Description and Characteristics:
There are two animals of hippopotamuses; the Pygmy Hippo that is the tinier species, standing approximately waist-high to an adult human, and the river or normal hippopotamus. The common/river hippopotamus that is world’s third highest and heaviest front yard animals, weighing up to just about 4,000 kg.

Both animals of hippos undergo barrel-shaped bodies, very brief stocky legs, and subtle basically hairless skin. Their heads look outsized providing unusually complete mouths and such a facial facets resemble people of a pig. Hippos experience a short, tufted tail

Hippos undergo thin skin too dies out rapidly - properties secrete a pinkish coloured oil this assists them continue such a skin moist in the hot African climate. Hippos spend a multitude of of such a days in the water or wallowing in the mud, by and large showing up on front yard to feed at night.

River hippos are one of the a multitude of feared creatures in south Africa. It is believed the current most every year a greater number of families are killed by them as opposed to by any a good amount African animal

Out of water, Hippos are surprisingly hastily runners; a utterly developed river hippo can run 30 km/h for a few hundred yards.

Feeding/drinking Habits:
Hippos are Herbivores, preferring very brief grasses of the African plains. Their muscular lips are virtually 70 cms wide that causes them terribly compact grazers. They mostly feed for the duration of the night, grazing for up to 5 hours before going back to the water.

Habitat:
The Pygmy hippo lifestyles in West Africa’s forest belt, above all in Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire and spends a good deal more of its long period of time pretty near water pretty as opposed to in it, and dives underneath the water surface one and only when in pending danger of attack.

The average hippopotamus is at last found in western, central, eastern and south aspects of Africa, residence in lakes and rivers pretty near grasslands, for the most part at which the water is deep and slow-flowing.

Size & Lifespan
Male hippos are more often than not large and heavier as opposed to females. Common Hippos duration based on 3.96 to 4.57 mtrs long, standing 1.52 mtrs at the shoulder rate and weighing between 1,800 to 3,600 kgs. They reside for up to anywhere between 20 to 40 ages in the wild. Whilst Pygmy hippos soar to something like 1.75 m long, and hold a maximum weight of roughly 275 kg

Reproduction:
Males get in touch with sexual maturity at 7 decades and females at 9 years. Mating repeatedly crops up in water over the dry season. Hippos suffer a gestation duration of approximately 7 cycles and largely birth is handed out to a single calf for the duration of the craft of the raining season. River hippos of the supply birth typically in shallow water therefore calves are able to swim on birth. The routine birthing interval is around 2 years

Predators and Threats:
Pygmy Hippos are actually rare in the wild, among hunting and deforestation owning declined this concentrations during contemporary years. Hippo calves are vulnerable to attack by lions and hyenas on side yards and by crocodiles in the water. People hunt hippos for this meat and hide and furthermore for the tusks, that are purchased as ivory and furthermore while properties are potentially unsafe and destructive really in communities at which crops are grown.

The a large number of usual critters of Zebra discovered in Africa is the Plains/Burchell’s Zebra. Other critters discovered are the exceptionally rare and endangered Cape Mountain Zebra; Hartmann’s Zebra (a subspecies of load zebra) at last found generally in Namibia; Grévy’s zebra, at last found above all in Kenya.
Photo by Peter Frank

Description and Characteristics:
Related to the horse, a Burchell’s Zebra is of stocky produce amid wide brown and grey stripes the run diagonally and lengthways on the rump and remain on to the belly, all the way minimal to hooves. The mane is upright and striped to balance the neck. The tail is striped provided a dark tassle. Zebra stripes are as particular as a human fingerprint.

Grévy’s zebra has narrow stripes set carefully together. Horizontal stripes on the haunches, shoulders, and legs are very brief and ok and offer all the way low the legs to the hooves. The load zebra has wider stripes as opposed to the Grévy’s zebra, truly on its rump.

On both Grévy’s zebra and the Mountain Zebra the undersideof the belly is utterly or generally white, that differs based on the Plains/Burchell’s zebra whose stripes wrap right about based on data from the coming back to the belly.

Zebra’s, while nervous and jumpy, are a particularly sociable creatures and more often than not at last found in ample herds amid additional herbivores these types of as antelopes, wildebeest, giraffe and buffalo.

Feeding/drinking Habits:
Zebra are exclusively grazers, eating in 50 strange animals of grasses.

Habitat:
The Plains/Burchell’s Zebra livlihoods about the grasslands, savanna, and scrub of East Africa, reaching as far as Angola in the west more often than not in conclusion proximity of a permanent water source. Grévy’s zebra property in grasslands and thorny scrublands on the borders of northern Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. The load zebra lifestyles in the above average bottom of South Africa, and in the coastal hills of Namibia and Angola.

Size & Lifespan
Male Plains/Burchell’s Zebras can weigh up to 300 Kg and hold a shoulder rank of something like 50 inches whilst females are a bit of smaller. Grévys zebras weigh up to 450 kg and both sexes weigh approximately the same. Zebra’s can dwell up to 30 ages old but regularly the livlihood expectancy in the mad is right about 12 decades due to predators.

Reproduction:
Females are virtually 3 ages old when properties post birth to this earliest foal. The gestation duration lasts for throughout 12 cycles and the foal is regularly suckled for 6 months. For males, breeding often performs not embark on until age thre or six.

Predators and Threats:
Zebra’s are prey to lions and spotted hyenas. The Plains/Burchell’s/Chapman’s Zebra is threatened by hunting and by habitat difference of ranching and a greater number of sorts of farming. Both the Grévy’s zebra and the load zebra are listed as endangered on the Red List of Threatened Species.

The Grévy’s zebra is threatened both by hunting and by local livestock this contend amidst it for water and food. Its period has shrinky dramatically, and it is now so tiny so environmental hazards, this kind of as drought, can merely impact the overall species.

The impala lifestyles in wide open plains in Africa, in herds of pretty well a hundred.

They lose grass and leaves, or how is readily available. These creatures move frequently, and squander how is around in the state properties are inhabiting at the time.

Did you know? Impala’s undergo a scent gland above the hoof. They can roam decent distances, and emulate the scent trail returning to the herd.

The female impalas do not own horns. The male impalas horns are a symbol of his maturity. Stronger males dominate the herds, and the weaker males are required to to dwell in how is legendary as bachelor herds. They continue on the outside of the herd.

Did you know? Female impalas outnumber males two to one.

During mating season, the dominant male plans to take his choose in mating. When he has done mating, properties may for the most part let the weaker males experience the turn at mating.

The African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth. There are two species of African Elephant: African savanna, (Loxodonta africana); African forest (Africana cyclotis)
Description and Characteristics:
The African Elephant has a marked dip between its fore and hindquarters giving a concave curvature to its back. It’s ears are large and fan-like and are also used to control body temperature; blood circulating through the large vessels in the ears is cooled by flapping. They have acute hearing.

Large tusks are present in both sexes, they first appear at the age of about two and continue to grow throughout their lives. Elephants use tusks for peeling bark off trees, digging for roots, herding young, “drilling” for water and sometimes as a weapon. Skin is up to 2.5 cm thick in places

The trunk is probably the most facsinating feature of the elephant - it has two prehensile protrusions at the tip (the Asian elephant has only one). It is used for eating, drinking, dust and water bathing, as well as an important form of communication. The truck also shows the mood of an elephant - it uses it’s truck to end off other elephants and intruders and also uses it as a punching or thrusting weapon. An elephant has a strong sense of smell and can locate water by smelling the earth above.

An elephant has very small eyes in relation to its head and has poor eyesight.

Elephants form deep family bonds and live in tight social units. A family is led by an older matriarch and typically includes three or four of her offspring and their young. Males tend to leave the family unit between the ages of 12 and 15 and may lead solitary adult lives.

Feeding/drinking Habits:
Elephants spend about 16 hours a day eating, their daily intake is between 4 and 7% of bodyweight. Elephants drink up to 160 liters of water per day. A mature elephant can carry up to 6.8 litres of water in its trunk. Their diet is varied and includes grass, leaves, twigs, bark and fruit.

Habitat:
Elephants are found, south of the Sahara, in 37 different countries in Africa, but are most popular in Southern and Eastern Africa. Food and water needs to be plentiful

Size & Lifespan
The male elephant is much larger than the female - Males elephants grow up to 3.5m and Females up to 2.7m. Males can weight up 6 tons whilst females up to 2.7 tons. The life expectancy of an elephant is up to 60 years

Reproduction:
Elephants do not have any specific mating season. The gestation period for elephant is 20-22 months. Calves weigh about 120kg at birth and they are born throughout the year. They are weaned at 3-8 years, generally just before the birth of the next calf. A cow can give birth every 3-4 years

Predators and Threats:
Elephants have no natural enemies for they not a predator themselves and there is none large enough to challenge him. However, their future is threatened by increasing human populations which causes the loss of their natural habitat - plus the continuing ivory trade.

Source:Africanguide

They feed mainly on fruit, but will also eat leaves and other such foods. They also occasionly feed on meat, such as young goats or baboons. They also eat small insects, and have been known to poke sticks into termite mounds, then take them out and feed on the insects they have captured.
Chimpanzees can defend themselves against predators by throwing sticks or stones at them.They live together in troops of around 30 chimps.

These intelligent animals weigh between 50 and 120 pounds, stand 3 to 4.5 feet tall, live for an average of 50 years, and can often be quite noisy.

They are a favourite animal of humans, due to their intelligence and social nature.

Did you know? The chimpanzee is the animal that is most like a human.source:africanfauna

The list of extinct animals in Africa features the animals that have become extinct on the African continent and its islands, like Madagascar, Mauritius, Rodrigues, Réunion, Seychelles, St. Helena, Cape Verde, etc.

Pleistocene Extinctions

* African Deinotherium, Deinotherium bozasi
* homo erectus
* homo habilis
* Paranthropus boisei
* Pelorovis

Global Holocene Extinctions

Mammals
Quagga from London (UK), Regent’s Park ZOO, 1870
Quagga from London (UK), Regent’s Park ZOO, 1870

* North African Elephant, Loxodonta africana pharaoensis (300, North Africa)
* Algerian Wild Ass, Asinus atlanticus (300, North Africa)
* Bluebuck or Blue Antelope, Hippotragus leucophaeus (1799, South Africa)
* Atlas Bear, Ursus arctos crowtheri (1844, North Africa)
* Lesser Mascarene Flying Fox, Pteropus subniger (1862, Réunion)
* Quagga, Equus quagga quagga (1883, South Africa)
* Cape Warthog, Phacochoerus aethiopicus aethiopicus (1900, South Africa)
* North African Aurochs, Bos primigenius mauretanicus (Unknown date, North Africa)
* Bubal Hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus (North Africa)
* Cape Serval, Leptailurus serval serval (South Africa)
* Madagascan Dwarf Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus lemerlei (Madagascar)
* Madagascan Pygmy Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus madagascariensis (Madagascar)
* North African Serval, Leptailurus serval constantina (North Africa)
* Red Gazelle, Gazella rufina (Algeria)
* Robert’s Lechwe, Kobus leche robertsi (Zambia)
* Canary Islands Giant Rat, Canariomys tamarani (Canary Islands)
* Lava Mouse, Malpaisomys insularis (Canary Islands)

Birds
Dodo (Jan Savery, 1651)
Dodo (Jan Savery, 1651)

* Aldabra Brush-Warbler, Nesillas aldabrana (Seychelles)
* Aepyornis or Great Elephant Bird, Aepyornis maximus (Madagascar)
* Ascension Flightless Crake, Atlantisia elpenor (St Helena)
* Broad-billed Parrot, Lophopsittacus mauritianus (Mauritius)
* Delalande’s Coua, Coua delalandei (Madagascar)
* Dodo, Raphus cucullatus (Mauritius)
* Large St Helena Petrel, Pterodroma rupinarum (St Helena)
* Mauritius Blue Pigeon, Alectroenas nitidissima (Mauritius)
* Mascarene Coot, Fulica newtoni (Réunion, Mauritius)
* Mascarene Parrot, Mascarinus mascarinus (Réunion)
* Mauritian Duck, Anas theodori (Mauritius)
* Mauritian Shelduck, Alopochen mauritianus (Mauritius)
* Mauritius Grey Parrot, Lophopsittacus bensoni (Mauritius)
* Mauritius Night-Heron, Nycticorax mauritianus (Mauritius)
* Mauritius Owl, Mascarenotus sauzieri (Mauritius)
* Newton’s Parakeet, Psittacula exsul (Mauritius)
* Red Rail, Aphanapteryx bonasia (Mauritius)
* Réunion Flightless Ibis, Threskiornis solitarius (Réunion)
* Réunion Gallinule, Porphyrio coerulescens (Réunion)
* Réunion Kestrel, Falco buboisi (Réunion)
* Réunion Night-Heron, Nycticorax duboisi (Réunion)
* Réunion Owl, Mascarenotus grucheti (Réunion)
* Réunion Pigeon, Columba duboisi (Réunion)
* Réunion Shelduck, Mascarenachen kervazoi (Réunion)
* Réunion Starling, Fregilupus varius (Réunion)
* Rodrigues Night-Heron, Nycticorax megacephalus (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Owl, Mascarenotus murivorus (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Parrot, Necropsittacus rodericanus (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Pigeon, Alectroenas rodericana (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Rail, Aphanapteryx leguati (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Solitaire, Pezophaps solitaria (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues Starling, Necropsar rodericanus (Mauritius)
* Seychelles Parakeet, Psittacula wardi (Seychelles)
* Small St Helena Petrel, Bulweria bifax (St Helena)
* St Helena Crake, Atlantisia podarces (St Helena)
* St Helena Cuckoo, Nannococcyx psix (St Helena)
* St Helena Dove, Dysmoropelia dekarchiskos (St Helena)
* St Helena Hoopoe, Upupa antaois (St Helena)
* St Helena Rail, Porzana astrictocarpus (St Helena)
* Tristan Moorhen, Gallinula nesiotis (St Helena)
* Canarian Black Oystercatcher, Haematopus meadewaldoi 1981 (Tenerife)
* Canary Islands Quail, Coturnix gomerae (Canary Islands)
* Eastern Canary Islands Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus canariensis exsul 1986 (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura)
* Madeiran Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus maderensis 1924 (Madeira)

Reptiles

* Cape Verde Giant Skink, Macroscincus coctei (Cape Verde)
* Eastwood’s Longtailed Seps, Tetradactylus eastwoodae (South Africa)
* Leiolopisma mauritiana (Mauritius)
* Saddle-backed Mauritius Giant Tortoise, Cylindraspis inepta (Mauritius)
* Domed Mauritius Giant Tortoise, Cylindraspis triserrata (Mauritius)
* Mozambique centipede-eater, Aparallactus nigriceps (Mozambique)
* Réunion Giant Tortoise, Cylindraspis indica (Réunion)
* Rodrigues Giant Gecko, Phelsuma gigas (Mauritius)
* Domed Rodrigues Giant Tortoise, Cylindraspis peltastes (Mauritius)
* Saddle-backed Rodrigues Giant Tortoise, Cylindraspis vosmaeri (Mauritius) 1795
* Round Island Burrowing Boa, Bolyeria multocarinata (Mauritius)
* Seychelles Black Terrapin, Pelusios seychellensis (Seychelles)
* Typhlops cariei (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues giant day gecko Phelsuma gigas (Mauritius)
* Rodrigues day gecko, Phelsuma edwardnewtoni 1917 (Mauritius)
* Roque Chico de Salmor Giant Lizard, Gallotia simonyi simonyi 1935 (Canary Islands)
* La Palma Giant Lizard, Gallotia auaritae (La Palma, Canary Islands)

Fish

* Pantanodon madagascariensis (Madagascar)
* Ptychochromis onilahy (Madagascar)
* Ptychochromoides itasy (Madagascar)

Insects

* St. Helena Earwig, Labidura herculeana (1967 St. Helena)

Molluscs

* Caldwellia philyrina
* Chilonopsis blofeldi
* Chilonopsis exulatus
* Chilonopsis helena
* Chilonopsis melanoides
* Chilonopsis nonpareil
* Chilonopsis subplicatus
* Chilonopsis subtruncatus
* Chilonopsis turtoni
* Colparion madgei
* Ctenoglypta newtoni
* Cyclophorus horridulum
* Cyclosurus mariei
* Dupontia proletaria
* Erepta nevilli
* Gibbus lyonetianus
* Gonidomus newtoni
* Gonospira nevilli
* Gulella mayottensis
* Harmogenanina linophora
* Harmogenanina subdetecta
* Helenoconcha leptalea
* Helenoconcha minutissima
* Helenoconcha polyodon
* Helenoconcha pseustes
* Helenoconcha sexdentata
* Helenodiscus bilamellata
* Helenodiscus vernoni
* Nesopupa turtoni
* Omphalotropis plicosa
* Pachnodus velutinus
* Pachystyla rufozonata
* Pseudohelenoconcha spurca
* Pupilla obliquicosta
* Rhachis comorensis
* Rhachis sanguineus
* Tropidophora desmazuresi
* Tropidophora semilineata
* Unio cariei
* Leiostyla lamellosa (Land Snail from Madeira)
* Pseudocampylaea loweii (Land Snail from Madeira)

Rediscovered

* Burchell’s Zebra, Equus quagga burchellii
* Coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae
* Madagascar Pochard, Aythya innotata

Extinctions in the wild
Scimitar-Horned Oryx at the Wildlife Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Scimitar-Horned Oryx at the Wildlife Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, USA.

* Barbary Lion, Panthera leo leo, (North Africa)
* Egyptian Barbary Sheep, Ammotragus lervia ornata (Egypt)
* Cape Lion, Panthera leo melanochaitus (Cape of Africa)
* Haplochromis lividus (Freshwater fish from Lake Victoria; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
* Labrochromis ishmaeli (Freshwater fish from Lake Victoria; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
* Scimitar Oryx, Oryx dammah (Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Western Sahara)
* Paretroplus menarambo (Freshwater fish from Madagascar)
* Platytaeniodus degeni (Freshwater fish from Lake Victoria; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
* Prognathochromis perrieri (Freshwater fish from Lake Victoria; Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)
* Yssichromis argens (Freshwater fish from Lake Victoria; Tanzania)

Source: Wikipedia