African Animal Pictures

The variety of animal pictures you can take on a safari is astonishing. They come in all shapes and sizes as can be seen from the animal images gallery here.

You will never be short of photographic subjects on your safari, especially if you take notice of some of the smaller residents of the savannah too which can be just as interesting as the larger ones.

You will need a lens on your camera that has a pretty decent focal length to get "up close and personal" to your subjects. I use a Panasonic FZ1000 camera that works well for most situations and doesn't cost the earth.

Digital is very versatile as it allows you to experiment by taking as many photographs as you want. That is vital when taking animal pictures because more often than not you only get the backside of the subject as it runs away from you. Better luck next time.

Hippo

Warthog

The pigs of the bushveld are one of my favourite animals because they are so plucky for their size. With tusks as large as this the male warthog can be dangerous to even a lion.

Buffalo

Buffalo

It does look a little like a cow doesn't it? Until you get a taste of the personality. Buffalo have an aggressive streak in them that have been the end of many a big game hunter.

Meerkat

Meerkat

These sociable animals have the characteristic that they can be habituated.

Jackal

Jackal

Another successful scavenger that makes a living by picking up on the scraps of the larger predators. But the jackal also hunts smaller prey for itself like rodents, birds, lizards and an assortment of other small mammals.

Sea Turtle

Sea Turtle

It's wonderful to see a big sea turtle in its natural habitat, it looks like it floats more than it swims. There are 5 types frequenting the waters off the East African coast.

Terrapin

Terrapin

A freshwater reptile which can often be seen by the waterside, basking in the sun. It's a feisty little character whose enemies should think twice before trying to make a meal of it.

Badger

Badger

This is a photo of the first badger I have ever seen in the wild. They are easily startled so unfortunately I could only get a snap of her running away carrying a baby badger in her mouth.

Aardvark

Aardvark

If you ever get animal pictures an aardvark on safari go and buy a lottery ticket the next day because you are bound to win something. They are nocturnal so your chances of spotting them during the day are very slim indeed but you never know.

Porcupine

Porcupine

Those quills are a very effective protection mechanism for the porcupine. I have seen animal pictures of lions trying to make a meal of one and come off second best. Leopards do a lot better because they flip the animal onto its back and then attack the unprotected underside.

Pangolin

Pangolin

You would probably also look like this if you had to eat ants and termites all night long. Actually, rolling up in a ball like this is the way the pangolin protects itself from predators and it also has a well developed anal scent gland that delivers a very foul smell when the animal feels threatened.

Python

Python

The African rock python is the largest snake to be found on the African continent as this poor impala can attest to. They can grow to a length of 5.4 meters (18 feet) and they are not poisonous at all but can give a nasty bite when threatened.

Puff Adder

Snake

They come in all sizes - from the thin green spotted bush snake to the thick and lazy puff-adder. Although most people are wary of snakes, it can be quite exciting to spot them in their natural habitat.