Endemic Animals of Nigeria








Ibadan malimbe
The Ibadan malimbe (Malimbus ibadanensis ) is a rare species of bird in the family Ploceidae.It is endemic to Nigeria, where it is known only from the southwestern part of the country, including the city of Ibadan (in Oyo) which it is named after. It was first discovered in 1951 and was common at one point. Forest clearing made it rare.The bird is about 20 centimeters long. The male is black with a red head and breast. The female has smaller red ...
areas.The bird forages in pairs or small groups, sometimes alongside the red-headed malimbe (Malimbus rubricollis ). It lives in forest and woodland habitat, including degraded areas.
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Ibadan malimbe
Jos Plateau indigobird
The Jos Plateau indigobird (Vidua maryae ) is a species of bird in the family Viduidae. It is endemic to Nigeria. It lays its eggs in the nest of the rock firefinch which is also restricted to Nigeria. Because of their inability to incubate their eggs, they lay their eggs in the nest of the rock firefinch and then take away the exact number of laid eggs from the host bird in order to avoid suspicion from the host bird. After hatching they ...
exhibit dominance against the hatchlings of the rock firefinchers. Their breeding seasons are all round the year but more pronounced during the cold Harmattan period between July and December.Its natural habitats are dry woodland and shrubland in rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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Jos Plateau indigobird
Rock firefinch
The rock firefinch (Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis ) is a species of estrildid finch found in the Jos Plateau of central Nigeria and in Cameroon. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 29,000 km2. The rock firefinch was discovered recently, in 1998. Rock firefinches fall in the family Estrildidae, which contains small passerine birds of the Old World and Australasia. Rock firefinches seem to be most closely related to Mali firefinches ...
and Chad firefinches. The species name sanguinodorsalis means blood-red back, which was chosen because it describes the vibrant red back color of the male plumage. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
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Rock firefinch
Sclerophrys perreti
Sclerophrys perreti (formerly Amietophrynus perreti ) is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae. It is endemic to the Idanre Hills in southwestern Nigeria. Sclerophrys perreti is one of the frogs declared as "Lost" in 2010. However, it was re-discovered at its type locality in 2013. Before that, it had not been seen—possibly—since 1970, and with certainty, since 1963. Common name Perret's toad has been coined for it.
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Sclerophrys perreti
Cynisca kigomensis
Cynisca kigomensis is a worm lizard species in the family Amphisbaenidae. It is endemic to Nigeria.
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Cynisca kigomensis
Cynisca nigeriensis
Cynisca nigeriensis is a worm lizard species in the family Amphisbaenidae. It is endemic to Nigeria.
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Cynisca nigeriensis
Sclater's guenon
Sclater's guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri ), also known as Sclater's monkey and the Nigerian monkey, is an Old World monkey that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1904 and named after Philip Sclater. It is an arboreal and diurnal primate that lives in the forests of southern Nigeria. It should not be confused with the closely related species, the white-throated guenon (Cercopithecus erythrogaster ), which occurs in Nigeria and ...
Benin. Sclater's guenon was formerly classified as a subspecies of the red-eared guenon (C. erythrotis ).The diet of Sclater's guenon is unknown. The species is likely primarily a frugivore that supplements its diet with other plant parts and insects, based on data from closely related species.Sclater's guenon was thought to be nearly extinct until the late 1980s. The species is now known to occur in several isolated populations between the Niger and Cross Rivers in southern Nigeria. This region falls in the Guinean Forests of the West Africa biodiversity hotspot.The species does not occur in any officially protected areas, but three populations of Sclater's guenon are known to be protected by local people who consider the monkeys to have sacred status. Mostly because of hunting and habitat fragmentation and loss, thus increasing population isolation and decline, Sclater's guenon is listed as a vulnerable species.Sclater's guenon is known to occur in captivity only at the [http://www.cercopan.org Centre for Education, Rehabilitation, and Conservation of Primates and Nature in Cross River State, Nigeria.
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Sclater's guenon
Niger Delta red colobus
The Niger Delta red colobus (Piliocolobus epieni ) is a critically endangered species of colobus monkey endemic to the western part of the Niger Delta. It is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.
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Niger Delta red colobus
Fox's shaggy rat
Fox's shaggy rat (Dasymys foxi ) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Nigeria.Its natural habitats are moist savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, swampland, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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Fox's shaggy rat
Savanna swamp shrew
The Savanna swamp shrew (Crocidura longipes ) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Nigeria. Its natural habitat is swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.
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Savanna swamp shrew
Lagos serotine
The Lagos serotine (Eptesicus platyops ) is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and possibly Senegal.
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Lagos serotine
Gotel Mountain soft-furred mouse
The Gotel Mountain soft-furred mouse (Praomys obscurus ) or Gotel Mountain praomys, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the Gotel Mountains in southeastern Nigeria. It occurs in fern-grassland, montane forest, along streams in forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest, at elevations of 1,600–2,400 m (5,200–7,900 ft) above sea level. It is threatened by habitat loss (deforestation), presumably caused by logging and the conve ...
rsion of land to agricultural and other uses.
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Gotel Mountain soft-furred mouse