The most-most animals of Africa! Wildlife of Africa. Africa: flora and fauna

Africa is one of the largest continents on the planet, second in size only to Eurasia. It is equally divided by the equator, stretching from the tropics in the north to the tropics in the south. Only on the outskirts of the mainland are the subtropics slightly “clung”.

Africa is probably the last continent on the planet where wild nature remains untouched by man. It's tough here harsh conditions survival, strong, dangerous animals live here. There are a large number of unusual plants that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Today we will talk to you about plants growing in Africa interesting plants African and unusual. We will learn about plants that benefit humans, as well as those that are no less dangerous than predatory animals:

Plants with unusual properties

Bottle tree:

The name of this tree speaks for itself. It very much resembles a pot-bellied bottle. A large volume of rainwater accumulates between the bark and wood of the lower part of the trunk. The middle part plays the role of a reservoir, which contains healthy, nutritious sweetish juice. It is thick and very jelly-like.

Bottle tree water is actively used by local residents, and the sweetish juice is one of their favorite delicacies. Well, the leaves of this tree themselves are excellent food for livestock. Residents make fibers from the bark and weave fabrics.

Sinsepalum:

This plant is native to West Africa. Synsepalum berries have an amazing property. Eating them before meals makes sweet foods taste bitter, and bitter or sour foods taste sweet. Therefore, before drinking palm wine, which has a sour taste, the natives eat several sinsepalum berries to improve the taste.

Carnivorous plants

Nepenthes:

This unusual vine grows in Madagascar. Its long flexible branches reach a length of 10-15 meters and are covered with leaves. The appearance of these leaves resembles pitchers, which serve as a live trap for small animals. Inside the jugs, a sticky liquid is produced that traps a mouse, lizard or frog that gets inside.

Genlisey:

This is a low, modest-looking grass on which large, unusually shaped flowers bloom. yellow flowers. This spectacle is overshadowed only by the fact that long flowers are nothing more than a trap for insects. In addition, Genlisea has underground leaves, with the help of which the carnivorous plant lures and then digests insects and small animals living in the soil.

Pemphigus:

This plant loves water very much. Therefore, it grows in moist soils or directly in fresh water. This predatory plant is interesting because it has a bubble trap. In most species of this plant, the traps are very small and only catch small, protozoa. However, some species have traps of larger diameter (0.2 to 1.2 cm). They can already catch even water fleas and tadpoles that get there along with the water.

“Peaceful” plants that are useful to people

Dish pumpkin:

When talking about interesting and unusual plants growing in Africa, one cannot fail to mention the gourd or gourd. When it ripens, the flesh of the vegetable dries out greatly, and the dense peel becomes hard as a stone. Local residents use these ripened pumpkins as hollow vessels for water or bulk products. At the same time, people have learned to change their shape using special clamps where the developing ovary is placed.

As a result, you can get deep dishes, jugs, as well as flat plates and trays. Spoons, toys, smoking pipes, snuff boxes and various souvenirs are carved from the hard shell of the dish gourd.

Pumpkin - luffa:

Wonderful washcloths are made from the fruits of another type of pumpkin - luffa. Fiber is woven from fruit fibers, and then hats, swimming shoes, and other products needed by people are made.

Madagascar liana:

The vines of this plant play a large role in the economy of some tribes that use them in their farming. The branches of the plant are very flexible, elastic and durable. Therefore, they are used as ropes, weaving baskets and mats.

The Madagascar vine secretes a substance that repels ants and insects, which damage everything made of wood. Therefore, the branches of this plant are used in the construction of houses. Well, and the large vine pods, if their halves are opened, better than any tiles will protect the building from rain.

Africa is an amazing continent where you can find many interesting and unusual plants. All of them, useful and not so useful, play an important role in the lives of people and nature. It is impossible to talk about everyone at once, and we will definitely return to our conversation next time.

Africa... How many interesting and mysterious things are hidden in its tropical forests and endless savannas. Animals of enormous size and very small and inconspicuous live here, although it is not a fact that some insect is completely harmless in comparison with, for example, a huge elephant or a lion, with which a rare daredevil dares to be close. The African fauna is so colorful and amazing that the interest in getting closer to it and learning more about its representatives will probably never dry up. So, ZENUN will tell you who the very best animals in Africa are.

The rarest animal in Africa

Okapi. The forest giraffe, or, as it was previously called, Johnson's horse, looks like a hybrid of three animals: a horse, a giraffe and a zebra. Henry Stanley, a famous traveler and journalist, first heard about these animals from local aborigines. When the skin of a forest giraffe fell into the hands of researchers, it was initially mistakenly attributed to the horse family, but subsequent study of the rare and very timid animal led to the conclusion that the strange animal is more similar to the dwarf giraffe, which by some miracle had been preserved since the Ice Age.

An amazing animal with the body of a horse, long legs painted like a zebra, an elongated neck and a clearly giraffe-like face is hiding from human eyes in the Congo Basin.

The most unusual animal in Africa

Belttail. This is the kind of creature that will amaze any nature connoisseur. This lizard, which lives in rocky areas near the southern borders of the Sahara, is the surviving child of a dragon. Reaching a length of 70 cm, the belt-tail seems to be assembled, like a construction set, from rectangular scale plates. There are up to 70 species of these spiny dragons, and each species has its own food preferences. Introducing video about these lizards:

The most dangerous animal in Africa

Probably no other continent is home to so many especially dangerous animals. Snakes, poisonous flies, scorpions, mosquitoes, not to mention obvious predators such as lions and crocodiles. Even when hunting the herbivorous giants of buffalo, you can easily turn from hunter to prey. However, the most dangerous thing for a person who decides to walk around Africa is fly tse tse.

You won’t even understand how this rather large bloodsucker will bite you and infect you with sleeping sickness. Every year, tsetse sends almost a quarter of a million unfortunate people into another world, who, due to circumstances, became targets for the flying killer.

The largest animal in Africa

Even a child can answer this question. Of course it is. The largest specimen that fell into the observation zone of the human race weighed 12 tons! Surprisingly, elephants communicate at ultra-low frequencies that are simply beyond the reach of the human ear. And one more interesting fact about African giants: elephants are capable of creating seismic waves that spread over a radius of up to 2 km!

Tallest animal in Africa

And even a child from a nursery group will answer this question. Who doesn't know the handsome spotted guy? The African “Uncle Styopa” can grow up to 6 meters in height. Moreover, this giant is dangerous, rather, only to trees, because in a day he can eat 63 kg of shoots and juicy leaves! Just think, one step of this giant is 4 meters, and he can accelerate to 50 km/h!

The fastest animal in Africa

Handsome cheetah Not only is he on the list of the rarest animals, he is also the leader of the 500-meter race. This graceful cat seems specially created for speed, but is the weakest representative of its kind. His appearance can be described in just two words: feline aristocrat. However, no one will be able to catch up with this handsome guy, because he accelerates to 90 km/h!

The most terrible animal in Africa

His name Gustav. -the cannibal is still alive and instills quiet horror not only in the souls of local residents, because he kills people for fun and entertainment, and not at all from hunger. The Nile monster weighs a ton, is almost 60 years old and lives in Burundi, Africa. The body of this monster is covered with welts and scars from knives and bullets, but all attempts to catch the resourceful and very cunning beast have so far ended in failure. He had never fallen into any underwater trap yet. If you suddenly saw a 6-meter crocodile with dark spot on your forehead - run if you don’t want to be another amusement for Gustav.

This is the world of the very best animals in Africa. Some of them have been known to you for a long time, and some you probably learned about for the first time. And how many more amazing and unknown things are hidden behind the stones, in the sands and on the trees of this hot continent, one can only guess.

Sumac (Rhus lancea L. f.), Sumac family (Anacardiaceae) - an evergreen shrub or tree up to 9 m high with dark brown bark and reddish branches. The leaflets of the compound leaves are narrow, dark above and pale green below. The flowers are small, yellowish-green, in elegant inflorescences. The fruit is round, with a large seed and a thin layer of pulp (beer is made from it, the berries are eaten by birds). The wood is heavy, reddish-brown, highly polished and processed. The plant is found in the arid regions of South Africa along river banks and in depressions.

Bottle tree, bumbo, Pachypodium Lila (Pachypodium lealiii Welcome. = P. giganteum Engl.), Kutrov family (Apocynaceae) - a shrub or tree up to 7.6 m tall, with a bottle-shaped trunk, widened at the base and narrowed towards the apex. Around the main one there are several lateral stems that branch at the apex. The bark is gray-green or light brown, often streaked with purple. The leaves are sessile, narrow-oblong, velvety, collected at the tops of the branches. The spines are purple, up to 1.5-3 cm long, usually arranged in pairs. The flowers, reminiscent of petunia flowers, are collected in clusters at the ends of the branches. It grows on dry rocky hills in the northern part of South-West Africa.

1 - Pachypodium namakwanii (Pachypodium namaquanum(Wyley ex Harv.) Welw.), Kutrov family (Apocynaceae) - a succulent tree up to 1.5-2 m in height, popularly called “ghost people”. It has a cylindrical, spiny, usually unbranched trunk. Grayish-green velvety leaves are crowded at the tops and quickly fall off. The crown is always inclined to the north (that is, towards the sun, since this plant southern hemisphere). It has a very strange shape. In early September, its crown is dotted with tubular reddish-brown flowers with the scent of jasmine. This plant is found on dry rocky hills near the river. Orange in Namaqualand and southwest Africa. It is under guard and a fine will be charged for damage. 2 - Succulent Impala lily, or adenium obese (Adenium obesum(Forsk) Roem. et Schult. var. multiflorum (Klotrsch) Codd), Kutrov family (Apocynaceae) - grows in tropical Africa: in eastern and northern regions Transvaal, northern Zululand, Kenya and Swaziland. This is a shrub about 1.2 m in height. The leaves are succulent, light green, fleshy, and sit in funnels at the ends of the branches. The flowers are large, white with pink or red fringe, appearing in winter, often on leafless branches. The fruit is paired, each part is pea-shaped, the juice of the fruit is used as poison for arrows. The plant is eaten by wild animals. The Impala lily has a tree-like form only in protected areas of northern Rhodesia. 3 - Baobab palmate, adansonia palmate, monkey breadfruit (Adansonia digitata L.), Baobab family (Bombacaceae) - a tree 10-25 cm in height with a powerful trunk, up to 12 m in diameter, and a huge crown. The leaves are large, palmately compound, falling during the dry season and turning green during the rainy season. The bark is very hard and smooth. Flowers up to 20 cm in diameter appear during the rainy season. The fruits are up to 40 cm long, look like a huge cucumber, with juicy pulp, mealy and sour, in which a mass of seeds is immersed. The wood is soft, light, porous, and there are no annual rings. Often during fires, huge hollows are formed in the tree (due to burning out of the core), but it continues to live. The roots grow hundreds of meters from the tree. Baobab is a typical tree of the African savanna. Due to its multilateral use, it is becoming rare, so in a number of countries South Africa It is recommended to take him under guard. The oldest specimens are preserved in the Kruger National Park.

Baobabs are characteristic of tropical countries, especially tropical America. There are 28 genera and about 190 species in the family. These are often very large trees with thick, barrel-shaped trunks. In thickened trunks, parenchyma tissue is highly developed, storing water, which allows the plant to tolerate severe droughts.

1 - Boswellia Cartera (Boswellia carteri Birdw.), Burseraceae family, is found in highlands in Somalia, but its numbers are declining every year due to the collection of valuable incense resin. The genus includes more than 20 species. These are low trees or shrubs with a shapeless, crooked trunk and weeping branches. Their leaves are feathery and hairy. The genus Encephalartos, Family Cycadaceae, is interesting for its ancient origin. It contains about 40 species. These are mainly low palm-shaped plants with a trunk 1-4, less often 8-15 m high; there are also stemless species. Their trunk is simple or branched from the base. The leaves are tough, with spiny-pointed segments and usually serrated on one or both edges. The local name is “breadfruit”: previously, the trunks were split and hardened pieces of resin were collected for food. The seeds resemble dates, with a hard core, a layer of juicy pulp and a hard, often brightly colored shell. In the past, many cycads were exported from Africa abroad or transferred to botanical gardens, parks, and private collections. Now all representatives of the genus are protected in Africa. 2 - Encephalartos Altenstein (Encephalartos altensteinii Lehm.) - a plant usually 2-4, less often 7 m high; adult specimens are found surrounded by lower, almost stemless offspring. During the pollination period, yellowish female and male strobili emit a peculiar strong aroma that attracts a lot of insects, especially beetles. Megastrobiles are 40-50 cm long, up to 30 cm wide, weighing up to 40 kg. Grows in southeast Africa. Widely distributed in botanical gardens. 3 - Encephalartos kaffir (Encephalartos caffer(Thunb.) Lehm.) - characterized by very slow growth, can live up to 500 years. Its habitat is small: it extends along the coast of the Indian Ocean in the Cape Province of South Africa from Port Elizabeth in the south and almost to Durban in the north. This plant has long been used as a food plant, but currently its reserves have decreased alarmingly due to the development of habitats for corn crops.

4 in Fig. top - Cyathea Drega, Drega tree fern, oriental tree fern (Cyathea dregei Kunze), Family Cyacheaceae - reaches a height of 5.5 m, has a strong, thick, unbranched trunk and an arched crown of very long, graceful, triple-dissected leaves, dark green above and light below. Found in South Africa (eastern Cape, Natal, eastern and central Transvaal) to tropical zone. It usually grows on plateaus, at an altitude of 350 m above sea level. seas, in the velds and on grassy slopes along streams. Protected in the Natal National Park, but protection is also required in the Transvaal.

2 - Encephalartos umbelusianus (Encephalartos umbeluziensis R.A. Dyer), Family Cycadaceae - quite small, less than 4 m in height. It has no trunk above the surface of the ground: thanks to the retracting action of its roots, the trunk goes into the ground as it grows, so that only the crown of leaves is visible above the surface, and the old leaf bases are on the underground part of the trunk. Grows in shady forests along the valleys of tributaries of the river. Mgulizi, from where it goes through the mountains to Mozambique. 3 - Encephalartos shaggy (Encephalartos villosus Lehm.) - distributed from the east of the Cape and Natal to Swaziland. This is also a stemless plant, differing from the previous species in longer and succulent leaves and significantly longer and thinner male cones. The genus Euphorbia is the most extensive in the Euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae) - about 2 thousand species. It is well represented in Africa. Particularly interesting among plants of this genus are tree-like succulents, which give a unique appearance to the South African landscape. All succulent milkweeds are included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. The Cape Province of South Africa is distinguished by a significant diversity of euphorbias. The rarest species are spurge bighorn (Euphorbia grandicornis Goebel.) ( 1 in Fig. left), spurge terrible (Euphorbia horrhida Boiss.)( 4 in Fig. left), spurge warty (Euphorbia mamillaris L.) ( 1 in Fig. down), spurge melon (Euphorbia meloformis) (2 in Fig. down), spurge plump (Euphorbia obesa Hook.) ( 4 in Fig. down), etc.

Euphorbia Cameroonian (Euphorbia cameronii N.E.Brown) is endangered. This is a succulent non-thorny shrub up to 3 m in height and 3.5 m in diameter, branches from the base and has a dense conical crown. The branches are cylindrical, 1.5-3 cm thick, with spirally arranged leaf scars. The leaves are terminal, fleshy, obovate. The flowers are small, yellowish-green, located at the tops of the branches. This milkweed is endemic to Somalia, known from 4-5 localities in the Golis Mountains region. Disappears under the influence of overgrazing and as a result of changes in living conditions. As a succulent shrub with succulent, fleshy branches, it can be eaten by livestock, mainly camels, but also sheep and goats. During drought, it is used as a source of moisture in arid regions. It grows mainly on rocky hills, but one locality is known on a sandy alluvial plain. 3 - A very rare species of the Cape Province is aloe variegated (Aloe variegata L.), whose numbers are declining as a result of the destruction of its habitats. Widely distributed in culture.

Lead tree or elephant tusk tree (Combretum imberbe Wawra), Combretaceae family - reaches a height of 21 m and a diameter of 1 m. Its wood is heavy, the dead tree stands with branches for a long time. The trunk is pale gray, sometimes almost white, the bark cracks into small squares or rectangles, which is characteristic feature tree. The main branches, almost white, are called "elephant tusks", young branches often ending in hard spines. The foliage is drooping (withered). The small, simple leaves are opposite, mounted on petioles, silver-gray, pale grayish-green or yellowish-green, covered below and sometimes above with tiny silvery, golden or reddish scales. Small yellow or cream flowers are collected in loose cylindrical spikelets, sitting in the axils of the leaves or at the ends of the branches. The fruit is massive, round, up to 1.9 cm in diameter, 4-winged, yellowish-green, the plant is characterized by slow growth, lives over 1000 years. Grows along rivers, in shrub velds in Zululand, Swaziland, Transvaal, southwest Africa. The leaves serve as food for many animals, the juice is used as food, and the wood, which burns very slowly and produces a lot of heat, serves as an excellent fuel. Africans consider the lead tree to be sacred, the ancestor of humans, domestic and wild animals.

1 - Burkea africa, wild Hevea (Burkea africana Hook.), family Legumes (Fabaceae) - a tree 4.5-8 (21) m in height, strongly branching almost from the base. The crown is flat, the branches are rough, the bark resembles crocodile skin, dark red. The leaves are drooping, sit at the ends of the branches in clusters, double- or triple-pinnate, young silvery, later dark greenish-blue, flowers pale yellow. Grows in tropical West Africa, usually on sand, in acacia savanna, in dry open shrub veld at an altitude of 600-1370 m above sea level. seas. 2 - African longleaf acacia (Peltophorum africanum Sond.), Rhodesian black acacia, Legume family (Fabaceae) - a wide-spreading tree up to 9 m in height. The trunk is often twisted or branched almost from the ground. The leaves are alternate, silver-gray, twice divided. A flower with bright yellow curving petals and a pubescent calyx. Flowers are borne in racemes, terminal inflorescences or leaf axils. The wood is reddish, average weight, easy to polish and process, quite widely used. This acacia is found in Natal, Zululand, Swaziland, the northern and eastern parts of the Transvaal, Central tropical Africa, Botswana, southwest Africa, and Angola. Grows on sandy soils in dry scrubland and open savannah: is a common plant of the Transvaal bushland. Population numbers are declining due to the development of territories under agriculture, consumption of beans for livestock feed. This is one of the rain trees of Africa: in late spring, drops of water appear on the branches and fall, like rain, to the ground under the crown. A good garden tree: the seeds germinate quickly and are resistant to cold weather. 3 - Lonchocarpus capasian (Lonchocarpus capassa Rolfe), Legume family (Fabaceae) - a small tree 4.5-12 m in height. Parts of the trunk are devoid of branches to a considerable height. The bark is smooth, white or gray, sometimes cracks, revealing its creamy-yellow interior and red sap. The leaves are compound, gray-green. The flowers are small, fragrant, similar to pea flowers, blue or purple, with a velvety calyx, on large unbranched peduncles at the ends of the branches. The wood is yellowish; local residents use it to make dishes, canoes, and for medicinal purposes. The bark and roots are highly toxic and are used as fish poison. It is found in the bushes and lowland velds of Zululand, Swaziland, and the eastern and northern Transvaal. It also grows in the forests of the northeastern part of southwestern Africa, in Botswana, and further north in tropical Africa. A good garden tree, one of the rain or weeping trees of Africa.

4 in Fig. above - Xanthocercis zambezianis (Xanthocercis zambesiaca(Bak.) Dumaz-le-Grand), Legume family (Fabaceae) - an evergreen tree up to 18 m in height with very thick several trunks about 0.5 to 2.4 m in diameter (sometimes there is only one trunk). The branches “cry” at the ends. The leaves are alternate, with 5-12 alternate or opposite leaflets with a larger leaflet at the end. The flowers are small, white, with a grayish velvety calyx, collected in small clusters at the ends of the branches. The fruit is unusual for a legume - 2.5 cm long and 1.3 cm wide, with a smooth brown skin, it contains a black seed in thin juicy pulp. The wood is white and heavy. It grows in lowland forests, on deep sands along rivers, in the hot, dry area between Soutpansberg and the river. Limpopo, in the northern part of the Kruger National Park, northern Botswana, Rhodesia and Zambia. Easily regenerated from seeds. Little known in culture.

The genus of aloe (family Liliaceae, Liliaceae) is widespread throughout the African continent, but tropical areas are especially rich in it. Aloe is a deciduous succulent, often tree-like, with highly branched trunks at the top, bearing bunches of fleshy leaves at the ends of succulent green branches. In the lower part, the trunks often become woody and covered with brown bark. There are about 240 species in the genus. All species are included in Appendix II of the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species.

1 - Aloe arborescens (Aloe arborescens Mill.) is a beautiful branched plant no more than 3.3 m high. The stems branch from the base, each of them ends in a rosette of leaves. The leaves are long, rather fleshy, green or gray-green, with serrated edges. The inflorescence is usually unbranched. The flowers are light scarlet, cylindrical, densely covering the peduncle. The pulp of the leaves is used as medicine. The species' range is quite wide; the plant is found in South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, Rhodesia and Malawi. This is one of the few aloes that have a significant altitudinal amplitude - distributed from sea level to mountain tops of 1829 m. It grows both in coastal bushes and on mountain slopes among stones. Widely cultivated. 2 - Aloe fibrous (Aloe fibrosa Lavranos et Newton) is a shrub with stems and branches up to 2.5 m in length and 3 cm in thickness. The leaves are lanceolate, sharp, sometimes with a bent back tip, bright green (turning brown in the sun), sometimes with spots. The inflorescence is simple or with 1-2 branches, about 100 cm in height, conical. The perianth is orange-red with yellow edges. It grows in Kenya on sandy soils and among gneiss rocks in woody savanna. Several species of aloe are endangered in the Cape Province - small-flowered (Aloe parviflora Baker) ( 3 in Fig. left), Pillanza (Aloe pillansii Guthrie), striped ( Aloe striatula Haw.), sessile-flowered (Aloe sessiliflora Ple Evans). 4 - Aloe multifolia, Aloe Lesotho (Aloe polyphylla Schonl ex Pillans) is a succulent perennial with a rounded rosette of 75-150 usually straight leaves up to 80 cm in diameter, arranged in a spiral. The leaves are very fleshy, ovate-oblong. Peduncle 50-60 cm in height, branching almost from the base, with flowers located at the tops of the branches. The flowers are pale red or pink, less often yellow. Endemic to Lesotho (South Africa), found on the ridge. Thaba Putsoa and to Maseru in the Drakensberg Mountains. This rare species is of great horticultural importance, but supplies have dwindled due to the digging up of plants for sale to gardeners. Currently, about 3,500 specimens are known. in about 50 places. The plant has disappeared from 12 previously known locations.

1 - Nubian dragon tree (Dracaena ombet Kotschy et Peyr.), Agave family (Liliaceae) - included in the IUCN Red List. This tree, 3-4 m in height, has an umbrella-shaped crown, consisting of strong branches that branch regularly after flowering and bearing at their tops dense bunches of thick sword-shaped leaves 40-70 cm long, broadly oval at the base. Numerous flowers are collected in cylindrical racemes. Flower with 6 white or pale pink narrow oblong-lanceolate perianth lobes. The berries are spherical, yellow. An ancient relic and one of the most remarkable plants of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan (Eritrea and the Red Sea Hills), it is possible that it grows along the northern coast of Somalia. It is found in bush thickets on dry hills along sandstones or quartzite outcrops, at an altitude of 750-1200 m, together with candelabra-shaped tree Abyssinian spurge (Euphorbia abyssinica J.E. Gmelin) and various acacias. The vegetation of these hills suffers from overgrazing and is severely degraded. Some specimens of dracaena are preserved only on bare rocks; previously this species was a subdominant here. The number of dragon trees has also declined due to exploitation (extraction of sap, cutting for firewood, collection of fibrous leaves for the manufacture of various wicker products). In the past, the species was protected in Sudan in the area of ​​​​the Erkovit oasis, but now the vegetation there has changed so much that already in 1961 only dead trunks were found. The only way to preserve the Nubian dragon tree is by breeding it in botanical gardens. All dracaenas were used in Mediterranean countries as a medicinal and coloring agent, and in India for religious ceremonies. There are about 50 species in the genus, and they are also protected Uzumbara dragon tree (Dracaena usambarensis Engl.), known from a locality in northeastern Tongaland and widely distributed in tropical Africa. 2 - Acacia giraffe (Acacia giraffae Willd.), family Mimosa (Mimosaceae) - a tree up to 9 m in height in South Africa and up to 2 m in Botswana. It usually has a wide crown of dense, delicate foliage and a straight trunk with dark red bark. Young branches bear 2 spines at the base, the inflorescence is round yellow balls in bunches in the axils of the leaves. It is found in the deserts and savannas of South Africa - in the Central and Western Transvaal, west of the Orange Province, in Rhodesia and Angola, as well as in the south and southwest of Aforika, in Botswana. It grows very slowly, the oldest specimens are hundreds of years old. The seeds germinate poorly, the seedlings require light.

3 in Fig. top - Acacia Galpini, monkey thorn (Acacia galpini Burtt Davy), Family Mimosa (Mimosaceae) - a tree up to 82 m high, if you take into account the underground part of the trunk (usually the lower part is covered with silt over the centuries, it is possible that trees up to 120 m in height were known. The trunk circumference is 1 m above the ground reaches 23.2 m, and the diameter of the crown is 555 m, the height above the ground is usually 25 m. The branches are widely spreading, on the trunk and branches there are long curved spines, the foliage is light green. The wood is heavy, dense, with a darker middle part. grew along the banks of the Magalakwena River, a tributary of the Limpopo, in the north-west of the Transvaal. Currently, almost all the old trees have been destroyed by fires and hurricanes, but in some places in the Transvaal there are still trees up to 25 m in height.

4 in the rice above - Angrekum two-row (Angraecum distichum Ldl.), Orchid family (Orchidaceae) - found in western tropical Africa along with another orchid - Angrecum Eichler (Angraecum eichlerianum Kränzl.). This genus is very characteristic of Africa and the island of Madagascar and has 206 species. Most of them are epiphytes with leafy stems and highly developed aerial roots. Leaves are double-rowed, belt-shaped, flowers are solitary or in inflorescences. Many species have white flowers with a spur; they smell strongly at night, since they are pollinated by moths, the proboscis of which is equal to the length of the spur. Flowers of some species are used in making tea for their aroma.

1 - Chondropetalum akoki (Chondropetalum acockii Pillans), Family Restionaceae, is a rush-like perennial with creeping rhizomes and very thin, straight, unbranched stems 70 cm in height. Male inflorescences are in spreading panicles 5-10 cm long; Women's are similar to men's, but smaller. There are several known localities of this species in South Africa, in a very populated area between Cape Town and Mair over a distance of 45 km. The search for other populations in the remaining areas of relict vegetation was unsuccessful. It grows on poorly drained sands located on clays that retain moisture at an altitude of 100-300 m above sea level. seas. Four populations are known from areas of natural vegetation remaining in this developed area. The area of ​​each population is less than 2 hectares. 2 - Bulbophyllum barbella (Bulbophyllum barbigerum Ldl.), Orchid family (Orchidaceae) - found in West Africa. It has wide oval tubers 3 cm long with a single leaf. A peduncle up to 15 cm high bears 8-14 brownish-purple flowers. All species of this genus are epiphytes. Of interest is the original, very mobile lip of their flowers. 3 - Disa single-flowered (Disa uniflora Berg), Orchid family (Orchidaceae) is a very spectacular plant, the flowers are collected in inflorescences. There are about 80 species in the genus Disa, distributed in Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The Cape region is especially rich in them. Grows in damp and marshy places, in meadows. Genus Hyphene, Palma doum or fan palm has about 11 species, distributed in tropical Africa, Arabia and the Mascarene Islands. One species is found in South Africa and another in South West Africa and Botswana. Unlike all other palm trees, Hyphene has a branched crown. The leaves are fan-shaped, with xiphoid lobes, the fruits have a scaly skin. The juice of the fruit is used to make palm wine.

4 in Fig. top - Egyptian ginger palm (Hyphaene thebaica(L.) Maert.) almost disappeared from the face of the Earth. This tree is 10 m high with 3-4 branches, each of which ends in a bunch of fan-shaped leaves, flowers appear among them. In females, the flowers are replaced by large clusters of reddish, shiny, yellow-brown fruits (there are up to 200 of them in one cluster). The fruits are edible, their fibrous powdery husk tastes like gingerbread, but is very dry. In Upper Egypt, this palm is called the “dum palm.” It grows in oases along with other rare plants. Its numbers have decreased due to irrigation work in the Nile Valley. The Egyptian palm tree is also known in the region of Chad and Chadian Sakhali.

Another type of doom palm - Hyphaene ventricosa Kirk. - found in the north of South-West Africa and Botswana, and to the north penetrates tropical Africa. This tree is 15-18 m tall with a simple trunk, often having a characteristic convexity in the middle or lower part. The crown consists of large fan leaves collected at the top of the trunk. The plant is dioecious. The fruits have a hard brown shell, underneath there is a layer of edible pulp, in which the hard core is immersed. The milk from the young fruits resembles the milk of coconuts. The top of the trunk is often cut off to extract the sap used to make palm wine. Its numbers have also decreased significantly.

In general, Africa is one of the centers of origin of palm trees. Two species of African palms are endangered and many are rare.

1 in Fig. below - Medemia argun (Medemia argun(Mart.) Wurttemberg ex H. Wendl.), Palm family (Palmaceae) - a palm tree up to 10 m in height with a bare, unbranched trunk bearing a crown of fan-shaped leaves up to 1.4 m in length, sitting on the same long petioles. The leaf lobes are hard, xiphoid, the lateral ones are much shorter and narrower than the middle ones. Male and female flowers are on different trees. The males are small, with 3 spreading petals 3-4 mm long, hidden in tomentose bracts and collected in dense spikes about 15-28 mm long and 1 cm thick. Female flowers are 5 mm in diameter, round, on strong petioles 1 cm long. The fruits are elliptical, 2-5 cm long, with a shiny brownish-purple surface. This palm tree is found in just a few places in Egypt and Sudan. There are 3 known locations in Egypt - an uninhabited oasis 220 km southwest of Aswan, 200 km west of Aswan and on the eastern bank of the Nile (in the south). In Sudan it is known from one locality, approximately 200 km southeast of Wadi Halfa. It grows in river shallows, wadis and oases. Apparently, in the past it was distributed much more widely, and widely in ancient Egypt: in the ancient Egyptian pyramids there are numerous images and fruits of it). In general, palm populations are at critically low levels due to exploitation (the fruits are edible, and the leaves are used to make mats).

2 - Wissmannia keeled (Wissmannia cariensis(Chiov.) Burret), Palm family (Palmaceae) - a palm tree with a single grayish-brown trunk up to 15-20 m in height and 40 cm in diameter. Its crown consists of 40 fan leaves. The petioles are 120 cm long, armed along the edge with spines bent back and yellowish-green on the lower surface. Leaf blades are up to 95 cm long, green on both sides. The inflorescences are axillary, each branch bears a yellow bisexual flower. The ripe fruit is round. The palm is very similar to some species of the widely cultivated genus Livistona. Vissmannia is known from Somalia, Djibouti and South Yemen. It grows along river banks, in valleys and oases, and in Djibouti near brackish water bodies. Its numbers have noticeably decreased. The decrease in numbers is associated with logging (wood is valued as a building material), grazing of sheep and cattle, which prevents its resumption. Cultivated in Kenya, found in the Kew Botanical Gardens (England). Both described palm species are included in the IUCN Red List. 3 - Orotamius Zeichera, swamp rose (Orothamnus zeyheri Pappe ex Hook.), Proteaceae family - classified as vulnerable species. This is a single-stemmed tree or low-branched shrub 1-4 m in height. The leaves are densely arranged on the branches, elliptical, leathery, hairy, especially along the edges. The flower heads (AO 1-3 at the tips of the branches) are subulate, 5-7 cm long, with pink-red pubescent bracts 4-6 cm long surrounding the lemon yellow flowers. The fruit is oblong, about 6 mm. Swamp rose is found only in South Africa. There are 9 known populations and several small groups of this plant in the Kogelberg mountains in the south-west of the Cape region and one population near Hermanus, 25 km east of the previous ones. It grows on steep slopes of southern exposure, at an altitude of 500-850 m. It may disappear due to uncontrolled burning of vegetation, fungal diseases and damage by rats. This is the most beautiful view of all Proteaceae. The rose-like red bracts of the heads are very decorative and have long attracted the attention of flower traders.

4 in Fig. above - Velvichia is amazing (Welwitschia bainesii(Hook.f.) Carr = W.mirabilis Hook. f.), Family Welwitschiaceae - a unique dwarf desert tree that has only 2 leaves throughout its life. The trunk usually reaches a height of 30 cm, very rarely 1.5 m, but underground it can be up to 3 m long. The trunk diameter is more than 1 m. The wood is as dense and hard as that of a sequoia. The leaves appear small, but as they grow they become wide, thick, leathery, ribbed, up to 3.7 m long, greenish-brown in color. They never fall and continue to grow, piling up on the sand. Male and female cones appear at the base of the leaves, on different individuals. Males are pink, while females are greyish-green at first and red when ripe. The seeds are winged, light, and carried by the wind. All organs of the plant secrete a transparent resin. It is found in southwestern Africa only along the west coast, from southern Angola to the south, reaching the southern tropic in the bend of the river. Caseb in the Namib Desert. The range is limited to the area of ​​ocean fogs, the greatest distance from the sea is 80 km. Grows in sandy deserts scattered, in single specimens, never forming groups. Is protected by law. Velvichia is a transitional plant between the types of gymnosperms and angiosperms.

Published based on the book: Belousova L.S., Denisova L.V. Rare plants of the world. M.: Forest industry, 1983. 344 p.

Africa is rich in various animals. The variety of animal forms on the dark continent is impressive. The fauna of Africa varies greatly depending on the climatic zone.

The main variety of animals lives in the vast expanses of savannas; they and open forests occupy approximately 40% of the continent's area. It is in the savannas that large herbivores (giraffes, zebras, elephants, etc.) and predators (hyenas, lions, cheetahs, etc.) with which Africa is associated live.

Photos of elephants

Elephants are the largest land mammals. They are stunning in their appearance. In addition to their size, elephants are famous for their trunk; there is no analogue to this organ in the animal world.

Elephants also have the most big ears. They help elephants repel insects. Although elephants are also very well protected from annoying insects by their thick skin.

Another distinctive feature of an elephant is its tusks. Elephants use these modified teeth in fights for a female; the tusks of males are much larger than those of females.

Elephants live in herds and can fend for themselves if attacked by predators.

Besides Africa, elephants also live in India. Indian elephants are somewhat smaller than African elephants, and their tusks are also shorter.

Following the largest land animal - the elephant, let's consider the tallest representative of the animal world - the giraffe. It can reach a height of six meters and weigh approximately 900 kilograms.

The color of the giraffe is similar to the famous African predator - the cheetah, and the endurance of the giraffe is similar to that of a camel. Giraffes are found exclusively in the African savanna, most of the population lives in nature reserves.

Interesting fact: giraffes have a black tongue.

Photo of okapi

A relative of the giraffe is the okapi.

Okapi are very secretive and live in hard-to-reach places. Okapi are more similar to a zebra, but are nevertheless genetically related to the giraffe.

Photo of an aardvark

Tubkozub - similar appearance the anteater is an African animal. Although its diet is also based on ants, the aardvark is not related to the anteater.

Zebra photo

Zebras are known for their striped coloration. These animals are wild relatives of horses and donkeys.

Zebras live in small herds, usually from 10 to 30 individuals. If a herd is attacked by a predator, zebras protect their offspring first. Females with cubs run into the center of the herd, the rest of the animals take up all-round defense.

A herd of zebras is led by a female; she leads her herd to watering, or goes ahead during migration. She is followed by foals from the youngest and in ascending order. The stallion-leader brings up the rear of the procession. If a zebra is seriously injured when encountering a predator, it may be kicked out of the herd. The laws of survival apply to zebras as they do to all other animals.

Photo of wildebeest

One of the most unusual herbivores in Africa is the wildebeest. This animal can be called a mixture of a horse and a bull, namely, on the body of the horse there is the head of a bull with a goat's beard.

Two wildebeests sort things out in Kenya's Amboseli National Park.

The genus of wildebeest includes two species: the white-tailed wildebeest and the blue wildebeest. The first species - the white-tailed wildebeest - is very rare, and the second species is very numerous, about one and a half million blue wildebeest individuals graze safely in the vastness of Africa.

Ostrich photo

Of the savannah birds, let us pay attention to the ostrich. An ostrich is a large bird, comparable to an elephant:

The height of the ostrich reaches 2.7 meters, this is with the neck extended upward. The weight of the animal can be 75 kilograms. Ostriches cannot fly, but they run very fast.

The male incubates the eggs of ostriches. This is a unique phenomenon in the world of African wildlife.

Although ostriches prefer to eat grass, they are omnivores and will eat lizards, small turtles and insects.

One of the most ancient animals on our planet is rhinoceroses. These large herbivores in Africa are second only in size to elephants.

The main difference between these animals is their large horn. But it is also the reason for the poaching of rhinoceroses. All known species Rhinoceroses are listed in the Red Book.

Rhinoceroses have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. But my vision is weak. But with such a size and a speed of 55 km/h, these are problems for other animals.

Rhinoceroses protect themselves from annoying blood-sucking insects by “dressing” in mud baths. They are also helped in controlling pests by birds, which can often be seen on the back of rhinoceroses.

Rhinoceroses are peaceful and not cowardly animals. They let people get close, thereby making the work of poachers easier.

Hippopotamus photo

The hippopotamus is a very large animal in Africa. In terms of size, it ranks third after the elephant and rhinoceros, and the blue whale.

In Latin, the name means river horse. The hippopotamus spends almost all its time in the water, it even sleeps in the water. But the hippopotamus is considered a relative of the pig, since it has more in common with pigs than with horses.

The hippopotamus has very thick skin, its thickness is 4 centimeters. This protects the hippo from insects, but also poses a problem for veterinarians. If you need to stitch up a hippo's wound, it is stitched up with wire, not thread.

Warthog photo

The warthog is an African relative of the wild pig.

A warthog jumped onto the road in National Park Masai Mara in Kenya and studied tourists with curiosity.

Warthogs are inhabitants of savannas; they are practically not found in dense forests.

A warthog slowly walks along the road in the zoo reserve.

Honey badger photo

Animal honey badger: the thunder of the jungle, eater of snakes and honey. Despite its small size, this animal became famous for its courage. He fights back even lions that are much larger than him.

The honey badger boldly attacks lions if they threaten him.

The honey badger can be found almost anywhere in Africa. This predator is leading night look life, and during the day he rests in holes that he digs himself, and does not squeeze from other animals.

Honey badger, front photo.

The honey badger is absolutely immune to bee stings; moreover, even a bite poisonous snake doesn't kill him. After being bitten by a snake, the honey badger lies unconscious for several minutes, then, as if nothing had happened, gets up and goes about its business.

Gorilla photo

The largest primates are gorillas. They inhabit equatorial evergreen forests, which are not so rich in representatives of the terrestrial animal world. But a lot of birds live in the treetops of these forests.

A gorilla weighs up to 200 kilograms, and the height of this primate is about 2 meters.

Gorillas can climb trees, but they do this extremely rarely. The huge mass of the animal does not allow adult individuals to do this. Only small gorillas can have fun walking through the trees without fear of falling off.

The scary and menacing appearance of these animals is deceptive. Gorillas are very kind animals. Gorillas walk on their front paws, like most primates.

Let's start studying the predators of the African continent. First in line is the king of beasts, the lion. These large wild cats have an aura of royalty and nobility.

Lions are the only cats living in a pack. Lions have a complex social structure. A small population of lions is historically found in India, while the main population is found in Africa.

In lions, males and females are very different from each other. Males have a powerful mane, females do not. Among cats, mane is found only in lions.

Lions are not capable of developing high speed. Therefore, their trump card in the hunt is organization and a group attack.

Photo of a leopard

The leopard is a fairly large cat, but leopards are significantly smaller in size than lions. Nowadays, there are few leopards left in the wild; they are even listed in the Red Book.

You can meet leopards not only in Africa, but also in Asia, all the way to China. Although stable populations of leopards remain only in Africa.

Africa is home to the fastest predator on Earth - the cheetah. This is a fairly large cat.

The cheetah has a beautiful spotted color, which helps this predator camouflage itself in the grass. Although he develops great speed, he is not capable of running long distances. Therefore, he first hides his prey, then quickly attacks.

Cheetahs are solitary, like many cat species. Although cheetahs are similar to dogs in many ways. They even look like greyhounds in appearance, they suffer from canine diseases and their character is in many ways reminiscent of the character of dogs. Cheetahs even become tamed and become attached to people.

Another predatory cat of Africa is the serval. This cat can also be tamed and has many dog-like traits. Another name for serval is bush cat.

The serval has a short tail, like the lynx. Distinctive feature Servals have large ears.

One more wild cat Africa - caracal, although it is worth noting that it is also found in the vastness of Asia.

The caracal prefers the steppes, so its color is uniform, except for the ears. Caracals have black ears, and in Turkish, caracal means “black ear.”

Outwardly it resembles a lynx, but the caracal is smaller. He is also slimmer and more graceful. Caracals, like lynxes and servals, can be tamed and kept as pets.

But Africa's most formidable predator is neither a lion nor a hypard. The most terrible predator is the hyena. There is an opinion that the hyena is a scavenger, but this is not so. The hyena does not disdain carrion, but it also knows how to hunt. The weight of an adult hyena is about 75 kilograms, the animal can reach 2 meters in length.

Hyenas can develop great speed, they can catch up with a zebra or antelope. They hunt in a pack, and they are very cautious and even cowardly.

The hyena's digestive system is unique and digests everything that enters it. Hyenas are able to digest even rotten meat, feathers and bones.

Most of the continent is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts. They are located in North and South Africa. Representatives of the animal world of the northern deserts are similar to Asian desert animals; there you can find jerboas, gerbils, fennec foxes, as well as jackals and hyenas. The deserts of southern Africa are inhabited by many endemic species, and there are also many different turtles there.

Without exaggeration, the most dangerous representative of blood-sucking insects, the tsetse fly, lives in Africa. If you are planning to travel around central Africa, then it is better to know in advance about all the dangers posed by this insect.

Tsetse fly from Burkina Faso.

Be sure to read why a tsetse fly bite is dangerous, because during three weeks There may be no symptoms of a bite. And the lack of treatment in this case can lead to death.

An interesting fact about the tsetse fly: the black and white stripes of the zebra for some reason repel the insect and this color makes zebras the only inhabitants of the savannas that are not bothered by tsetse.

Serengeti National Park

In Africa, several large conservation areas have been created in which African animals are preserved and protected by local authorities. The largest such place is national park Serengeti, which is located in Tanzania.

The Serengati Park covers an area of ​​14,763 km2 and is home to a huge number of different species of animals. There are more than 500 species of birds alone here. The number of herbivores is also impressive: there are about 1.5 million wildebeest in the park, and about 900 thousand Thompson's gazelles. Here you can meet all the large African predators: lions, leopards and cheetahs.

All these herds of animals annually make a great migration, moving to places rich in water and food. The length of this route is 3,000 km.

The Great Animal Migration of the Serengeti

Every year thousands of tourists visit the Serengeti Park. Vast expanses of wild nature leave a lasting impression on city dwellers.

Their appearance is surprising, and their habits are alarming. Of course, each continent has its own unique fauna, but Africa is truly home to some incredible animals that can only be found here. They will be discussed below. So, we present to your attention a list of the ten most amazing animals in Africa.

Wild dog - carnivorous mammal from the canine family. They live in arid regions south of the Sahara in northern Botswana, western Zimbabwe, eastern Namibia, northern Tanzania and Mozambique. They live in flocks of 7–15 individuals. They lead a nomadic lifestyle within the hunting area, which covers 100–200 square meters. km. They are excellent runners. They are able to pursue their prey over long distances, reaching speeds of up to 50–55 km/h. The bulk of the wild dog's prey consists of small antelopes; sometimes they hunt hares, rodents or other small animals. The main natural enemies are lions and spotted hyenas.

Their body length is about 1 m, height at withers up to 78 cm, weight 18–36 kg. Males are 3–7% larger than females.

Okapi is a cloven-hoofed mammal from the giraffe family that lives in dense tropical forests only on the territory Democratic Republic Congo. They are reserved, very timid and solitary animals that only come together to breed. Like giraffes, okapi feed primarily on tree leaves, sometimes grass, ferns, mushrooms and fruits. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 55 km/h. Its main natural enemy is the leopard. Unfortunately, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classifies these beautiful creatures as endangered.

The average body length of an adult okapi is about 2.5 m, the height at the withers is 1.5 m, and the weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg.

Jumpers are a family of small insectivores widely distributed throughout southern Africa. It is one of the fastest small mammals. They are capable of moving at a speed of 28.8 km/h. They live alone or form monogamous pairs that actively guard their territory. They feed mainly on invertebrates, such as spiders, ants, termites, millipedes, etc. Some species of hopper practically do not drink water.

Their body length ranges from 10–12 to 30–31.5 cm, tail 8–26.5 cm, weight – 40–540 g.

The greater kudu is a species of antelope widely distributed primarily in savannas throughout eastern and southern Africa. They lead a sedentary lifestyle, forming small herds (from 6 to 20 individuals). They are active mainly at night, hiding deep in the thickets during the day. They feed mainly on leaves and young branches. The kudu's main enemies are lions, leopards and wild dogs.

The greater kudu is one of the largest antelope species. Their body length is 185–245 cm. Height at the withers is 1.40 m. The weight of males is 190–270 kg, females 120–210 kg. Males have large horns growing on their heads, reaching a height of up to 1 meter.

The gerenuk or giraffe gazelle is a species of African antelope, distributed primarily in the dry territories of East Africa from Ethiopia and Somalia to Tanzania. Representatives of this species have a characteristic, very slender shape of the neck and legs, which makes them impossible to confuse with other antelopes. Generalists are active in the morning and evening. They feed exclusively on leaves, buds and young shoots of shrubs and trees growing in their habitat areas. They can go without water for a very long time.

Their body length is 140–160 cm, height at the withers is 95 cm, weight for males is 31–52 kg, for females 28–45 kg. Only males have horns. They reach a length of 25–44 cm.

Galago

Galago is a rather unusual genus of primate, widespread in Africa. They are perhaps the most numerous primates on the continent. These nocturnal animals live in almost every large forest area; they are also found in savannas and dense bushes. They live alone in trees, sometimes descending to the ground. All species feed mainly on insects and tree sap.

Their body length is 12–21 cm, tail 16–30 cm; males weigh 150–300 g, females 95–250 g.

The African civet is a nocturnal mammal that inhabits the savannas and forests of southern and central Africa. Often found near villages. This is the largest representative of the African viverids, which, moreover, has a unique coloration: black and white spots on the body, black stripes surrounding the eyes, disproportionately large hind limbs and a short mane (2.5–10 cm), which rises when the animal is scared. The civet is omnivorous and picky in its diet. Its diet includes insects, wild fruits, small rodents, reptiles, eggs, birds and carrion. It also preys on poisonous invertebrates (such as centipedes) and snakes.

Their body length is 120–140 cm, tail length 40–60 cm, shoulder height 40 cm, weight 9–15 kg.

Kitoglav - resident bird, common in tropical areas of East Africa. Lives year-round in seasonal lowland swamps, where the vegetation is dominated by papyrus in combination with reeds, cattails and various herbaceous plants. It feeds mainly on fish, sometimes frogs, young crocodiles and water snakes, as well as rodents and young waterfowl. Usually lives alone or in pairs, extremely rarely in small groups.

The height of an adult shoebill grows 110–140 cm, some individuals can reach 152 cm. Body length (from tail to tip of beak) ranges from 100–140 cm, wingspan 230–260 cm. Weight from 4 to 7 kg. Males are larger than females.

In second place among the most amazing animals in Africa is the eastern crowned crane. This bird lives in river valleys and on the coasts of large lakes in sub-Saharan Africa. Often found near human habitation and agricultural land. Omnivorous. They feed on plants, seeds, insects, frogs, worms, snakes and small fish. It is one of the national symbols of Uganda.

The Eastern crowned crane grows about 1 m in height and weighs 3.5 kg. Its wingspan reaches 2 m.

The Eastern colobus is a species of primate found in tropical montane wet forests in central Africa. These are diurnal animals that live mainly in trees, but occasionally descend to the ground in search of food. They form harem groups of 8–15 individuals, which consist of one male, several females and cubs. The bulk of their diet consists of young leaves. To a lesser extent, they also eat mature leaves, fruits, flowers and invertebrates. The main enemy that hunts these primates is the most dangerous bird of prey in the world - the crowned eagle.

The weight of male eastern colobus is 9.3–13.5 kg, females: 7.8–9.2 kg, head and body length of males: 54.3–69.9 cm, females: 52.1–67.3 cm , tail length varies from 52 to 100 cm. These are large, relatively strong animals.

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