Hello Stemians,
People who followed me from the start know that animals are my passion.. and i love so much talking about them. so to all animal lovers out there hope you enjoy this one! :D
The Colobus Monkey
Widespread in Africa’s equatorial regions and a great addition to Africa’s wildlife, the colobus monkey is not getting half the publicity it deserves. Its name, colobus, means “mutilated” in Greek, and there’s a good reason for it – these monkeys have no thumbs, an adaptation that helps them move around trees faster.
The Shoebill
Serious and big-nosed. That’s the shoe-billed stork, also known as Whalehead or simply shoebill. You guessed it: its name comes from its huge shoe-shaped beak. And that’s not the only thing that’s big about it. In fact, this strange bird seems completely out of proportion. It can grow up to 5 ft (1.5 m) tall and 4 ft (1.2 m) long and has massive feet. Not to mention it looks like a living relic from prehistoric times.
The Honey Badger
Don’t be fooled by its appearance. These creatures are violent, to say the least, a good example that size and looks do not matter. With a nasty temper, honey badgers are eager to pick a fight. They attack lions, buffaloes, even humans. Their bite is so powerful they can repel a lion attack, yet their key strength remains their endurance. During a fight, they can hold their position for far longer than their opponent, thus wearing down large animals.
The Bush Viper
Nobody would want to come across this little fellow at night when it comes out to hunt. A carnivore predator lurking in the trees of Western and Central Africa’s tropical forests, the bush viper spends its days basking in the sun on top of flowering bush plants.
The Aye-Aye
What are your first thoughts upon looking at these creatures? Miniature Yodas? They may not seem like it, but these are primates, related to chimps, apes and to us humans. Native to the island of Madagascar, the bushy tail of an aye-aye is longer than its body. These nocturnal primates have large eyes and ears and live in rainforest trees, and avoid coming down at all costs.
The Dik-Dik
These miniature antelopes are so cute and cuddly you will be tempted to take one home with you. They are only 14 in (35.6 cm) tall and weigh about 6 lbs (2.7 kg). They are probably smaller than your dog!
Dik-diks live in dry bushlands in Eastern and Central Africa such as Congo, you can imagine they have many predators. They’re an easy target, which is why they prefer habitats with tall vegetation. Despite their size, they’re pretty fast – reaching speeds of up to 26 miles/hour (42 km/h). By now you are probably wondering where their name comes from, right? When they feel threatened, they run in zig-zag patterns, whistling through their noses and making a “dik-dik” noise.
The Lowland Streaked Tenrec
These cute little creatures live only in rainforests and scrubland in eastern Madagascar. Covered in yellow spines, used as camouflage as well as for defense, with a long snout, these mammals are active day and night.
The Okapi
It looks like a failed genetic experiment. The feet belong to a zebra and the body to a horse, right? Well, the okapi is actually more closely related to the giraffe.
The Aardvark
With a long snout, pig-like nose, rabbit-like ears and tail like a kangaroo, it looks like it’s made out of animal parts. Translated, it means “earth pig.” Aardvarks are indeed about the same size of a small pig.Aardvarks are solitary, elusive, nocturnal creatures spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa in a wide array of habitats – grasslands, savannas, woodlands, rainforests. To be more precise, they go where the ants and termites are. Call them nomads if you like. They move from one mound to the other, digging holes on their way to take refuge from predators. Abandoned aardvark homes become nests for porcupines, warthogs, even ducks.
The Pangolin
In February 2017, Google raised awareness about the world’s most trafficked animal by using the pangolin for the 2017 Valentine’s Day Google Doodle. This armor-plated mammal lives in woodlands and savannas in tropical regions of Africa, using its sharp claws to dig holes under dense bushes. The pangolin depends on trees for protection against predators. In case of an attack, it rolls into a ball, revealing its sharp scales.
Hope you all like it..
source: WWW.BookAllSafaris.com