Thewildlife of Ivory Coast consists of theflora andfauna of this nation in West Africa. The country has a long Atlantic coastline on theGulf of Guinea and a range ofhabitat types. Once covered in tropical rainforest, much of this habitat has been cleared, the remaining terrain being gallery forests and savanna with scattered groups of trees, resulting in a decrease inbiodiversity. As of 2016, 252 species ofmammal had been recorded in Ivory Coast, 666 species ofbird, 153 species ofreptile, 80 species ofamphibian, 671 species offish and 3660 species ofvascular plant.
Ivory Coast is a country in westernsub-Saharan Africa just north of theequator, bordered byLiberia andGuinea to the west,Mali andBurkina Faso to the north andGhana to the east. To the south lies theGulf of Guinea with a 515 km (320 mi) coastline where there is a network oflagoons. The land rises from south to north, the terrain being mostly flat to undulating plain, with mountains in the west and northwest. The highest point isMount Richard-Molard on the border with Guinea, reaching 1,752 metres (5,748 ft). The main rivers flow from north to south. A dam on theBandama River, the longest waterway in the country, has created the artificialLake Kossou, while another on theSassandra River has created the rather smallerLake Buyo.[1]
The forests on mountains in the west of the country near the border with Guinea and Liberia, are classified asGuinean montane forests. TheGuinean forest-savanna mosaic belt extends across the middle of the country from east to west, and is the transition zone between the coastal forests and the interiorsavannas. The forest-savanna mosaic interlaces forest, savanna and grassland habitats. Northern Ivory Coast is part of theSudanian Savanna ecoregion of theTropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublandsbiome. It is a zone of lateritic or sandy soils, with vegetation decreasing from south to north.[2] Temperatures average between 25 and 30 °C (77 and 86 °F). The main rainy season is between May and September, with the remaining part of the year being dry in the north of the country, as theHarmattan wind blows. In the south the rainfall is higher (2,000 mm (80 in) annually and twice as much as the north) and some rain falls in most months.[3]
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As of 2016, 3660 species ofvascular plant had been recorded in Ivory Coast.[4] TheÉbrié Lagoon is dominated by mangroves and herbaceous vegetation including both rooted and floatingaquatic plants. Further inland are extensive swamps with larger herbaceous plants and small trees.[5]
In the southwest of the country, theTaï National Park protects the largest area of forest remaining in theUpper Guinean rainforest belt of West Africa. The vegetation is predominantly dense evergreen ombrophilous forest with emergent trees up to 60 m (200 ft) tall, with massive trunks and large buttresses or stilt roots. This mature tropical forest includes some 1,300 species of higher plants and has been designated as aWorld Heritage Site and aUNESCO Biosphere Reserve.[6] Another area that has been protected is theComoé National Park, near the border withBurkina Faso. This has a variety of habitats, including gallery forests, woodland, open savannas and wetland.[7]
As of 2016, some 252 species ofmammal had been recorded in Ivory Coast, 666 species ofbird, 153 species ofreptile, 80 species ofamphibian and 671 species offish.[4] In the shallow parts of the Ébrié Lagoon there are a range ofinvertebrates includingpolychaete worms,nemertean worms,oligochaetes,isopods,amphipods andprawns. Over a hundred species of fish have been recorded here, and the lagoon and surrounding swamps are home to thepygmy hippopotamus, theWest African crocodile, theWest African slender-snouted crocodile, thedwarf crocodile and theAfrican manatee.[5]
Population growth and civil wars, together with deforestation, the increase area of plantations, hunting for bushmeat and other factors have led to a reduction in diversity among the animals in Ivory Coast,[8] such that many are now restricted to protected areas. Among the 135 species of mammal recorded in Comoé National Park are 11 species of primates including theolive baboon,green monkey,lesser spot-nosed monkey,Mona monkey,black and white colobus, olive colobus,white collared mangabey andwestern chimpanzee. A total of 17 carnivore species have been observed here, butcheetahs,African wild dogs andlions no longer seem to be present. There are also 21 species ofartiodactyl present includinghippopotamus,bushpig, bongo,warthog,buffalo,kob,red-flanked duiker,bushbuck,waterbuck,roan antelope andoribi.[9] Mammals recorded in the Taï National Park include thepygmy hippopotamus and 11 species of monkey,[10] as well asAfrican forest elephants, buffaloes,pangolins, bushbuck,leopards,chimpanzees andzebras.[11] Reptiles includecrocodiles,lizards andchameleons, as well as snakes such ashorned vipers,mambas, andpythons.
Among the 670 species of bird that have been recorded in the country are 10 species of seabird and 119 species of water bird, with the remaining birds being terrestrial. There are no speciesendemic to the country, but it is visited by 197 species ofmigratory bird.[12] Some notable birds include 6 species ofvulture,raptors,owls, 8 species ofstork,African jacana,Ibises,herons,plovers,parrots, 11 species ofhornbill,pigeons, and many smallerpasserines.[13]