ANIMAL BOOK

SWAHILI NAME: Nyani
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Monkeys
DISTINGUISHED BY: Long snout and robust build
1. Lives in troops and communicates using over 30 sounds—grunts, barks, screams—plus gestures like yawns and lip-smacking.
2. Omnivorous; eats plants and animals. Males have canines that can be longer than a leopard’s!
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A

SWAHILI NAME: Ngole/Gangawia/Peku
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Green mamba, vine snake
DISTINGUISHED BY: Large eyes, slender body, and keeled scales
1. Highly venomous with exceptional camouflage; body and eye color vary widely.
2. Unlike most snakes, boomslangs have excellent binocular vision for hunting.
PHOTO CREDIT: Erasti Photography

SWAHILI NAME: Pongo/Kulungu/Mbawala
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Duiker, Reedbuck
DISTINGUISHED BY: Spiral horns (males) and spotted coat
1. Shy and solitary, they prefer dense bush habitats
2. Excellent jumpers, they evade predators with powerful leaps
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A

SWAHILI NAME: Tandawala Tumbo-Jeupe
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Other Bustards
DISTINGUISHED BY: White belly, long legs, and blue-gray neck of males
1. Found in open grasslands and savannahs, often spotted in pairs or alone
2. Males have blue-gray necks and dark facial markings, while females are more muted in color, and both have a distinctive croaking call
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A

SWAHILI NAME: Shakivale Tumbo-jeupe
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Other Hawks, Eagles
DISTINGUISHED BY: Chunky body and reddish-orange tail.
1. Part of the hawk family, not the eagle family.
2. Underparts may vary in color, ranging from white to black or chestnut, particularly in Somalia.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A

SWAHILI NAME: Duma
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Leopard
DISTINGUISHED BY: Slender body, black tear marks, less muscular than Leopard
1. The fastest land animal, reaching up to 110 km/h but tiring after ~100 meters
2. Among the oldest cat species, with a lineage dating back nearly 4 million years.
PHOTO CREDIT: Erasti Photography

SWAHILI NAME: Korongo Taji Kijivu
CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: Black Crowned Crane
DISTINGUISHED BY: Golden crest and grey feathers
1. Known for elaborate mating dances and monogamous behavior
2. National bird of Uganda
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A

SWAHILI NAME: Mamba
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least Concern
POTENTIAL LOOKALIKES: N/A in Africa (Saltwater Crocodile, Alligator)
DISTINGUISHED BY: Long snout and powerful jaws
1. Second-largest reptile on Earth after the saltwater crocodile (not found in Africa)
2. Known for caring for their young, both parents ferociously guarding nests and hatchlings
PHOTO CREDIT: Jotham A