This document provides summaries of different types of wildlife found across Africa. It discusses the animals found in equatorial forests, savannas, deserts, woodlands, grasslands, Madagascar island, southeast coasts, Ethiopian highlands and more. The equatorial forests have the richest diversity with up to 400 bird species, 150 butterfly species and 60 amphibian species in a small area. Savannas support many large mammals adapted to seasonal food variability. Desert wildlife includes gerbils, foxes and reptiles tolerant of harsh conditions. Coastal regions historically had large predators like lions and leopards but many have disappeared due to human influences.
2. Introduction
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent.
At about 30.2 million km2 (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it
covers six percent of Earth's total surface area and 20.4 percent of its
total land area.
The continent is surrounded
by the Mediterranean
Sea to the north, both
the Suez Canal and
the Red Sea along the Sinai
Peninsula to the northeast,
the Indian Ocean to the
southeast, and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west.
3. Air Transport
Airlines flourished because, in many African countries, road
and rail networks are not well developed due to financial
issues, terrain, and rainy seasons.
Africa had about 4,000 airports
and airfields. Only 117 of
Africa’s airports are classified
as international airports.
Airlines, like Air Afrique, were
jointly sponsored by multiple
governments. Joint carriers,
such as Central African
Airways, East African Airways,
and West African Airways,
were established when the
United Kingdom colonized
parts of Africa.[
4. Water Transport
Inland water transport: This covers transport on rivers, lakes, lagoons and canals. Some of
the large rivers and lakes in different parts of the world are important mean of
transportation.
Ocean transport: This means of
transport carries much of the world's
trade. There are various vessels used.
E.g. Cargo Liners, Passenger Liners,
Tramp Steamers, Oil Tankers and
Refrigerated Ships, Naval Vessels
Lakes used for transport
included, lake victoria in East
Africa, the Great Lakes of North
Africa, Lake Malawi in southern
Africa, Lake Chad in West
Africa, etc.
5. Land Transport
Road transport is the most dominant mode of motorized transport in
Africa, accounting for 80 per cent of the goods traffic and 90 per cent
of the passenger traffic on the continent. African countries together
have about 2.06 million km of roads
The continent had a
total railway network of
90,320 km
6. Wildlife of Equatorial
ForestsThe rainforests have Africa's richest
assortment of animals.
A four-mile patch
of rainforest
could contain up
to 400 species of
birds, 150 species
of butterflies and
60 species of
amphibians!
7. Wildlife of Savanna
Many animals live in savannas,
from invertebrates (like
grasshoppers, termites, and
beetles) to large mammals (like
lions and leopards).
The animals that live in savannas
have adapted to a great deal of
variability in the food supply
throughout the year
8. Wildlife of Tropical Deserts
The harsh conditions found in the Sahara Desert have also played a role in
the presence of animal life in the Sahara Desert. In the central and driest
part of the desert there are around 70 different animal species, 20 of which
are large mammals like the spotted hyena.
Gerbil,
sand fox
and Cape
hare plus
Reptiles
like the
sand viper
and the
monitor
lizard are
present in
the
9. Wildlife of Mediterranean
CoastThe Mediterranean woodlands and forests were home to a large variety of
large mammals. Unfortunately, many of those (especially the large
predators) has disappeared as a result of human influences.
Examples of large mammals
Mediterranean woodlands
and forests of North Africa are
the Egyptian wolf, the Atlas
bear, the Barbary lion and
the Barbary leopard
10. Wildlife of Temperate
GrasslandsTemperate grasslands are home to many large herbivores. Some of
these include bison, gazelles, zebras, rhinoceroses, and wild horses.
Carnivores like lions and wolves are also found in temperate
grasslands.
Other animals of this region include: deer, prairie
dogs, mice, jack rabbits, skunks, coyotes, snakes,
foxes, owls, badgers, blackbirds, grasshoppers,
meadowlarks, sparrows, quails, and hawks.
11. Wildlife of Madagascar
IslandMadagascar has many insects,
fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds
and animals which are unique
to the island.
There are over
340 species of
reptile in
Madagascar,
which include
around half of
the world’s
species of
chameleon.
12. Wildlife of South Eastern
CoastMany of the larger mammal species are shared with the neighboring
Eastern Miombo Woodlands, including elephant (Loxodonta africana),
buffalo (Syncerus caffer), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), roan
antelope (H. equinus), and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest (Alcelaphus
buselaphus lichtensteini).
13. Wildlife of Ethiopian
HighlandsEndemic species include the rarest canid in the world - Ethiopian wolf,
Walia ibex, Mountain nyala ,and the Giant root rat .
Among the
species
endemic to the
ecoregion are
amphibians
such as
Grassland
forest treefrog
,Bale
Mountains frog
,and Osgood's
Ethiopian toadBirds with limited distributions include Ankober serin and White-winged flufftail .