Nocturnal animals to Look for at Night on a Kenya Safari

Nocturnal animals to Look for at Night on a Kenya Safari : Try to include at least one night game drive in your itinerary if you’re organising a Kenya safari. Night game drives offer a distinct perspective on life after dark and present the chance to see a whole new cast of creatures, many of which are among the rarest and most elusive on the continent. Predators that prefer to hunt during the dark, such as hyenas, leopards, and most smaller cat species in Africa, are among the most sought-after nocturnal creatures. Another pleasure of a night safari may be the birds. Which species you see will depend on where you are going, although owls, nightjars, and thick-knees are probably among them. This article examines a few of the lesser-known nocturnal species, the majority of which are observable.

1:Bush baby

On Kenya safaris and across the African continent, there are numerous species of nocturnal bush baby. The Afrikaans term for these small primates is galagos, or nagapies, which translates to “little night monkeys.” With their huge ears and oversized eyes, bush babies are incredibly nimble and have evolved for a life in the dark. This allows them to identify prey at night. They mostly eat fruit and insects, and they frequently get used to people. As a result, on Kenya safari tours they are mostly seen scavenging at campsites or bush lodges. The nickname “bush babies” comes from their unsettling wail, which resembles a sobbing infant. Their long, bushy tails give them balance while they navigate through the forest and provide them strength when they jump. Bush babies are capable of jumps greater than seven feet.

2:Aardvark

Aardvarks are strange-looking animals that have a humped body, a long snout, and a thick tail. They can grow to be somewhat longer than seven feet in total. Aardvarks are greyish brown in colour. Skilled excavators, aardvarks spend the day in their underground burrows hiding from the sun. They come out after dusk to search for termites, which they can detect with their senses of hearing and smell. Aardvarks burrow into termite mounds with their strong claws and then use their long, sticky tongues to swallow the insects. They can’t be bitten because of their hard skin, and an adult aardvark is believed to be able to eat up to 50,000 termites in one night. Although they are widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, they prefer to stay away from rocky places since they are difficult for them to dig in.

3:Pangolin

One of four pangolin species found in Africa, the ground pangolin is often referred to as the Cape or Temminck’s pangolin. Even in those regions, they are uncommon to see; it is the only one in Southern and East Africa. Due to the demand for pangolin body parts in China and Vietnam, pangolins are the most traded animals worldwide, which puts the species in danger of going extinct. Pangolins, which are mammals with protective scales covering them, are sometimes confused for reptiles. The species’ adults can grow up to 3.25 feet in length and are brown or olive in colour. Pangolins are uniquely suited to search for termites, much like aardvarks. They live alone and can be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, and other Central, Southern, and East African nations.

4:Aardwolf

The Afrikaans name for this secretive species is “earth wolf,” and it is undeniably wolf-like in appearance. Nevertheless, the aardwolf is a member of the same family as the hyena and is not related to wolves or any other type of dog. Its thick mane, which may be lifted to give the impression that the aardwolf is larger than it actually is when threatened, and the vertical black stripes that pattern its yellow hair make it easy to identify even though it is difficult to notice. As a backup defence strategy, their anal glands can also expel an offensive-smelling liquid. Aardwolves spend the daytime hours underground in their burrows and come out at night to hunt, mostly termites. They form lifelong mating partnerships and like dry, open grasslands and savannahs with many of termite nests.

5:Cape Porcupine

The largest rodent species in Southern Africa and the largest porcupine species worldwide, Cape porcupines can grow up to 3.25 feet in length from snout to tail tip. Their stout bodies are adorned with spines that are banded in black and white, the sharpest being the shortest. The hollow tail spines of the porcupine not only make it difficult for potential predators to assault without causing considerable harm, but also aid in defence. The porcupine rattles these spines to warn of impending danger. This is a herbivorous species that comes out at night to eat on bark, roots, and fruit. Cape porcupines build a network of tunnels throughout a common area that can be as large as 0.8 square miles, and they mate for life. All of Central and Southern Africa is home to them.

6:Small-Spotted Genet

The most common member of a family that could contain up to 17 distinct species is the small-spotted genet. Despite having a strongly feline appearance with their slim bodies and pointy features, genets are not considered felines. Rather, they belong to the same classification as civets: viverrids. Pale grey in colour, small-spotted genets have multiple rows of tiny black dots and a black stripe running down their spine. They have black and white rings streaked down their tails. Genets are skilled hunters and are most active shortly before dawn and after twilight. They are expert climbers and feed on small mammals, reptiles, and birds. Small-spotted genets can be found in sections of Central, West, East, and North Africa in addition to Southern Africa.

7:Springhare

One of the most frequent species seen in Kenya safari tours during night safaris are springhares. These strange animals bear a striking resemblance to little kangaroos, with their long tail, short front legs, and expanded rear legs. However, they aren’t related to kangaroos, or even to hares. Rather from being categorised as lagomorphs like hares, they are instead called rodents. Their colour is either yellow or reddish brown, and their bushy tails have a characteristic black tip. In addition to feeding on grasses, seeds, and leaves, springhares are frequently observed sitting straight up in the headlight beam of a kenya safari vehicle. Their muscular rear legs allow them to leap distances of more than seven feet, and their huge eyes perform effectively even in complete darkness.

8:Bat-eared fox

The name “bat-eared fox” comes from the fact that these animals can withstand the intense heat of the dry savannah in which they usually reside because of their unusually enormous ears, which aid in distributing body heat. On the Kenya safari tours, there are two distinct populations of bat-eared fox: one ranges from Ethiopia to Tanzania, while the other spans from Angola to South Africa. In contrast to the majority of other species on this list, southern bat-eared foxes are primarily nocturnal during the summer, when they dig subterranean burrows to escape the heat. Since they feed throughout the day in the winter, they are more visible. They are frequently observed hunting in pairs or small groups, and their primary food sources include termites, other insects, and tiny reptiles.

9:African Civet

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to a large population of African civets. Though common, it is rarely seen since it sleeps deep in the jungle during the day and only emerges to hunt at night. Civets are solitary creatures that measure around 16 inches from the ground to the shoulder. They have huge hindquarters, a bushy tail, and a stocky build. The civet’s silver-grey coat is patterned with black spots and stripes that are as distinctive as a person’s fingerprints, and it resembles a racoon due to a black band across its eyes. Because they are omnivores, civets consume anything from carrion to eggs. They use a strong liquid that is released from their perineal glands to mark their territory; historically, this liquid was used to create perfume.

10:Honey badgers

Not all honey badgers are nocturnal; in certain places, they can be seen during the day. They have a short, flat head, a long, thick-set body, and resemble a giant weasel. They live alone in self-dug tunnels. With the exception of a wide white stripe that extends from the top of their head to the base of their tail, their coarse fur is jet black. The food of the honey badger is diverse and includes both venomous and non-venomous snakes, birds, rodents, and raw honey. Because of their legendary power and ferocity, most predators avoid them completely. When confronted, adult honey badgers will attack any animal without hesitation, even lions and leopards. With their pointed teeth and extra-thick skin surrounding their necks, they are perfectly suited to do so.

11:Bush Pigs

Despite being big animals that may grow to 39 inches in height, bush pigs are rarely seen on Kenya safari. This is because they prefer thick habitats, such as woodlands and Reedbeds, and are primarily nocturnal. They have been introduced to a number of Indian Ocean islands, such as Madagascar and the Comoros, and are widespread throughout East and Southern Africa. Bush pigs can be identified from warthogs and domestic pigs by their blunt, muscular snouts, tufted ears and short tusks. They run with their tails down, unlike warthogs. Being gregarious creatures, they typically reside in packs led by a dominant pair of sexes. Due to their disruptive foraging habits and reputation for aggression, bush pigs are considered omnivores and are hunted in numerous locations.