Below you can find a complete list of Djiboutian animals. We currently track 202 animals in Djibouti and are adding more every day!
This country on the eastern Horn of Africa is almost entirely desert in nature. Only about 1% of its approximately 9000 square miles is forested to any appreciable degree. Apart from a small section of mountainous land in the northern part of the country that is a little cooler, and two large lakes where wetland species can survive, Djibouti is mostly hot, arid and dependent upon fixed sources of water such as wells and oases. This produces an environment that is very harsh and unwelcoming in nature for both human and animal species.
Lake Abbe, primarily located in neighboring Ethiopia, and Lake Assal are the only parts of the country watered by perennial rivers. While Lake Abbe is fresh, Lake Assal is saltwater and, at -509 ft in elevation, happens to be the lowest point in all of Africa.
Only about 60 mammal species are present in Djibouti, as well as approximately 40 reptiles, 3 amphibians, 450 fish, and about 360 birds.
The Official National Animal Of Djibouti
There is no National Animal of Djibouti. The most recognizable animals of Djibouti would probably be the Camel, the Ostrich, or the Grevy’s Zebra.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals In Djibouti
The major point of access to Djibouti animals and wildlife species lies in the Day Forest National Park. This rather small (2200 acres) wildlife preserve is one of the few wooded areas in the country. Apart from this small spot of cool green, most other animals and other wildlife species will be found only in proximity to the very limited supplies of water.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Djibouti
While the endangered and dangerous Lion and Leopard are occasionally seen in Djibouti, other dangerous predators such as the Jackal and Hyena are more likely to pose a threat.
Among the reptiles, Djibouti is home to the Ogaden Burrowing Asp.
Offshore, sea creatures such as the Jellyfish and the Stingray are present, as are several species of Shark.
Endangered Animals In Djibouti
Due to the very harsh climate and lack of water, all Djibouti animals could probably be considered endangered in one way. In terms of actual extinction, several animals are in need of protection. While most of the predators in the area can be regarded as both endangered and dangerous, the list also includes many animals that are lower down on the food chain.
- The Grevy’s Zebra, which is the largest of all the Zebras, is highly endangered in Djibouti. This is primarily a result of a severely restricted and encroached-upon habitat.
- The Djibouti Spurfowl is a bird species that is on the verge of becoming extinct. Its habitat is confined to two very small mountainous districts.
- The Warthog is also somewhat endangered in the region. In a broader sense, however, other Warthog populations found elsewhere mean that the species is not in any particular danger of becoming extinct overall.
- Until recently, it was assumed that the Elephant Shrew was fully extinct. Recently, small populations of this cool little creature have been rediscovered. However, it remains an extremely endangered animal.
- The not-so-common African Wild Ass is also present in limited numbers. It may perhaps owe its survival to its ability to drink salt water when no other water source is available.
Djiboutian Animals

Aardvark
Can move 2ft of soil in just 15 seconds!

Aardwolf
The aardwolf has five toes on its front paws

African Clawed Frog
African clawed frogs were used as pregnancy testers from the 1930s to the early 1960s.

American Cockroach
Despite its name, actually originated from Africa and the Middle East

Ant
First evolved 100 million years ago!

Antelope
Renew their horns every year!

Armyworm
They are so named because they "march" in armies of worms from one crop to another in search of food

Baboon
Can travel more than four miles a day!

Banana Spider
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.

Barb
There are over 1768 known species!

Barn Owl
Found everywhere around the world!

Bat
Detects prey using echolocation!

Bed Bugs
Bed bugs feed for 4-12 minutes.

Bee
Rock paintings of bees date back 15,000 years

Beetle
There are more than 350,000 different species

Bichir
The bichir species is more than 400 million years old

Bird
Not all birds are able to fly!

Biscuit Beetle
The biscuit beetle form a symbiotic relationship with yeast

Black Widow Spider
They typically prey on insects!

Brazilian Treehopper
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”

Brown Dog Tick
Can live its entire life indoors

Bumblebee
The most common species of bee!

Bush Baby
In a series of leaps, this creature can cover almost 30 feet of distance in just a few seconds.

Butterfly
There are thought to be up 17,500 species!

Caecilian
Some species' babies use their hooked or scraper-like teeth to peel off and eat their mother's skin

Caracal
Has 20 different muscles in it's ears!

Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants can lift up to seven times their own weight with their teeth!

Cat
First domesticated by the Ancient Egyptians!

Caterpillar
The larvae of a moth or butterfly!

Catfish
There are nearly 3,000 different species!

Chameleon
There are more than 160 different species!

Cheetah
The fastest land mammal in the world!

Chicken
First domesticated more than 10,000 years ago!

Cichlid
There are more than 2 000 known species!

Cockroach
Dated to be around 300 million years old!

Codling Moth
Pupae are able to undergo diapause to survive poor fruit yield years and winter.

Common Buzzard
The most common raptor in the UK!

Common Furniture Beetle
The common furniture beetle feeds exclusively on wood

Common House Spider
House spiders have the ability to eat most insects in a home.

Cormorant
They can fly 35 mph and dive 150 feet below water.

Cow
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!

Crab
There are 93 different crab groups

Crab Spider
Crab Spiders can mimic ants or bird droppings

Crane
Many are critically endangered species!

Cricket
Male crickets can produce sounds by rubbing their wings together

Crocodile
Have changed little in 200 million years!

Crow
A group of these birds is called a Murder.

Desert Locust
Solitary locusts are grey while gregarious locusts are yellow with stripes.

Dog
First domesticated in South-East Asia!

Dog Tick
Dog ticks feed on dogs and other mammals

Donkey
First domesticated 5,000 years ago!

Dragonfly
It's larvae are carnivorous!

Duck
Rows of tiny plates line their teeth!

Dung Beetle
The dung beetle can push objects many times its own weight

Earthworm
They are hermaphrodites, which means they have male and female organs

Earwig
There are nearly 2,000 different species!

Eel
Eels can be a mere few inches long to 13 feet!

Egyptian Vulture
They steal large ostrich eggs and use rocks and pebbles to crack the shells.

Electric Catfish
The electric catfish can discharge an electric shock up to 450 volts

Elephant
Spends around 22 hours a day eating!

Elephant Shrew
Found exclusively on the African continent!

False Widow Spider
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders

Firefly
The firefly produces some of the most efficient light in the world

Flamingo
Sleeps on just one leg!

Flea
Adult fleas can jump up to 7 inches in the air

Fly
There are more than 240,000 different species!

Fox
Only 12 species are considered "true foxes"

Frog
There are around 7,000 different species!

Fruit Fly
Fruit flies are among the most common research animals in the world

Gazelle
Named for the Arabic word for love poems

Gecko
There are thought to be over 2,000 species!

Gerbil
Originally known as the Desert Rat!

German Cockroach
The most common type of urban roach

Giant Trevally
The largest fish in its genus

Glass Lizard
Can grow up to 4ft long!

Glowworm
Found inhabiting dense woodland and caves!

Gnat
Males form large mating swarms at dusk

Goat
Most closely related to the Sheep!

Golden Oriole
Migrates between Europe and Asia!

Grasshopper
There are 11,000 known species!

Green Bee-Eater
Mainly eats honeybees!

Guinea Fowl
Found in a vairety of African habitats!

Gypsy Moth
One of the most invasive species in the world

Hamster
Able to run as quickly backwards as forwards!

Hawk Moth Caterpillar
Many hawk moth caterpillars eat toxins from plants, but don’t sequester them the way milkweed butterflies do. Most toxins are excreted.

Hedgehog
Thought to be one of the oldest mammals on Earth!

Heron
Inhabits wetlands around the world!

Hippopotamus
Has pink anti-bacterial sweat!

Honey Badger
One of earth's bravest creatures!

Honey Bee
There are only 8 recognized species!

Hoopoe
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!

Horse
Has evolved over 50 million years!

Horsefly
Horseflies have been seen performing Immelmann turns, much like fighter jets.

Housefly
The fly has no teeth

Human
Thought to have orignated 200,000 years ago!

Huntsman Spider
Some huntsman spiders have an interesting way of moving around. Some cartwheel while others do handsprings or backflips.

Hyena
There are four different species!

Ibis
Found in swamps, marshes and wetlands!

Insects
There are an estimated 30 million species!

Jacana
The jacana has the ability to swim underwater

Jackal
Can maintain speeds of 16 km/h!

Jumping Spider
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies

Kenyan Sand Boa
A popular pet snake that comes in dozens of morphs!

Kingfisher
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!

Klipspringer
Klipspringers can jump as high as 10-12ft!

Ladybug
There are more than 5,000 species worldwide!

Leech
Has 10 pairs of eyes!

Leopard
Spends much of the time high in the trees!

Liger
The offspring of a lion and tiger parents!

Lizard
There are around 5,000 different species!

Locust
Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day.

Maggot
Will only live in wet areas

Magpie
They are found across Europe, Asia and Africa!

Mayfly
There are 2,500 known species worldwide!

Mealybug
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.

Millipede
Some species have a poisonous bite!

Mole
Primarily hunts and feeds on Earthworms!

Mongoose
Range in size from just 1 to 3 foot!

Mongrel
Has characteristics of two or more breeds!

Monitor Lizard
Some species are thought to carry a weak venom!

Monkey
There are around 260 known species!

Moorhen
Feeds on aquatic insects and water-spiders!

Mosquito
Only the female mosquito actually sucks blood

Moth
There are 250,000 different species!

Mouse
Found on every continent on Earth!

Mule
The offspring of a horse and donkey parents!

Nightingale
Named more than 1,000 years ago!

No See Ums
There are more than 5,000 species.

Orb Weaver
Females are about four times the size of males

Ortolan Bunting
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.

Osprey
They reuse nesting sites for 70 years!

Ostrich
The largest bird in the world!

Otter
There are 13 different species worldwide

Owl
The owl can rotate its head some 270 degrees

Parrot
Can live for up to 100 years!

Peregrine Falcon
Fastest animal on Earth

Pheasant
Females lay between 8 and 12 eggs per clutch!

Pigeon
They can find their way back to their nests from up to 1300 miles away.

Pompano Fish
They are bottom-feeders

Puff Adder
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.

Quail
Inhabits woodland and forest areas worldwide!

Rabbit
There are more than 300 different species!

Rat
Omnivores that eat anything!

Red-Billed Quelea Bird
Is the most populous bird in the world

Red Spitting Cobra
Scientists believe that the red spitting cobra evolved from injecting venom to spitting it in response to the constant threat of early humans

Redstart
They build their nests off the ground in tree holes, cavities, stone walls, and roofs

Rhinoceros
It's horns are made from keratin!

River Turtle
Inhabits freshwater habitats around the world!

Robin
There are more than 45 species in Australia alone!

Rock Python
Rock pythons may have crossbred with the escaped Burmese pythons in Florida.

Rodents
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.

Rooster
Will mate with the entire flock!

Sable Ferret
Ferrets were used during the Revolutionary War to keep down the rat population.

Sand Crab
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail

Scorpion
There are around 2,000 known species!

Sea Eagle
The sea eagle tends to mate for life with a single partner

Seahorse
Males give birth to up to 1,000 offspring!

Serval
Can leap more than 1 meter into the air!

Shrew
The spinal column of the shrew Scutisorex somereni is so strong and reinforced that it can support the weight of an adult human.

Shrimp
There are 2,000 different species worldwide!

Skink Lizard
Some skinks lay eggs in some habitats while giving birth to skinklets in other habitats.

Slug
They glide around on one foot, which is aided by the slime they produce

Smokybrown Cockroach
Has up to 45 eggs per egg case

Snail
There are nearly 1,000 different species!

Snake
There are around 4,000 known species worldwide

Sparrow
There are 140 different species!

Spider Wasp
They prey on spiders to feed their larvae or they parasitize other spider wasps.

Spitting Cobra
Spitting cobras are types of cobras that can spit venom at predators and prey.

Squirrel
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!

Stick Insect
There are more than 3,000 different species!

Stork
They can’t sing like other birds.

Striped Hyena
The striped hyenas usually mark their territories with the help of the scent gland secretions from their anal pouch.

Swan
Populations have been affected by pollution!

Tarantula Hawk
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.

Termite
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!

Thrush
The American robin is called the robin because its red breast reminded European settlers of the robin back in the old country.

Tick
They inject hosts with a chemical that stops them from feeling the pain of the bite

Tiger Beetle
The adult tiger beetle is one of the fastest land insects in the world

Tortoise
Can live until they are more than 150 years old!

Tree Frog
Found in warmer jungles and forests!

Turaco
Their name means “banana-eater,” but they rarely ever eat bananas.

Turtles
Some species of aquatic turtles can get up to 70 percent of their oxygen through their butt.

Vinegaroon
Vinegaroons can spray 19 times before the glands are depleted

Viper
Vipers are one of the most widespread groups of snakes and inhabit most

Vulture
There are 30 different species worldwide!

Warthog
Has two sets of tusks on it's face!

Wasp
There are around 75,000 recognised species!

Water Buffalo
Has been domesticated for thousands of years!

White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
There are two different types of white ferrets!

Wolf
Thought to date back more than 300,000 years!

Wolf Spider
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.

Woodlouse
This animal can roll up into a ball

Woodpecker
There are 200 different species!

Worm
Doesn’t have eyes.

Wryneck
They feign death by making their bodies limp and closing their eyes.

Zebra
Stripe patterns are unique to each individual!

Zebu
There are around 75 different species!

Zonkey
The offspring of Zebra and Donkey parents!

Zorse
The offspring of a Zebra and Horse parents!
Djiboutian Animals List
- Aardvark
- Aardwolf
- African Clawed Frog
- American Cockroach
- Ant
- Antelope
- Armyworm
- Baboon
- Banana Spider
- Barb
- Barn Owl
- Bat
- Bed Bugs
- Bee
- Beetle
- Bichir
- Bird
- Biscuit Beetle
- Black Widow Spider
- Brazilian Treehopper
- Brown Dog Tick
- Bumblebee
- Bush Baby
- Butterfly
- Caecilian
- Caracal
- Carpenter Ant
- Cat
- Caterpillar
- Catfish
- Chameleon
- Cheetah
- Chicken
- Cichlid
- Cockroach
- Codling Moth
- Common Buzzard
- Common Furniture Beetle
- Common House Spider
- Cormorant
- Cow
- Crab
- Crab Spider
- Crane
- Cricket
- Crocodile
- Crow
- Cuckoo
- Desert Locust
- Dog
- Dog Tick
- Donkey
- Dormouse
- Dragonfly
- Duck
- Dung Beetle
- Earthworm
- Earwig
- Eel
- Egyptian Vulture
- Electric Catfish
- Elephant
- Elephant Shrew
- False Widow Spider
- Firefly
- Flamingo
- Flea
- Fly
- Fox
- Frog
- Fruit Fly
- Gazelle
- Gecko
- Gerbil
- German Cockroach
- Giant Trevally
- Glass Lizard
- Glowworm
- Gnat
- Goat
- Golden Oriole
- Grasshopper
- Green Bee-Eater
- Guinea Fowl
- Gypsy Moth
- Hamster
- Hawk Moth Caterpillar
- Hedgehog
- Heron
- Hippopotamus
- Honey Badger
- Honey Bee
- Hoopoe
- Horse
- Horsefly
- Housefly
- Human
- Huntsman Spider
- Hyena
- Ibis
- Insects
- Jacana
- Jackal
- Jumping Spider
- Kenyan Sand Boa
- Kingfisher
- Klipspringer
- Ladybug
- Leech
- Leopard
- Liger
- Lizard
- Locust
- Maggot
- Magpie
- Mayfly
- Mealybug
- Millipede
- Mole
- Mongoose
- Mongrel
- Monitor Lizard
- Monkey
- Moorhen
- Mosquito
- Moth
- Mouse
- Mule
- Nightingale
- No See Ums
- Orb Weaver
- Ortolan Bunting
- Osprey
- Ostrich
- Otter
- Owl
- Parrot
- Peregrine Falcon
- Pheasant
- Pigeon
- Pompano Fish
- Puff Adder
- Quail
- Rabbit
- Rat
- Red-Billed Quelea Bird
- Red Spitting Cobra
- Redstart
- Rhinoceros
- River Turtle
- Robin
- Rock Python
- Rodents
- Rooster
- Sable Ferret
- Sand Crab
- Scorpion
- Sea Eagle
- Seahorse
- Serval
- Shrew
- Shrimp
- Skink Lizard
- Slug
- Smokybrown Cockroach
- Snail
- Snake
- Sparrow
- Spider Wasp
- Spitting Cobra
- Squirrel
- Stick Insect
- Stork
- Striped Hyena
- Swallowtail Butterfly
- Swan
- Tarantula Hawk
- Termite
- Thrush
- Tick
- Tiger Beetle
- Tortoise
- Tree Frog
- Turaco
- Turtles
- Vinegaroon
- Viper
- Vulture
- Warthog
- Wasp
- Water Buffalo
- White Ferret / Albino Ferrets
- Wolf
- Wolf Spider
- Woodlouse
- Woodpecker
- Worm
- Wryneck
- Zebra
- Zebu
- Zonkey
- Zorse
Animals in Djibouti FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals live in Djibouti?
Being both a small country and one with a very harsh climate, Djibouti is home to only a limited number of animals and wildlife species. The common domesticated camel may be the one present in the largest numbers. Small antelope species such as the small Soemmering’s Gazelle and the larger Oryx Beisa provide a food source for a number of medium-sized predators such as the jackal and hyena.
As in many arid climates, a large number of common ground rodents are present such as the Somalian Gerbil and the aforementioned Elephant Shrew. Carrion-eating birds such as vultures are also present.
Equine-type species such as the Zebra and African Wild Ass are present. One primate species, the not especially endangered or dangerous Hamadryas Baboon, also calls Djibouti home.
Why don’t animals in Djibouti migrate?
The extreme scarcity of reliable water sources tends to lock Djibouti animals into very small territories surrounding the few options available. Surrounded by the wastelands of the Ethiopian desert, there simply aren’t many migratory paths available or superior places to migrate towards. In this regard, Djibouti forms a sort of small insular ecosystem similar to that of an island surrounded by a vast sea of desert in all directions.