Thewildlife of Nigeria consists of theflora andfauna of this country inWest Africa.Nigeria has a wide variety of habitats, ranging frommangrove swamps andtropical rainforest tosavanna with scattered clumps of trees. About 290mammal species and 940bird species have been recorded in the country.
Nigeria is a large country in West Africa just north of the equator. It is bounded byBenin to the west,Niger to the north,Cameroon to the east and theAtlantic Ocean to the south. The country consists of several large plateaus separated by the valleys of the two major rivers, theNiger and theBenue, and their tributaries. These converge inland and flow into theGulf of Guinea through a network of creeks and branches which form the extensiveNiger Delta. Other rivers flow directly to the sea further west, with many smaller rivers being seasonal. The highest mountain isChappal Waddi (2,419 m (7,936 ft)) on theMambilla Plateau in the southeast of the country near the border with Cameroon. TheShere Hills (1,829 m (6,001 ft)) are another mountainous region located on theJos Plateau in the center of the country. Major lakes include two reservoirs,Oguta Lake andKainji Lake, andLake Chad in the northeast. There are extensive coastal plains in the southwest and the southeast, and the coastline is low.[1]
The wet season lasts from March to October, with winds from the southwest. The rest of the year is dry, with northeasterlyharmattan winds blowing in from theSahara. The coastal zone has between 1,500 and 3,000 mm (59 and 118 in) of rainfall per year, and the inland zones are drier except for the highland areas.[2]
The most southerly part of the country is classified as "salt water swamp" or "mangrove swamp" because the vegetation consists primarily ofmangroves. North of this is a fresh water swamp area containing salt-intolerant species such as theraffia palm, and north of this israinforest. Further north again, the countryside becomes savanna with scattered groups of trees.[3] A common species in riverine forests in the south isBrachystegia eurycoma.[4]
These main zones can be further subdivided. The coastal swamp forest extends many kilometers inland and contains all eight West African species of mangrove, withRhizophora racemosa being the dominant species on the outer edge,R. harrisonii in the central part andR. mangle on the inner edge.[5] The mangrove swamps of the Niger Delta are estimated to be the breeding ground of 40% of the fish caught offshore.[5] The rainforest zone stretches inland for about 270 km (170 mi) but its composition varies considerably, with rainfall decreasing from west to east and from south to north. InOmo Forest Reserve for example, the commonest trees are several species ofDiospyros,Tabernaemontana pachysiphon,Octolobus angustatus,Strombosia pustulata,Drypetes gossweileri,Rothmania hispida,Hunteria unbellata,Rinorea dentata,Voacanga africana, andAnthonotha aubryanum.[6]
Where the rainforest grades into the savanna woodland, dominant trees includeBurkea africana,Terminalia avicennioides, andDetarium microcarpum.[7] About one half of Nigeria is classified as Guinea savanna in theGuinean forest-savanna mosaic ecoregion, characterized by scattered groups of low trees surrounded by tall grasses, with strips ofgallery forest along the watercourses. Typical trees here are suited to the seasonally dry conditions and repeated wildfires and includeLophira lanceolata,Afzelia africana,Daniellia oliveri,Borassus aethiopum,Anogeissus leiocarpa,Vitellaria paradoxa,Ceratonia siliqua, and species ofIsoberlinia.[3][8]
A large number ofmammal species are found in Nigeria with its diverse habitats. These includelions,leopards,mongooses,hyenas,side-striped jackals,African elephants,African buffaloes,African manatees,rhinoceroses,antelopes,waterbuck,giraffes,warthogs,red river hogs,hippopotamuses,pangolins,aardvarks,western tree hyraxes,bushbabies,monkeys,baboons,western gorillas,chimpanzees,bats,shrews,mice,rats,squirrels, andgerbils. Besides these, many species ofwhale anddolphin visit Nigerian waters.[9]
About 940 species of bird have been recorded in Nigeria, five of them endemic to the country.[10] Each geographical zone has its typical bird species, with few being found in both forest and savanna. Around theOba Dam, east ofIbadan, various waterfowl can be seen including several species ofheron andegret,African pygmy goose,comb-crested jacana,black-winged stilt,Egyptian plover, andblack crake. In the adjoining rainforest, specialties includewestern square-tailed drongo andglossy-backed drongo, theAfrican oriole andblack-headed orioles,painted-snipe, several species ofdove,Klaas' anddiederik cuckoos, as well askingfishers,bee-eaters,rollers, andbushshrikes, including thefiery-breasted bushshrike, flocks of iridescentstarlings, and several species ofMalimbus, a genus only found in West Africa. Some birds found in open savanna includehooded vulture,stone partridge,guineafowl,black-billed wood dove,black cuckoo,blue-naped mousebird, andAbyssinian roller.[11] Birds endemic to Nigeria include theIbadan malimbe, theJos Plateau indigobird, therock firefinch and theAnambra waxbill.[10]
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