From itsy bitsy colorful birds to giant elephants weighing over 10,000 pounds, Africa is home to some seriously amazing wildlife. Let’s explore some fascinating facts about the continent’s iconic animal groups. Get pumped for an epic virtual African safari!

African Mammals

Africa has an awesome variety of mammals, from the tiny 4-ounce pygmy mouse to the 6-ton African elephant. Here are some fascinating facts about the continent’s famous furry creatures:

African Elephants

African elephants have larger ears than Asian elephants and can weigh over 10,000 pounds! These intelligent giants use their trunks for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and grabbing food. Sadly only about 415,000 African elephants remain due to poaching over the last century.

African Giraffe

These tall creatures can grow over 18 feet high and use their 20-inch long dark blue tongues to grab leaves from branches. Male giraffes swing their necks like weapons in a practice called “necking” to establish dominance. Giraffes only need 5-30 minutes of sleep per day!

African Rhino

Africa has two species – the black rhino which has a pointy lip and weighs over 3,000 pounds, and the white rhino with a square lip weighing over 4,000 pounds. Rhinos can run up to 35 miles per hour over short distances! Their horns are made from keratin, the same material as hair and fingernails.

African Hippos

These aggressive animals kill about 500 people per year in Africa! At up to 5,000 pounds, they seem lazy just hanging out in rivers, but hippos can actually run 19 mph and have sharp teeth. Despite their imposing size, hippo populations are vulnerable and approximately 115,000-130,000 remain.

African Lions

Lions are the only big cats to live in groups called prides – sometimes over 40 lions! The male’s mane helps protect their neck during fights. Leopards are stealthy hunters that can carry prey double their weight high into trees. Fast cheetahs can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3 seconds!

The Primates Of Africa

There are over 130 species of primates in Africa including gorillas, chimps, monkeys, lemurs, gibbons, and more. Mountain gorillas are an endangered subspecies with only around 1,000 left. Chimps share 98% of human DNA and use tools for gathering food.

The Antelope

There are over 90 species of antelope in Africa! Large male giant elands can weigh over 2,000 pounds, while tiny royal antelopes are only 10 inches tall and 2 pounds. Many have ringed horns.

African Zebra

No two zebras have the same stripe pattern. These patterns may help control temperature and ward off flies. Africa has 3 species – plains, mountain, and Grevy’s zebra. Zebra stripes are black on white, unlike non-zebra striped mammals which are white on black.

Clearly Africa has an amazing abundance of awesome mammal diversity! Let’s take a look at some key facts and figures for birds:

Birds Of Africa

With over 2,000 bird species, Africa’s skies are filled with feathers. Here are stats on some top avians:

Ostriches

These flightless birds are the largest in the world at 6-9 feet tall and weighing 220-350 pounds! Ostriches can sprint up to 43 miles per hour using their powerful legs, and have excellent eyesight.

Eagles

The impressive crowned eagle has a wingspan up to 7.5 feet wide. These mighty raptors use their gigantic talons to snatch up prey like hyraxes and monkeys from trees.

Vultures

Scavenging vultures play a key clean-up role in ecosystems. The whopping lappet-faced vulture has a wingspan up to 8 feet wide! Vultures find food using their excellent eyesight and by following other vultures.

Hornbill

There are over 50 hornbill species in Africa. They have oversized beaks which are lightweight due to internal honeycomb structures. The noisy southern ground hornbill has red skin on its face.

Flamingos

Flamingos get their bright pink color from special pigments in the algae and brine shrimp they eat. Over 2 million flamingos flock together in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru, which is an incredible sight when viewed from above.

The African Reptiles

Reptiles like snakes, lizards and crocodiles are found across Africa’s habitats from deserts to swamps. Here are some fascinating stats:

 Crocodiles

The Nile crocodile is a ferocious apex predator that can grow over 16 feet long and weigh up to 1,650 pounds! They have bite force up to 5,000 pounds, and speedily lunge from the water to snatch prey on river banks.

Snakes

The highly venomous black mamba snake gets its name from the inside of its mouth, which is black. Just 1.5 milligrams of its neuro and cardiotoxin venom is enough to kill a person! This speedy serpent can move up to 12 miles per hour.

Lizards

The enormous Nile monitor is Africa’s largest lizard, growing up to 6 feet long! Tiny neon blue dwarf geckos measure just 1 inch long. Chameleons are famous for their color-changing abilities and having independently swiveling eyes that allow them to look in two directions at once.

Turtles and Terrapins

Leatherback sea turtles weighing over 1,500 pounds return to nest on African beaches after migrating vast distances. Amazingly, sea turtles have been around for over 100 million years! Africa’s pond terrapins inhabit freshwater.

African Fish

Africa’s fresh and saltwater habitats contain over 3,000 fish species. Here are some fin-tastic facts:

Cichlids

There are over 1,600 colorful cichlid species in Africa alone. Many have bright colors and patterns for mating displays. Some even eat scales off other fish! Lake Malawi has over 500 cichlids.

Nile perch

This huge predator can reach 6 feet long and 440 pounds! Nile perch are voracious predators that have been recorded eating prey up to 80 percent their own size. Their population declined in Lake Victoria after Nile perch introduction.

Catfish

The giant shark-like African sharptooth catfish grows up to 6 feet long and weighs over 300 pounds! It has unique inward-facing teeth on its tongue to keep prey from escaping its mouth.

Brown trout

This introduced species reaches huge sizes over 40 pounds in Lake Tanganyika! Brown trout only live in Africa’s rift valley lakes and eat small fish like sardines.

The diversity of African wildlife is truly mind-blowing. As we’ve discovered, a safari here lets you find everything from lumbering elephants to speedy cheetahs, tiny colorful birds to enormous whales harks off the coast, and everything in between! This continent is filled with outstanding biodiversity waiting to be explored. Let’s get out into the epic wild places of Africa!