Fauna of africa

To see a lion in its natural habitat is one of the most humbling, impressive sights an African safari can offer. However, whilst witnessing a kill is the ultimate prize, you're more likely to see one snoozing than in active pursuit of dinner. Lions spend up to 20 hours a day at rest and are most active at dusk and dawn. They are the most social of all wild cat species, living in prides that typically consist of between five and 10 adult lions. Tragically, lions are threatened by human expansion throughout Africa, with experts prophesying that populations could fall by as much as five percent in the next 20 years.

Best Places to See Lions: Head to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on the border of South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana; or to Tanzania's Serengeti National Park during the wildebeest migration.

Rhino

Rhinos are large, stocky animals commonly known for their short legs and two horns on their muzzle with the longer horn sitting at the front of the nose. South Africa is home to over 80% of the world’s rhino population. The two species found in the country are the white and black rhinos. The rhinos are contained in protected areas such as Kruger National Park.

Two of the four subspecies of black rhinos found in South Africa are the South-central and South-western species. White rhinos are the second largest mammals after elephants while black rhinos are relatively smaller than their relatives. The major threat to the South African rhinos is extensive poaching.

Weather conditions and climate in Africa
Africa occupies a large area in equatorial latitudes. The mainland stretches from the equator to the southern and northern parts at approximately the same distance, so the climatic and weather conditions in different parts of the country are very different. Africa's climatic zones are equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical. The main differences in the climate of African regions are the length of the rainy season and the amount of precipitation. This continent is recognized as the hottest.

The highest air temperatures are observed in summer in the coastal regions of Africa. On the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, rain is extremely rare. In higher elevations and far from the coast, the heat is not so strong. African winters are mild, without sudden changes in temperature, with little snow in mountainous areas. Most of the country belongs to the tropics, where temperatures never freeze, in contrast to the highlands and the Great Rift Valley.

In northern Africa, there are deserts, where the thermometer rises to + 58 ° C, and the scorching sun burns out almost all the vegetation. African nature is sparse and monotonous here. The climate is continental. Barren sand dunes occupy 60% of the entire territory of Africa. During the year, no more than 190 mm of precipitation falls in the desert regions. Sandstorms are typical for this area. Here is the Sahara Desert, which is considered the driest and hottest on the planet. The soil here heats up to + 70 ° C. However, at night the air and soil quickly cool down, resulting in sharp changes in daily temperatures in the Sahara Desert.

Giraffe
Most Iconic African Animals Giraffe

As the tallest animal on Earth, you'd think that giraffes would be easy to spot on safari. However, their distinctive brown and white markings serve as exceptionally good camouflage and it's not unusual for giraffes to simply materialize out of the bush just a few feet away. There are nine subspecies found across sub-Saharan Africa, all of which boast blue tongues, stubby horn-like protrusions on their heads, and of course, outrageously long necks. In order to be able to drink without losing consciousness, the giraffe's neck contains special veins and valves that regulate the flow of blood to its head.

Elephant
Most Iconic African Safari Animals Elephant

There is nothing quite like the first time you see an African elephant in the wild. As the largest living terrestrial animal on Earth, their size alone is overwhelming; but many visitors also find themselves drawn by the elephants' tangible aura of wisdom.

Elephants are found in a wide variety of sub-Saharan habitats, including forests, deserts, and savanna. They are herbivorous, processing up to 600 pounds of vegetation per day. Although most elephants are peaceful by nature, they can be dangerous if provoked; however, they are far more at risk from humans than we are from them.

Aardvark (earthen pig)
Class: Mammals
Order: Aardvark
Family: Aardvark
Genus: Aardvarks
Species: Aardvark

Aardvark - aka African aardvark - aka Cape aardvark - a medium-sized animal that resembles a pig with an elongated muzzle, hare ears and a kangaroo tail. The height of an adult aardvark is about 60 centimeters, the body length varies from 100 to 158 cm, and its weight does not exceed 100 kg.

Aardvark is the only representative of the aardvark order today. Moreover, today this beast can only be found in Africa south of the Sahara desert.