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Swahili names are a guide only; specific species sometimes have specific names.
Not all these animals can be seen in the Masai Mara Reserve.
ENGLISH SWAHILI |
NOTES | PHOTOGRAPHS |
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Aardvark Muhanga |
Also known as Ant Bears, these solitary nocturnal animals are well adapted to their environment but the result gives them a bizarre appearance. | |
Aardwolf | Smaller but somewhat similar in appearance to the Hyena, these solitary carnivorous animals spend much time foraging for termites. | |
Agama | Small lizards (males of some species have a pinkish orange head and bluish green body). | ![]() |
Baboon Nyani |
Live in large troops with a strict social order, are playful but can be vicious if upset. | ![]() |
Badger | The Honey Badger is sometimes called the 'Ratel' (Nyegere). | |
Barbet | (The photograph shows a red and yellow Barbet) | ![]() |
Bat Popo |
The only true flying mammals. The Hammer-Headed Fruit Bat is one of Africa's largest bats with a wingspan of up to one metre. | |
Bataleur | A distinctive variety of eagle with black and white underwing plumage and a wedge tail. | |
Boar Nguruwe dume |
Related to the Hog (Pig). | |
Bongo Bongo |
Rare striped antelopes often found in dense forest which they leave at night to graze. | |
Buffalo Nyati |
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Bushbaby Kombo |
Very agile small nocturnal animals with large eyes/ears and a long tail. | |
Bushbuck Pongo |
Medium-sized timid antelopes with white spots and stripes. | |
Bustard | The Kori Bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world. | |
Caracal Sibamangu |
Solitary, nocturnal, lynx-like cats (having triangular ears tipped with black fur). | |
Chameleon Kinyonga |
Smallish lizards with gripping 'toes' and a long tongue, found in trees and bushes. They can move both eyes independently. | |
Cheetah Duma |
Fastest living mammals which can catch prey by chasing it at terrific speed. | ![]() |
Civet Fungo |
Small spotted nocturnal animals with musk-producing glands. | |
Crocodile Mamba |
Can grow up to 7m long. | ![]() |
Crowned Crane | Distinctive appearance with black head cap and large straw-coloured tuft of feathers on/behind the head. Crane is Korongo. | ![]() |
Dik-dik Dik-dik |
One of the smallest antelopes, named after the noise they make when alarmed. | ![]() |
Dog Mbwa |
(see Wild dog) | |
Dugong |
A rare marine mammal. | |
Duiker Nysa |
Rarely seen nocturnal antelopes. | |
Eagle Tai |
Large birds of prey. The Fish Eagle has a distinctive loud call. | ![]() |
Eland Pofu |
Largest of the antelopes. | ![]() |
Elephant Tembo / Ndovu |
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Flamingo Heroe |
Up to two million live in vast colonies on the Rift Valley soda lakes, getting their colour from the algae they eat. | ![]() |
Fox Mbweha |
The bat-eared foxes (Mbweha masigio) use their large ears to pinpoint prey. | ![]() |
Frog Chura |
Common Brown Tree Frogs are often heard in the still of night. | |
Gazelle Swala |
Grant's gazelles are similar size to Impala, but the Thomson's (Swala tomi or "Tommy" as they are affectionately called) gazelles are slightly smaller and have a distinctive coat with a black band separating their brown top from the white belly. | ![]() |
Gecko | Small nocturnal lizards with a translucent body and adhesive pads (not suckers) on their 'toes' which let them scurry up walls (and even along ceilings!) searching for insects and moths. | |
Genet Kanu |
Nocturnal animals of the mongoose family, similar to yet longer than the domestic cat, very agile at climbing trees. | |
Gerenuk Swala twiga |
A variety of antelope with very long neck, hence the swahili name meaning "gazelle giraffe". | |
Giraffe Twiga |
The tallest living animal. Often gather in non-hierarchical herds and use their height to reach leaves high on trees. | ![]() |
Gnu Nyumbu |
(see Wildebeest) | |
Hare Sungura |
For example the Spring Hare (Kamandegere), nocturnal burrowing animals that move in leaps rather like a kangaroo. | |
Hartebeest Kongoni |
Have a distinctive long thin face with short angled horns. | |
Hippopotamus Kiboko |
Like to live and wallow in still or slow-moving water but come aground for grazing (usually in the cool of the night). | ![]() |
Hog Nguruwe |
Giant Forest Hog are the largest of East Africa's pig species. | |
Hoopoe | The Africa Hoopoe has a bright rufous plumage with black/white striped wings and tail, complemented by a crest of black-tipped feathers. | |
Hornbill | Varieties include the Red- and Yellow-billed Hornbill, and the larger Ground Hornbill. | ![]() |
Hyena Fisi |
Scavenging animals with very strong jaws, which often hunt at night and are famed for their whooping and laughter-like cries. | ![]() |
Hyrax Pimbi |
Small vegetarian animals, often found in forest (Tree Hyrax) or rocky places (Rock Hyrax). They are the closest living relative to the elephant! | ![]() |
Ibis | Sacred Ibis have a distinctive white plumage with black head/neck and wings. | |
Impala Swala pala |
One of the most common antelopes and a very good jumper (10m in length or 3m in height for a single bound). | ![]() |
Jackal Mbweha |
A type of dog, but more similar to a fox in size and appearance, tend to feed off carrion and hunt small animals. | ![]() |
Klipspringer Mbuzi mawe |
Live in or near rocky terrain, with specially adapted hooves which make them appear to be walking on tip-toe. They are only about 50cm at shoulder-height and have an unusual greenish mottled coat. | |
Kudu Tandala |
A shy variety of antelope with white vertical stripes. | |
Leopard Chui |
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Lion Simba |
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Mongoose Nguchiro / Kicheche |
Weasel-like creatures, typically with long tails and thick hair. | ![]() |
Monitor Kenge |
Large lizards sometimes found along river banks. | |
Monkey Nyani |
These include the Black and White Colobus (Mbega) which are commonly found in tree tops, and the mischievous Vervet (Tumbili). | ![]() |
Mouse Bird | Have distinctive long tail feathers. | ![]() |
Oribi Taya |
Small uncommon antelopes with a black-tipped tail and an unusual scent gland (area of bare black skin) just below their ears. Use a distinctive stiff-legged jump (stotting) when fleeing danger. | |
Oryx Choroa |
A type of antelope with particularly long, straight horns. | |
Ostrich Mbuni |
Largest living birds (up to 2.5m high and 150kg weight) with long powerful legs and able to run at over 50kph. | ![]() |
Otter Fisi maji |
Semiaquatic members of the weasel family. | |
Pangolin | An unusal nocturnal creature armoured with scales (like an Armadillo), which walks on its hind feet and will curl into a ball if attacked. A pangolin has an amazingly long tongue (as long as its head and body) which it uses to reach insects which are often found in decayed bark or termite mounds. | |
Pelican | Have a large bill and pouch. | |
Porcupine Nungunungu |
Large (up to one metre long) nocturnal spine-bearing rodents. | ![]() |
Rat Panya |
Giant Rats and Cane Rats are sometimes caught and eaten by humans. | |
Reedbuck Tohe |
Medium-sized antelopes with a short bushy tail, found in reed-beds or tall grass near water. | |
Rhinoceros Kifaru |
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Roan Antelope Korongo |
Large and aggressive antelopes. | |
Sable Antelope Pala hala |
Antelopes with an unusual patterned mask-like face and long swept-back horns. | ![]() |
Secretary Bird | Birds of prey with unusual crest feathers. | ![]() |
Serval Mondo |
Wild cats, generally nocturnal and found near water. | |
Shrew | There are normal Shrews and Elephant Shrews (which have the shape of a shrew but the size of a very large rat). | |
Sitatunga Nzohe |
Very shy swamp antelopes with webbed hooves; a good swimmer and liable to hide almost totally under water if in danger. | |
Snake Nyoka |
Have hinged jaws which let them consume large prey (the Rocky Python can survive for months without eating after a big kill). | ![]() |
Squirrel Kidiri / Kindi |
There are ground (Kidiri) and bush (Kindi) varieties. | ![]() |
Steinbok Dondoo |
Small reddish antelopes which often have a black triangle of fur sweeping up their muzzle. | |
Stork | Marabou Storks are tall birds with a long bill and large pink throat pouch; they catch small animals and scavenge on carrion. | ![]() |
Sunbird | Sunbirds feed from the nectar of flowering plants. Most males are brightly coloured often with a metallic plumage, whereas females are dull-coloured and hard to distinguish. | |
Suni Paa |
These animals are slightly smaller than the Dik-dik and tend to dwell in forests. | |
Superb Starling | Sociable birds with glossy plumage, often found near human habitation. Starling is Kwenzi. | ![]() |
Tiger | The tiger (Panthera tigris) is native to Asia and not Africa. Click here for more information about where different cats live. | ![]() |
Toad Chura |
A group of toads is called a knot. | |
Topi Nyamera |
Almost-purplish antelopes with black patches on their face and around the top of the legs. Males can sometimes be seen guarding their territory from on top of small mounds. | ![]() |
Tortoise / Turtle Kobe / Kasa |
Tortoises are terrestrial turtles. Giant Tortoise can live for up to 150 years. | |
Vulture | Large scavenging birds (wingspan up to 3m) which use their excellent vision to locate carrion - or to see where other vultures have found food and are beginning to congregate! | ![]() |
Wart hog Ngiri |
Have bristly hair, small curved tusks and carry four wart-like growths on their head (larger on the boar than the sow). | ![]() |
Waterbuck Kuru |
Antelopes that live near water, are good swimmers and have a thick shaggy water-repellent coat. | ![]() |
Weaver Bird Mzingi |
Weaves fine nests. | ![]() |
Wild cat Paka wa mwitu |
. | |
Wild dog Mbwa mwitu |
Very rare. Tend to hunt in packs, working together to catch their prey. The have large ears, a white-tipped tail and their coats often have many different coloured patches of black, brown, yellow and white. | |
Wildebeest Nyumbu |
Famed for their mass migration between the Masai Mara and Serengeti plains. | ![]() |
Zebra Punda milia |
Sociable animals which often gather in large herds. The Swahili name means "striped donkey". | ![]() |
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Copyright © 1996 Jeremy Youngman