Diverse wildlife
Not only the flora, but also the fauna of Kenya is very diverse. 400 different species of mammals, 1080 species of birds and 300 species of reptiles were counted.
How many cervical vertebrae does a giraffe have?
Did you know that the giraffes only have seven cervical vertebrae, even though they are the largest animals in the world? The males can be up to 5.5 meters tall. They prefer to eat leaves from trees that are two to six meters high. Your favorite tree is the acacia.
But not all giraffes are created equal. You will discover the Maasai giraffes in the south of Kenya, the reticulated giraffes in the north and the Rothschild giraffes in the north-west, although they are threatened with extinction. By the way, only lions can be really dangerous to giraffes and only if they bow their heads. The giraffe no longer stands securely on its feet and could therefore easily become prey.
Antelopes
Savannah animals are also the antelopes, of which there are around 35 species. The smallest is about five kilos, that’s the dikdik. The heaviest one can even weigh 700 kilograms and is called eland. Incidentally, dikdiks often live together for the rest of their lives in pairs or in small family groups. They mainly live in arid areas and grow to be about the size of hares. To warn other animals, they shout something like “Dic-Dic” and that’s why they got their name.
The antelopes also include the wildebeest, which roam the savannah in large herds. Especially the white-bearded wildebeest are known. Although they resemble cattle, they are real antelopes. Male wildebeest act heroically when attacked, for example by lions, by drawing attention to themselves at the end of the herd. This is how they are most likely to become prey, while the rest can, in the true sense of the word, run away.
Zebras
Not only do the antelopes divide into several species, but also the zebras. The small plains zebra, which you can recognize by its wide stripes, live in the more humid regions of Kenya. If you are facing a zebra with narrower stripes, it is probably a Grevy’s zebra, which is more at home in dry areas. The plains zebras also have stripes on their belly, while the belly of Grevy’s zebras remains white. So just take a look under your stomach! By the way, zebras like to team up with wildebeest and antelopes and protect themselves together.
Hippos
The sedate hippos live on the rivers of Kenya, and one might think that they don’t like to move around. But wrongly assumed, they can be very fast and are not as comfortable as they seem at first glance. It could well be that such a tired looking hippo – if it feels threatened – attacks quickly. And when encountering the animal, which can weigh up to three tons, some of them lose out and best leave quickly.
Insects
Of course there are also large numbers of insects. Fortunately, the geckos like to hunt these down and also destroy them when they become too numerous in their houses or huts. But there are also butterflies in abundance and a whole host of interesting beetles. What is definitely noticeable are the laboriously erected structures of the many termites. Scorpions or poisonous spiders are also found in Kenya, but only in very specific and mostly very lonely regions.
A paradise for birds
Kenya is a paradise not only for steppe and savannah animals, but also for many birds. 60 percent of all African bird species and a large proportion of all species in the world live in Kenya. This includes birds that stay permanently in Kenya, but also the many migratory birds from Asia and Eastern Europe.
There are also several species of many birds: the Somali ostrich lives in the north, where it is dry, and the Maasai ostrich in the south. The fighting eagle is a dangerous bird of prey. He even likes to eat small antelopes. It has a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters.
Ostrich
The Somali ostrich has a blue neck and the Maasai ostrich a red one. An ostrich can weigh up to 130 kilograms and up to 2.80 meters high. It is the largest living bird in the world. At the same time, due to its speed, it is the fastest living creature on two legs. It reaches an average speed of 80 kilometers per hour. By the way, an ostrich egg can weigh almost two kilograms.
A paradise for birds
As a country located in Africa according to internetsailors, Kenya is a paradise not only for steppe and savannah animals, but also for many birds. 60 percent of all African bird species and a large proportion of all species in the world live in Kenya. This includes birds that stay permanently in Kenya, but also the many migratory birds from Asia and Eastern Europe.
There are also several species of many birds: the Somali ostrich lives in the north, where it is dry, and the Maasai ostrich in the south. The fighting eagle is a dangerous bird of prey. He even likes to eat small antelopes. It has a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters.
Vultures and flamingos
Eight species of vulture live in Kenya alone and anyone who travels to Kenya is sure to see such a bird. Among the water birds, greater flamingos, lesser flamingos and pelicans should be mentioned. The different types of flamingo cavort on the lakes in particular: you will find the greater flamingos on salt lakes or by the sea.
Snakes
In Kenya the non-poisonous species of snakes predominate, which are completely harmless. About 120 different species have been counted here. But there are also black mambas or spitting cobras, which inject poison into the victim’s eyes from several meters away. Likewise the puff adder. But you will hardly meet these poisonous strikes, they hide or disappear quickly when people approach.
The big five
During colonial times, many big game hunters came to Kenya to hunt the Big Five, the “Big Five”: lion, buffalo, rhinoceros, leopard and elephant. Hunting has been banned in Kenya since 1977. But the Big Five are still being hunted – mostly by tourists who take photos with cameras. By the way, they weren’t called that because of their height, but because it wasn’t that easy to hunt.
1. Leo
The largest big cat in Africa is the lion. Lions are the only cats that live in packs. A pack includes up to 30 animals. Mostly they stay in the savannah. The females do the hard work: They go hunting and thus provide the herd with food and they take care of raising children.
The males hardly take part in the hunt, but they are allowed to eat first. The prey animals include antelopes, zebras, wildebeest and even buffalo. But the males have a little something to do too, they have to protect the pack. Each pack has its own territory within which it hunts and lives. At the age of three, the male lions have to find their own pride and fight for it.
2. Leopard
The leopards do not live in packs because they prefer to stay to themselves. Leopards reach a height of up to 70 centimeters. So they are smaller than the lions, who reach a shoulder height of up to 120 centimeters. You can recognize leopards by their fur. It is light with black rosettes. Leopards are found almost everywhere in Kenya. Sometimes they come very close to Nairobi – not always to the delight of the residents.
3. Buffalo
Buffalo are also part of the Big Five. It is a wild cattle species, the only one in Africa. Buffalo drink a lot of water, so avoid regions that are too dry. Buffalo usually live in large herds in search of fresh forage, which they need a great deal of.
Incidentally, the inhabitants of Africa are often more afraid of the buffalo than of the lions because they are extremely aggressive. However, they are only dangerous when they roam alone. In the herd, they are usually not interested in people.
4. Rhino
Not all rhinos are created equal, there are five species in total. Two of them live in Africa and Kenya, the black rhinoceros and the white rhinoceros. The black rhinoceros is slightly smaller than the white rhinoceros. In the photo you can see a black rhinoceros.
The rhinoceros is threatened with extinction like no other large animal in Africa. It is mainly hunted for its horn, which is said to have medicinal properties. Hunting rhinos is of course forbidden, but there are people who do not stick to it.
5. Elephant
The largest land mammal in the world is the elephant and it also lives in Kenya. For a long time he was hunted for ivory by his only natural enemy, humans. However, it is now under protection and that is the only reason why there are more elephants again. But its habitats have shrunk because humans are taking up more and more space and the elephants are displaced from their areas.
