What types of animals can you see in Sudan?

Sudan is home to some of the most incredible wildlife on the planet. The amount of diversity is truly incredible. 🙂

But because of the sheer number of different species, there was no way I could include every animal living in Sudan.

So, here is what I did to make this list more manageable:

The article below focuses mostly on the most common and unique MAMMALS found in Sudan. Well, except the last species is a large reptile, so make sure you scroll to the bottom to find out what it is. 🙂

If you were hoping to learn about something else, like reptiles, birds, or spiders, I have created separate ID guides for these categories of animals.

Please click the links below to view pages dedicated to these species in Sudan:

Monkeys / Birds / Owls / Ducks / Snakes / Lizards / Spiders

27 Incredible ANIMALS IN Sudan:

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#1. Giraffe

• Giraffa camelopardalis

• Males typically stand around 18.7 feet (5.7 m) tall, while females are closer to 16 feet (4.9 m) tall.
• They have longer front legs than their back legs, giving them a downward-sloping back.
• Ossicones (horn-like, skin-covered protrusions) on the top of their head.

The Giraffe is the tallest animal in Sudan (and the world)!

These long-legged creatures spend their time roaming savannas, open woodlands, and grasslands, often seeking areas with plentiful acacia growth. Their long legs and necks help them feed higher in the canopy than most other browsers, giving them access to food other animals can’t reach!

Giraffe Range Map

Each color above is a different sub-species of Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis)

They may look peaceful, but male Giraffes can be aggressive with each other, particularly in the spring. They will stand side by side, intertwine their necks, and push against each other, testing their strength.

They may also engage in “necking” and use their long necks to swing their horns at their opponent’s rump, neck, or flanks. These blows can be intense, and some individuals are knocked down or injured.

Females typically give birth while standing or walking, making a rough entrance for the calf! Believe it or not, these newborn Giraffes drop about 6.5 feet (2m) onto the ground as they are being born. Thankfully, these tough babies handle it well and are up and feeding in about 15 minutes.

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#2. Honey Badger

• Mellivora capensis

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults are 55–77 cm (22–30 in) long.
• They have stocky bodies, large heads, small eyes, strong, wide forefeet, small hind feet with short claws, muscular necks and shoulders, and thick, loose skin.
• Their color varies with subspecies, but generally, their lower half is black, and they have an upper mantle of gray or bright white.

Honey Badgers are one of the toughest animals in Sudan!

They have a reputation for living anywhere, eating anything, and surviving no matter what.

Their diet is as varied as their habitat. Honey Badgers are opportunistic foragers whose menu changes with the season and prey availability. They frequently prey on snakes, birds, eggs, frogs, and small rodents. As their name suggests, they’re also known for raiding honey bee hives to eat the larvae and honey inside.

Honey Badgers are known for their aggressive nature. Males will ferociously defend their territory and mate from other males. Naturalists sometimes refer to older adult males as “scarbacks” because they usually have a noticeable patch of scars on their backs from conflicts.

The video below is one of my favorites and shows how TOUGH Honey Badgers are! Seriously, you have to watch until the end.

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#3. Spotted Hyena

• Crocuta crocuta

Identifying Characteristics:

• They have sandy yellowish or gray course, wooly coats with black or dark brown spots on their bodies, though these may be absent in old individuals.
• They are strongly built with massive necks, large heads, rounded ears, bushy-tipped tails, and longer front legs than back legs.

Spotted Hyenas are one of the most unique animals in Sudan!

These entertaining mammals live in clans of 3-80 hyenas. Females lead the clans, and all of the females within the clan are dominant over the males.

One of the strangest features of Spotted Hyneas is that males and females are very difficult to distinguish. Females have skin and tissue in their genital area that allows them to mimic males, which may protect females from aggression from other females.

Spotted Hyenas have a reputation as cowardly scavengers that steal food from other predators, but researchers have found that they kill most of their prey. Despite their odd, sloped appearance, hyenas are incredible runners and will chase prey for long distances at speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph). They usually work in groups to take down large animals.

Although Spotted Hyenas are not currently endangered, they are “Conservation dependent,” meaning that programs are in place to protect them. If the conservation efforts were removed, their populations would begin to decline within five years.

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#4. Lion

• Panthera leo

• They have short, tawny coats, white undersides, and long tails with black tufts at the ends.
• Males have manes, while females do not.

Lions are probably the most famous animal found in Sudan.

Though intimidating, lions aren’t very effective hunters on their own. Instead, lions usually hunt in groups, called prides, to take down large herbivores like zebras, impalas, gazelles, wildebeests, giraffes, and cape buffalo.

Lions live in groups called prides, which range from 2-40 individuals, though they are rarely all together at once. Female pride members are all related, as females don’t leave their mother’s territories. Females don’t have a dominance hierarchy and instead work together to find food and care for each other’s cubs.

On the other hand, males are generally forced out of their father’s territory at about 2.5 years of age, roam for two to three years, and then attempt to take over their own pride by seriously injuring or killing the current leaders.

While we often picture one male as the “king,” male lions sometimes form coalitions of 2-4 males to take over a pride. These coalitions are often brothers, and the larger the coalition, the longer they’ll be able to reign over their pride.

While they don’t have natural predators, lions are still susceptible to starvation and human attacks. Their worldwide populations have declined significantly throughout their range. Sadly, some subspecies of lions are critically endangered, while others are already extinct.

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#5. African Buffalo

• Syncerus caffer

• They are heavy, cow-like animals that are typically dark gray or black.
• Both sexes have heavy, ridged horns that go straight out from the head and curve downward, then up.

African Buffalo are one of the most formidable animals in Sudan!

They are widely regarded as dangerous and have few natural predators other than humans. Lions are the only carnivores that regularly hunt adults, but it is certainly not easy. Cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and African wild dogs will only go after calves.

Buffalo are known to defend themselves courageously against lions and will often fight off multiple individuals, chasing them until they jump into a tree.

These large mammals are some of the most successful grazing wildlife found in Sudan. They live in a wide range of habitats so long as there is plenty of access to water and grass. You may spot them in semi-arid bushlands, savannas, lowland rainforests, grasslands, montane forests, and coastal savannas.

This is one of my favorite videos to watch, and it shows the toughness of the African Buffalo. You must watch it to the end!

The African Buffalo uses a safety-in-numbers approach to avoid predation, sometimes congregating in herds of thousands of animals. These large herds are critical to protecting young calves. Calves give low, mournful bellows if threatened, and their herd will come running to defend them! (As you can see in the video above)

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#6. Warthog

• Phacochoerus africanus

• Warthogs have disproportionately large heads with thick protective pads (“warts”) on the sides of their heads, two upper tusks that protrude from their snout, and sharp lower tusks.
• Sparse bristles cover their body, with manes of longer bristles down the top of their head and spine.
• A tuft of long hairs at the end of their tail.

Warthogs live in various habitats in Sudan, including wooded savannas, grass steppes, and semideserts. But their lack of body fat and fur means they need certain landscape features to help them regulate their body temperatures.

For example, they use wet areas called “wallows” to cool off in the mud when the temperature is hot. In cool temperatures, they go inside burrows to stay warm. They fill these holes with grass and use them as shelter and insulation from the hot sun and cold temperatures.

Warthogs have some interesting feeding adaptations. They often kneel on their calloused, padded front knees when feeding on grass. They also use their strong, blunt snouts and tusks to dig up and eat tubers, bulbs, and roots.

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#7. Hippopotamus

• Hippopotamus amphibius

• Adult males weigh up to 9,920 pounds (4,500 kg), while adult females average 3000 pounds (1,360 kg).
• They’re typically purple or slate gray, brownish pink around their ears and eyes, and covered in sparse, thin hair.

Hippos are the LARGEST animal in Sudan you will find in freshwater!

In fact, the Hippopotamus is the third largest land animal alive today, after the Elephant and the White Rhinoceros!

Hippos have unique skin that needs to be wet most of the day, meaning they spend most of their time submerged in shallow lakes, rivers, and swamps. But despite their aquatic lifestyle, Hippos can’t actually swim! They are just walking on the bottom when you see them in water.

Hippopotamus Range Map

At night, Hippos typically leave the water to feed to avoid the sun. They mainly feed on short grasses near the water but sometimes travel miles for food, using their acute sense of smell for dropped fruit.

These big mammals may look cute, but beware, Hippos are one of the most aggressive and dangerous mammals alive, particularly the dominant males. They clash with anything in their territory, including other hippos, humans boating, and predators. Hippos have HUGE, sharp canines that grow continuously and may reach 20 inches (51 cm) in length!

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#8. African Savanna Elephant

• Loxodonta africana

Also called the African Bush Elephant.

• Thick, gray, creased skin, muscular trunks, and large triangular ears shaped a bit like the African continent.
• Both sexes have thick, curved ivory tusks.

The African Savanna Elephant is the biggest land animal in Sudan (and the world). It is also the largest of the three elephant species (Forest and Asian).

Due to their size, an elephant’s most significant requirement is food. They spend most of their time eating, and a single individual may eat 350 pounds (158 kg) of vegetation daily. Today, these magnificent creatures are restricted to preserves, but in the past, they would migrate hundreds of miles annually, moving from high to low elevations with food availability.

Savanna Elephant Range Map

As you probably know, one of the most unique features of elephants is their trunks. Their trunks contain over 40,000 muscles and two sensitive finger-like projections on the tip, allowing them to handle small objects or pick up as much as 400 pounds (181 kg)! They can also use their trunks to breathe, drink water, or blow water onto their backs to cool themselves.

The females have a 22-month gestation period, the longest among mammals, and give birth to a single calf, which the whole herd helps to raise.

Elephants are considered ecosystem engineers because of their many impacts. For example, they dig in dry riverbeds in the dry season, creating watering holes with their tusks, which other animals rely upon.

And as they move through the landscape, they create large pathways for other species to follow. They also rip up small trees and open areas for other grazers like zebras. Lastly, their dung also spreads seeds from several important plant species.

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#9. Waterbuck

• Kobus ellipsiprymnus

• They have shaggy brown-gray coats, large rounded ears, and white patches above the eyes, on the throat, and around the nose and mouth.
• Males have prominently ringed horns that curve back and up and may reach 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long.

The Waterbuck’s appearance may vary throughout its range. There are 13 recognized subspecies, all with slightly different traits! In general, all waterbucks have glossy coats with a unique oily secretion. It makes them smell a bit funny to humans, but the scent helps them to find a mate! The oil secretion also serves to help keep their coat waterproof.

These robust animals live in grasslands in Sudan and are almost always found near water. Compared to some more migratory antelope species, Waterbucks tend to be rather sedentary, remaining in valleys with rivers and lakes. This is because their diet depends on access to fresh water along with the protein-rich medium and short grasses that grow in moist areas.

Waterbucks are social animals and usually live in herds of up to 30 individuals. Typically, bachelor males form herds together, and females form separate herds comprised of only females and their young.

Once born, mothers leave their calf hidden in the thicket and only visit to nurse. This helps prevent predators from smelling or finding the calf, though mortality is still quite high.

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#10. Common Eland

• Tragelaphus oryx

• Females are usually much smaller than males.
• They are a uniform fawn color with some vertical white striping on their upper parts.
• Both sexes have long dewlaps, short manes, and corkscrew horns that are 43–66 cm (17–26 in) long.

Elands are incredibly large animals found in Sudan.

But they are relatively slow compared to other wildlife, only running at speeds up to 32 kph (20 mph). However, they can jump nearly 1 m (3 ft) into the air. They are one of the world’s most adaptable ruminants and can survive in deserts, grasslands, and mountainous areas.

Elands have another feature that sets them apart: a weird sound that lets you know they’re near. When walking, the tendons and joints in their front legs produce sharp clicking sounds that can be heard from a distance. Scientists believe that these sounds may help an Eland advertise their territory.

Elands are generally social creatures and may form large herds of up to 500 individuals. Typically, these larger herds are mostly females and their young, while males tend to roam by themselves or in small groups. Males often fight for mates, and females tend to select the most dominant males to breed with.

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#11. Cheetah

• Acinonyx jubatus

Identifying Characteristics:

• Relatively long legs, small, rounded heads, and short ears.
• Their coloration is yellowish with a white or light tan underside, small black spots, and dark rings terminating in a white tip on the end of their tail.

As you probably know, Cheetahs are the FASTEST animal in Sudan (and the world).

Unlike most other big cats, Cheetahs do not stalk their prey. Instead, they use their incredible speed (80-130 kph, or 50-80 mph) to charge. However, they can only maintain this speed for short distances.

Cheetahs are solitary except during mating. The cubs are cared for solely by their mother. When they’re young, the female will hide the cubs in tall vegetation, rocky outcrops, or marshy areas while she hunts, occasionally carrying them to new hiding spots. Once they are old enough to fend for themselves, the mother goes back to her solitary lifestyle until mating again.

When a Cheetah overtakes its prey, it strangles its target by squeezing its neck in its jaw. They feed mostly on gazelles but also consume impalas, hares, and birds. Interestingly, most hunts are unsuccessful, and they work much harder than other big cats to get a meal.

Cheetahs are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Researchers have found they have little genetic diversity, which leaves them susceptible to disease and environmental changes. Despite this, some countries still allow Cheetahs to be hunted, and they are sometimes persecuted for livestock losses.

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#12. Straw-coloured Fruit Bat

• Eidolon helvum

• Wingspans up to 30 inches (76 cm).
• They have yellowish-brown necks and backs and tawny olive or brownish undersides.
• Large, narrow wings, long, pointed faces, large eyes, and widespread ears.

Straw-colored Fruit Bats are the second largest African species of fruit bat. They are often called “flying foxes” for their large size, dog-like faces, widespread ears, and big eyes.

These big bats are social animals in Sudan that live in large colonies of 100,000 to 10,000,000 individuals! While they are often active during the day, they mostly feed at night, leaving the colony in small groups to search for food in nearby forests.

Straw-colored Fruit Bat Range Map

Unlike many of the smaller insectivorous bat species you may be familiar with, Straw-colored Fruit Bats are herbivores. When they find fruit, Straw-colored Fruit Bats grab it using their large thumbs and hold it to eat.

Unlike most bats, Straw-colored Fruits Bats don’t use echolocation to navigate the skies. They rely upon their keen sense of smell and eyesight.

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#13. Red River Hog

• Potamochoerus porcus

• Most populations in Africa are predominantly reddish, with a white stripe down their back, white facial markings, and black legs.
• Both sexes have tusks, long white whiskers, and ear tufts, but males have well-developed warts on their snouts.

These hogs are one of the most colorful mammals in Sudan!

They get their name, Red River Hogs, from their beautiful coloration and preference for wallowing in and around rivers and streams. They prefer areas with thick vegetation to hide in and are rarely spotted far from the rainforest.

Red River Hog Range Map

They typically forage at night, and their excellent sense of smell allows them to locate food. Red River Hogs are also smart! Researchers have also observed these clever animals following groups of Chimpanzees to eat the fruit they drop from trees.

Red River Hogs are social creatures that usually live in groups called “sounders.” These groups typically consist of one male and 2 to 15 females and their young.

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#14. White-bellied Pangolin

• Phataginus tricuspis

• They have small, pointed heads, thick eyelids, long tongues, large curved claws, and prehensile tails.
• Except for their faces, undersides, and insides of their legs, they are covered in three-cusped keratin scales ranging from dark brown to russet to brownish-yellow.

White-bellied Pangolins are an incredibly interesting animal in Sudan!

These unusual-looking little creatures live in tropical, moist, lowland forests. They feed exclusively on ants, ant eggs, termites, and termite eggs.

Their unique appearance comes from their many special adaptations.

• Pangolins are covered in hard scales made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails.
• When threatened, Pangolins roll into a ball so that only this hard, scaly surface is exposed.
• Additionally, White-bellied Pangolins can release a foul, skunky secretion from their anal glands to ward off attackers.

White-bellied Pangolin Range Map

Lastly, pangolins have prehensile tails, which help them climb trees and walk on their hind feet. When they walk on all fours, they actually walk on the knuckles of their front feet to avoid wearing down their sharp claws.

Sadly, White-bellied Pangolins are overhunted for food and traditional medicine in many areas. Today, they are listed as endangered.

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#15. Northern Bushbuck

• Tragelaphus scriptus

• Adults may be reddish, yellow-brown, or light brown with various white spots and stripes, which vary over their range.
• Adult males have parallel horns which spiral once and are fairly straight.

These animals are highly adaptable in Sudan.

Northern Bushbucks prefer areas with plenty of wooded cover. They spend much of their time on forest edges and in brushy areas near rivers and streams. At night, they often head to nearby open spaces to feed. Northern Bushbucks are very capable swimmers and will easily cross rivers.

These small antelopes are solitary but not territorial, so sometimes, many animals will live within the same habitat even though they don’t form traditional herds. They’re widespread and plentiful within their range. In fact, unlike many antelopes, they can thrive around humans, and in some areas, they are considered a pest.

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#16. Four-toed Hedgehog

• Atelerix albiventris

Also called African Pygmy Hedgehogs.

• Oval bodies, long snouts.
• Short protective spines with black centers and white bases and tips.
• Their undersides and faces are covered in soft white or brown fur.

Four-toed Hedgehogs get my vote for the CUTEST animal in Sudan!

They are usually found roaming open areas of savanna and desert. But they can be hard to spot because they’re nocturnal and constantly on the move, searching for food. During the day, they take shelter and rest in burrows.

Four-toed Hedgehogs primarily feed on insects and spiders. Interestingly, they have a very high tolerance for toxins and can consume scorpions and venomous snakes without issue! And just in case food becomes scarce, they have the ability to enter a dormant state and live off stored fat for a period.

When threatened, hedgehogs put their spines to good use and roll into a protective ball! If that doesn’t work, it will twitch to try and jab the spines into the predator. Unlike a porcupine, the spines on a hedgehog do NOT come out.

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#17. Striped Ground Squirrel

• Euxerus erythropus

Euxerus erythropus. (2022, November 11). In Wikipedia.

• Their fur is typically similar to the soil color in their area and may range from brownish to reddish gray to yellowish gray.
• Look for a white or buff stripe down each side from shoulders to hindquarters, small ears, long, slightly curved claws, and a flattened, darker tail.

As the name suggests, Stiped Ground Squirrels DO NOT climb trees. Their claws are well-suited to digging and running across the ground but don’t allow them to climb well.

Female Striped Ground Squirrels tend to be highly social and often live in groups of 6 to 10. The males are mostly solitary but come together to mate with multiple females several times per year.

Females in the same group work together to build special burrows for their young that are lined with soft, dried grasses. These burrows typically have multiple emergency exits to help escape from predators. Life is tough for baby squirrels, as approximately 70% of them are lost!

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#18. Kob

• Kobus kob

• They have short, reddish-brown coats, white throat patches, white underparts, and distinctive black stripe marks on the front of their forelegs.
• Adult males have ringed horns that curve backward and then turn up at the tips.

Look for these animals in Sudan around permanent water sources.

You might spot Kobs grazing in moist savannas, floodplains, and along the edges of woodlands. They feed primarily on grasses and weeds and migrate great distances along rivers and streams to find food.

About nine months after breeding, females typically give birth to a single calf. The calves remain hidden, with mothers visiting only to suckle them for the first month of their life. This protects them from predators because adult females draw much more attention than the young. As they get older, the calves form groups, called crèches, and eventually join the herd at three to four months old.

Kobs are listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List. However, their populations are declining because of hunting and human development. Their range is greatly reduced from what it was even 100 years ago, and they may become dependent on conservation efforts in the future.

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#19. Gambian Sun Squirrel

• Heliosciurus gambianus

Gambian Sun Squirrels are arboreal animals in Sudan that spend most of their time in the upper branches of trees in dense woodland savannas. They are also found along wooded waterways and may be expanding their range into rainforest areas.

These squirrels are highly opportunistic when it comes to what’s for dinner. They will feed on nearly anything they can, including insects, seeds, fruit, acacia pods, lizards, geckos, young birds, small mammals, and palm nuts. Gnawing on tough, fibrous foods like palm nut husks helps wear down their continually growing incisors.

Gambian Sun Squirrels are often solitary, and little is known about their reproduction. However, small families of parents and young are observed together. The parents build lined nests, usually in tree cavities. They often try to hide the nest by covering the entrance with loose twigs and leaves.

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#20. Tsessebe

• Damaliscus lunatus

• They have glossy, tan coats with grayish or bluish-black markings on their upper legs, black faces and tail tufts, and light undersides.
• Both sexes have ringed, s-shaped horns but are typically slightly larger in males.

Tsessebes are one of the most territorial herbivores in Sudan.

Their territories are taken seriously by other Tsessebe herds, to the point that traveling herds will go to great lengths to avoid them. They will move around the outskirts of another herd’s territory, occasionally risking entering neutral areas with lions and other predators!

Tsessebe Range Map

The map above shows the ranges of the different Tsessebe subspecies.

All of the Tsessebes’ territories have high vantage points, which allow females to alert others of danger and males to display their territory. They prefer grassland habitats, including open plains and lightly wooded savannas. As their habitat suggests, they feed primarily on grass.

During the rainy season, when the grass is fresh and wet, they get all their water needs from their food, but during dry periods, they need fresh water every day or two. Tsessebes are most active in the morning and evening and spend the hotter parts of the day watering, resting, and digesting their food.

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#21. Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat

• Epomophorus gambianus

• Adults have an average wingspan of 20 inches (50 cm).
• They have vestigial tails, widespread ears, and big, pendulous lips, and males have air sacs on their necks and pouches on their shoulders containing patches of white fur.
• They may be grayish-brown, russet, or tawny, with a white patch at the base of each ear.

Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bats are a species of megabat in Sudan with dog-like faces. Unlike other bats that are secretive, these big fellows regularly roost in bright, low areas on the edges of forests or even under the roof of thatched sheds, seemingly undisturbed by the presence of people.

Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat Range Map

As their name suggests, their preferred food is fruit, and you’ll see them anywhere near ripe figs, mangos, guavas, or bananas. They’ll also feed on the nectar of certain flowers, and some flowering trees depend on them for pollination. Interestingly, these bats don’t use echolocation, instead relying on their keen sense of smell to locate ripening fruit and flowers.

For such small mammals, these big bats have long lifespans and may live up to 21 years in the wild and 28 years in captivity.

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#22. Rock Hyrax

• Procavia capensis

Also called Dassie, Cape hyrax, Rock Rabbit, and Coney.

• Short snouts, cleft upper lips, stout legs, short ears, and rubber-like soles on their feet.
• They are brownish-gray with creamy undersides, long black whiskers, and a black patch of hair on their back.

These small animals may look like rodents in Sudan, but their closest living relatives are actually elephants and manatees! As their name suggests, they live in rocky, scrub-covered areas.

Rock Hyrax have several adaptions that allow them to move about skillfully on steep, rocky surfaces. First, Rock Hyrax feet soles are rubber-like and kept moist by a glandular secretion. And second, their feet also have a depression in the center that acts a bit like a suction cup.

Rock Hyrax Range Map

Rock Hyraxes usually live in colonies called “kopjes,” ranging from 5 to 60 individuals. Usually, these groups are made of a male, several females, and their young.

Interestingly, Rock Hyrax colonies usually urinate and defecate in a common restroom. This habit causes a build-up of calcium carbonate from the urine, turning the cliffs where they live white. In the past, African tribes and Europeans collected the calcium carbonate crystals for medicine to treat epilepsy, hysteria, and other injuries and ailments.

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#23. Dorcas Gazelle

• Gazella dorcas

• Pale-colored with white underbellies and a rufous stripe down their sides, separating their upper and lower coloring.
• They have white eye rings, a pair of white and dark brown stripes running from each eye to the corners of the mouth, and ringed, lyre-shaped horns, which are generally thinner, straighter, and shorter in females.

These animals thrive in the dry habitats of Sudan.

Dorcas Gazelles are small but well adapted to the desert and live in arid places. They can easily handle high temperatures and harsh sunlight.

Despite these intense conditions, they don’t need much water and get most of their moisture from their food, though they will drink when it’s available.

If they spot a predator, these herbivores twitch their tails and make bounding leaps to warn others and confuse their attacker. Dorcas Gazelles are often able to escape if a predator gives chase. Their long, slender legs allow them to sprint away at speeds of 80-100 kph (50-62 mph). They also can perform quick zig-zags, which help them to escape.

Unfortunately, these fascinating creatures are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of endangered species. Their populations have declined significantly as they have faced extreme habitat loss due to land development and climate change.

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#24. African Wildcat

• Felis lybica

• Coloration varies and may be tawny brown, sandy yellow, reddish, or gray with faint tabby spots and stripes, banded legs, and reddish or rusty-brown on the backs of their ears.
• They have long legs, small ear tufts, and long, thin tails with rings near the end and black tips.

You are looking at the ancestor of the domestic cat!

African Wildcats are skillful hunters with incredible hearing. Once they’ve located prey, they slowly and sneakily approach it and pounce once they’re in range. They usually feed on mice, rats, and other small mammals.

African Wildcats are most active at night. During the day, they tend to avoid the heat and rest under bushes or other shelter, although sometimes they can be observed out hunting on cloudy, overcast days. Additionally, when threatened, these cats raise their hair to make themselves seem larger and intimidate their opponents, similar to what we see in domestic cats.

However, they have some distinctly wild traits. For example, when they sit upright, their long front legs raise their bodies almost vertically (more so than domestic cats). This posture can be seen on Egyptian bronze mummy cases and tomb paintings. They also have high shoulder blades that give them a distinctive cheetah-like gait.

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#25. Rüppell’s Fox

• Vulpes rueppellii

• They have slender bodies and long, bushy tails with white tips.
• Coloration is buff or sandy colored with white hairs in their dense undercoat and gray markings on their faces, but there are some gray morphs in rocky areas.

Rüppell’s Foxes are one of the most resourceful animals in Sudan.

Because Red Foxes often get the best territory, these smaller foxes have become highly adapted to inhospitably dry deserts. While they’re primarily insectivores, they’ll consume anything they can grab and eat, including small mammals and roots.

Their fur closely matches the substrate where they’re located, camouflaging them from predators such as Steppe Eagles and Eagle Owls. Rüppell’s Foxes also have a fascinating, skunk-like defense mechanism. When threatened, they will hump their back, raise their tail, and spray their attacker with a foul secretion from their anal gland.

Living in such harsh conditions, Rüppell’s Foxes have gained a reputation as incredibly tough survivalists. There’s even a legend that these foxes can drink water from the wind by keeping their head in a breeze. That’s quite a reputation for such a tiny animal!

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#26. East African Oryx

• Oryx beisa

Identifying Characteristics:

• Adults stand about 1 m (3 ft) at the shoulder.
• They have a gray coat and white underside separated by a black stripe and black stripes on the legs, where the head attaches to the neck, along the nose, and from the eye to the mouth and on the forehead.
• They have small, chestnut-colored manes, thin, straight-ringed horns, and long black tails.

These animals live in some of the harshest climates in South Sudan.

The East African Oryx inhabits semi-deserts and steppes. To survive in these intensely hot and dry regions, they are able to store water by raising their body temperature and avoiding perspiration.

Despite their resourceful nature and adaptability, the IUCN lists East African Oryxes as endangered. They are over-hunted for their meat, hides, and horns, which are often used as charms. They have seen rapid habitat loss and population decline in the last two centuries due to agriculture, roads, and settlements. Some conservation efforts are underway, but more are needed to preserve this antelope.

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#27. Nile Crocodile

• Crocodylus niloticus

• Adults are 2.8-3.5 m (9-11.5 ft) long.
• Coloration is dark olive to gray-olive with yellowish bellies, but young individuals may be more greenish or brown with darker crossbands on their bodies and tails.
• They have long, sturdy tails, long, powerful jaws, stout legs, and thick, scaly, heavily armored skin.

The Nile Crocodile is the largest reptile in Sudan.

These creatures have a nasty reputation as man-eaters, and it isn’t entirely undeserved. Nile Crocodiles are indiscriminate carnivores that feed on whatever they can catch, and because their habitat often overlaps with human settlements, run-ins happen.

Although the data can be unreliable, some reports indicate that Nile Crocodiles kill about 200 people annually.

These intimidating carnivores are patient, agile ambush predators. They will feed on nearly any prey that comes into range and may swallow it whole or rip it apart. Their conical teeth and strong jaws give them a uniquely powerful bite with a grip that’s nearly impossible to loosen. As if that weren’t enough, these incredible predators can swim at 30-35 kph (19-22 mph) and remain underwater for up to 30 minutes.

During mating season, males attract females to their territory by bellowing, slapping their snouts in the water, blowing water out of their noses, and making other noises.

In areas with high populations of males, they sometimes get into physical altercations over females, especially if they’re similar in size. These altercations aren’t common but can be quite a spectacle to witness!

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Do you want to learn about MORE animals in Sudan?

Check out these ID Guides. Each one is specific to wildlife in Sudan!

Monkeys / Birds / Owls / Ducks / Snakes / Lizards / Spiders

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Which of these animals in Sudan is your favorite?

Leave a comment below! I’d especially like to know if you have visited Sudan before and what you saw.