Lion Panthera Leo Linneaus Lions are supremely adapted predators, superbly adapted to hunt. They are carnivores, their bodies being streamlined for speed and power. Lions hold pride of place at the top of the food chain. They have canines measuring up to 50 mm long (2″) and they kill their…
Leopard panthera pardus The leopard is the most secretive and elusive large carnivore found in the Aberdare Mountain Ranges. It is also the shrewdest of the large carnivores. The leopard is a solitary cat. It is very difficult to spot one in the wild. The Swahili name for leopard is…
Gaboon Viper Bitis gabonica The Gaboon Viper is an ambush hunter. Its habitat is the forest floor, so its striking coloration provides the perfect camouflage. The Gaboon Viper is a very beautiful snake. It is colorfully patterned in purple, brown and shades of pastel. Its scales give the impression of…
Elephant Loxodonta africana The elephant is the world’s largest land mammal, weighing up to 6 tons (5400kg) and standing up to 10ft (3m) tall at the shoulder, the female being smaller than the male. In reality, the elephant is the king of the jungle. It is not uncommon to see…
Death DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE OF A TENDER DISPOSITION Did you know that when animals are ready to die, they actually look for their place of choice to fade out? They just withdraw from the rest and, if they are loners like the leopard, they look for…
Buffalo Syncerus Caffer The buffalo is reddish brown to total black in color and belongs to the Bovidae Family. Both sexes are horned, with the males being heavier and more robust than the female. Males can weigh up to 1,765 ponds (800kg) . The dominant bull is normally the oldest…
Black Rhinoceros ( Diceros Bicornis Micheali) The black rhino is a large mammal. It gets its name from wallowing in dark-colored mud, for the actual color of its skin when clean is grayish brown. The black rhino weighs up to 700-1600 Kg (1,540 – 3,530 lb). The locals call it…
Black Mamba Dendo aspis polylepis The black mamba is a largely misunderstood snake. It is often described as being fearsome. In reality, the black mamba is the largest venomous snake in Africa. It is slender and graceful, and is streamlined for speed, being considered one of the world’s fastest snakes…
African Rock Python Python sebae The African rock python sports perfect camouflage. It is very difficult to spot it, especially when it is sleeping among rocks. One outstanding characteristic of the African python is that it is a very large snake. It has jaws that open extremely wide to facilitate…
Birds of the Aberdare Ranges Vegetation is a great influencing factor in the occurrence of bird-life. The Aberdare ranges spot a myriad of treetops in forestland, moutane grassland and moorland. The Ranges host an amazing number of bird-life types. Some 250 species to be exact. Forest birding is a difficult…
