Below you can find a complete list of Namibian animals. We currently track 254 animals in Namibia and are adding more every day!
Namibia in southwest Africa is home to both the Namib and Kalahari deserts, and a plethora of rich and diverse wildlife. Some of the animals which are common in Namibia include zebra, oryx (gemsbok), elephant, hyena, wildebeest, and the unique Kirk’s dik-dik to name just a few. There are over 200 species of reptile found in Namibia, with nearly 60 that are native and found nowhere else. There are over 1500 endemic species of insects living in Namibia. That is a lot of unusual wildlife! Some of these animals are located in wildlife reserves.
The Official National Animal of Namibia
The unusual antelope known as the Oryx holds the title of Namibia’s National Animal. Oryx, also known as gemsbok, are gray mammals with black stripes on their bellies and unique patterns on their faces. Their spiral-grooved horns stick out in a V shape. The Namibian people consider these unusual animals to be elegant, courageous, and proud.
Where To Find The Top Wild Animals in Namibia
Much of the unique and endemic wildlife in Namibia can be found in the escarpment region between the Kalahari and Namib deserts in the west section of the country, and in wildlife reserves throughout the country.
The Most Dangerous Animals In Namibia Today
Of the many species that live in Namibia, only a handful are dangerous to humans.
- Leopards have been known to attack humans when hungry or wounded.
- The danger from Rhinoceros comes from their vicious charge attack and they have no natural predators. In spite of conservation efforts, several species remain endangered, and one species is already extinct.
- Lions kill about 250 humans every year!
- Snakes like the black mamba, the deadliest snake in the world, reside in Namibia.
Endangered Animals In Namibia
Sadly, some of the animals in Namibia are endangered, despite conservation efforts. Some primarily only exist at national wildlife resorts or they might be extinct. Humans are the most dangerous threat to some of these, due to either habitat encroachment or hunting. The endangered or vulnerable animals in Namibia include:
The Flag of Namibia
Namibia’s flag features a blue triangle in the upper left corner, and a green triangle in the bottom-right corner. A red stripe runs diagonally through the middle. On the blue triangle, sits a yellow sun. The blue represents the endless sky over the desserts, along with the Atlantic coastal waters. The red stands for blood lost by those who fought for their country’s independence. Lastly, the green is representative of agriculture.
Namibian Animals
Can move 2ft of soil in just 15 seconds!
The aardwolf has five toes on its front paws
The African bullfrog is one of only three species of frog that have “teeth.”
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.
The only penguin species in Africa!
The agama forms small social groups that contain both dominant and subordinate males.
Despite its name, actually originated from Africa and the Middle East
First evolved 100 million years ago!
Renew their horns every year!
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!
People spin clothing and fishing nets out of these spiders’ silk.
There are over 1768 known species!
Found everywhere around the world!
Older offspring help care for new hatchlings.
Bat-eared foxes can run up to 35 MPH!
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!
The blind snake is often mistaken for a worm.
Boomslangs are primarily arboreal but sometimes come to the ground.
“Mild-Mannered Minimonsters”
Females glue egg cases to furniture
Can live its entire life indoors
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
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!
Cicadas have one of the longest insect lifespans
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.
Cosmic caterpillars have spots on their back that look like eyes to scare off predators.
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.
The desert rain frog doesn't hop
Dik-diks use a tar-like liquid from their eye glands to mark their territory!
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.
Both females and males have horns.
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!
They can eat up to 250 bees per day!
The fastest creatures on the planet!
False spiders actually prey on black widow spiders and other hazardous spiders
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"
There are around 7,000 different species!
Among the largest bats in the world
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!
The golden mole is so named because of its iridescent coat, which gives it a shining, rainbow-like effect.
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!
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!
One of earth's bravest creatures!
There are only 8 recognized species!
Stunning bird with a stinky way to deter predators!
Males tend to be more brightly colored than females, and females are significantly bigger than males.
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!
Able to jump over 10 feet high
There are an estimated 30 million species!
The jacana has the ability to swim underwater
Can maintain speeds of 16 km/h!
Some can jump 50 times the length of their bodies
Inhabits wetlands and woodlands worldwide!
Klipspringers can jump as high as 10-12ft!
It's easily identified by its crest, large size, and wingspan
Lives in herds of up to 24 individuals!
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
Spends much of the time high in the trees!
The most widely distributed tortoise in 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!
The marabou stork does not have a voice box.
They have a symbiotic relationship with ants.
One will stand on guard to watch for predators!
Some species have a poisonous bite!
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!
Mozambique Spitting Cobra is one of Africa's most dangerous snakes.
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!
There are more than 5,000 species.
Olive baboons will sometimes form strong friendships with each other
Oranda goldfish are one of the most popular fancy goldfish breeds
Females are about four times the size of males
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
Bad eyesight, but great sense of smell
Can live for up to 100 years!
Peringuey's adders' eyes are nearly on the tops of their heads!
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
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.
The sand crab burrows beneath the sand with its tail
Some of the largest moths in the world
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!
Senepol cattle have a distinctive red color and no horns.
Can leap more than 1 meter into the air!
Around 35 million in the English countryside!
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!
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.
Springboks derive so much water from their food they could go their entire lives without drinking from large sources of water.
Small rodents found in woodlands worldwide!
There are more than 3,000 different species!
Because of their unique venom delivery system, stiletto snakes are almost impossible to hold safely in the usual way (with fingers behind the head) without being bitten.
They can’t sing like other birds.
Populations have been affected by pollution!
Tarantula hawks are excellent pollinators, especially for milkweed.
Female teacup minis become sexually mature between 2 and 5 years old, but breeders typically wait until their horse is 3 before letting her reproduce to prevent complications.
Their mounds can be up to 9 meters tall!
The skate with the biggest spines!
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!
Found in warmer jungles and forests!
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.
Rarely found more than 450m from trees!
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!
The second largest animal on the land!
Can trek more than 1,000 miles every year!
Carnivorous arachnid that hunts its prey.
This animal can roll up into a ball
There are 200 different species!
Squirrel that lives in burrows in Africa.
The Yellow Cobra belong to one of the most dangerous families in the world.
Stripe patterns are unique to each individual!
The zebra snake is a black-hooded species of spitting cobra native to several of the southern countries of Africa.
This snake can spit a distance of nine feet or further!
There are around 75 different species!
The offspring of Zebra and Donkey parents!
The offspring of a Zebra and Horse parents!
Namibian Animals List
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What animals live in Namibia?
Namibia is home to several common and unique species of mammals including elephants, zebras, and wildebeest. There are also many species of reptiles, insects, birds, and an assortment of other unusual and unique wildlife. Without conservation, some would be extinct.
Are there lions in Namibia?
Yes, there are several species of wild cats in Namibia, including lions. Without conservation measures, they may become endangered.
Do we have tigers in Namibia?
No, there are no tigers in Namibia, but cheetahs are common.