Animal Info - Nigeria

Threatened Species, Environmental and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems, Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy, Education), References and Links

Threatened Species

Threatened Species: The following list includes all mammals which occur in Nigeria and are rated as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

Endangered:
- Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).
- Crested Genet (Genetta cristata).
- Dama Gazelle (Gazella dama).
- Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus).
- Giant African Water Shrew (Potamogale velox).
- Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).
- Hartweg's Soft-furred Mouse (Praomys hartwigi).
- Preuss's Monkey (Cercopithecus preussi).
- Red-bellied Monkey (Cercopithecus erythrogaster).
- Savanna Swamp Shrew (Crocidura longipes). (Endemic to Nigeria.)
- Sclater's Guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri). (Endemic to Nigeria.)
- Western Vlei Rat (Otomys occidentalis).
- Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus).
Vulnerable:
- African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
- African Pygmy Squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio).
- Buettikofer's Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomops buettikoferi).
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella dorcas).
- Fox's Shrew (Crocidura foxi).
- Jackson's Fat Mouse (Steatomys jacksoni).
- Lagos Serotine (Bat) (Eptesicus platyops).
- Lion (Panthera leo).
- Morris's Bat (Myotis morrisi).
- Pygmy Hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis).
- Red-eared Guenon (Cercopithecus erythrotis).
- Red-fronted Gazelle (Gazella rufifrons).
- Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis).
- West African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).
- White-thighed Black-and-white Colobus (Colobus vellerosus).

Environmental and Social Data

Mammals

Total number of species: 274 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 6 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996: 26 (10 % of total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000: 29 (11 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)

Biodiversity/Ecosystems

Nigeria contains portions of the Congolian Coastal Forests, Sudanian Savannas, Sahelian Flooded Savannas, Gulf of Guinea Rivers & Crater Lakes, Guinean-Congolian Coast Mangroves, and Gulf of Guinea Marine Ecosystems Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
Nigeria contains portions of the Guinean Forests of West Africa Global Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 1999a)

Population

Population in 1995: 101,232,000 (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 109.6 people/sq km (283,8 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 110,532,242 (World Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 3.2 % (World Bank 1992)

Area/Land Use

Area: 923,769 sq km (356,669 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:

Other Coastal Aquatic: 2 %
Major Wetland: 2 %
Grass and Shrub: 46 %
Crop and Settlements: 24 %
Interrupted Woods: 14 %
Major Forests: 12 %

(Groombridge 1992)

Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low: 3 %, Medium: 54 %, High: 43 % (WRI 1994)

Protected Lands

Area: 28,730 sq km (11,090 sq mi) (Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land protected: 2.3 % totally protected, 0.81 % partially protected, 3.11 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge 1992)

Economy

Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $305 (WRI 1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $1,380 (World Almanac 1999)

Education

Percent of females in secondary education (1989): 16 % (World Bank 1992)
Percent adult literacy: Female: 40 % (1990), 14 % (1970); Male: 62 % (1990), 35 % (1970) (WRI 1994)

References and Links

References: Cons. Intl. 1999a, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge & Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2004, Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994

General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link for Nigeria): CIA World Factbook, Foreign Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library of Congress - Country Studies, University of Texas - Country Maps, Washington Post - Countries, World Resources Institute - Country Profiles

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Last modified: January 10, 2006