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The Small Five Animals In Kenya

4 Sep 20261 min read

Elephant shrew, buffalo weaver, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle. A good guide will find you all five, and the search changes how you look at the bush.

Elephant Shrew

A tiny long nosed mammal, more closely related to elephants than to shrews. Common in Tsavo and Shimba Hills, usually seen darting across a track.

Buffalo Weaver

Noisy, sociable birds that build enormous untidy communal nests in acacias. Once you know the nest shape you will see them everywhere.

Leopard Tortoise

Named for the markings on its shell. The largest tortoise in Kenya and often found on tracks after rain.

Ant Lion

The larva digs a conical pit in loose sand and waits at the bottom for ants to slide in. The pits are far easier to spot than the insect itself.

Rhino Beetle

Armoured, horned and able to carry many times its own weight. Most often seen at night around camp lights.

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