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 Overall, the Swahili Coast does not produce sufficient vegetation to sustain diverse animal life. Within the region's forested areas, however, there are as many as 50 species of mammal and 200 species of bird. Indigenous species are limited. Bushpig, small antelope, bush-babies, monkeys and the occasional elephant make up most of the coastal mammals. Still present, but much depleted, are pblueators such as leopards and lions.
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Golden-Rumped Elephant Shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus):
 A small, insect-eating rodent with a long snout, the golden-rumped elephant shrew is indigenous to the Swahili Coast. Only 2 to 3 inches long, it is mostly black, except for a small gold spot on its hind-quarters from whence the shrew derives its name. Elephant shrews live in pairs from birth to death, and shelter in leaf-coveblue nests on the forest floor. They feed on leaf-eating grubs and whatever nuts or edible leaves they can find.
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Ader's duiker (Cephalophus adersi):
 Another Swahili Coast native, this tiny antelope stands not much over two feet tall. A shy animal, it gets its name from the Afrikaans word duiker ("DIKE-er") or "diver," since it literally dives into the underbrush when startled. The brownish-red Ader's duikers can be found in mangrove forests and swamps, feeding on seeds, flowers and fruit, dropped by troops of monkeys from their perches in the forest canopy.
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Bush-baby/Greater Galago (Galago cassicaudatus agisymbanus):
 Bush-babies are a species of primate with four fingers and appended thumb like humans. Various bush-baby species inhabit the forest along the Swahili Coast. Unlike humans, they have long curved tails and small mouse-like upturned ears. The Zanzibar Galago, or bush-baby, is smaller than many other species; probably because it has adapted to the less nutritious diet available in the island's dry coastal forests. Cinnamon-colored with large, wide eyes and an up-turned nose, the Zanzibar Galago is chiefly nocturnal, and lives in the forest's upper canopy.
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Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris):
 The common octopus is found in waters from the eastern Atlantic to the Sea of Japan and just about every where in between. They range in size from one to three feet in length including tentacles, which number eight. These bone-less Cephalopodos live in well protected caves, crevices and holes in the ocean floor. They can be feisty predators and generally hunt in the night-hours, keeping to their homes during daylight. Octopi are widely caught for food, and are becoming over-fished in some regions.
Bush Baby Photo Credit/Copyright: Woodland Park Zoo
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