Shimoni :: Shimoni Forest

Flora and Fauna in the Shimoni Forest

Elephant Shrew This unique shrew eats invertebrates (particularly ants) found in leaf litter and has been declared rare by the IUCN.

Suni are small forest antelopes only 40cm tall although the male's horns can reach 13cm. 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.

Mongooses 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. Mongooses likely to be seen are the Egyptian mongoose, slender mongoose, white-tailed mongoose and bushy tailed mongoose.

Genets and Civets 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. They are almost entirely terrestrial, solitary foragers and not endangered.

Bats There are two types of bats in -- insect eaters (insectivores) and fruit eaters (frugivores).

African Hedgehogs (Atelier) The evolution of spiny armor has been a major factor in these hedgehogs’ survival as a group. They are successful and widespread modern survivors of a very ancient group.

Bush pigs (Potamochoerus larvatus) Bush pigs range across Kenya up to 4000 metres on Mt. Kilimanjaro and live in forest and woodland habitats. They are omnivorous - eating roots, tubers, bulbs, fruits, larvae, beetles, snails, amphibians and reptiles.

Butterflies There is an array of brightly colored butterflies found in the area.

Coastal giant millipede This is the largest of the giant millipedes reaching over 10cm.

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 and rats.

Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill This striking, large bird is at home in Diani and forests, parks and gardens along the Kenyan South Coast and as far as Nairobi.

Strangler figs 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.

Baobab 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”.

Neem Tree 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-colored fragrant flowers and small oval, greenish-yellow berries. It is widely planted on the coast for fuel, timber, shade, agro forestry 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.