Category: Animals
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Water Chevrotain, Hyemoschus aquaticus, is a squat, short-limbed, small-headed ungulate, and a rabbit-sized animal that resembles a deer. It has a red-brown coat marked with white stripes and rows of white spots. The hindquarters are larger than the front. Adults can reach an average body length of 80 cm and weigh up to 11 kg.…
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Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, is a large, shaggy-haired antelope with mane on the neck. They have long bodies and necks and short legs. They spend less time in the water, against their names, and they do mostly to protect themselves against predators. Ears are large and rounded and there are white patches above the eyes, around…
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West African Bush Viper is a venomous, rough-scaled, arboreal viper, Atheris squamigera, called Paramole in Yoruba. Bush Viper has a wide range across Central Africa and can be found in southeastern Nigeria. They usually come in green but is also available in other flavors, including red, orange, gray, yellow, black, blue, olive, and brown. Adults…
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West African Manatee, Trichechus senegalensis, is the only sirenian in Nigeria, an order of herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, and marine wetlands and coastal marine waters, historically taken for the Mermaid mythical figure. The species occurs within the lower reaches of the Niger River. In the Benue River, they seek refuge during the…
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Western Green Mamba, Dendroapis viridis, is a highly venomous arboreal snake native to West Africa. It has a long slender body, mainly dark and light green becoming more yellow towards the tail. Scales are black in the edges. It is the largest of the arboreal mambas. The average length of an adult snake of this…
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White-throated Monkey is one of Africa’s most threatened primates. Cercopithecus erythrogaster, belonging to the suborder Haplorrhini, Infraorder Simmiiformes, and Family Ceropithecoidae, Called Obo in the Yoruba language and used as a simile for stupidity, or foolishness. The White Throated Monkey is Diurnal, arboreal, and lives in rainforests or tropical areas of southwestern Nigeria, southern Benin…
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Senegal Chameleon, Chamaeleo senegalensis, is more ordinary looking than the Graceful Chameleon, the other species of Chameleon found in Nigeria. The dorsal crest is a single line of conicals that fade away towards the posterior without ornamentations. Color in this species range from grey to brown to green but, like all chameleons, they can change…
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Yellow-backed Duiker, Cephalophus sylvicultor, is named after the patch of white to orange wedge of erectile hair on its rump, which is conspicuous against the rest of its blackish-brown coat. This slender-legged duiker, found within the dense vegetation of southern Nigeria, is the largest of the diver antelopes. It weighs from 45 to 80 kg,…
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Aardvark, Orycteropus afer, is the only extant species in the order of mammals, called Tubulidentata, distinguished by their none-enameled, eroding and constantly regrowing tube-like teeth. The body of an aardvark is very stout and back is arched. It is covered in coarse hairs. The thickness of the skin protects these animals from biting ant. Like…
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Giant pangolin, Manis gigantean, the largest of pangolins; the only known mammals with keratin scales, which are usually colored brown or reddish-brown. Like other pangolins, it also has short powerful legs with strong, curved claws for digging. The presence of this species in Nigeria is unclear but sightings have been reported in the southwest. Pangolins…