There are certain animals that are only found in Africa and have unique characteristics that set them apart from other animals elsewhere. Finding these animals when on safari can be challenging so sightings of them are always a special treat that adds extra flavor to your overall safari experience.
Here are five of these special and unusual animals that can only be seen in Africa.
1. Serval
The serval is a lynx-sized cat with exceptionally long legs for its size. In fact it has the longest legs of any cat relative to its body size. This is a special adaptation for the way that it hunts - listening for rodents in the long grass and then pouncing on them with one long jump.
Due to the important role that hearing plays in its hunting method, it also has exceptionally large ears in comparison to its head. These features give the serval a unique look that is very different from all other cats.
Servals are widespread across Sub-Saharan Africa and can be found in most major parks and reserves although they are mostly absent from the south-western desert region of the Namib-Kalahari. They are abundant in areas of lush, extensive grassland such as the Masai Mara and Serengeti.
2. Aardvark
The aardvark looks like a pig with the ears and tail of a kangaroo, the tongue of an anteater, and claws that are shaped like shovels. It looks almost like an armadillo without the armor. It's a truly bizarre and fascinating creature.
This unique animal belongs to a very ancient group of mammals that evolved in Africa known as the Afrotheria. Other members of this group include elephants, hyraxes, sea cows, golden moles, otter-shrews, and elephant-shrews (sengis).
The aardvark is a shy, nocturnal animal that specializes in eating termites, ants, and beetle larvae. Its prominent burrows, dug up as it forages for food, are common features of African savanna landscapes and provide homes for many different animals including warthogs, hyenas, African wild dogs, jackals, bats, snakes, and some birds.
They are fairly large and typically weigh about 40-80 kg (88-176 lbs) and have very strong senses of smell and hearing.
Although their burrows are common, their nocturnal habits make aardvarks themselves hard to see and sightings of them are always very special. Your best chance of spotting one is going on a night game drive (these are allowed only in some areas).
3. Sengis (Elephant-shrews)
Sengis are also members of the Afrotheria group. They are small rodent-like mammals with a long, highly mobile nose that resembles an elephant's trunk - hence the name "elephant-shrew".
There are about 18 species of sengi in two major groups - tiny, mouse-sized ones known as the soft-furred sengis and larger ones about the size of a young rabbit known as giant sengis.
Most sengis are found in eastern, central, and southern Africa, but one species - the North African Sengi - occurs on the northwest African coast from Western Sahara to Libya and is the only Afrotherian found north of the Sahara Desert.
4. Bat-eared Fox
The bat-eared fox is a small, very unique fox found in the savannas of eastern and southwestern Africa. It gets its name from its enlarged bat-like ears that are used to listen for prey.
Although they may occasionally eat small vertebrates and fruits, bat-eared foxes mainly eat termites (especially harvester termites) and beetles. Once detected by sound, the prey is rapidly dug up using the fox's strongly clawed paws.
Bat-eared foxes can be seen in several major safari destinations including the Serengeti, Kruger, Okavango, and Kalahari.
5. Aardwolf
The aardwolf is the smallest and most specialized member of the hyena family. Unlike its larger meat-eating and bone-crushing cousins, this hyena has a rather weak bite and will not be found scavenging on carcasses or chasing down antelopes.
That's because it is in fact an insectivore. It mainly feeds on termites and very occasionally eats other insects and a few small vertebrates. Its name comes from its dietary similarity to the aardvark, as primarily a termite eater.
Aardwolves are much more solitary than other hyenas. One male and female hold a territory together and share the role of caring for their young but otherwise forage and spend most of their time alone.
Their distribution is very similar to that of the bat-eared fox, being found in eastern and south-western Africa, and mirrors the distribution of their main termite prey. Your best chance of seeing aardwolf is on a night game drive.
Which of these weird and wonderful animals is your favorite? Have you seen any of them when out on safari before?
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