Chameleon primarily live in the mainland of sub-Saharan Africa and of course right here in The Gambia. This one below lives at Footsteps in our eco-pools filtration system. Its great fun trying to spot him. Each day our guests will stare into the reed beds trying to catch a glimpse of him. Often for thirty minutes or […]
Striped ground squirrel.
Oh boy, this Striped ground squirrel looks like butter wouldn’t melt, doesn’t it? I love watching them play in the trees. Not so much when they gain entry to roof space. Chances of getting any sleep are remote, especially during courtship when they tear around at breakneck speed chattering all the while. Grab some earplugs! […]
Are there Hippos in the Gambia?
Although most of the large game animals such as giraffe and elephants have been hunted to extinction in The Gambia a long time ago, hippos can still be observed in the protected area of the River Gambia National Park. Its full name, “Hippopotamus” is derived from the ancient Greek meaning a river horse. Some facts about Hippos that may surprise […]
Are there Chimpanzees in Gambia?
In The Gambia, Chimpanzees have unfortunately been extinct in the wild since the beginning of the twentieth century. This in most part to deforestation and hunting them for what the locals would term “bushmeat”. They belong to the four main kinds of great ape. Namely, orangutans, bonobos, gorillas and chimpanzees. Remarkably they share up to […]
Western Red Colobus Monkey.
The Western Red Colobus Monkey, I really love these fellas. They grow to about 18 to 26 inches and have a slightly longer tail (approx 28 inches) With an average weight of 14 lbs, a large male can be as much as 24lbs. As we can see from the photos below they have a beautiful reddish-brown […]
Spiders in The Gambia.
The spiders in The Gambia are much like anywhere else in the world. I have never come across any poisonous ones like the kind you hear about in Australia. Whenever I think of spiders I’m reminded of a poem my Mum used to sing to me. “The incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout, down came […]
Crocodiles or Alligators
Are they crocodiles or Alligators, I suppose we should get that bit right before we go further. There is a difference but most don’t know how to tell them apart. They are both scary as hell right. While they do share many of the same features, they couldn’t be any more different. Alligators have a […]