Wildlife of Sierra Leone
The wildlife of Sierra Leone is very diverse due to the variety of different habitats within the country. Sierra Leone is home to approximately 2090 known higher plant species, 147 known species of mammals, 172 known breeding bird species, 67 known reptile species, 35 known amphibian species and 99 known species of fish.[1]
Mammals
There are approximately 147 known species of wild mammals within Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone has 15 identified species of
There are several species of
Mammals found in Sierra Leone include:
- Hippopotamus
- African bush elephant
- Bongo
- Duiker
- African forest buffalo
- Diana monkey
- African leopard
- Olive baboon
- Guinea baboon
- Western chimpanzee
- Waterbuck
- Western red colobus
- Red colobus
- Green monkey
- Red river hog
- Warthog
- Lesser spot-nosed monkey
- Black-and-white colobus
- Pygmy hippopotamus
- Serval
- African wild dog
Birds
Sierra Leone has over 630 known species of bird ten of which are considered endangered including
- African harrier-hawk
- Black-collared lovebird
- Blue-headed wood-dove
- Iris glossy-starling
- White-breasted guineafowl
- White-necked rockfowl
- North African ostrich
- Savanna sparrow
Reptiles
There are 67 known species of
Amphibians
As of 2009, the critically endangered Tai toad was discovered in the Gola Forest, which was thought to be endemic to Taï National Park in Ivory Coast.[11]
Fish
A snake eel is a marine fish only known from a single specimen found in the gut of another fish off the coast of Sierra Leone. The country also hosts a number of killifish in the genus Scriptaphyosemion as well as a number of freshwater catfish, including a species of electric catfish.[12]
Invertebrates
Sierra Leone has around 750 species of
Flora
Wild plant types include the lowland moist and semi-deciduous forests, part of the Western Guinean lowland forests, inland valley
- Red mangrove which grows in swamp areas along the western coast
- Cotton tree one of which is a historical symbol of Freetown
- Red ironwood tree
See also
- Cotton Tree, a kapok tree that was a historic symbol of Freetown
References
- ^ a b EarthTrends (2003). "Biodiversity and Protected Areas-- Sierra Leone" (PDF). earthtrends.wri.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2004. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ^ "Flora and fauna of Gola". The Gola Forest Project. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ISBN 978-1-84162-222-4.
- ^ Brncic, Terry M.; Amarasekaran, Bala; McKenna, Anita (2010), Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census (PDF), Freetown, Sierra Leone: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, p. 8
- ^ Brncic, Terry M.; Amarasekaran, Bala; McKenna, Anita (2010), Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census (PDF), Freetown, Sierra Leone: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, p. 103
- ^ Brncic, Terry M.; Amarasekaran, Bala; McKenna, Anita (2010), Sierra Leone National Chimpanzee Census (PDF), Freetown, Sierra Leone: Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, p. 95
- ISBN 978-1-84162-222-4.
- ^ "Building Conservation Capacity in Sierra Leone". RSPB. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-2-8317-0021-2.
- ISBN 978-1-84162-222-4.
- ^ Gola Rainforest National Park. "Reptiles & Amphibians". Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Living National Treasures. "Sierra Leone". Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-8160-5322-3.
- ISBN 978-1-84162-222-4.
- ^ Gola Rainforest National Park. "Wildlife". Retrieved 3 November 2021.
- ^ Squire, Chris (2001), Sierra Leone's Biodiversity and the Civil War: A Case Study Prepared for the Biodiversity Support Program (PDF), Freetown, Sierra Leone: World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C.: Biodiversity Support Program., p. 8, retrieved 22 February 2011
- ISBN 978-1-84162-222-4.