Author's Favorite's

One of my favorite animals from this country is the commenly known; African Elephant!

This is a Mother African Elephant and her Baby. <3

After researching the African Elephant I have come to find that they are not aggresive, which to me is quiet surprising!

The major unit of elephant society is a stable, matriarchal family of cows and their calves. A typical family includes an average of 10 individuals, usually consisting of an older female, her dependent offspring, and her adult daughters with their immature offspring. Males are usually driven out of the family when they attain the age of breed, after which they remain solitary or temporarily congregate into bachelor herds. African elephant families are not territorial. In fact, they appear to have a social affinity for one another and can be found in larger groups of various sizes.

Here is an example of a "family" or "herd" of African Elephants! <3

I hope that you enjoyed learning a little bit about my favorite animal from Nigeria, Africa. I hopefully will post a new animal each week or so!

Geography on Nigeria!

Flag of Nigeria!

Location:
Western Africa bordering the Gulf of Guinea which is between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 923,768 sq km land: 910,768 sq km water: 13,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California


Land boundaries:
total: 4,047 km border to countries
Coastline:
853 km

Climate:
varies; rising tempature's in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain:
Southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; Mountains are in the southeast. Plains are in the north.

Nigeria has a GREAT variety of climate and natural resources. It has to offer great variety in rivers,and flat lands with animal and plant life. It offers relaxation and beautiful sight seeing.

Nigeria's Plant and Animal Life!

Some of the Most Common Animals in Africa (Nigeria):

Gorilla:

The gorilla is the largest primate, weighing as much as 275 kg (600 lb). Gorillas are forest associated animals. Most gorillas inhabit lowland tropical rainforests and highland rainforests. Goriallas are normally territorial and are very protectove when feeling threatened. The gorilla is found in two principal areas: equatorial West Africa and eastern Central Africa.Hunting and forest clearance for agriculture and timber are the main threats. African lowland and highland forests are rapidly being destroyed to make way for food production uses such as cropping and livestock grazing. In addition, gorillas are killed in return for crop-raiding. In Central Africa, logging and petroleum exploitations are becoming an increasingly high threat to the habitat of the gorilla. The internal trade in bushmeat, which occurs over much of the lowland gorillas' ranges, is now a threat. In recent years, human population pressures on the forest habitat of the Gorillas.

West African Manatee:

Manatees are large, cylindrically shaped mammals, with forelimbs shaped in to flippers, no free hindlimbs, and the rear of the body in the form of a flat, rounded, horizontal paddle. The flexible flippers are used for aiding motion over the bottom, scratching, and touching other manatees, and moving food into and cleaning the mouth. Its upper lip is a large bristly surface, which is deeply divided. It can move each side of the lips independently while feeding. The general coloration is gray. The West African Manatee is Endangered. It is endangered because of the result in boat recks, low water, and fishing.

Manatees are very peacful animals and won't put up a struggle unless feeling threatened.

The West African manatee weighs less than 500 kg! (1100 lb) Adults are generally 3 - 4 m (10 - 13') long. It live around coastal areas, lagoons and large rivers.

Wild Dog:

The wild dog weighs between 17 - 36 kg (37 - 79 lb). It is generally found in the plains and open woodland, although it has been found in a variety of other habitats from the Sahara Desert up into the lower forests of Mt. Kilimanjaro. For most of the year, wild dogs roam around over the plains and in the bush, usually not staying in the same place for more than a day. (Wow that is a lot of traaveling!) The Hunts take place in the morning and early evening. Prey is located by sight, approached silently, and then pursued at speeds of up to 41 mph for up to one hour. Pack members generally cooperate in hunting large mammals, but individuals sometimes hunt/chase hares, rodents, or other small animals. The daytime is spent sleeping, usually in the shade of a tree or near water, with members of the pack lying very close together. Once a year the pack occupies a den for 2 - 3 months, to host young. The den is usually an abandoned aardvark hole.

These are three of my favorite found to roam in and our of Nigeria, Africa. I hope that you all like these animals. If you have any other animals that you would like me to post I would surely do that!