Interesting African Wildlife Facts for Students

 

The African continent is home to a wild array of wildlife. It is interesting for school students to learn some basic facts about animals in Africa. They may never have encountered any of these animals before. As some of the following African animals are endangered or decreasing in numbers, awareness about this and what’s causing it is important.

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Lion Facts

Lions live in groups called prides that hunt together and defend their territory. Females usually stay in the same pride their whole life, but males may only stay for two to four years. Lions spend much of the day sleeping, but they aren’t lazy, soft cats. They are carnivores who hunt at night, and they target prey like zebras or antelope.

Elephant Facts

The African elephant is the largest African animal. An African elephant can weigh up to and even over six tons. You can easily recognize it by its trunk that it uses to handle objects and its huge ears that help to radiate excess heat. Bush elephants are larger than forest elephants and have outward curving tusks. Forest elephants’ tusks are straighter and point downwards.

Both bush elephants and forest elephants are herbivores that live on a diet of bark, grass and fruit. They play a key part in the ecosystem because they dig up dry riverbeds and make water holes that other animals can drink from. Their excrement is full of seeds, so they help plants to grow. Unfortunately, they are hunted for their tusks by ivory poachers.

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Rhino Facts

An interesting African animal fact is that a rhinoceros is gray in color, although it may be called a white rhinoceros or black rhinoceros. The main difference is the shape of the lips. A black rhino has a pointed upper lip that helps it to get leaves and fruit off branches. A white rhino has square lips as it grazes on grass. Black rhinos feed at night and stay in the shade during the day.

Rhinos have long horns that help them defend themselves. Unfortunately, this also makes them vulnerable to poachers. The horns are valuable for use in traditional medicines and as a status symbol to display wealth. Rhinos have become a critically endangered African species as a result.

Cheetah Facts

The cheetah is the fastest land animal. Cheetahs can run at speeds of between 50 to 80 miles per hour. They have a light build with long legs and long tails. A cheetah has a small rounded head and black facial streaks that look like tears. Its tawny coat is covered with black spots. The cheetah is active during the day, mostly at dawn and dusk. It feeds on small to medium-sized prey.

Leopard Facts

Leopards are one of the smaller big cats. They like to live on their own and only spend time with other leopards to mate and raise young. Leopards are nocturnal creatures who hunt at night. They will target animals like impalas, antelopes and gazelles but also eat rodents, birds and lizards. They will often drag their prey up into trees to prevent other animals from taking it.

Hippo Facts

Hippos spend most of their life in the water and usually gather in groups. They can hold their breath under the water for as long as five minutes. An oily substance they secrete protects them from the sun and acts as their own natural sunscreen. Hippos can weigh up to four tons, although they are herbivores and only eat grass. When they graze on grass on the river bank at night, they can eat as much as 80 pounds of grass. Hippos can become aggressive when provoked, and are one of Africa’s most dangerous animals.

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