Ethiopia is one of the largest countries in Africa, located in the Horn of Africa, with a wide range of habitats, including deserts and semi-deserts, jungles, grasslands and savannas, forests, mountains and wetlands, lakes and rivers.
This extensive habitat is home to 311 species of mammals, one of which 55 are classified as endemic to the country.
Between January 30 and February 15, 2019, my other half of my two friends and I found and photographed 39 species of birds in the Great Rift Valley, the Bell Mountains, Awash National Park, Abijata-Shara National Park, and more than 300 species of birds, Lake Havasa, Lake Langano, Negler and Yabelo.
In this post, my goal is to introduce these wonderful creatures in the order in which we saw and photographed them. For exact location (coordinates), please write to me via [email protected]
Ankober Cliffs and Jemma Valley
Our first stop was Ankober Escarpment and Jemma Valley to experiment with the behavior of an extraordinary creature called Gelada – Theropithecus gelada (endemic to Ethiopia), which is sometimes referred to as the bleeding heart monkey or gelada "baboon".
Geladas live in large populations in the Semien and Bale mountains. Geladas are not actually baboons. They are found only in the highland grasslands of the deep canyons of the central Ethiopian plateau. They live at altitudes of 1,800–4,400 m (5,900–14,400 ft) above sea level, using cliffs to sleep and forage on montane grasslands.
Geladas are the world's most land-like primates – with the exception of humans. The Grada monkey lives only in the alpine meadows of Ethiopia. These baboon-sized animals are the world's most land-like primates – with the exception of humans.
Awash National Park
Perhaps one of the most amazing animals in Ethiopia is the East African antelope - Oryx beisa
It is an antelope from East Africa. The species is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
The East African antelope weighs only more than a meter on its shoulders and weighs about 79 kilograms. It had a gray coat, white underneath, separated from gray black stripes, with black stripes of head attached to the neck, along the nose, from the eyes to the mouth and forehead. The angles with rings are thin and straight. They are found in both sexes and usually measure 75-80 cm.
East African antelopes live in semi-deserts and grasslands, eating grass, leaves, fruits and buds. They are able to store energy by raising their body temperature. They congregate in just fauna of 5 to 40, with usually females moving in front and large males guarding behind.
Mantled Guereza - Colobus guereza is another mammal that can be observed in Awash NP.
Also known simply as guereza, eastern black and white colobus monkey or Abyssinian black and white colobus monkey, it is a type of Old World monkey. It is native to much of west-central and eastern Africa. It had a distinctive appearance, as its name suggests; the long white hair that ran along the sides of its black torso was called a cape. Its face is framed by white hair, and it has a large cluster of white tails.
The Cloaked Gelesa people live in a social group of three to fifteen people. These groups usually include a dominant male, several female and female offspring. It has a polygamous mating system, where mating begins through vocal communication. The gestation period is about 5 months.
Lake Langano
I should also mention this bat species in this article. The East African epaulette fruit bat we found within the boundaries of the Wabe Shebelle Hotel – the Epomophorus minimus is a giant bat in the pterodactydae family. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Its natural habitat is dry savanna and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Bell Hill
The Bell Mountains are home to many mammalian species, including those endemic to the region.
Procavia capensis, also known as the rock-hoofed rabbit, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal that lives in rocky fissure habitats up to 4,200 meters above sea level. They have short ears and a tail that weighs 4 - 5 kg. They live in groups of 10-80 animals and use sentries to report approaching predators. Interestingly, these animals are closely related to elephants.
The Sanetti Plateau in the Bell Mountains is home to giant mole rats, the big-headed African mole, the Tachyoryctes macrocephalus (endemic to Ethiopia). The big-headed African mole, also known as the giant root rat, the Ethiopian African mole, or the giant mole, is a rodent of the family Moleidae.
It is endemic to the Bell Mountains of Ethiopia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grasslands. It is threatened by habitat loss. It is the main prey of the endangered Ethiopian wolf.
Another species that can be seen in the Sanetti Plateau is Blk's Grass Rat - Arvicanthis blicki (endemic to Ethiopia).
It is a type of rodent. It has only been found in Ethiopia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grasslands.
Ethiopian wolves – Canis simensis (endemic to Ethiopia) is another species that attempts to survive in the difficult conditions of the Bell Mountains. Also known as the Simien Jackal or Abyssinian Wolf, it is a canine native to the Highlands of Ethiopia. It is similar in size and size to a coyote , characterized by a long, narrow skull and reddish-white fur. It is the most endangered carnivore in Africa.
It lives in isolated mountains at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,500 metres, with an estimated total adult population of 360 to 440 people, more than half of which are in the Bell Mountains.
The Ethiopian wolf is listed as endangered by the IUCN because of its small population and dispersed range.
We managed to photograph the beautiful antelope in the Dingsau grassland part of the Bell Mountains, called Nyala Mountain - Tragelaphus buxtoni (endemic to Ethiopia).
Shannyara or Balbok is an antelope found in a small part of high-altitude woodland in central Ethiopia. It is a monotypic species without any subspecies.
Males are usually 120–135 cm tall, while females have shoulders of 90–100 cm. Males weigh 180-300 and females weigh 150-200. The coat is gray to brown , with two to five ill-defined white stripes extending from the back to below , and a row of six to ten white dots. There are also white markings on the face, throat and legs. Males have a short dark upright ridge about 10 cm tall that runs along the middle of the back. Only males have horns.
Mount Nyala has been listed as an endangered species by the IUCN. Their influence on Ethiopian culture was remarkable, with the Nyala Mountains appearing on the obverse of the Ethiopian ten-cent coin.
Bohor Reedbuck - Redunca redunca is also a resident of the Dinsho region of the Bale Mountains. It is an antelope native to central Africa. The head length of this medium-sized antelope is usually between 100-135 cm. Males reach about 75–89 cm on the shoulders, while females reach 69–76 cm. Males usually weigh 43–65 kg and females 35–45 kg. This stout antelope has yellow to greyish brown fur. Only males have horns.
The gestation period is seven and a half months. Bohor reedbuck inhabits moist grasslands and marshes as well as woodlands.
Abelo
This arid region is home to squirrels without stripes – the Xerus rutilus, a cute rodent with a brown or yellowish brown color and a lighter frontal color. Their small heads and bodies average 22.5 cm long and their average tail length is 172 mm. The tail is flattened in appearance. Weight ranges from 250 to 420 grams and hindfoot lengths are 35-49 mm and the braincase is only 24-25 mm. The length of the mandible varies from 31.0 to 33.9 mm. They are mainly solitary creatures.
In this article, I try to introduce some of the mammals I photographed on my trip to Ethiopia. I hope you enjoy it.