2 2 8 8 22 30 25 23 22 30 23 1 6 4 14 19 20 26 27 28 24 29 11 12 13 15 17 18 21 5 3 9 10 7 16 O N T H E M A P AFRICA Teeming with fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, the world’s second–largest continent arguably boasts the lion’s share of animal records... Fastest bird on land Unable to fly, an ostrich uses its powerful legs to attain speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h) – nearly twice as fast as the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt! At 9 ft (2.7 m) tall, it’s also the largest living bird; it would reach about halfway up an adult giraffe (see opposite). Largest tail At up to 17 ft 4 in (5.2 m) across, a humpback whale’s tail is as wide as a giraffe is tall. The whale uses it not only to power the longest mammal migration (8,200 km; 5,095 mi), but also to make loud, resonant signalling sounds by “tail-slapping” the water. Tallest mammal At up to 5.5 m (18 ft) tall, a giraffe stands more than three times the height of a typical man. Giraffes are born tall – a newborn is already about as long as its mother’s legs. It grows to out-reach competitors for its favourite snack of acacia leaves. Greatest land migration Between 1 and 2 million wildebeest make the round trip each year from the Serengeti plains of Tanzania to Kenya, across the Mara River. Many other animals – such as zebras (and their hungry predators!) – join them in their never-ending search for pasture. 25 Largest terrestrial mammal Weighing about the same as 11 polar bears, the African elephant eats monster quantities of vegetation to maintain its 4,000–7,000-kg (8,800– 15,400-lb) mass. Even a baby – at 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long – is about as heavy as three Dalmatian dogs! Most social big cats Whereas other big cats prefer to live alone, lions hang out in “prides”. Most prides have five or six lionesses, a few cubs and one or two adult males, but some have as many as 30 individuals. A lone lion or lioness is known as a “nomad”. N E S W KEY 1. Fennec fox (smallest fox) 2. Ostrich 3. Thomson’s gazelle 4. Impala 5. Dromedary camel (largest camel) 6. Spotted hyena (most efficient scavenger) 7. Hornbill 8. Lion 9. Flamingo 10. Eland 11. Bottlenose dolphin 12. Nile crocodile 13. Secretary bird 14. Gorilla (largest primate) 15. Hammerhead shark 16. Albatross (largest wingspan for a living bird) 17. Hamadryas baboon (most northerly baboon) 18. Marabou stork 19. Chimpanzee 20. White rhinoceros (largest rhino) 21. Zebra 22. Giraffe 23. Wildebeest 24. Hippopotamus (widest gape for a mammal) 25. African elephant 26. Zebu 27. Ring-tailed lemur 28. Great white shark (largest predatory fish) 29. African penguin 30. Humpback whale

AFRICA N E - Home | Guinness World Records · Most social big cats Whereas other big cats prefer to live alone, lions hang out in “prides”. Most prides have five or six lionesses,

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Page 1: AFRICA N E - Home | Guinness World Records · Most social big cats Whereas other big cats prefer to live alone, lions hang out in “prides”. Most prides have five or six lionesses,

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O N T H E MA P

AFRICATeeming with fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, the world’s second–largest continent arguably boasts the lion’s share of animal records...

Fastest bird on land Unable to fly, an ostrich uses its

powerful legs to attain speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h) – nearly twice as fast as the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt! At 9 ft (2.7 m) tall, it’s also the largest

living bird; it would reach about halfway up an adult giraffe (see opposite).

Largest tailAt up to 17 ft 4 in (5.2 m) across, a humpback whale’s tail is as wide as a giraffe is tall. The whale uses it not only to power the longest mammal migration (8,200 km; 5,095 mi), but also to make loud, resonant signalling sounds by “tail-slapping” the water.

Tallest mammal At up to 5.5 m (18 ft) tall, a giraffe stands more than three times the height of a typical man. Giraffes are born tall – a newborn is already about as long as its mother’s legs. It grows to out-reach competitors for its favourite snack of acacia leaves.

Greatest land migrationBetween 1 and 2 million wildebeest make the round trip each year from the Serengeti plains of Tanzania to Kenya, across the Mara River. Many other animals – such as zebras (and their hungry predators!) – join them in their never-ending search for pasture.

Largest terrestrial mammal Weighing about the same as 11 polar bears, the African elephant eats monster quantities of vegetation to maintain its 4,000–7,000-kg (8,800–15,400-lb) mass. Even a baby – at 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long – is about as heavy as three Dalmatian dogs!

Most social big cats Whereas other big cats prefer to

live alone, lions hang out in “prides”. Most prides have five or six lionesses, a few cubs and one or two adult males, but some have as

many as 30 individuals. A lone lion or lioness is known as a “nomad”.

N E

KEY1. Fennec fox (smallest fox)2. Ostrich3. Thomson’s gazelle4. Impala5. Dromedary camel (largest camel)6. Spotted hyena (most efficient scavenger)7. Hornbill8. Lion9. Flamingo10. Eland11. Bottlenose dolphin12. Nile crocodile13. Secretary bird14. Gorilla (largest primate)15. Hammerhead shark16. Albatross (largest wingspan for a living bird)17. Hamadryas baboon (most northerly baboon)18. Marabou stork19. Chimpanzee20. White rhinoceros (largest rhino)21. Zebra22. Giraffe23. Wildebeest 24. Hippopotamus (widest gape for a mammal)25. African elephant26. Zebu27. Ring-tailed lemur28. Great white shark (largest predatory fish)29. African penguin30. Humpback whale