to mention obvious predators such as lions and crocodiles. Even when hunting the herbivorous giants of buffalo, you can easily turn from hunter to prey. However, the most dangerous thing for a person who decides to walk around Africa is fly tse tse.
You won’t even understand how this rather large bloodsucker will bite you and infect you with sleeping sickness. Every year, tsetse sends almost a quarter of a million unfortunate people into another world, who, due to circumstances, became targets for the flying killer.
The largest animal in Africa
Even a child can answer this question. Of course it is. The largest specimen that fell into the observation zone of the human race weighed 12 tons! Surprisingly, elephants communicate at ultra-low frequencies that are simply beyond the reach of the human ear. And one more interesting fact about African giants: elephants are capable of creating seismic waves that spread over a radius of up to 2 km!
Tallest animal in Africa
And even a child from a nursery group will answer this question. Who doesn't know the handsome spotted guy? The African “Uncle Styopa” can grow up to 6 meters in height. Moreover, this giant is dangerous, rather, only to trees, because in a day he can eat 63 kg of shoots and juicy leaves! Just think, one step of this giant is 4 meters, and he can accelerate to 50 km/h!
The fastest animal in Africa
Handsome cheetah Not only is he on the list of the rarest animals, he is also the leader of the 500-meter race. This graceful cat seems specially created for speed, but is the weakest representative of its kind. His appearance can be described in just two words: feline aristocrat. However, no one will be able to catch up with this handsome guy, because he accelerates to 90 km/h!
The most terrible animal in Africa
His name Gustav. -the cannibal is still alive and instills quiet horror not only in the souls of local residents, because he kills people for fun and entertainment, and not at all from hunger. The Nile monster weighs a ton, is almost 60 years old and lives in Burundi, Africa. The body of this monster is covered with welts and scars from knives and bullets, but all attempts to catch the resourceful and very cunning beast have so far ended in failure. He had never fallen into any underwater trap yet. If you suddenly see a 6-meter crocodile with a dark spot on its forehead, run away if you don’t want to be another amusement for Gustav.
This is the world of the very best animals in Africa. Some of them have been known to you for a long time, and some you probably learned about for the first time. And how many more amazing and unknown things are hidden behind the stones, in the sands and on the trees of this hot continent, one can only guess.
Page 1 of 9
The African continent stretches from north to south for thousands of kilometers and has become home to many species of animals. The equator crosses it in the middle. The climate in Africa is warm and even hot. The largest desert in the world, the Sahara, is located in northern Africa. In the summer it is very hot in the Sahara, there is practically no rain, which makes this area unsuitable for life. But here, too, many animals have found shelter, appearing after sunset to get food for themselves.
The Sahara is dominated by rocky and sandy deserts, where only some cereals and sedges, as well as thorny grasses and shrubs, can grow. Mostly life is concentrated in oases - places where there is water. Palm trees and moisture-loving plants grow in the oases, and birds chirp.
To the south of the Sahara there are savannas - steppe areas in which here and there you can see small groups of trees, among which baobabs are especially prominent. These trees, although relatively small in height, have a thick trunk reaching a diameter of 10 meters. The climate in savannas is seasonal: dry periods are replaced by rainy ones. The abundance of plant food in savannas attracts the attention of herbivores, among which thousands of herds of antelope, buffalo, zebra, elephant, and giraffe predominate. They are hunted by lions, cheetahs, hyena dogs and leopards. Many birds live in savannas.
Different parts of the African savanna differ in soil type and water resources, and therefore in their flora and fauna. Four main zones can be distinguished with characteristic mammal species for each. dry savanna, wet savanna, scrub savanna and coastal forests.
Tropical rain forests grow in the equatorial part of Africa. It's warm and humid here. Every morning begins with bright sunshine, and by mid-day clouds gather and the sky pours with streams of rainwater. In such a climate, many plants thrive, forming dense, sometimes impenetrable forests in which a variety of animals are found.
In Africa, 13 million km2 - almost half the continent - is dominated by herbaceous vegetation. In the old days, huge herds of grazing animals could be seen everywhere as far as the eye could see. The largest herds are now concentrated in national parks, mainly in the Serengeti, Tanzania, and Tsavo, Kenya. In the Serengeti, herds of wildebeest number up to 50,000 animals (wildebeest are also called "wildebest", which means "wild bull" in Afrikaans, but is actually an antelope). Together with the wildebeest, up to a million Thomson's gazelles and 200,000 zebras roam.
Although all herbivores eat grass, not all of them compete for food. Zebras, for example, eat tall grasses to a certain level, and wildebeest nibble grass where zebras have already been, as well as fresh growth that appears after rain.
I call Leo the king of beasts. The weight of a large predator reaches 280 kg. With a blow of their paw they break the buffalo's spine. Lions' canines are relatively short but powerful. The body is covered with short hair, and only males have a luxurious mane. In fights between males, this mane protects them from blows from their opponents. The skin of lions is very durable; it was not for nothing that in the old days warriors used it as armor or pulled it over their shield.
Currently, lions remain only in sub-Saharan Africa, and there is a small population of lions in India.
Lions live in family groups. Several females and young lions stay around the male. Some adult males live alone. At night, the terrifying roars of males are heard in the savannahs. In this way, they make it clear to other lions that the territory is occupied and has an owner.
Sixteen hours a day, lions sleep or bask under the shade of trees. Hunting is the destiny of lionesses. Their prey is large animals: antelopes, zebras, buffalos. After a successful hunt, the male is the first to approach the prey, dispersing the females. Everyone waits until he is satisfied, and only then do the rest of the group start eating.
This common predator in Africa lives in savanna, desert and virgin forests. People, however, have driven the leopard out of many of its habitats. His hunting tactics depend on the prey he is in wait for. Hunting for small mammals, it quickly attacks, chasing a larger animal, the leopard sneaks up unnoticed and delivers a sudden blow with a powerful paw. It eats small prey immediately, but drags the bodies of large animals up a tree and feeds on their meat for several days. The size of his hunting territory depends on the amount of prey on it.
Leopards always live alone. Males and females meet only during the mating season, and then immediately disperse, and the female raises her offspring herself.
Living in the Sahara and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, the sand cat never drinks water, quenching its thirst with the blood of its victims. The small sand cat has large ears and faded fur, which is typical of all desert dwellers. It lives in both sandy and rocky areas of the Sahara. She has a wide, flat head, and she can watch her prey, hiding behind the dunes, where she is completely out of sight.
It feeds on small rodents: gerbils and ground squirrels. The sand cat also eats scorpions, reptiles and insects. Together with the fennec fox and the African leopard, it is one of the few carnivores that can exist in deserts. Her paws are covered with fur, so she doesn't sink into the sand. She has very acute hearing, she can hear even the quietest movements of rodents in the sand. The cat spends the day in a cave, where another desert inhabitant, the fennec, often lives with it. The cat goes hunting when the temperature drops and the air becomes cooler.
There are three species of zebras in Africa. Grevy's zebra has the narrowest thigh stripes of any species. The number of zebras is constantly declining, and small scattered groups remain from the once large herds.
Zebras are one of the most numerous animal tribes in the African steppe, the closest relative of horses and donkeys. Herds of striped horses cross the expanse in all directions, looking for lush pastures and at the same time solving family matters along the way. A zebra family is a harem with a single ruler at its head. Male foals are doomed to expulsion and further struggle for their own set of females. The zebra is one of the most flexible inhabitants of the savannah. Striped horses willingly put up with other animals, forming mixed herds, most often with antelopes.
A mixed herd, consisting of animals of different species, has a number of other advantages. For example, if zebras and wildebeest are joined by ostriches, for whom their keen eyes and long necks provide periscope vision, the ungulates can no longer rely only on their keen sense of smell.
Aardvark
The African animal aardvark can be considered a record holder for high-speed digging. With the help of powerful paws and long, spoon-shaped claws, the aardvark can dig a hole in soft soil faster than several people armed with shovels can dig a trench of the same length.
The aardvark is not capable of fleeing from enemies; he is too clumsy for this. But he can hide from danger in a hole that he will instantly dig for this purpose. In five minutes, the animal sometimes manages to dig a passage several meters long. Even hard soil, dried by the scorching sun, yields to the efforts of the aardvark, unless the work is delayed for a longer period. Baby aardvarks begin digging their own tunnels in the ground when they reach 6 months of age. When digging tunnels, the aardvark presses its ears to its head and closes its nostrils - this is necessary so that soil does not accumulate there and ants and termites do not crawl in.
African buffalo
The Kaffir buffalo is a powerful African bull. The weight of the animal exceeds 1000 kg. Both males and females have horns. The horns are powerful, curved, their bases close together to form a wide frontal helmet.
Aware of his strength, the large buffalo feels completely safe. Not every predator will dare to attack him. When meeting a lion or leopard, a buffalo, bowing its head and putting its horns forward, boldly rushes at the predator. He will not tolerate closeness to a person. It is not uncommon for buffalo to ram the cars of annoying visitors to national parks.
These sand-colored arachnids live in deserts and other dry areas. At night they go out to hunt for insects, lizards, small rodents and other prey.
The sting with poison at the end of the abdomen serves scorpions primarily for protection. Scorpions use poison only if the prey offers too active resistance, and also if the victim is too large. The venom of some scorpions is strong enough to kill a person. However, Scorpios are extremely secretive. During the day, they look for a damp place and hide in rock crevices or the homes of other animals.
Jackson's Chameleon
This is one of the largest chameleons in the world. The length of the male reaches 30 cm, and the females are slightly smaller - up to 25 cm. Jackson's chameleons live in the forested mountains of Tanzania and Kenya, but they can often be found in forest parks. They are green with yellow stripes and, like all chameleons, change color to suit their environment.
The male has three horns, with which he fights other males. Some females also have horns, but they are much smaller than those of males. Chameleons feed on insects, other invertebrates and frogs. They catch prey with the help of a sticky tongue, the length of which is one and a half times the length of the chameleon’s body, and which they quickly throw out of their mouth.
- Taiga tea: composition, indications and storage conditions for the collection Taiga tea
- What meat is the healthiest for humans?
- Signs for the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as rituals and prohibitions Annunciation customs and signs what you can do
- Mushroom picking: general rules and advice for a novice mushroom picker Dream of picking mushrooms in the forest