Below you can find a complete list of Chadian animals. We currently track 256 animals in Chad and are adding more every day!
Bordered to the west by Niger and Nigeria, the southwest by Cameroon, the south by the Central African Republic, the east by Sudan, and the north by Libya and Niger, Chad is blessed with a variety of habitats that supports unique and amazing wildlife. The Sahara desert lies in the north, the center supports grassland and the south supports tropical plants.
At last count, Chad had 134 kinds of mammals, 532 types of birds, 179 species of fish found in Lake Chad, and a number of species of insects and reptiles, including snakes and crocodiles. Still, these numbers have fallen greatly since the beginning of the 20th century from poaching, habitat destruction, and hunting. These activities have caused some creatures to go extinct in Chad or to hover at the edge of going extinct. Still, there are both protected and unprotected areas for the country’s wildlife. Here are some facts about the wildlife of Chad:
The Official National Animal of Chad
Chad actually has two national animals. In the north, it is the goat and in the south, it’s the lion. The goat was probably chosen for its overall usefulness as it provides milk, meat, and hide. The lion was chosen for its majestic bravery.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Chad
The top animals in Chad can be found in such parks, reserves, and forests as Zakouma National Park, Aouk National Park, Manda National Park, and Goz Beïda National Park. Reserves that have some protection are Bahr Salamat, Beinamar, Larmanaye, Abou Telfane, Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Binder-Léré, Fada Archei, Mandelia and Siniala-Minia. There are also eight Bird Areas and the Tibesti Massif, which is protected. The rare desert crocodile can be found in the Ennedi Plateau along with the equally rare North African ostrich. Some have even claimed to see a type of sabertooth cat in the area.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Chad Today
Here are some facts about Chad’s most dangerous beasts:
- Hippopotamus. Ungainly on land, the hippopotamus is notoriously mean-tempered and aggressive. Hippos kill hundreds of people every year by various means, including attacking them on land and in the water. Some believe the number of kills is as high as 3000.
- Elephants. Elephants, especially males who are in must, are believed to kill about 500 people every year. As their habitat is encroached upon, elephants have become even more dangerous.
- African buffalo. The African buffalo is notorious for not only being dangerous but vengeful against hunters. It kills at least 200 people every year through trampling or goring, and a lone buffalo musters in herd members to help.
- Mosquito. More dangerous even than these large mammals is the tiny mosquito. Mosquitoes that live in Chad’s tropical regions can transmit malaria, which led to 409,000 deaths in 2019.
- Tsetse Fly. The tsetse fly transmits a deadly disease called sleeping sickness, and as Chad is found in the eastern part of the continent, the form of sleeping sickness is acute as opposed to chronic. Sleeping sickness killed 3500 people in 2015.
Endangered Animals In Chad
- African bush elephant. Because Chad’s national parks are unfortunately understaffed, elephants are subject to poaching for their ivory. Sometimes poachers massacre entire herds of elephants.
- Slender-billed curlew. This wading bird is considered critically endangered.
- Northwest African cheetah. This big cat is both rare and critically endangered.
- West African lion. This animal, one of the two national animals of Chad, is also critically endangered.
- African wild ass. This wild donkey is critically endangered. It is rare in Africa overall, with only a few hundred individuals left in the wild.
- African wild dog. This carnivore is endangered.
More unfortunate facts: the western black rhinoceros is extinct, and the black rhinoceros has been extirpated in Chad.
The Flag of Chad
Chad’s flag is a vertical tricolor of blue, yellow, and red. Each color in the flag symbolizes different things – the blue represents the sky and hope, the yellow embodies the sun and desert, and the red represents the blood spilled and the sacrifices endured to achieve independence.
Chadian Animals
Can move 2ft of soil in just 15 seconds!
One of the oldest cat breeds in the world!
The hooves of the addax are splayed and have flat, springy soles, one of the adaptations that help it walk over sand.
Secretes up to 4g of musk every week!
African clawed frogs were used as pregnancy testers from the 1930s to the early 1960s.
Both male and female African elephants have tusks. In Asian elephants, only the males have tusks.
African fish eagles belong to the genus of sea eagles
When a grey parrot named Yosuke got lost, it was reunited with its owner after giving the owner's name and address.
The males raise the young
Also known as the painted dog!
Despite its name, actually originated from Africa and the Middle East
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Renew their horns every year!
More aoudad sheep live in the United States than in their original North African habitat.
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food
Can travel more than four miles a day!
Banana cinnamon ball pythons came from combining the banana and cinnamon genes.
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Detects prey using echolocation!
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years
There are more than 350,000 different species
The bichir species is more than 400 million years old
Not all birds are able to fly!
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast
Black mambas are the longest venomous snake in Africa, and second longest in the world.
They typically prey on insects!
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Females glue egg cases to furniture
Can live its entire life indoors
"They look like you owe them money."
The most common species of bee!
In a series of leaps, this creature can cover almost 30 feet of distance in just a few seconds.
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!
Some species' babies use their hooked or scraper-like teeth to peel off and eat their mother's skin
Can survive without water for 10 months!
Has 20 different muscles in it's ears!
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!
May have been domesticated up to 10,000 years ago.
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!
There are nearly 3,000 different species!
There are about 3,000 documented species!
There are more than 160 different species!
The fastest land mammal in the world!
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!
There are more than 2 000 known species!
Dated to be around 300 million years old!
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.
The most common raptor in the UK!
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
There are 93 different crab groups
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings
Many are critically endangered species!
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together
Have changed little in 200 million years!
Crocodylomorphs include extinct ancient species as well as 26 living species today.
A group of these birds is called a Murder.
Desert ghost ball pythons are even more beautiful when they're bred with another type like enchi ball pythons.
Solitary locusts are grey while gregarious locusts are yellow with stripes.
First domesticated in South-East Asia!
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!
Found in Europe, Africa and Asia!
It's larvae are carnivorous!
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs
There are nearly 2,000 different species!
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!
A duck species that resembles a goose when flying
They steal large ostrich eggs and use rocks and pebbles to crack the shells.
The electric catfish can discharge an electric shock up to 450 volts
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!
Found exclusively on the African continent!
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
Found in the African Sahara Desert!
The fire ball python morph is known for its rich golden and reddish-brown coloration.
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air
There are more than 240,000 different species!
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"
Freeway ball pythons come from breeding yellow belly and asphalt ball pythons.
There are around 7,000 different species!
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world
They build a ramp from their nest, which leads to a nearby water source
Named for the Arabic word for love poems
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!
Originally known as the Desert Rat!
The most common type of urban roach
Long, black tongue can grow to 18 inches long!
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!
Males form large mating swarms at dusk
Most closely related to the Sheep!
Migrates between Europe and Asia!
There are 11,000 known species!
Found in a vairety of African habitats!
One of the most invasive species in the world
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!
Can reach speeds of over 50 mph!
Unlike other animals that move towards the water source, hartebeests move to more arid locations after rainfall.
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!
Inhabits wetlands around the world!
Has pink anti-bacterial sweat!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Horned vipers sidewind across the desert sands of their home.
Has evolved over 50 million years!
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.
There are four different species!
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!
There are an estimated 30 million species!
The jacana has the ability to swim underwater
Tiny rodent with a kangaroo-like jump!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Killer clown ball pythons can cost several thousand dollars.
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!
Lappet-faced vultures are tidy and wash their heads in a body of water after they’ve eaten
The first two lavender albino ball pythons were wild-hatched and imported from Africa.
The lesser jacana is nomadic, often moving in search of temporary wetland habitats.
The offspring of a lion and tiger parents!
Lives in small groups called prides!
There are around 5,000 different species!
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.
Will only live in wet areas
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
Some species have a poisonous bite!
Instead of the typically banded or ‘alien head’ patterning of most ball python morphs, the Mojave morph’s patterning is characterized by lots of large, circular splotches with small, dark brown dots in their centers.
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!
There are around 260 known species!
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood
There are 250,000 different species!
Found on every continent on Earth!
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!
Nematodes range in size from 1/10 of an inch to 28 feet long
Named more than 1,000 years ago!
Unlike other reptiles, the male Nile crocodile will stay with a female to guard their nest of eggs.
The Nile monitor is the world's fourth-largest lizard!
Nile perch will sometimes eat those within its own species
There are more than 5,000 species.
Northern pintails migrate at night with speeds reaching 48 miles per hour!
Olive baboons will sometimes form strong friendships with each other
The "Orange Dream" name came from the idea that the morph would make its first breeder a million dollars.
Females are about four times the size of males
Males oribis spend most of their time patrolling the borders of their territories; they can do this about 16 times an hour! However, 27% of their day is spent grazing.
The tradition of hiding your face with a napkin or towel while eating this bird was begun by a priest who was a friend of the great French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!
The largest bird in the world!
There are 13 different species worldwide
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees
The panda pied ball python morph is a combination of the piebald and black pastel traits.
Bad eyesight, but great sense of smell
Monk parakeets are the only parakeets that actually build nests. They’re also the only parakeets to nest in great colonies.
Can live for up to 100 years!
The fastest species of primate in the world!
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.
The mantis can turn its head 180 degrees.
This large snake is so-named because it will puff up its body to appear bigger than it is when directly threatened by a predator or person.
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!
There are more than 300 different species!
Omnivores that eat anything!
Is the most populous bird in the world
They build their nests off the ground in tree holes, cavities, stone walls, and roofs
It's horns are made from keratin!
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!
Actually related to Elephants and Manatees!
Rock pythons may have crossbred with the escaped Burmese pythons in Florida.
The capybara, the world’s largest rodent, likes to be in and around bodies of water. Because of this, the Catholic Church in South America decided that it was a fish, and people were allowed to eat it during Lent and First Fridays.
Will mate with the entire flock!
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.
They can survive for weeks without drinking water because the get moisture from their prey.
Some of the largest moths in the world
Savannah monitors are one of the most popular lizards in captivity.
Aside from the ocular scales covering each of its eyes, the scaleless ball python's body is completely smooth.
There are around 2,000 known species!
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!
As a pet, the Senegal parrot is capable of "talking" to its owner
Can leap more than 1 meter into the air!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
The short-eared owl is one of the most widespread owl species in the world, covering five continents.
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!
Sivatherium was a large giraffid and also one of the largest ruminants of all-time.
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case
There are nearly 1,000 different species!
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide
There are 140 different species!
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.
Spitting cobras are types of cobras that can spit venom at predators and prey.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
They can’t sing like other birds.
The striped hyenas usually mark their territories with the help of the scent gland secretions from their anal pouch.
Some cultures in Africa believe the sulcata tortoise is an intermediary between the people and their ancestors and gods.
Sunset ball pythons are bred with several other morphs to get designer colors.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!
They make music with their wings
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
Tsetse flies are large biting flies that live in the tropical regions of Africa.
Their name means “banana-eater,” but they rarely ever eat bananas.
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most
There are 30 different species worldwide!
Has two sets of tusks on it's face!
There are around 75,000 recognised species!
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!
There are two different types of white ferrets!
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
Unlike most spiders, woodlouse spiders don’t build a web.
There are 200 different species!
They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.
The yellow belly gene is co-dominant and doesn't completely override other genes.
Stripe patterns are unique to each individual!
There are around 75 different species!
The offspring of Zebra and Donkey parents!
The offspring of a Zebra and Horse parents!
Chadian Animals List
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals live in Chad?
An amazing variety of fauna lives in Chad. They include lions, cheetahs, sand cats and servals, leopards, and genets. Chad is also home to the Egyptian mongoose and rodents such as the Gambian sun squirrel, the crested porcupine, the Western Saharan spiny mouse, and several species of gerbil, including the pygmy gerbil and Tarabui’s gerbil. Other animals include the Cape hare.
There are several species of shrews and many unique species of bats, including the butterfly bat, the tiny serotine, and the naked-rumped tomb bat. Chad is home to the spotted hyena, the striped hyena and the African golden wolf, and the amazing, desert-dwelling fennec fox with its huge ears. There are giraffes, bush hogs, and antelopes that range in size from the giant eland to the tiny common duiker.
Though Chad is a landlocked country, much of its wildlife is found in and around Lake Chad. Fish include cichlids and tilapia, sailfins, and the Nile perch. The lungfish, a unique fish that breathes air and can live longer than 80 years, is also found in the lake.
Birds in Chad include the ostrich, cormorants, pelicans, herons and egrets, the sacred ibis, storks, ducks, swans and geese, and the lesser flamingo. Birds of prey such as osprey, hawks, kites, harriers, vultures, and eagles are also found in Chad. Other birds are owls, avocets, buttonquails, thick-knees, pheasants and grouse, cranes, and guinea fowl. Songbirds include swifts, bee-eaters, kingfishers, larks, swallows, warblers, orioles, wattle-eyes, thrushes, laughing thrushes, oxpeckers, jays, crows, starlings, and cuckoo shrikes.
Reptiles that are native to Chad include cobras including the Katian and black-necked spitting cobras. Others are the African rock python and Mocquard’s writhing skink. Amphibians found in Chad include the sub desert toad, the Senegal running frog, the Sudan mastigure, and the Tassilian agama. Insects include the beautiful cabbage tree emperor moth, the Angola white lady butterfly, the silky sugar ant, locusts, grasshoppers, and dragonflies. There are also spiders such as Lycosa wadaiensis and their relatives.
Are there monkeys in Chad?
Monkeys in Chad include the tantalus monkey, the pastas monkey, the mantled guereza, which is a type of colobus monkey, and the olive baboon.