Wildlife of the Gambia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Wildlife of The Gambia is dictated by several habitat zones over its total land area of about 10,000 km². It is bound in the south by the savanna

Savanna

A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...

and on the north by the Sudanian woodlands. The habitats host abundant indigenous plants and animals, in addition to migrant species and newly planted species. They vary widely and consist of the marine system, coastal zone, estuary with mangrove vegetation coupled with Banto Faros (barren hypersaline flats), river banks with brackish and fresh water zones, swamps covered with forests and many wetlands.

According to the Government of The Gambia, about 3.8% of the land area of the country has been brought under national parks or reserves, and the present wildlife policy is to extend this coverage to 5%. The seven areas included in the protected list are the Niumi National Park

Niumi National Park

Niumi National Park is a national park in The Gambia.-General information:The Niumi National Park occupies the coastal strip of The Gambia north of the river. The park is approximately 4,940 ha in extent. Apart from being an important fish breeding ground, it constitutes one of the last untouched...

, Kiang West National Park

Kiang West National Park

Kiang West National Park is one of the largest and most important wildlife reserves in The Gambia. It was declared a national park in 1987 and is managed by The Gambia Department of Parks and Wildlife Management.- Geography :...

, River Gambia National Park

River Gambia National Park

River Gambia National Park is a national park in The Gambia.- Topography :Established in 1978, River Gambia National Park is located in Niamina East district of Central River Division. It lies on the left bank of the Gambia River. The park includes the Baboon Islands archipelago, which consists of...

, Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve

Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve

Bao Bolong Wetland Reserve is a national park in The Gambia. Established in 1996 it covers 220 square kilometres....

, Abuko Nature Reserve

Abuko Nature Reserve

Abuko National Park is a nature reserve in The Gambia lying south of the town of Abuko. It is a popular tourist attraction and was the country's first designated wildlife reserve.-History:...

, Tanbi Wetland Complex

Tanbi Wetland Complex

Tanbi Wetland Complex is a Wetland Reserve in The Gambia outside of Banjul. Established in 2001 it covers an area of 4500 hectares.This area covers a wide area and can be seen from a spectacular view at Lamin's, Lamin lodge. Its very common for monkeys to be spotted in the overgrowth...

and the Tanji Karinti River Bird Reserve

Tanji Bird Reserve

Tanji Bird Reserve is a Bird Reserve in The Gambia. Established in 1993 it covers an area of 612 hectares. It is also known as Karinti or Tanji River Reserve or National Park.-External links:*...

. These are managed by the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management. The area covered by these parks is 38,000 ha.

The birdlife in The Gambia is colourful and rich, with 560 species inhabiting coastal saltwater, freshwater wetlands, Guinea and Sudan savanna, woodlands and forests, agricultural lands, towns and villages. It is thus a biodiversity hot spot for ornithologists.

Geography

The flat terrain of The Gambia, drained by the Gambia River

Gambia River

The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...

is categorised under several habitat types. The habitat types are the coast, mangroves and Banto Faros, wetlands, farmlands, savanna

Savanna

and the Sahel

Sahel

The Sahel is the ecoclimatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert in the North and the Sudanian Savannas in the south.It stretches across the North African continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea....

habitats, gallery forest

Gallery forest

Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....

s and urban habitats

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

.

The coast extends to 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) into the sea with extensive sea green grass meadows where aqua fauna dominate; the long stretch of beach here, with occasional hills or cliffs, is topped with plants which are salt tolerant and bind the terrain. Above these are the very old beaches at an elevation where the rich vegetation consists of baobab

Baobab

Adansonia is a genus of eight species of tree, six native to Madagascar, one native to mainland Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and one to Australia. The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island....

(Adansonia digitata) and ron palm (Borassus aethiopum) species interspersed with shrubs and grassland. The sea grass meadows of the coastal areas are rich in green sea turtle

Green Sea Turtle

The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...

s (Chelonia mydas), dolphins, common minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Mediterranean Monk Seal

Mediterranean Monk Seal

The Mediterranean monk seal is a pinniped belonging to the Phocidae family. At some 450-510 remaining individuals, it is believed to be the world's second-rarest pinniped , and one of the most endangered mammals in the world.It is present in parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic...

s (Monachus monachus), which feed on the fish species.

Mangroves and Banto Faros are the mangrove swamp forests seen at the mouth of the Gambia River and extending along the river inland up to Kaur

Kaur

Kaur in Sikhism is a mandatory middle name for female Sikhs.-History:Kaur is a name used by Sikh women either as the middle name, or as a last name. It cannot be regarded as a true surname or family name...

, 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) into the brackish river stretch. It is a transitional zone between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Two types of mangrove forests, namely the White Mangrove Colonies and the Red Mangroves, are of short height near the coast but raise to 15–20 m in the upstream stretches of the river. Banto Faros are found, after the mangroves, in flat lands which are barren and salt encrusted; however, succulent plants grow in some of the less saline thick mats. Fishes spawn in the Mangroves before they move offshore in to the sea. Mangrove oysters, (Crassostrea gasar) and Crassostrea tulipa) are also extensively found on mangrove trees in this habitat, which are collected and used as firewood and also as building material.

Wetlands consist of salt pans, lagoons, marshes, mangrove swamps, mudflats, saltwater rivers, fresh water reaches of rivers such as the Gambia River, flooded sand mines, watering holes for animals, paddy fields and ephemeral marshes with reed vegetation in flooded areas. Crustaceans, annelid

Annelid

The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...

worms and molluscs are the fauna in the wetlands where migrant birds and wading birds find their feed.

Farmlands, including savanna and woodland, form now a dominant habitat in The Gambia where crops were grown initially on a rotation system of 20 years with a fallow period. This practice has since changed to two or three years rotation. While the agricultural crops grown are sorghum

Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...

, millet

Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...

and ground nuts, the tree species retained, within the lands cleared for agricultural use, are the acacia albida, baobab

Baobab

, ficus

Ficus

Ficus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...

species, winterthorn and African locust

Locust

Locusts are the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory...

(Parkia biglobosa).

Savanna and the Sahel habitats are of two types. One is the southern Guinea savanna which has rich and dense vegetation of over 50 tree species. The other is the Sudan Savanna which is contiguous to the Guinea savanna on the north bank of the Gambia River. These areas are dry woodlands with soils of laterite

Laterite

Laterites are soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. They develop by intensive and long-lasting weathering of the underlying parent rock...

formations. The local tree species include Silk Cotton (Bombax costatum
Bombax costatum
Bombax costatum is a tree usually reaching a height of 5 - 15 m. It is flowering in the dry season before the leaves appear.-Distribution:...

), dry-zone mahogany

Mahogany

The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....

(Khaya Senagalensis) in deeper soil areas and African rosewood

African rosewood

African rosewood may refer to:* Millettia laurentii, the wenge, a tree species* Guibourtia coleosperma, a tree species...

(Guibourtia coleosperma
Guibourtia coleosperma
Guibourtia coleosperma, aka African Rosewood, Large False Mopane, Rhodesian Copalwood, Machibi, is a species of Guibourtia in the family Fabaceae. It is a large evergreen tree found in open woodland and occurring almost exclusively on Kalahari Sand....

). Short grasses and shrubs are seen thinly spread in the Sahelian habitats.

The gallery forest

Gallery forest

Gallery forests are evergreen forests that form as corridors along rivers or wetlands and project into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands or deserts....

s (moisture forests), unlike the rainforest

Rainforest

Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...

, thrive on groundwater and are integral to savannas. It is a rare habitat found only in Abuko Nature Reserve, Pirang Forest Park and in some stretches of the Gambia River with different set of species with some degree of overlap with rainforests.

Urban habitat consists of numerous villages. The open areas in between have large green stretches with profusion of tree species, particularly the mango

Mango

The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

(Mangifera indica) trees.

Law of the land

Some parts of the land area of The Gambia, under the protection laws of the Banjul Declaration of 1977, which is the law on wild life, includes seven protected zones of the country. The law prohibits all types of hunting, except on animals harmful to the environment, such as warthog

Warthog

The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...

, giant pouched rat

Gambian pouched rat

The Gambian pouched rat , also known as the African giant pouched rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat of the giant pouched rat genus Cricetomys. It is among the largest muroids in the world, growing up to about long including their tail which makes up half their length...

and francolin

Francolin

Francolins are birds that traditionally have been placed in the genus Francolinus, but now commonly are divided into multiple genera , although some of the major taxonomic listing sources have yet to divide them. They are members of the pheasant family, Phasianidae...

. Also, as a signatory to the International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES), The Gambia enforces law prohibiting export or even possession within the country of any animal skins, horns or turtle shells.

Mammals

More than 100 species of mammals have been reported.

Bats
Bats

Bats

A bat is a flying mammal in the Chiroptera order.Bats may also refer to:-Films:*Bats , starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Bob Gunton*Bats: Human Harvest -Groups:...

form a specific group of 30–40 species; they are of two types, namely fruit eating bats and insect eating bats. Strawberry coloured fruit bats

Fruit Bats

Fruit Bats is an American rock band formed in 1997 in Chicago. Noted as an early entrant into the folk-rock boom of the early 2000s, the group has had many personnel changes but revolves around singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson.-History:In 2000, Eric D...

(Eidolon helvum) and Epaulated fruit bat

Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat

The Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family.The species is known to travel in packs and are also known to be tropical...

(Epomophorus gambianus) are the most common species found in very large numbers. Bats also help in eating the malaria

Malaria

Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...

l insects, one bat consuming about 3000 mosquitoes per night. Eidolon helvum is a commonly seen bat during the rainy season when flowers and fruits (mangoes) are in full bloom.

Rodents
Rodents noted are the Gambian Sun Squirrel

Gambian Sun Squirrel

The Gambian Sun Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra...

(Heliosciurus gambianus), Striped Ground Squirrel

Striped Ground Squirrel

The Striped Ground Squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger,...

s (Xerus erythropus)s, Nocturnal crested porcupines

Crested Porcupine

The crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is extant in mainland Italy, Sicily, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.-Physical Attributes:...

(Hystrix cristata), Mongoose

Mongoose

Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...

s, Brush-tailed porcupine

Brush-tailed porcupine

The brush-tailed porcupines are a group of Old World porcupines in the genus Atherurus.-Characteristics:The brush-tailed porcupines have bodies covered in quills just like their new world relatives. These quills are shorter and not as visually prominent as those seen in the genus Hystrix, but...

, civet

Civet

The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....

s and genets

Genêts

Genêts is a commune in the Manche department in northwestern France. It was the port of the oppidum Ingena , the main settlement of the Abrincatui....

.

Aquatic mammals
Aquatic mammals reported are the whales, dolphins, seal

Pinniped

Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...

s, manatee

Manatee

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows...

s, aardvark

Aardvark

The aardvark is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa...

and tiny bushbaby.

Carnivores
Leopard

Leopard

The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...

s, bushbuck

Bushbuck

The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...

, hyena

Hyena

Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...

s and hippopotamus

Hippopotamus

The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...

are reported in the area whereas lions, giraffes and African elephant are not seen any longer.

Primates
Bijilo forests have endangered western red colobus monkey

Black-and-white colobus

Black-and-white colobuses are Old World monkeys of the genus Colobus, native to Africa. They are closely related to the brown colobus monkeys of genus Piliocolobus. The word "colobus" comes from Greek κολοβός kolobós , and is so named because its thumb is a stump.Colobuses are herbivorous, eating...

, the Calithrix Monkey

Green Monkey

The green monkey , also known as the Callithrix monkey, is an Old World monkey with golden-green fur and pale hands and feet. The tip of the tail is golden yellow as are the backs of the thighs and cheek whiskers. It does not have a distinguishing band of fur on the brow, like other Chlorocebus...

(Chlorocebus sabaeus). King West National Park has baboons, and patas monkey

Patas Monkey

The patas monkey , also known as the Wadi monkey or Hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa. It is the only species classified in the genus Erythrocebus...

s (Erythrocebus patas). The Senegal bushbaby

Senegal Bushbaby

The Senegal bushbaby , also known as the Senegal galago, the lesser galago or the lesser bush baby, is a small, nocturnal primate, a member of the galago family Galagidae....

Galago senegalensis, Campbells monkey

Campbell's Mona Monkey

Campbell's mona monkey , also known as Campbell's guenon and Campbell's monkey, is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family...

(Cercopithecus campbelli). The River Gambia National park has chimpanzee

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...

(Pan troglodytes). The western red colobus

Western Red Colobus

The western red colobus is a species of Old World monkey found in West African forests from Senegal to Ghana. All other species of red colobuses have formerly been considered subspecies of P. badius. It is often hunted by the common chimpanzee...

(Procolobus badius) are a common sight in the Kiang West National Park, Bijilo Forest Park and Abuko Nature Reserve. Guinea baboon

Guinea Baboon

The Guinea baboon is a baboon from the Old World monkey family. Some classifications list only two species in the genus Papio, this one and the Hamadryas baboon. In those classifications, all other Papio species are considered subspecies of P...

(Papio papio), which is large in size and fierce in appearance, is found in the northern region and also in small numbers in the coastal Makasutu Culture Forest.

Reptiles and amphibians
There are 40 snake species, nine of which are venomous, such as cobras, puff adders

Bitis arietans

Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions. It is responsible for causing the most fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution and...

and Mamba

Mamba

Mambas, of the genus Dendroaspis , are a group of highly venomous, fast-moving land-dwelling snakes of Africa. They belong to the family of Elapidae which includes cobras, coral snakes, taipans, brown snakes, tiger snakes, death adders, kraits and, debatably, sea snakes...

s, genus Dendroaspis; the first two are common. The non-venomous species are pythons, bush snakes

Philothamnus semivariegatus

The Spotted Bush Snake is a non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae, distributed from South Africa to Sudan and Guinea....

, lizards agamas

Agama agama

The Common Agama, Red-headed Rock Agama, or Rainbow Agama is a species of lizard from the Agamidae family, found in most of Subsaharan Africa....

and skinks (with brown and orange flanks); Bose’s monitor

Monitor lizard

Monitor lizards are usually large reptiles, although some can be as small as in length. They have long necks, powerful tails and claws, and well-developed limbs. Most species are terrestrial, but arboreal and semiaquatic monitors are also known...

, Nile Monitor

Nile monitor

The Nile Monitor, Water Leguaan, or River Leguaan is a large member of the monitor lizard family ....

s (Varanus niloticus), which are voracious predators; tree geckos; and chameleon

Chameleon

Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...

.

Three species of crocodiles reported are: Slender-snouted Crocodile

Slender-snouted Crocodile

The African Slender-snouted Crocodile is a species of crocodile. Recent studies in DNA and morphology suggest that it may belong in its own genus, Mecistops, but at present most continue to use Crocodylus for this species.African Slender-snouted Crocodile are native to freshwater habitats in...

(Mecistpos cataphractus), West African Dwarf crocodile

Dwarf Crocodile

The dwarf crocodile is an African species of crocodile. It is also the smallest extant crocodile species in the world. Recent sampling has identified three genetically distinct populations...

(Osteolaemus tetraspis) and West African Crocodylus suchus

Suchia

Suchia is a clade of archosaurs that includes all pseudosuchians except ornithosuchids. It includes crocodilians and their extinct relatives. Paul Sereno defined Suchia as the least inclusive clade containing Aetosaurus ferratus, Rauisuchus tiradentes, Prestosuchus chiniquensis, Gracilisuchus...

; the first two are on the endangered list.

Herpatofauna consists of newt

Newt

A newt is an aquatic amphibian of the family Salamandridae, although not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts. Newts are classified in the subfamily Pleurodelinae of the family Salamandridae, and are found in North America, Europe and Asia...

s, salamander

Salamander

Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...

s, toad

Toad

A toad is any of a number of species of amphibians in the order Anura characterized by dry, leathery skin , short legs, and snoat-like parotoid glands...

s, tree frog

Tree frog

Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semi-aquatic.-Characteristics:...

s, bullfrog

Bullfrog

The American bullfrog , often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is an aquatic frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or “true frogs”, native to much of North America. This is a frog of larger, permanent water bodies, swamps, ponds, and lakes, where it is usually found...

s and reed frogs

Hyperolius argus

The Argus Reed Frog or African Reed Frog . It is found in Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa. It is one of only five species of frogs in which males and females do not share the same coloring. Males are usually green colored, and Females usually Reddish with...

Birds

More than 500 species of birds live in The Gambia. The Bijilo Forest Park

Bijilo Forest Park

Bijilo Forest Park is a forest park in The Gambia....

and the Abuko

Abuko

Abuko is a town in the Western Division of The Gambia, five miles southwest of the capital Banjul. It is located in the district of Kombo North/Saint Mary to the north of Banjul International Airport and Abuko Nature Reserve. As of 2008, the estimated population is 7,631.-External links:**...

are important bird habitats. Faunal species seen here are the pelicans, spoonbills, yellow-billed stork

Yellow-billed Stork

The Yellow-billed Stork, Mycteria ibis, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It occurs in Africa south of the Sahara and in Madagascar....

, Mycteria ibis, goliath heron

Goliath Heron

The Goliath Heron is a very large wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa, with smaller numbers in Southwest and South Asia.-Description:This is the world's largest heron...

(Ardea goliath), blue-cheeked bee-eater

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Merops persicus, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in Northern Africa, and the Middle East from eastern Turkey to Kazakhstan and India. It is generally strongly migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, although some populations breed...

(Merops persicus), mouse-brown sunbird, Anthreptes gabonicus, African fish eagle (Hieraaetus spilogaster) (in the river valleys). Wetland bird species are Dendrocygna viduata, sacred ibis

Sacred Ibis

The African Sacred Ibis is a species of ibis.-Description:An adult individual is 68 cm long with all-white body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump. The bald head and neck, thick curved bill and legs are black. The white wings show a black rear border in flight...

(Threskiornis aethiopicus), Palm-nut Vulture

Palm-nut Vulture

The Palm-nut Vulture or Vulturine Fish Eagle, is a very large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers, vultures, and eagles. It is the only member of the genus Gypohierax...

(Gypohierax angolensis), crakes, Greater Painted Snipe

Greater Painted Snipe

The Greater Painted Snipe, Rostratula benghalensis, is a species of wader in the family Rostratulidae. It is found in marshes in Africa, India, Pakistan, and South-east Asia -Description:...

(Rostratula benghalensis) and African jacana

African Jacana

The African Jacana is a jacana. The jacanas are a group of waders in the family Jacanidae, which are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in the shallow lakes that are their preferred habitat. They are found worldwide within the tropical...

(Actophilornis africanus).

Butterfly faunal distribution in The Gambia is dictated by the boundary of two major biomes of Sahelian and Guinean Savanna species; it is distinctly different between the rainy season and dry season.

Flora

The vegetation of The Gambia is mostly savanna in the upland areas, inland swamp in the low-lying areas, and mangrove swamp along the banks of the lower Gambia River

Gambia River

The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and The Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul...

. The country is almost devoid of true forest cover, the most forested area being the Bijo Forest. Nonetheless it is biologically rich, with an estimated 11,600 plant species many of which are used for medicinal purposes. Many plants are grown for food. The Cassava

Cassava

Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...

plant Manihot esculenta was brought to The Gambia by the Portuguese between the 17th and 18th centuries. It grows up to 4 metres high and is a staple of the national diet, consuming an average of 100 kg per person per annum in 2002 according to the Food and Agriculture Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

. Coastal inland forest comprises part of Bijilo Forest Park, Abuko Nature Reserve, Pirang Forest Park, and the River Gambia National Park.

The gummy Combretum glutinosum
Combretum glutinosum
Combretum glutinosum is a shrub species of the genus Combretum, found in the Sahel belt in parts of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, The Gambia, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon, across to parts of Sudan. It is known as dooki in Pulaar, Kantakara in Hausa, rat in Wolof and jambakatan kè in Maninka....

, Combretum micranthum, Combretum paniculatrum and Combretum racemosum are common shrubs in the savanna areas of the country. Combretum Paniculatum may be found on the edges of the forests in the north of the country. These plants usually have red petals and the Combretum racemosum has red 4-part flowers, but with infloresence rimmed by white bracts.

Geography

Mammals

Birds

Flora

Further reading