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A dual header image featuring, on the left, several meerkats sitting and lying on a reddish-brown surface near the entrance of their burrows, and on the right, an overhead view of black-and-yellow butterfly, resting on a blade of grass.


Animals You'll Meet on Safari

 

Whether you’re a first-time traveler or a seasoned adventurer, embarking on a safari is one of the most thrilling ways to experience the natural world. The animals you might encounter during your safari in northern Tanzania, number in the thousands. We summed up a few of the most common species you can look for.

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Other Mammals

 

Tanzania's diverse wildlife includes a variety of intriguing mammals, such as the massive hippo, the distinctive warthog, and the agile mongoose. These animals inhabit a range of environments, from riverbanks and savannas to forests and grasslands. Their varied behaviors and adaptations add to the rich tapestry of Tanzania's fauna, offering a captivating glimpse into the country's natural world.

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A close-up of a hippopotamus standing to the right, its head turned slightly to its right, set against a forested backdrop.

Hippopotamus: 

Kiboko

  • Habitat: The Hippopotamus inhabit areas nearby rivers, lakes, and wetlands across sub-Saharan Africa, including parts of northern Tanzania. They prefer areas with slow-moving water and abundant vegetation.

  • Characteristics: The hippopotamus is a large, semi-aquatic mammal with a barrel-shaped body, thick skin, and short legs. Despite their size, they can run surprisingly fast on land. Hippos are known for spending most of their day submerged in water to keep cool.

  • Diet: Herbivorous, primarily feeding on grasses. They graze on land at night, consuming up to 40 kg (88 lbs) of grass per night.

A close-up, semi frontal view of a warthog standing slightly to the right, set against a forested backdrop.

Warthog: 

Ngiri

  • Habitat: Warthogs are often found in savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands in northern Tanzania. They are often seen in areas with sparse vegetation, where they can graze and root for food.

  • Characteristics: Warthogs have a distinctive appearance with large tusks, a flat face, and a mane running down their back. They are known for their habit of kneeling on their front knees while grazing. Despite their somewhat fierce appearance, they are generally timid animals.

  • Diet: Omnivorous, feeding mainly on grasses, roots, berries, and occasionally small animals or carrion.

A close-up, rear view of a mongoose standing on sandy terrain, looking over its right shoulder.

Mongoose:

Nguchiro

  • Habitat: Mongooses are found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, grasslands, and forests. The dwarf mongoose, for example, is often found in dry regions with plenty of cover, such as termite mounds or rocky outcrops.

  • Characteristics: Mongooses are small, agile carnivores with long bodies and short legs. They are social animals, often living in groups and known for their bravery in facing off with venomous snakes.

  • Diet: Insectivorous and carnivorous, feeding on insects, small mammals, reptiles, eggs, and fruits.

A close-up image of a meerkat sitting straight, positioned to the left with its head turned left, set against a blurred rocky background.

Meerkat: 

Nguchiro

  • Habitat: Meerkats inhabit arid and semi-arid regions, particularly in southern Africa. They are not native to northern Tanzania but are included here for comparison. They prefer open, dry areas with sparse vegetation, such as savannas and deserts.

  • Characteristics: Meerkats are small, burrowing animals with a slender body, pointed face, and a long tail. They are highly social and live in groups known as "mobs" or "gangs." Meerkats are known for their upright posture when on the lookout for predators.

  • Diet: Insectivorous, primarily feeding on insects, but also eat small vertebrates, eggs, and plants.

A close-up image of an African porcupine standing to the right on sandy terrain, with a large fallen tree stump in the blurred background.

African Porcupine: 

Nungunungu

  • Habitat: African Porcupines are commonly seen in a variety of habitats, including forests, savannas, and rocky areas in northern Tanzania. They often inhabit burrows or crevices in rocky terrain.

  • Characteristics: The African porcupine is a large, nocturnal rodent with a body covered in long, sharp quills. These quills are used as a defense mechanism against predators. They are solitary animals, often only coming together during the breeding season.

  • Diet: Herbivorous, feeding on roots, tubers, bark, and fruits. They are also known to gnaw on bones to obtain calcium.

A close-up image of a pangolin walking to the left across a sandy terrain, scattered with tiny rocks.

Pangolin: 

kakakuona

  • Habitat: Pangolins are found in forests, savannas, and grasslands, often near termite mounds and ant colonies, as these form their primary food source. They are nocturnal and elusive, making them difficult to spot.

  • Characteristics: Pangolins are unique mammals covered in large, protective keratin scales. When threatened, they roll into a tight ball, making it difficult for predators to harm them. They are solitary and primarily nocturnal.

  • Diet: Insectivorous, feeding almost exclusively on ants and termites. They use their long, sticky tongues to extract insects from their nests.

A close-up image of an aardvark standing to the right in a barren, rocky environment.

Aardvark: 

Muanga

  • Habitat: Aardvarks inhabit a wide range of habitats, including savannas, grasslands, and woodlands. They prefer areas with sandy or clay soil, which makes it easier to dig for food.

  • Characteristics: The aardvark is a nocturnal mammal with a pig-like snout, large ears, and strong claws used for digging. It is a solitary animal and spends much of its time burrowing in search of food.

  • Diet: Insectivorous, feeding primarily on ants and termites. Aardvarks use their strong claws to break into termite mounds and their long, sticky tongues to collect their prey.

A close-up image of a honey badger standing to the left on sandy terrain dotted with grass tufts, with its head slightly turned.

Honey Badger: 

Nyegere

  • Habitat: Honey badgers are found in savannas, grasslands, and forests across northern Tanzania. They are adaptable and can live in a variety of environments.

  • Characteristics: Known for their fearless and tenacious nature, honey badgers have a stocky body, thick skin, and a white stripe running from their head to the base of their tail. They are solitary animals and are known for their ferocity when threatened.

  • Diet: Omnivorous, feeding on a wide range of foods, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fruits, and honey. They are also known to raid beehives for honey, hence their name.

A close-up, frontal view of a rock hyrax sitting to the right on a rock.

Rock Hyrax:  

Pimbi

  • Habitat: Rock hyraxes are commonly found in rocky outcrops, cliffs, and mountainous regions in northern Tanzania. They live in large colonies and often bask in the sun on rocky ledges.

  • Characteristics: Although they resemble rodents, rock hyraxes are more closely related to elephants. They have short ears, round bodies, and a short tail. They are social animals, often seen resting together in large groups.

  • Diet: Herbivorous, feeding on grasses, leaves, fruits, and bark. They are also known to consume lichen and moss found on rocks.​​​​



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​If you are uncomfortable or afraid of spiders or insects, please be aware that the following content contains images of these creatures, including close-ups of spiders, ants, and beetles.
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Insects

 

Tanzania's insect life is incredibly diverse, with countless species ranging from vibrant butterflies and intricate beetles to buzzing bees and industrious ants. These insects thrive in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and wetlands, playing crucial roles in pollination, decomposition, and as a food source for other wildlife. Their remarkable adaptations and behaviors contribute significantly to the ecological balance and biodiversity of Tanzania's natural environments.

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A close-up, overhead view of an African monarch butterfly with its vibrant orange wings, perched on a flower.

African Monarch: 

Kipepeo

  • Habitat: The African Monarch thrives in savannas, grasslands, and open areas. It prefers regions with plenty of milkweed plants (Asclepias species), which are essential for the butterfly's life cycle.

  • Characteristics: It has orange wings with black and white markings on the edges. Its colors mimic those of toxic butterflies to ward off predators.

  • Diet: They feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, particularly those found in open fields and gardens, and on milkweed plants, which contain toxic chemicals that make the caterpillars and the adult butterflies poisonous.

A close-up, overhead view of an green-banded swallowtail butterfly with its delicate black-and-green wings, perched on a leaf.

Green-Banded Swallowtail: 

Kipepeo

  • Habitat: The Green-Banded Swallowtail is typically seen in wooded areas, near rivers, or mountainous regions, but can also be found in cultivated gardens.

  • Characteristics: It has striking black wings with iridescent green bands that run across the forewings and hindwings. It's known for its strong and fast flight, it’s often seen flying close to the ground or along forest edges. These butterflies are often solitary and can be spotted basking in the sun.

  • Diet: Feed on plants from the Rutaceae family, including citrus plants, which are common in their habitat. Like many butterflies, they feed on nectar from flowers, often seeking out brightly colored and fragrant flowers for it.

A close-up image of an African honeybee positioned to the left atop a hollow, broken branch, set against a blurred backdrop of lush vegetation.

African Honeybee:

Nyuki

  • Habitat: The African Honeybee is adaptable to various environments including agricultural areas, forests, and savannas. They build their hives in tree cavities, walls, or artificial hives.

  • Characteristics: Small to medium-sized bees with a hairy body that aids in pollen collection. They have a yellow and black striped pattern.

  • Diet: Feed on nectar and pollen from flowers, which they use to produce honey and feed their young.

A close-up image of a paper wasp positioned to the right at the center of a green leaf, highlighting the intricate details of the leaf.

Paper Wasp:​

Nyigu

  • Habitat: Paper Wasps are common in urban and rural areas throughout Tanzania. They often build their nests under eaves, tree branches, or shrubs, using plant fibers to create papery nests.

  • Characteristics: Paper wasps have slender bodies with narrow waists and are typically reddish-brown or black with yellow markings. They live in small colonies with a dominant queen and a group of worker wasps. They are not as aggressive as other wasp species but will defend their nests if threatened.

  • Diet: Feed on nectar from flowers and fruit juices, making them pollinators.

A close-up image of a dung beetle, positioned to the left atop a ball of dung, enlightened by the warm glow of a setting sun.

Dung Beetle: 

Sukuma Mavi

  • Habitat: Dung Beetles are common in savannas, grasslands, and woodlands across Tanzania. They thrive in areas with plenty of large herbivores, such as elephants, buffalo, or cattle, since they rely on dung as a food source.

  • Characteristics: Dung beetles are typically black or brown and  vary in size from small (few millimeters) to large (up to 5 cm). Their bodies are rounded and often shiny. They are best known for rolling dung into balls, which they bury to feed on later or use as nesting material.

  • Diet: feed on dung, primarily that of herbivores. Adult beetles use the dung for nourishment and as a place to lay their eggs, where the larvae develop by feeding on it.

A close-up image of a red weaver ant walking to the left across a sandy surface.

Red Weaver Ant: 

Sisimizi

  • Habitat: Red Weaver Ants primarily inhabit forests, plantations, and gardens. They build their nests in trees, using silk produced by their larvae to bind leaves together.

  • Characteristics: These ants are bright reddish-brown and can range from 8–10 mm in length. Their bodies are slender with long legs and mandibles. They are highly social, living in large colonies led by a queen. The colonies can have hundreds of thousands of workers.

  • Diet: Primarily predatory, feeding on other insects and small arthropods, making them valuable in controlling agricultural pests.

A dual close-up image featuring, in the upper section, an open woodland adorned with towering termite mounds, and below, a close-up view of sandy ground dotted with holes and scattered termites crawling across.

Termites: 

Mchwa

  • Habitat: Termites are widespread in Tanzania, found in savannas, woodlands, forests, and urban areas. Especially the plains of the Serengeti are covered with a large amount of towering termite mounds.

  • Characteristics: Termites are small, white or pale-bodied insects, with workers ranging from 3 to 15 mm in size, while soldiers and reproductive forms are larger. Termites live in complex social colonies, with workers, soldiers, and a queen. The queen can live for many years and lay thousands of eggs per day. Some species, like Macrotermes, are famous for their massive, towering mounds that serve as temperature-regulated homes for the colony.

  • Diet: They primarily feed on dead plant material, particularly wood, leaves, and grass.

A close-up, overhead view of a black widow spider positioned to the right in its nearly invisible web.

Black Widow Spider: 

Buibui Mweusi Mjane

  • Habitat: The Black Widow Spider is often found in dark, sheltered locations such as under rocks, in woodpiles, or in abandoned buildings. They prefer dry, secluded environments.

  • Characteristics: It's a small to medium-sized spider with shiny black bodies and a distinctive red hourglass marking on the underside of their abdomen. The bite of the Black Widow is highly venomous and can cause severe pain, muscle cramps, and nausea in humans.

  • Diet: They feed on insects, including flies, mosquitoes, beetles, and caterpillars. They capture their prey in the web, inject venom, and liquefy the insides before feeding.

A close-up, aerial view of a baboon spider positioned to the left on a red sandy surface.

Baboon Spider: 

Buibui Nyani

  • Habitat: Baboon Spiders are typically found in dry savannas, grasslands, and sometimes woodlands. They live in burrows dug into the ground, often in shaded areas.

  • Characteristics: Baboon spiders are large, hairy tarantulas with dark brown to reddish or grayish bodies, and they can grow up to 20 cm in leg span. Their name comes from their thick, hairy legs, resembling those of a baboon.

  • Diet: Baboon spiders don’t spin webs to catch prey. Instead, they ambush prey from their burrows, feeding on insects, small mammals, lizards, and even birds. They lie in wait at the entrance of their burrow and pounce on passing prey.

A close-up, frontal view of a jumping spider perched on the edge of a leaf.

Jumping Spider: 

Buibui Mrukaji

  • Habitat: Jumping Spiders are found in a variety of environments including savannas, forests, gardens, and urban areas. They live in tree bark, leaves, grass, or even human homes.

  • Characteristics: Jumping spiders are small to medium-sized, often brightly colored or patterned. They have four large eyes in the front, giving them excellent vision. They can be as small as 3 mm or as large as 15 mm.

  • Diet: Jumping spiders are active hunters that stalk and pounce on their prey. Their diet consists primarily of small insects, like flies, ants, and other spiders.

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