Living National Treasures: Kenya

Checklists of  Endemics

Mammal Species 20

Bird Species 6

Reptile Species 17

Amphibian Species 12

Freshwater Fish Species 16

Marine Fish Species 4

Vertebrate Genera 2

Swallowtail & Milkweed Butterfly Species 0

Vascular Plant Genera 3

Families & Orders 2


Taxonomic Sources & Caveats

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 Primates unique to Kenya include the Tana River Mangabey (ARKive) and the Tana River Red Colobus (Primate SG).  The Hirola (ARKive) is an endemic genus of antelope following its extinction from Somalia.  Other endemic mammals include the Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew (EDGE), 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 (Versita pdf file).

Birds found only in Kenya include the Aberdare Cisticola (BirdLife Int'l), Sharpe’s Longclaw (ARKive), Hinde’s Babbler (ARKive), the Taita Thrush (ARKive), Clarke's Weaver (PBase), and the Taita Apalis (BirdLife Int'l).

Reptiles restricted to Kenya include the Montane Viper (World of Atheris), the Mount Kenya Bush Viper (World of Atheris), the Kenya Horned Viper (CalPhotos), the Malindi Centipede-eater (Bio-Ken), Finch's Agama (ZFMK), the Mount Kulal Chameleon Chamaeleo narraioca (Tropical Zoology pdf file), the Mount Kenya Hornless Chameleon (ChamownersWeb), Boehme's Two-horned Chameleon (CalPhotos), a gecko Hemidactylus barbierii (Firenze Univ. Press pdf file), and the Turkana Mud Turtle (Turtles of the World).

Amphibians found nowhere else include the Bladder Reed Frog Hyperolius cystocandicans (AmphibiaWeb), the Montane Reed Frog Hyperolius montanus (AmphibiaWeb), the Shimba Hills Reed Frog Hyperolius rubrovermiculatus (IUCN Red List), a recently described tree frog Leptopelis mackayi (AmphibiaWeb), the Irangi Puddle Frog Phrynobatrachus irangi (AmphibiaWeb), the recently described Taita Warty Frog Callulina dawida (CalPhotos) and Kakamega Puddle Frog Phrynobatrachus kakamikro (African Amphibians Lifedesk), the Sagalla Caecilian Boulengerula niedeni (EDGE), and the Taita Caecilian Boulengerula taitana (Gymnophiona.org).

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 (FishBase), 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 Charaxes baileyi (BOLD), Charaxes nandina (flickr), Acraea matuapa (Dominique Bernaud), and Cymothoe teita (p. 12 of CEPF pdf file).  Other endemic insects include the Kenya Dancing-jewel (ARKive), Maathai’s Longleg (ARKive), a katydid Eulioptera montana (OSF), a plant bug Pleurochilophorus pyrrha (AMNH), a wingless ensign wasp Papatuka alamunyiga (Zootaxa pdf file), a scarab Engistanoxia dessertineae (Hannetons), and a longhorned beetle Emphreus lineatipennis (Smithsonian).  Other endemic invertebrates include a baboon spider Pterinochilus alluaudi (baboonspiders.de), a jumping spider Asemonea murphyae (Salticidae of the World), a land snail Gulella mkuu (Zool. Med. Leiden pdf file), a freshwater snail Burnupia crassistriata (IUCN Red List), and a marine whelk Bullia sendersi (Eddie Hardy).

Vascular plants known solely from Kenya include a giant groundsel Senecio keniodendron (Wikipedia), a giant lobelia Lobelia keniensis (botany.upol.cz), the Taita African Violet Saintpaulia teitensis (CalPhotos). Aloe nyeriensis (Desert-Tropicals.com), 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 patens (Amateur's Digest), the orchids Polystachya piersii (orchidspecies.com) and Holothrix pentadactyla (Aluka), and two cycads Encephalartos kisambo (PACSOA) and Encephalartos tegulaneus (PACSOA).  Endemic genera include Allmaniopsis (JSTOR), Myrmecosicyos (JSTOR), and Dibrachionostylus (JSTOR).

Portions of Kenya are part of the following biodiversity hotspots:  the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa (Biodiversity Hotspots), the Eastern Afromontane (Biodiversity Hotspots), and the Horn of Africa (Biodiversity Hotspots).  Important freshwater ecoregions for endemic species include Lake Victoria (FEOW) and the Tana, Athi & Coastal Drainages (FEOW).