– Termites are less likely to be attacked by parasites than bees, wasps and ants, as they are usually well protected in their mounds.
– Termites are found on all continents except Antarctica.
LOCUST
– By rubbing legs and wings against their body, locusts make a humming sound. They can hear this hum and a range of other sounds through ears on their abdomens.
– Adults grow to 7 cm (3 in) long, eating the equivalent of their own weight in a day.
– They can fly for 15 hours at a time. When a lot of locusts come together, they change color and form a swarm that can be miles wide, blotting out the sun and devouring every plant in its path.
GAMBIA
COMMON WARTHOG
– Warthogs can run up to 48 km/h.
– AV E R A G E L I F E S PA N I N T H E WI L D: 15 years.
– Spend much of the day foraging. Wallow in mud and shelter in burrows to escape mid-day heat. Sleep in burrows at night.
TREE FROG
– Many tree frogs can change their color for better camouflage. For instance, the grey tree frog can change its color from green to grey to yellow.
– Tree frogs live mainly in trees of forests that are in warmer climates, though some live in grasslands, marshes, or other aquatic environments.
– As adults, they are generally insectivorous and eat small invertebrates, such as moths, flies, ants, crickets, and beetles.
GAMBIAN SUN SQUIRREL
– Gambian sun squirrel. Banded hairs in yellows, browns, and greys give the sun squirrel a speckled olivebrown appearance.
– When a squirrel is scared and feels that it is in danger, it will at first remain motionless. If it is on the ground, it will run to a nearby tree and climb to safety, and if it is already in a tree it will circle the trunk and press up against the bark tightly with its body.
– Many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life. Adult squirrels can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. Some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity.
YELLOW WINGED BAT
– The yellow-winged bat has a total length of 58—80 mm and a body weight of 28—36 g.
– These notorious bats sleep during the day in total darkness, suspended upside down from the roofs of caves. They typically gather in colonies of about 100 animals, but sometimes live in groups of 1,000 or more. In one year, a 100-bat colony can drink the blood of 25 cows.
– The bats drink their victim’s blood for about 30 minutes. They don’t remove enough blood to harm their host, but their bites can cause nasty infections and disease.
GHANA
HORNBILL
– Life Span: 35 Years.
– They feed mainly on the ground, foraging for seeds, insects, spiders and even scorpions. They may catch snakes, which they kill by bashing them on against a hard surface. They swallow their prey whole, letting indeigestable parts pass through their digestive system.
– They are active during the day, but mostly at dawn and dusk. They roost high in trees during the night.
EMERALD STARLING
– Lifespan: In the Wild less than 14 years; In Captivity 14 years.
– The emerald starling feeds on figs, Haronga berries and other fruit, seeds, ants and other small insects. The cupshaped nest is built in a tree cavity.
– The emerald starling has special muscles that allow it to open its beak to probe the soil for insects.
TYPICAL STRIPED GRASS MOUSE
– This species lives in deforested areas, grasslands, secondary forest and savanna up to 1,700 meters above sea level.
– Although the life expectancy of these animals in the wild is short with few adults living past their first breeding season, one captive specimen lived 4.8 years.
– They are generally considered diurnal, but at least some species can be active during the night.
AFRICAN SAVANNA HARE
– WEIGHT: 1 TO 3 KILOGRAMS.
– They rely on camouflage to stay hidden, but can run at up to 70 kilometres an hour and sometimes leap vigorously sideways to break the scent trail they are leaving.
GUINEA
AFRICAN BUFFALO
– AV E R A G E L I F E SPA N I N T H E WI L D: 11 to 22 years AV E R A G E L I F E S PA N I N C A P T I V I T Y: Up to 29 years.
– African buffaloes have few predators aside from lions and large crocodiles.
– The African buffalo is considered one of Africa’s most dangerous animals, and is responsible for over 200 fatal attacks on humans every year.
CAPE BUSH BUCK
– Has a short life expectancy of around 12 years old.
– The principal predator is the leopard, but lions, hyenas, cheetahs, hunting dogs and crocodiles prey on bushbucks too.
– The bushbuck’s hunched-up gait makes it a slow and clumsy runner, but it is a good swimmer and can jump 6-foot-high fences.
GUINEA BABBON