Kenya
Primates
unique to
Kenya include the Tana River Mangabey (ARKive)
and the Tana River Red Colobus (Primate
SG) (flickr).
The Hirola (ARKive)
is an endemic genus of antelope following its extinction from Somalia. Other
endemic mammals include the Golden-rumped Sengi (EDGE),
the undescribed Boni Giant Sengi (Huffington),
the Smoky White-toothed Shrew Crocidura
fumosa (Shrew
Photo Gallery), the Kenyan Wattled Bat (IUCN Red List),
and a recently described thicket rat Grammomys brevirostris
(Taylor
& Francis).
Birds found only in Kenya include the Aberdare Cisticola (ARKive),
the Tana River Cisticola (Collins
Birds), William's Lark (ARKive),
Sharpe’s Longclaw (ARKive),
Hinde’s Babbler (ARKive),
the Taita Thrush (ARKive),
Clarke's
Weaver
(PBase),
and the Taita Apalis (BirdLife
Int'l). The Taita White-eye Zosterops silvanus (IBC)
and the Kikuyu White-eye Zosterops
kikuyuensis (IBC)
are sometimes considered distinct from the more widespread Montane
White-eye Zosterops
poliogastrus.
Reptiles restricted to Kenya include the Montane Viper (CalPhotos),
the Mount Kenya Bush Viper (CalPhotos),
the Kenya Horned Viper (CalPhotos),
the Malindi Centipede-eater (Bio-Ken),
Drewe's Worm Snake (CAS),
the Mount Kulal Chameleon Chamaeleo narraioca (flickr),
the Mount Kenya Hornless Chameleon (ChamownersWeb),
the Mount Nyiro Bearded Chameleon (flickr),
Boehme's Two-horned Chameleon (CalPhotos),
Trioceros kinangopensis
(IUCN),
the Elmenteita Rock Agama (Reptile
Database),
a gecko Hemidactylus
barbierii (Firenze
Univ. Press pdf file), and the Turkana Mud Turtle (flickr).
Amphibians found nowhere else include the Bladder Reed
Frog Hyperolius
cystocandicans (ARKive),
the Shimba Hills Reed Frog Hyperolius
rubrovermiculatus (ARKive),
the Montane Reed Frog Hyperolius
montanus (AmphibiaWeb),
a recently described tree frog Leptopelis
mackayi
(AmphibiaWeb),
Du Toit's Torrent Frog Petropedetes
dutoiti (EDGE),
the Irangi Puddle Frog Phrynobatrachus
irangi (AmphibiaWeb),
the Taita Warty Frog Callulina
dawida (p. 29 of ASG
pdf file),
the Kakamega Puddle Frog Phrynobatrachus
kakamikro (African
Amphibians Lifedesk),
the Sagalla Caecilian Boulengerula
niedeni (EDGE),
the Tana River Caecilian
Boulengerula denhardti
(African
Zoology pdf file), and the Taita Caecilian Boulengerula
taitana (Wikipedia).
Freshwater fish exclusive to Kenya include the Tana Squeaker Synodontis serpentis
(PlanetCatfish),
another catfish Amphilius
athiensis (p. 9 of FLMNH
6 MB pdf file),
the Christmas Fulu Xystichromis
phytophagus (Cichlid-forum.com),
the
Elongate Nothobranch Nothobranchius
elongatus (ARKive),
the Kikambala Nothobranch Nothobranchius
interruptus (FishBase),
the Rhinofish Barbus
mariae (Internet
Archive),
and an elephantfish Marcusenius
devosi (Yves
Fermon). Among marine fishes a dottyback Halidesmus polytretus
(FishBase)
is known from only two specimens and Kenyaconger heemstrai
(p. 15 of Zootaxa
pdf file) is an endemic genus of conger eel.
Butterflies restricted to Kenya include Euphaedra kakamegae
(ABDB),
Charaxes baileyi
(BOLD),
Charaxes nandina
(flickr),
Acraea matuapa
(Dominique
Bernaud), and Cymothoe
teita (p. 12 of CEPF
pdf file). Other endemic insects include Maathai’s Longleg (ARKive),
the Kenya
Dancing-jewel (ARKive),
a longhorned beetle Emphreus
lineatipennis (Smithsonian),
a scarab Engistanoxia
dessertineae (Hannetons),
a ground
beetle Chlaenius
pseudocruciatus (Carabidae
of the World), a katydid
Eulioptera
montana (OSF),
a plant bug Pleurochilophorus
pyrrha (AMNH),
a cosmet moth Exelastis
caroli (Wikipedia),
and a wingless ensign wasp Papatuka
alamunyiga (Zootaxa
pdf file) . The Frightful Hairy Fly Mormotomyia hirsuta
(BBC),
known from a single cave in the Ukazi Hills,
is the sole member of an endemic family, the Mormotomyiidae.
Other endemic invertebrates include a baboon spider Pterinochilus alluaudi
(baboonspiders.de),
a jumping spider Asemonea
murphyae (Salticidae
of the World), a
millipede Parabolus
calceus (p. 27 of Zootaxa
5 MB pdf file), a freshwater snail Burnupia crassistriata
(fig. d at Google
Books), the land snails Zingis
radiolata (ARKive)
and Gulella mkuu
(Zool.
Med. Leiden pdf file), and a marine whelk Bullia sendersi (Eddie
Hardy).
Vascular plants known solely from Kenya include a giant groundsel Senecio keniodendron
(Wikipedia),
Lobelia bambuseti
(Harry
Jans),
Bauhinia mombassae
(JSTOR),
the Taita African Violet Saintpaulia
teitensis (CalPhotos), Aloe classenii
(ARKive),
Aloe ukambensis
(ARKive),
the Parasol Tree Polyscias
kikuyuensis (flickr),
Commelina nairobiensis
(Smithsonian),
a spurge Euphorbia
baioensis (euphorbia.de),
Monadenium yattanum
(Bihrmann's
Caudiciforms), Moringa
arborea (Mark
Olson), Ceropegia
verticillata (p. 75 of Eastern
Arc pdf file), Sansevieria
pinguicula (Wikipedia), Aneilema tanaense
(Smithsonian),
the orchids
Polystachya
piersii (IOPSE)
and Holothrix
pentadactyla (JSTOR),
Marsilea fadeniana
(Smithsonian),
and a cycad Encephalartos
tegulaneus (Kew).
Endemic genera include Allmaniopsis
(JSTOR)
and Dibrachionostylus
(JSTOR).
Portions of Kenya are part of the following biodiversity hotspots: the
Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa (CI),
the Eastern Afromontane (CI),
and the Horn of Africa (CI).
Important freshwater ecoregions for
endemic species include Lake Victoria (FEOW)
and the Tana, Athi & Coastal Drainages (FEOW).