Fascinating wildlife and animals in Kenya

Grant's gazelles are larger than Thomson's gazelles. Males weigh 45 to 65 kilograms (100 to145 pounds) and measure up to 166 centimetres (5.5. feet) tip to tail.

According to the IUCN, Grant's gazelle is classed as least concern. However, it's important to note that their numbers are declining over large parts of their range due to hunting, drought, and human expansion.

15. Gerenuks

Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) means 'giraffe-necked' in Somali, and this antelope has the longest neck of any gazelle. This-along with an ability to stand on its hind legs-helps the gerenuk eat leaves that are out of the reach of other antelopes. It lives in the arid savannah and shrubland of the Horn of Africa in countries including Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

The IUCN lists the gerenuk as near threatened with a decreasing population. Its main threat is loss of habitat to farming, though civil war in Somalia has also affected its range in recent decades.

16. Green keel-bellied lizards

The green keel-bellied lizard (Gastropholis prasina) is a medium-sized lizard that measures around 35 centimetres (13.8 inches) long, including its tail, which is huge in comparison to its body. Its most striking feature, though, is its bright colouring. Its skin is a shocking green colour, while its tongue and the inside of its mouth are bright orange. It lives in small pockets of forest and woodland in Kenya and Tanzania.

The IUCN lists the green keel-bellied lizard as near threatened. Its coastal forest habitat is rapidly disappearing, as urban and agricultural development pose a major threat to forests in the region.

17. Kenya coast galagos

The Kenya coast galago (Paragalago cocos) lives in the coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Also known as a bush baby, it's a primate that spends most of its life in trees, where it eats fruit and insects. It's a nocturnal animal and has large eyes that help it to see in the dark, as well as large ears that can rotate to pick up the sound of their prey.

According to the IUCN, the Kenya coast galago is classed as least concern. Nevertheless, its numbers are thought to be decreasing, and its habitat is being converted into farmland and plantations.

18. Mount Kenya dwarf chameleons

The Mount Kenya dwarf chameleon (Trioceros schubotzi) is only known to live on Mount Kenya, a mountain that is part of a national park in the centre of the country.

According to the IUCN, the Mount Kenya dwarf chameleon is near threatened. There is little information on how many remain, but as it lives at high altitudes where there are very few threats, it's assumed that the population is stable. The primary threat they are thought to face is fire. Mount Kenya is a fire-prone region, and fires are likely linked to population decreases of these reptiles.

19. Kenya montane vipers

The Kenya montane viper (Montatheris hindii) lives in protected land in the Aberdare Mountains and on Mount Kenya. It lives in high altitude moorland at elevations of 2,700 to 3,800 metres (8,858 to 12,467 feet). Not much is known about the Kenya montane viper. It's not clear whether this species is rare or just very shy. However, we do know that, like other vipers, it gives birth to two to three live young instead of laying eggs.

The IUCN lists the Kenya montane viper as near threatened. Moorland fires and large local human populations mean their habitat is at risk of disturbance and change.

20. Kenyan high-casqued chameleons

The Kenyan high-casqued chameleon (Trioceros hoehnelii) is a small to medium-sized chameleon that lives in the central and western highlands of Kenya and eastern Uganda. These cool, temperate regions have lots of vegetation, including grasses, shrubs, dense bushes, and trees. The chameleon is also sometimes found on hedges in towns and gardens, in farmland, and in heathland.

Its ability to live in such a wide variety of habitats means the Kenyan high-casqued chameleon is more resilient to habitat change. In 2025, the IUCN lists the Kenyan high-casqued chameleon as least concern with a stable population.