Mammals of Kenya

The Giant Forest Hog (Hylochoerus meinertzhageni – the only member of its genus) is native to wooded habitats in Africa and generally is considered the largest wild member of the Suidae (pig family; a few subspecies of the wild boar can reach an even larger size). Despite its large size and relatively wide distribution, it was first described only in 1904. The specific name honours Richard Meinertzhagen, who shot the type specimen in Kenya and had... less ↑

The desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is a species of even-toed ungulate in the pig family (Suidae), found in northern Kenya and Somalia, and possibly Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. This is the range of the extant subspecies, commonly known as the Somali warthog (P. a. delamerei). Another subspecies, commonly known as the Cape warthog (P. a. aethiopicus), became extinct around 1865, but formerly occurred in South Africa. less ↑

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος), is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the pygmy hippopotamus). After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, their closest living relatives are cetaceans... less ↑

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its species name refers to its camel-like appearance and the patches of color on its fur. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones and its distinctive coat patterns. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,830 lb) for females. It is... less ↑

The common tsessebe or sassaby (Damaliscus lunatus) is one of five species of the subfamily Alcelaphinae in the family Bovidae. It is most closely related to the topi and the bontebok in the same genus. Tsessebe are found primarily in Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and South Africa. They used to be spread throughout a significant area of Africa, from Senegal to eastern Ethiopia south to the northern areas of South Africa. Tsessebe can run... less ↑

The blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), also called the common wildebeest or the white-bearded wildebeest, is a large antelope and one of two species of wildebeest. Males can grow to a 145 cm (57 in) shoulder height and attain a body mass of over 275 kg (606 lb). They range the open plains, bushveld, and dry woodlands of Southern and East Africa, living for more than 20 years. The male is highly territorial, using scent markings and other devices to protect... less ↑

The Aders' duiker (Cephalophus adersi), also known as nunga in Swahili, kunga marara in Kipokomo, and harake in Giriama), is a small, forest-dwelling duiker found only in Zanzibar and a small coastal enclave in Kenya. It is also critically endangered. It may be a subspecies of the red, Harvey's, or Peters's duiker or a hybrid of a combination of these. It has a population of fewer than 1,400. less ↑

The East African oryx (Oryx beisa), also known as the beisa is a species of antelope from East Africa. It has two subspecies: the common beisa oryx (Oryx beisa beisa) found in steppe and semidesert throughout the Horn of Africa and north of the Tana River, and the fringe-eared oryx (Oryx beisa callotis) south of the Tana River in southern Kenya and parts of Tanzania. In the past, some taxonomists considered it a subspecies of the... less ↑

The lesser kudu (Ammelaphus imberbis, formerly Tragelaphus imberbis) is a forest antelope found in East Africa. It was first described by Edward Blyth in 1869. The lesser kudu at one time was thought to be a smaller version of the greater kudu, but now is considered to be a more primitive species. The lesser kudu are 90 to 110 cm (35 to 43 in) tall at the shoulder and weigh 60–100 kg (130–220 lb). less ↑

The common eland (Taurotragus oryx), also known as the southern eland or eland antelope, is a savannah and plains antelope found in East and Southern Africa. It is a species of the family Bovidae and genus Taurotragus. It was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. An adult male is around 1.6 metres (5') tall at the shoulder (females are 20 centimetres (8") shorter) and can weigh up to 942 kg (2077 lbs) with an average of... less ↑

The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically distinct species. The most compelling evidence for the division of the bushbuck into the kéwel (Tragelaphus scriptus) and the imbabala (Tragelaphus sylvaticus) is that both species are more closely related to other members... less ↑

The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a woodland antelope found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying such widespread territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas, due to a declining habitat, deforestation and poaching. The greater kudu is one of two species commonly known as kudu, the other being the lesser kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis. less ↑

The gerenuk, Litocranius walleri, also known as the Waller's gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry thorn bush scrub and desert in East Africa, from Somalia, Djibouti and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania. The word gerenuk (pronounced with a hard g) comes from the Somali language, meaning "giraffe-necked". Gerenuk are sometimes also called the giraffe-necked antelope. It is the sole member of the genus Litocranius. less ↑

The hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is an African species of grassland antelope, first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1766. Adults stand just over 1 m (3.3 ft) at the shoulder. Males weigh 125 to 218 kg (276 to 481 lb), and females are slightly lighter. The coat colour varies between subspecies, from the sandy coat of the western hartebeest to the almost black coat of the Swayne's hartebeest. Both sexes have horns; these grow 45–70 cm (18–28 in) long, with the shape varying greatly between subspecies.... less ↑

The common duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope with small horns found in west, central, east, and southern Africa- essentially everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of Africa and the rainforests of the central and western parts of the continent. Generally, they are found in habitats with sufficient vegetation cover to allow them to hide—savanna and hilly areas, including the fringes of human... less ↑

The hirola (Beatragus hunteri, sometimes Damaliscus hunteri), also known as Hunter's hartebeest or "Hunter's antelope", is an antelope species found in arid grassy plains in a pocket on the border between Kenya and Somalia. They were discovered in 1888 by the zoologist H.C.V. Hunter. These antelopes were first recognized as a distinct taxon in 1989, it is the only extant member of the genus Beatragus. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List... less ↑

The Thomson's gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) is one of the best-known gazelles. It is named after explorer Joseph Thomson and is sometimes referred to as a "tommie". It is considered by some to be a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle and was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas, before Eudorcas was elevated to genus status. Thomson's gazelles can be found in numbers exceeding 500 thousand in Africa and are recognized as... less ↑

The sei whale (/ˈseɪ/ or /ˈsaɪ/), Balaenoptera borealis, is a baleen whale, the third-largest rorqual after the blue whale and the fin whale. It inhabits most oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep offshore waters. It avoids polar and tropical waters and semi-enclosed bodies of water. The sei whale migrates annually from cool and subpolar waters in summer to winter in temperate and subtropical waters. less ↑

The Bryde's whale complex (/ˈbruːdə/ BREW-də) comprises two putative species of rorqual: Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera brydei, Olsen, 1913), a larger form that occurs worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters, and the Sittang or Eden's whale (B. edeni, Anderson, 1878), a smaller form that may be restricted to the Indo-Pacific. There is also a smaller, coastal form of B. brydei off southern Africa, and perhaps another form in the Indo-Pacific which differs in skull morhology, tentatively... less ↑

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), also called the finback whale, razorback, or common rorqual, is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. It is the second longest animal in the world and second largest rorqual after the blue whale, growing to 27.3 metres (89.5 ft) long and weighing nearly 74 tonnes (73 long tons; 82 short tons). The American naturalist Roy Chapman Andrews called the fin whale "the greyhound of the sea... for its beautiful,... less ↑

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals, it is popular with whale watchers off Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and... less ↑

Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), or the dense-beaked whale, is the widest ranging mesoplodont whale and perhaps the most documented. The French zoologist Henri de Blainville first described the species in 1817 from a small piece of jaw — the heaviest bone he had ever come across — which resulted in the name densirostris (Latin for "dense beak"). Off the northeastern Bahamas, the animals are particularly well documented, and a photo identification project started sometime after... less ↑

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) is a species of bottlenose dolphin. This dolphin grows to 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) long, and weighs up to 230 kilograms (510 lb). It lives in the waters around India, northern Australia, South China, the Red Sea, and the eastern coast of Africa. Its back is dark grey and its belly is lighter grey or nearly white with grey spots. less ↑

The Chinese white dolphin (Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, Sousa chinensis chinensis; Chinese: 中華白海豚; pinyin: Zhōnghuá bái hǎitún) is a humpback dolphin species, one of 80 cetacean species. An adult is white or pink and may appear as an albino dolphin to some. Uniquely, the population along the Chinese coast has pink skin, and the pink colour originates not from a pigment, but from blood vessels which were overdeveloped for thermoregulation. The body length is 2 to 3.5 m (6 ft 7 in... less ↑

The pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) is a species of dolphin found in all the world's temperate and tropical oceans. The species was beginning to come under threat due to the killing of millions of individuals in tuna purse seines. In the 1980s, the rise of "dolphin-friendly" tuna capture methods saved millions of the species in the eastern Pacific Ocean and it is now one of the most abundant dolphin species in the world. less ↑

The killer whale (Orcinus orca), also referred to as the orca whale or orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas. Killer whales as a species have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals... less ↑

The pygmy killer whale (Feresa attenuata) is a small, rarely seen cetacean of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It derives its common name from sharing some physical characteristics with the killer whale. It is the smallest species that has "whale" in its common name. In fact, "killer" may be more apt in the case of the pygmy killer whale than its larger cousin; when a number of pygmy killers were brought into captivity in Hawaii and... less ↑

The false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a cetacean, and the third-largest member of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. As its name implies, the false killer whale shares characteristics, such as appearance, with the more widely known killer whale (orca). Like the orca, the false killer whale attacks and kills other cetaceans, but the two species do not belong to the same genus. less ↑

The melon-headed whale (species Peponocephala electra; other names are many-toothed blackfish and electra dolphin) is a cetacean of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It is closely related to the pygmy killer whale and pilot whale, and collectively these dolphin species are known by the common name blackfish. It is also related to the false killer whale. The melon-headed whale is widespread throughout the world's tropical waters, although not often seen by humans because it prefers deep... less ↑

The Taita shrew (Suncus aequatorius) is an extant species of white-toothed shrew that occupies two localities in the Taita Hills mountain range in the Taita-Taveta District of south-western Kenya. Given the continuing decline in the quality of this habitat, and the limitations in its range, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognises the shrew as a critically endangered species. less ↑

The least dwarf shrew (Suncus infinitesimus) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and arable land. less ↑

The climbing shrew (Suncus megalura) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family, which is found in subtropical Africa. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests,... less ↑

The Johnston's forest shrew (Sylvisorex johnstoni) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss. less ↑

The Bicolored Musk Shrew (Crocidura fuscomurina) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry... less ↑

The Hildegarde's shrew (Crocidura hildegardeae) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. less ↑

The African giant shrew (Crocidura olivieri) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, arable... less ↑

The small-footed shrew (Crocidura parvipes) is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland. less ↑