Fauna of Africa. Photo Album 2020. Romans Arzjancevs

SHREW

      – Weighing only about 1.8 grams on average.

      – The Etruscan shrew has a body length of about 4 centimetres excluding the tail.

      – The Etruscan shrew has a very fast heart beating rate, up to 1511 beats/min (25 beats/s) and a relatively large heart muscle mass, 1.2% of body weight.

      NORTH AFRICAN ELEPHANT SHREW

      – It weighs around 50 grams.

      – These small, insect-eating mammals are usually quite shy and not often seen as they’re well camouflaged and very speedy.

      – As well as eating invertebrates and sundowner snacks, elephant shrews also eat fruits, seeds and leaves.

      WOOD MOUSE

      – Lifespan: Few adults survive from one summer to the next.

      – Wood mice love soft fruits, but they only take the pips, leaving the pulp intact. It’s a useful clue to what is ravaging your strawberries. They also eat nuts, shoots, fungi and invertebrates.

      – Length: 8—10cm Tail: 7—9.5cm Weight: 25g Average lifespan: 1 year.

      SOUTH SUDAN

      LARGE AFRICAN ELEPHANT

      – They are actually pretty nimble and can walk up to 195 km per day, although they usually only average is only 25 km on a daily basis.

      – The African elephant is the world’s largest land mammal – with males on average measuring up to 3m high and weighing up to 6 tonnes.

      – Elephants need up to 150kg of food per day – that’s around 375 tins of baked beans although half of this may leave the body undigested.

      NORTHERN GIRAFFE

      – Whilst they may eat a lot, giraffes don’t drink much water. This is because they get most of their water from their leafy meals, and only need to drink once every few days.

      – In the wild these beautiful creatures live for around 25 years. In captivity they live longer, and have been known to reach 40 years old.

      – Nile crocodiles can also be a threat to giraffes when they bend down to drink.

      RHINOCEROS

      – Despite their huge size and weight, rhinos can run or charge up to 48 – 64 km/h.

      – Rhinos, on average, need about eight hours of sleep per day. They can sleep whether they are standing up or lying down.

      – Small birds called oxpeckers remove ticks and other insects from rhino’s skin.

      GREAT WHITE PELICANE

      – Great White pelicans are carnivores (piscivores), they eat fish, mainly cichlids and carp and also small invertebrates.

      – Weigh between 5 and 15 kg.

      – Great White Pelicans are strong swimmers and they can reach speeds up to 6 km/hr.

      BENIN

      IBIS

      – Ibis is active during the day (diurnal). It roosts in the trees and bushes during the night.

      – Ibis is an omnivore (it eats plants and meat). Its diet is mostly based on various animals, such as fish, frogs, shellfish, crabs, small reptiles, worms, bugs and small mammals.

      – Ibis can survive 8 to 15 years in the wild and up to 25 years in the captivity.

      BUSHSHRIKE

      – The bushshrikes are smallish African birds that inhabit scrub or open woodland.

      – Bushshrike diets consist mainly of large insects, but occasionally may include wild fruits and berries and sometimes rodents.

      – They catch their prey by gleaning among tree foliage.

      MARABOU STORK

      – Size aproximately 150 cm.

      – Weight up to 9 kg.

      – Life span Up to 20 years in zoos; lifespan in the wild is unknown.

      AFRICAN LEOPARD

      – Leopards are fast felines and can run at up to 58km/h.

      – Nocturnal animals, leopards are active at night when they venture out in search for food. They mostly spend their days resting, camouflaged in the trees or hiding in caves.

      – They generally focus their hunting activity on locally abundant medium-sized ungulates in the 20 to 80 kg.

      BURKINAFASO

      ANOPHELES

      – Anopheles mosquitoes are most active at two times: just before dawn and right after darkness sets in.

      – The average life span of a mosquito is 2—3 weeks. It can be longer in ideal living conditions.

      – Flight range is suggested to be usually 2—5 km, and up to 6.5 km in favourable conditions.

      TSETSE FLY

      – Tsetse flies are active during the hottest part of a day (diurnal animals).

      – Tsetse flies feed on the blood of various animals. Mouth apparatus, called proboscis is shaped like a blade. It is used to penetrate the skin and facilitate sucking of blood.

      – Adult tsetse flies can survive from one to three months.

      TERMITES