Amazing Animals Somalia

The African country of Somalia straddles both the temperate and tropical zones of the Horn of Africa. There is a long coastline stretching along the Indian Ocean and also the Gulf of Aden. Somalia has 177 species of mammals, 235 species of reptiles, and 727 species of birds.

Official National Animal

Leopard

Native Animals

The African bush elephant, also known as the African savanna elephant, is one of two species of elephant on the continent. Being the largest of them, it is the largest terrestrial animal on Earth. Savanna elephants live in a rather complex social hierarchy. These animals gather into family units, consisting of about 10 females and their offspring.Several family herds may gather together, making up a 'clan.' Each clan is dominated by a female matriarch and can consist of as many as several hundred elephants.These herbivorous animals mainly feed upon leaves, roots, bark, grasses, fruit, and other vegetation.

Bushpigs are a species of wild pigs native to sub-Saharan Africa. They inhabit high trees, gallery forests, cultivated areas, and swamp lands. These are social animals living in groups up to 12 members. They can get rather aggressive. They eat berries, roots, and tubers and will forage for fallen fruit. Bush pigs will also eat insects, worms, and small mammals.

The camel is one of the most well-known animals in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The two main camel species are dromedary and Bactrian, with two humps. Camels graze on grasses and shrubs, especially in arid regions. They can eat cacti and other succulents for moisture.

Hamadryas baboons are the northernmost of all baboons. These are a species of Old World monkeys found on the Horn of Africa and in the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. They inhabit savannas, arid areas, and rocky areas with cliffs and bodies of water.

Reticulated giraffes are also known as Somalian giraffes. They are a subspecies of giraffe native to the Horn of Africa. The reticulated giraffe is a herbivore feeding on leaves, shoots, and shrubs.

The belly of the Northeast African cheetah is distinctly white, while its breast and throat can have some black spots similar to the eastern subspecies. However, it is the darkest in fur color. This cheetah has the most widespread and separated black dorsal spots, but smaller than that of the East African cheetah.They live in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions," and solitary males.When hunting cheetahs use their vision instead of their sense of smell; they keep a lookout for prey from resting sites or low branches. They will stalk their prey, trying to stay unnoticed in cover, and approach as close as possible. Northeast African cheetahs are carnivores and mostly feed on herbivorous animals, such as Grant's gazelles, Cape hares, guinea fowls, and large animals like hartebeests, Plains zebras, and Barbary ostriches on a few occasions.

The northern lion is a subspecies of the lion found in Central and West Africa, as well as India. Their fur varies in color from light buff to dark brown. It has rounded ears and a black tail tuft. Male lions are solitary or associate with up to three males forming a loose pride. Pairs of males rest, hunt and feed together and mark territories at the same sites. Females associate with up to 12 females, forming a stronger pride together with their cubs. They share large carcasses among each other but seldom with males. They hunt large ungulates, including gemsbok, Cape buffalo, blue wildebeest, giraffe, common eland, greater kudu, nyala, roan antelope, sable antelope, zebra, bushpig, common warthog, hartebeest, common tsessebe, Thomson's gazelle, waterbuck, and kob.

Birds

The Somali ostrich, also known as the blue-necked ostrich, is a large species of flightless bird native to the Horn of Africa.These birds prefer semi-arid and arid bushier, more thickly vegetated areas, including grassland, shrubland, savanna, and woodland.They are usually seen singly or in pairs wandering among vegetated areas browsing. With their acute eyesight and hearing, ostriches can sense predators from far away.They might not fly but they certainly can run fast known to reach speeds in excess of 70 km/h (40 mph).Ostriches are herbivores and mainly eat seeds, shrubs, grass, fruit, and flowers.

Aquatic Animals

The Nile crocodile is one of the largest species of crocodile in the world and the largest one in Africa.They live in freshwater habitats in Africa.Nile crocodiles are gray-olive in color and have yellowish bellies.By day, the crocodiles typically sunbathe or cool off in the water if needed.They are exceptionally fast runners. Nile crocodiles are carnivores and scavengers. They feed upon a wide variety of animal species, including insects, amphibians, fish, and land mammals such as giraffes or Cape buffaloes.