Africa’s “Big Five”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo—are undoubtedly familiar to anybody who has gone on safari. Safari visitors enjoy “bagging” sightings of these well-known five as the stunning and recognizable creatures they are.
Nonetheless, there is a lesser-known category of wildlife collections that features much smaller African game, some of which are pretty small, but these unusual little wild creatures are nonetheless charmingly fascinating.
Elephants are familiar to you, but what about the elephant shrew? Everybody travels to Africa to see magnificent lions, but have you ever seen an ant lion? Both the rhino and the horned rhino beetle are secretive and interesting animals.
Both the elusive leopard and the leopard tortoise are recognized for their characteristic spots. Lastly, everybody who has gone on safari has undoubtedly seen the magnificent Cape buffalo, but did you know that the buffalo weaver is a unique bird that flies across Africa’s skies?
1. Leopard Tortoise
The largest of the “Little Five”, the leopard tortoise has a unique marking on its shell that resembles the spots found on the big cat for which it is named. Found in eastern and southern African savannahs, the largest of the leopard tortoises can grow to 18 inches and weighs in at 40 pounds.
2. Buffalo Weaver
Looking nothing at all like the full-sized buffalo that populate the African plains, this dark bird is accented with a bright red beak. Also, unlike the curmudgeonly African buffalo, this little bird is known for its sociability with other birds making lots of noisy calls and squawks.
The buffalo weaver is also characterized as a rather sloppy builder and housekeeper, constructing ramshackle communal nests with a rather messy collection of twigs and grass.
3. Elephant Shrew
Okay, even though the elephant shrew’s longish nose resembles that of its larger cousin, it cannot be mistaken for an actual elephant. However, the elephant shrew, which is just nine inches long and slightly over a pound, does resemble a hybrid of an elephant’s face and a mouse’s body.
The little elephant shrew feeds on insects. The elephant shrew is a little mammal that must exercise extreme caution because, regrettably, snakes and raptors hunt on it. This timid fellow of the savannah grasslands and forest will be difficult to find.
4. Rhinoceros Beetle
As scary looking as its 4000 lb namesake with its singular protruding horn, the rhino beetle is amazingly strong for its size. Said to be able to move 850 times its weight, the males are known for their aggressive behavior… that is with other rhino beetles.
5. Ant Lion
No, we’re not going to say this is an ant-sized version of a lion – they don’t look alike at all. But this little insect probably gets its name from its rather aggressive behavior. The ant lion digs a tiny funnel-shaped hole in the sand that traps other ants and termites. It is the king of the mini jungle.
