Animals of Nigeria

Written by Fenhas Robin, Zoologist

Nigeria, an African country on the Gulf of Guinea, has many natural landmarks and wildlife reserves. Protected areas such as Cross River National Park and Yankari National Park have waterfalls, dense rainforest, savanna and rare primate habitats. One of the most recognizable sites is Zuma Rock. Nigera is the African country in the west of Africa.Country Nigera size is 9,23,768 square kilometers.

In this article we will have a closer look at 5 common animals of Nigeria:

1. Caracal
2. Barn owl
3. Sclater’s guenon
4. Jos Plateau indigobird
5. Aardvark

#1 Caracal

The caracal is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa.

• Diet: Carnivore:Main preys are Hares, Mice, Antelope.
• Top Speed::50 mph.
• Height: 65 cm -90cm (2ft-3ft).
• Weight: 11 kg to 18 kg.
• Habitat: Dry Woodland and savannah.

#2: Barn owl

The barn owl is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds.

• Diet:carnivore Small Mammals, Fish,Birds.
• Weight::300g to 500 g
• Height:25 cm to 45 cm.
• Wingspan: 75cm to 110 cm.
• Habitat: open plains and low lying woodland.
• Speed: 10 to 20 mph

#3: Sclater’s guenon

Sclater’s guenon, also known as Sclater’s monkey and the Nigerian monkey, is an Old World monkey that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1904 and named after Philip Sclater. It is an arboreal and diurnal primate that lives in the forests of southern Nigeria.

• Diet:  Omnivorous but primarily frugivorous. Their diet may also include insects, flowers, and leaves.
• Mass:3.1kg(Adult).
• Habitat: floodplain forests, low elevations in Nigeria.

#4: Jos Plateau indigobird

The Jos Plateau indigobird is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is endemic to Nigeria.  It lays its eggs in the nest of the rock firefinch which is also restricted to Nigeria.

• Habitat: Dry woodland and shrubland in rocky areas.
• Diet::Insectivourus(Insect Eater)

#5: Aardvark

The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike most other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food..

• Diet:: The aardvark is nocturnal and is a solitary creature that feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites (myrmecophagy); the only fruit eaten by aardvarks is the aardvark cucumber.
• Mass::40-65kg(Adult).
• Length::100-130 cm(Adult).
• Habitat: Aardvarks are found in sub-Saharan Africa, where suitable habitat (savannas, grasslands, woodlands and bushland) and food (i.e., ants and termites) is available. They spend the daylight hours in dark burrows to avoid the heat of the day.