Vulnerable Mammal
Lion
The social big cat of the African savanna
Read the guideAnimals of Africa
Africa is home to the world's most iconic large animals, from lions and elephants to cheetahs. Its savannas, rainforests, wetlands, and deserts support an extraordinary range of wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.
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Domesticated Mammal
Cat
The world's favorite small predator
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Endangered Mammal
African Elephant
The largest land animal alive today
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Vulnerable Mammal
Giraffe
The tallest animal on Earth
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Vulnerable Mammal
Leopard
The stealthy, tree-climbing big cat
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Critically Endangered Mammal
Gorilla
The largest living primate
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Near Threatened Mammal
Rhinoceros
The armored giant with a horn of keratin
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Vulnerable Mammal
Cheetah
The fastest land animal on Earth
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Near Threatened Mammal
Zebra
The striped wild horse of the African plains
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Endangered Mammal
Chimpanzee
Our closest living relative
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Least Concern Bird
Flamingo
The pink filter-feeder that stands on one leg
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Least Concern Reptile
Chameleon
The color-changing lizard with 360-degree eyes
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Vulnerable Mammal
Hippopotamus
Africa's deadliest large land mammal
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Near Threatened Reptile
Ball Python
The gentle constrictor that curls into a ball
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Tarantula
The large, hairy spider with a gentle reputation
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Least Concern Mammal
Meerkat
The cooperative sentinel of the Kalahari
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Least Concern Bird
Barn Owl
The ghostly, heart-faced night hunter
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Least Concern Bird
Ostrich
The largest and fastest bird on land
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Not Evaluated Insect
Honey Bee
The pollinator that powers much of the food we eat
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Least Concern Insect
Ladybug
The spotted beetle gardeners love
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Least Concern Mammal
Otter
The playful, water-loving member of the weasel family
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Least Concern Mammal
Bat
The only mammals capable of true flight
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Least Concern Insect
Ant
The tireless team-working insect
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Least Concern Mammal
Camel
The desert traveler that thrives without water
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Least Concern Reptile
Nile Crocodile
Africa's largest and most formidable predator of the rivers
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Endangered Bird
African Grey Parrot
One of the most intelligent talking birds
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Least Concern Insect
Mosquito
The tiny insect with an outsized impact
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Least Concern Insect
Bumblebee
The fuzzy, hard-working pollinator of meadows and gardens
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Least Concern Mammal
Spotted Hyena
The social, powerful hunter of the African savanna
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Least Concern Insect
Firefly
The glowing beetle of warm summer nights
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Least Concern Insect
Cicada
The loud summer singer with a long underground youth
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Jumping Spider
The big-eyed spider that pounces on its prey
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Least Concern Amphibian
Common Toad
The warty garden toad of Europe
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Least Concern Bird
Peregrine Falcon
The fastest animal on the planet
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Least Concern Insect
Praying Mantis
The patient ambush predator with folded arms
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Least Concern Insect
Termite
The colony-building recycler of dead wood
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Least Concern Insect
Housefly
The familiar fly found wherever people live
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Centipede
The fast, venomous predator with many legs
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Least Concern Bird
Golden Eagle
One of the largest and fastest birds of prey
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Least Concern Insect
Dung Beetle
The strong beetle that rolls balls of dung
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Millipede
The slow, many-legged recycler of the forest floor
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Least Concern Bird
Common Kingfisher
A jewel-colored diver of rivers and streams
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Least Concern Insect
Dragonfly
The agile aerial hunter of ponds and streams
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Least Concern Insect
Flea
The wingless parasite famous for jumping
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Least Concern Amphibian
African Clawed Frog
The fully aquatic lab and pet frog
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Least Concern Amphibian
Tomato Frog
The plump, bright-red frog of Madagascar
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Least Concern Bird
Common Raven
One of the world's most intelligent birds
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Emperor Scorpion
The large, glowing arachnid with a stinging tail
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Least Concern Bird
Mallard
The familiar wild duck found around the world
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Least Concern Insect
Grasshopper
The jumping insect of fields and meadows
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Least Concern Amphibian
Caecilian
The limbless, burrowing amphibians
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Least Concern Insect
Rhinoceros Beetle
One of the strongest animals for its size
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Garden Snail
The slow, shell-carrying garden mollusk
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Endangered Amphibian
Goliath Frog
The largest frog on Earth
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Least Concern Insect
Cockroach
The hardy survivor that lives almost anywhere
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Least Concern Insect
Cricket
The chirping insect of warm evenings
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Least Concern Invertebrate
Earthworm
The soil engineer that enriches the earth
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