Other Wildlife in Diani

Primates aren't the only thing to see on the south coast of Kenya.  The region offers a great array of mammals and birds, reptiles, marine life and flora for exploration.  Here are some of the different things you can see in the forest at the Colobus Cottage .

Mammals

 Zanj Elephant Shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi), This unique shrew eats invertebrates (particularly ants) found in leaf litter and has been declared rare by the IUCN. It is about the size of a rat and has a long tapering snout which gives it its namesake. It has a pungent smell which derives from a gland behind the anus. Not much is known about these shrews, although they are living in the forests in Diani.

Suni (Neotragus moschatus),  Suni are small forest antelope only 40cm tall although the male's horns can reach 13cm. Their facial glands are enormous, especially in the male, and they have a strong body odour which demarcates territory and identifies sex and status but may also act as insect repellant. They are browsers with a varied diet of leaves, shoots and herbs, and they gather under feeding colobus monkeys to pick up dropped leaves and shoots of brittlewood. They rely on smell, and visible and invisible scented pathways are followed with individual and communal dung middens on the peripheries of a territory. They feed in short bursts interspersed with rests and are most active after rainstorms and around dusk and dawn. They rest during the heat of the day. They live mainly in monogamous pairs on territories of approximately 3 ha.

Mongooses (Herpestidae),  These primarily terrestrial predators eat invertebrates, small vertebrates and sometimes fruit. Most species are water dependant inhabitants of forests, woodlands, savannahs and marshes; however, some can go long periods without water. They depend on scent to communicate and mark territories. Anal secretions constitute long-lasting, individual signatures while cheek-gland secretions produce a short term status related signal that can trigger immediate aggression. Their ability to roll and crash/crack eggs and to kill dangerous snakes is well known. Both are instances of the manipulative skills, speed and versatility of many mongooses in their hunting techniques. Mongooses likely to be seen in Diani are the Egyptian mongoose, slender mongoose, white-tailed mongoose and bushy tailed mongoose.

Genets and Civets (Viverrinae),  Genets and civets are to carnivores what lemurs are to the higher primates. Civets, in particular, are modern approximations of all carnivores’ common ancestral stock. These carnivores are generally solitary foragers, spanning most major habitats. Scent is their most fundamental mode of communication, and all species use glandular secretions to regulate contacts and behaviour. They are almost entirely terrestrial, solitary foragers and not endangered.

Genets (Genetta) have slender, long, cat-like bodies and cat-like semi retractable claws. They have soft, spotted or blotched fur (occasional black morphs are also known) with banded tails. These nocturnal animals are normally silent although they spit, hiss, growl, purr and meow like cats. They are omnivorous (eating vertebrates, invertebrates and plant matter) and rely on speed and agility and cryptic colouring to catch food as well as evade large predators. They are solitary except for brief courtships. In Diani we have the common genet - with a crest of long fur along the spine, a ringed tail and small, numerous, linear dark spots on a sandy background. They eat rodents as their main staple. Also seen often is the blotched genet, which has a blotchy coat. They eat rodents, invertebrates and fruits.

African civet (Civettictis civetta),  is the only civet to be found in this area. These dog-like animals make very conspicuous dung middens called civetries. They are largely terrestrial and normally silent, although they growl very deeply if harassed. They are omnivores adapted to eating poisonous fruits, such as Strychnos, insects, millipedes and dangerous snakes. They are able to feed irregularly and even fast for two weeks at a time. They have up to four young born 60-72 days after mating which are born in a burrow, crevice or dense vegetation. Civet secretions are so copious and durable that they once provided the perfume trade with a valuable fixative for floral scents.

Bats,  There are two types of bats in Diani -- insect eaters (insectivores) and fruit eaters (frugivores). In spite of the similarities between fruit and insect eating bats, which suggests a very ancient common ancestry, fruit bats actually have more affinities with primates. Possibly they evolved from lemur-like gliders.

Insectivores use echo-location to pinpoint obstacles and prey. Species whose niche is under the canopy utilise higher frequencies and therefore have greater precision. Those that are in open areas use lower frequencies as they require lower precision. Insect eating bats have clawless wings, complex teeth, small eyes and complex ears with irregular margins.

Frugivores do not use echolocation and are mediocre navigators and usually fly above the forest canopy. They have large eyes, claws on their wings, funnel-shaped ears, large tongues, blunt short teeth and deeply ridged palates which while working together, crush and squeeze the fruit so that only juice and pulp are swallowed. Fibres and rind are usually spat out. They rely on a year-long supply of fruits and flowers. They can be important as pollinators and are very Important as seed dispersers

African Hedgehogs (Atelerix), The evolution of spiny armour has been a major factor in these hedgehogs’ survival as a group. They are successful and widespread modern survivors of a very ancient group. The spines are embedded into a muscle that is anchored to the forehead which contracts and becomes a bag into which the body, head and legs are withdrawn. The spines are effective protection though some owls and other carnivores have no problem killing and eating them. These nocturnal insect-eaters trot with fast leg movements but hunch or roll into prickly balls at any disturbance. They find prey by scent and sound.

Bush pigs (Potamochoerus larvatus), Bush pigs range across Kenya up to 4000 meters on Mt. Kilimanjaro and live in forest and woodland habitats. They are omnivorous - eating roots, tubers, bulbs, fruits, larvae, beetles, snails, amphibians and reptiles. One group of them has even been seen to drive a leopard off its kill! Their home ranges are about 10km 2, while nightly they forage up to 6 km2. They are a major pest for farmers and are hunted for control and meat. Without natural predators, they can become very abundant as they have short gestation periods (120 days), large litters, and fast maturation rates.

Insects

Butterflies,  There is an array of brightly coloured butterflies found in the area. Of these, the Didem (Hypolimnas chrysippus) is of particular interest as the males are dark blue with large white spots, while the females are bright orange, mimicking another species of butterfly (similar in colouring to monarchs) called the African queen (Danaus chrysippus) which has a foul taste and so is safe from predators. Other species include the golden, violet/ blue, and black coloured Gold Banded Foresters (Euphaedra neophron) and a number of charaxes and swallowtails including the striking narrow banded swallowtail.

Coastal giant millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas),  This is the largest of the giant millipedes reaching over 10cm. They can cause serious localized seasonal damage to crops and small forestry seedlings. In dry conditions, they feed on living plants and burrow down in crevices; while in wet conditions, their populations appear to increase explosively. They mainly feed on leaf litter and other dead materials. The species Epibolus pulchripes is more common on the coast. It seldom damages plants but is very useful in humus formation. Predators to the giant millipedes include civets, mongoose, and some birds.

Birds

Owls,  Their eyes can see in dim light (but not in total darkness), and they have the best hearing of all birds. They eat mice, rats and large insects Owl eyes face forward so that they can focus on their fast-moving prey and judge distances. They have large ear openings, protected by feathers, to hear their prey. Local species include the barn owl, white-faced scops-owl, pearl-spotted owlet, African barred owlet, and spotted eagle-owl.

Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill (Ceratogymna cylindricus),  This striking, large bird is at home in Diani and forests, parks and gardens along the Kenyan South Coast and as far as Nairobi. It is distinguishable by its large casque which is an extension of its upper beak. It has a far-carrying and raucous call, but can also utter soft clucks, bleats and grunts. Wingspans can be over 75 cm in the males and 65 cm in the females.

Trees

Strangler figs (Ficus lingua), Strangler figs are plants known as epiphytes (plants that start by growing on other plants). Researchers have postulated that this epiphytic habit is an adaptation to avoid fire and being foraged on by herbivores. Fig trees are not parasitic; they only get physical support from the host plant. Once the seedling high up in the host tree takes root, it sends its roots downwards until they reach the ground where they dig in and start growing aggressively. It has been reported that they do not get any nutrients out of their host plants directly, but rather they compete for the same water, light and nutrients of the host tree. The strangler fig eventually kills its host through this competition as it has a stronger sucking force to draw in water than other trees.
 

Baobab (Adansonia digitata),  Truly a tree that represents Africa, this striking deciduous tree of immense girth grows up to 25 meters in height. It is bare of leaves up to 9 months of the year, leaving immense bare branches, earning the baobab the nick-name “the upside down tree”. Despite its soft, pithy wood, it is one of the longest lived trees in the world. Carbon dating has shown trees 5m wide to be 1000 years old and the largest to be about 3000 years old. Portuguese cannon balls from nearly four centuries ago have been found embedded in living trees that line the approach to Mombasa harbour.

The bark is grey, smooth and fibrous, often pock-marked and heavily folded. Leaves are compound, ‘digitate’, dark green and shiny. The solitary flowers have 5 waxy petals surrounding a ball of fine stamens; they hang upside down on hanging stalks and are unpleasantly scented. Fruits are large, hard-shelled capsules up to 24 cm long which remain on the tree after ripening. Their leaves are a favourite of the colobus, and their fruit is eaten by other monkeys, though only the baboon can crack them open once they’re full grown.

Prickly Ash (Zanthozylum chalybeum),  This is an indigenous, evergreen shrub or tree 1.5 to 10 meters or more. It is found often in rocky sites (like the Diani forests which are on coral rock). Its trunk is furrowed with corky knobs or ridges crowned with spines. Leaves are compounded with 5 to 11 leaflets. Its flowers are yellow-green and are usually borne below the leaves. The fruit is tiny, only 5 – 8 mm long. It is used locally to treat chest infections and sore throats and to induce vomiting. A bark infusion is given to sick camels. Because of its fresh citrus smell and taste, it’s also used to spice tea. The leaves are eaten by colobus.

Neem Tree (Azadracta indica), This tree is common on the coast, though it is not indigenous to Africa. It is a hardy tree which grows up to 118 meters. It has a rough, pale brown-grey bark, small, glossy-green compounded leaves, small white or cream-coloured fragrant flowers and small oval, greenish-yellow berries. It is widely planted on the coast for fuel, timber, shade, agroforestry in exhausted soils, and as traditional medicine for treating 40 diseases, including malaria. It is also used for soap making. Colobus like to eat its leaves while its berries are a favourite for sykes and vervets.

Flamboyant (Delonix regia),  Another exotic plant found in Diani and a favourite of the colobus monkeys. It is one of the most beautiful trees, particularly when it flowers; each brilliant scarlet-red flower reaches up to 10cm across with wavy petals, of which the uppermost is creamy white and splashed with scarlet. It has a flat or umbrella shaped crown; its bark is grey and smooth; its leaves are light green and feathery, with leaflets mostly less than 1 cm long. The fruits are long, brown, heavy pods honeycombed into horizontal seed chambers. These seed pods are also favoured by baboons and sykes. Vervets also eat them.