By Allen Westerfield
I have always had a fascination with wildlife and animals, and there are few places with more interesting wildlife than Africa. Africa is home to many of the largest and most unique animals because the harsh African environment has contributed to many unique adaptations found nowhere else in the world. I am going to share some fascinating facts about Africa’s wildlife.
- Africa is home to many of the most unique wildlife in the world. Elephants, the largest land mammal, weigh up to 7 tons or 14,000 pounds. Even newborn elephants weigh as much as 200 pounds!
- Nearly all of the wildlife in Africa work cohesively to protect themselves from the threat of lions, leopards, and other predators. For example, birds use their birdseye view and are able to communicate with animals such as zebras to warn them of nearby lions.
- Ostriches are the largest birds in the world and live in Africa. These birds can run nearly 50 miles an hour–as fast a car on the highway! In addition, an ostrich egg is so large it can make 13 omelets.
- Africa is also home to the Goliath Frog, the largest frog in the world. These frogs can grow up to a foot in length and weigh up to 7 pounds.
- Giraffes also call Africa home and are the tallest creatures in the world. These animals’ necks have grown from generations of males using their necks to fight and win over female mates. A common misconception is that giraffes’ necks are long because they had to reach up to tall trees, but this is actually untrue.
I hope you have found some of these facts interesting and have learned something new. Check out this link for some more fun facts about African wildlife: https://www.africaguide.com/wildlife/.