Animals of the Congo Basin

301 of the animals on World Animal Map have at least 5 open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records inside the Congo Basin outline from Natural Earth on GBIF.

Quick answers

What animals live in the Congo rainforest?

301 animals on this map have at least 5 open-licence wild records inside the Congo Basin outline from Natural Earth: 168 mammals, 96 birds, 16 insects & other invertebrates, 10 reptiles, 8 sharks & fish, 3 amphibians. The most-viewed on Wikipedia are Lion, Hippopotamus, Leopard, Peregrine falcon, Osprey, Chimpanzee.

All 301 animals by group

Big cats 2

• Leopard Panthera pardus
• Lion Panthera leo

Small wild cats 2

• European wildcat Felis silvestris
• Serval Leptailurus serval

Hyenas & aardwolf 1

• Spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta

Mongooses, civets & genets 12

• African civet Civettictis civetta
• African palm civet Nandinia binotata
• Banded mongoose Mungos mungo
• Cape genet Genetta tigrina
• Common slender mongoose Galerella sanguinea
• Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon
• Long-nosed mongoose Herpestes naso
• Marsh mongoose Atilax paludinosus
• Pousargues's mongoose Dologale dybowskii
• Rusty-spotted genet Genetta maculata
• Servaline genet Genetta servalina
• White-tailed mongoose Ichneumia albicauda

Weasels, otters, badgers & skunks 2

• African clawless otter Aonyx capensis
• Spotted-necked otter Hydrictis maculicollis

Elephants 2

• African bush elephant Loxodonta africana
• African forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis

Hippos, giraffes & zebras 2

• Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius
• Okapi Okapia johnstoni

Deer 1

• Water chevrotain Hyemoschus aquaticus

Antelopes, wild cattle, sheep & goats 15

• African buffalo Syncerus caffer
• Blue duiker Philantomba monticola
• Bohor reedbuck Redunca redunca
• Bongo Tragelaphus eurycerus
• Common duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
• Giant eland Taurotragus derbianus
• Harnessed bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus
• Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus
• Kob Kobus kob
• Oribi Ourebia ourebi
• Peters's duiker Cephalophus callipygus
• Red-flanked duiker Cephalophus rufilatus
• Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii
• Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus
• Yellow-backed duiker Cephalophus silvicultor

Wild pigs & peccaries 4

• Common warthog Phacochoerus africanus
• Desert warthog Phacochoerus aethiopicus
• Giant forest hog Hylochoerus meinertzhageni
• Red river hog Potamochoerus porcus

Great apes 2

• Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes
• Western gorilla Gorilla gorilla

Monkeys 20

• Angola colobus Colobus angolensis
• Blue monkey Cercopithecus mitis
• Common patas monkey Erythrocebus patas
• Crested mona monkey Cercopithecus pogonias
• De Brazza's monkey Cercopithecus neglectus
• Dent's mona monkey Cercopithecus denti
• Greater spot-nosed monkey Cercopithecus nictitans
• Grey-cheeked mangabey Lophocebus albigena
• Grivet Chlorocebus aethiops
• Hamlyn's monkey Cercopithecus hamlyni
• Lesula Cercopithecus lomamiensis
• Mantled guereza Colobus guereza
• Moustached guenon Cercopithecus cephus
• Olive baboon Papio anubis
• Oustalet's red colobus Piliocolobus oustaleti
• Pennant's colobus Piliocolobus pennantii
• Red-tailed monkey Cercopithecus ascanius
• Tana River mangabey Cercocebus galeritus
• Western red colobus Piliocolobus badius
• Wolf's mona monkey Cercopithecus wolfi

Lorises, galagos & tarsiers 3

• Central African potto Perodicticus edwardsi
• East African potto Perodicticus ibeanus
• West African potto Perodicticus potto

Bats 39

• Abo bat Glauconycteris poensis
• African sheath-tailed bat Coleura afra
• African yellow bat Scotophilus dinganii
• Angolan free-tailed bat Mops condylurus
• Angolan rousette Lissonycteris angolensis
• Ansorge's free-tailed bat Chaerephon ansorgei
• Banana serotine Afronycteris nanus
• Bates's slit-faced bat Nycteris arge
• Beatrix's bat Glauconycteris beatrix
• Commerson's roundleaf bat Hipposideros commersoni
• Damara woolly bat Kerivoula argentata
• Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus
• Egyptian slit-faced bat Nycteris thebaica
• Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus labiatus
• Franquet's epauletted fruit bat Epomops franqueti
• Gambian epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus gambianus
• Hairy slit-faced bat Nycteris hispida
• Hammer-headed bat Hypsignathus monstrosus
• Lander's horseshoe bat Rhinolophus landeri
• Large slit-faced bat Nycteris grandis
• Little collared fruit bat Myonycteris torquata
• Mauritian tomb bat Taphozous mauritianus
• Midas free-tailed bat Mops midas
• Nigerian free-tailed bat Chaerephon nigeriae
• Noack's roundleaf bat Hipposideros ruber
• Pel's pouched bat Saccolaimus peli
• Peters's dwarf epauletted fruit bat Micropteropus pusillus
• Pied butterfly bat Glauconycteris superba
• Rendall's serotine Neoromicia rendalli
• Rufous mouse-eared bat Myotis bocagii
• Schreber's yellow bat Scotophilus nigrita
• Sooty roundleaf bat Hipposideros fuliginosus
• Straw-coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum
• Sundevall's roundleaf bat Hipposideros caffer
• Tiny serotine Neoromicia guineensis
• Variegated butterfly bat Glauconycteris variegata
• Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus wahlbergi
• White-bellied yellow bat Scotophilus leucogaster
• Yellow-winged bat Lavia frons

Squirrels, chipmunks & marmots 12

• African striped ground squirrel Euxerus erythropus
• Alexander's bush squirrel Paraxerus alexandri
• Boehm's bush squirrel Paraxerus boehmi
• Carruther's mountain squirrel Funisciurus carruthersi
• Congo rope squirrel Funisciurus congicus
• Fire-footed rope squirrel Funisciurus pyrropus
• Forest giant squirrel Protoxerus stangeri
• Gambian sun squirrel Heliosciurus gambianus
• Green bush squirrel Paraxerus poensis
• Red-cheeked rope squirrel Funisciurus leucogenys
• Red-legged sun squirrel Heliosciurus rufobrachium
• Ruwenzori sun squirrel Heliosciurus ruwenzorii

Mice, rats & other rodents 37

• African brush-tailed porcupine Atherurus africanus
• African grass rat Arvicanthis niloticus
• African pygmy mouse Mus minutoides
• Barbary striped grass mouse Lemniscomys barbarus
• Big-eared swamp rat Malacomys longipes
• Black rat Rattus rattus
• Brants's climbing mouse Dendromus mesomelas
• Brown rat Rattus norvegicus
• Bushveld gerbil Gerbilliscus leucogaster
• Chestnut climbing mouse Dendromus mystacalis
• Common rufous-nosed rat Oenomys hypoxanthus
• Crested porcupine Hystrix cristata
• Emin's gerbil Taterillus emini
• Emin's pouched rat Cricetomys emini
• Fat mouse Steatomys pratensis
• Gambian pouched rat Cricetomys gambianus
• Gray climbing mouse Dendromus melanotis
• Gray-bellied pygmy mouse Mus triton
• Greater cane rat Thryonomys swinderianus
• Guinea multimammate mouse Mastomys erythroleucus
• Kellen's dormouse Graphiurus kelleni
• Kemp's gerbil Gerbilliscus kempi
• Long-eared flying mouse Idiurus macrotis
• Lord Derby's scaly-tailed squirrel Anomalurus derbianus
• Natal multimammate mouse Mastomys natalensis
• Northeast African mole-rat Tachyoryctes splendens
• Pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel Idiurus zenkeri
• Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat Lophuromys sikapusi
• South African pouched mouse Saccostomus campestris
• Southern African vlei rat Otomys irroratus
• Southern giant pouched rat Cricetomys ansorgei
• Spectacled dormouse Graphiurus ocularis
• Stella wood mouse Hylomyscus stella
• Temminck's mouse Mus musculoides
• Typical striped grass mouse Lemniscomys striatus
• Woodland dormouse Graphiurus murinus
• Woodland thicket rat Grammomys dolichurus

Rabbits, hares & pikas 2

• African savanna hare Lepus microtis
• Bunyoro rabbit Poelagus marjorita

Hedgehogs, shrews & moles 4

• Dent's shrew Crocidura denti
• Four-toed hedgehog Atelerix albiventris
• Hero shrew Scutisorex somereni
• Savanna path shrew Crocidura viaria

Pangolins, hyraxes & other mammals 6

• Aardvark Orycteropus afer
• Chequered sengi Rhynchocyon cirnei
• Four-toed sengi Petrodromus tetradactylus
• Giant otter shrew Potamogale velox
• Western tree hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis
• White-bellied pangolin Phataginus tricuspis

Birds of prey 22

• African fish eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
• Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus
• Black kite Milvus migrans
• Black-winged kite Elanus caeruleus
• Common buzzard Buteo buteo
• Common kestrel Falco tinnunculus
• Crowned eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus
• Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo
• European honey buzzard Pernis apivorus
• Hooded vulture Necrosyrtes monachus
• Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus
• Martial eagle Polemaetus bellicosus
• Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus
• Osprey Pandion haliaetus
• Pallid harrier Circus macrourus
• Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
• Red-footed falcon Falco vespertinus
• Rüppell's vulture Gyps rueppelli
• Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius
• Tawny eagle Aquila rapax
• Western marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus
• White-backed vulture Gyps africanus

Owls 1

• Western barn owl Tyto alba

Parrots 1

• Grey parrot Psittacus erithacus

Ducks, geese & swans 1

• Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiaca

Waders, gulls, terns & auks 14

• Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus
• Common greenshank Tringa nebularia
• Common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula
• Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
• Common snipe Gallinago gallinago
• Egyptian plover Pluvianus aegyptius
• Green sandpiper Tringa ochropus
• Jack snipe Lymnocryptes minimus
• Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus
• Little stint Calidris minuta
• Ruff Calidris pugnax
• Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
• White-winged tern Chlidonias leucopterus
• Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola

Seabirds, divers & grebes 2

• Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
• Little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Herons, storks, cranes & flamingos 15

• African sacred ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
• Black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax
• Common moorhen Gallinula chloropus
• Corn crake Crex crex
• Goliath heron Ardea goliath
• Great egret Ardea alba
• Grey crowned crane Balearica regulorum
• Grey heron Ardea cinerea
• Hadada ibis Bostrychia hagedash
• Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
• Little egret Egretta garzetta
• Purple heron Ardea purpurea
• Spotted crake Porzana porzana
• Western cattle egret Ardea ibis
• White stork Ciconia ciconia

Pheasants, grouse & game birds 3

• Common quail Coturnix coturnix
• Congo peafowl Afropavo congensis
• Helmeted guinea fowl Numida meleagris

Pigeons & doves 2

• Laughing dove Spilopelia senegalensis
• Rock dove Columba livia

Woodpeckers, kingfishers, hornbills & toucans 5

• Eurasian hoopoe Upupa epops
• Eurasian wryneck Jynx torquilla
• European bee-eater Merops apiaster
• European roller Coracias garrulus
• Lilac-breasted roller Coracias caudatus

Hummingbirds, swifts & nightjars 1

• Common swift Apus apus

Ostriches, emus, kiwis & rheas 1

• Common ostrich Struthio camelus

Crows, jays & magpies 1

• Pied crow Corvus albus

Songbirds & perching birds 25

• Barn swallow Hirundo rustica
• Common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
• Common redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
• Common reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
• Eurasian golden oriole Oriolus oriolus
• European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca
• Garden warbler Sylvia borin
• Great reed warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
• House sparrow Passer domesticus
• Icterine warbler Hippolais icterina
• Northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
• Red-backed shrike Lanius collurio
• Red-billed quelea Quelea quelea
• Sand martin Riparia riparia
• Sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
• Spotted flycatcher Muscicapa striata
• Tree pipit Anthus trivialis
• Violet-backed starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
• Western house martin Delichon urbicum
• Western yellow wagtail Motacilla flava
• Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
• White wagtail Motacilla alba
• Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
• Wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
• Woodchat shrike Lanius senator

Cuckoos, turacos & other birds 2

• Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus
• Red-crested turaco Tauraco erythrolophus

Crocodiles & alligators 1

• West African slender-snouted crocodile Mecistops cataphractus

Snakes 6

• Atheris squamigera Atheris squamigera
• Bitis nasicornis Bitis nasicornis
• Central African rock python Python sebae
• Forest cobra Naja melanoleuca
• Gaboon viper Bitis gabonica
• Jameson's mamba Dendroaspis jamesoni

Lizards, geckos & tuatara 3

• Agama agama Agama agama
• Nile monitor Varanus niloticus
• Tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia

Frogs & toads 3

• African clawed frog Xenopus laevis
• Common reed frog Hyperolius viridiflavus
• Hymenochirus boettgeri Hymenochirus boettgeri

Bony fish 8

• Clarias gariepinus Clarias gariepinus
• Hydrocynus goliath Hydrocynus goliath
• Hydrocynus vittatus Hydrocynus vittatus
• Mbu pufferfish Tetraodon mbu
• Nile perch Lates niloticus
• Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus
• Peters's elephantnose fish Gnathonemus petersii
• Polypterus senegalus Polypterus senegalus

Butterflies & moths 2

• Agrius convolvuli Agrius convolvuli
• Daphnis nerii Daphnis nerii

Bees, wasps & ants 2

• Pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis
• Western honey bee Apis mellifera

Dragonflies & damselflies 1

• Pantala flavescens Pantala flavescens

Grasshoppers, bugs & other insects 6

• Aedes aegypti Aedes aegypti
• Aedes albopictus Aedes albopictus
• Cat flea Ctenocephalides felis
• Melanostoma mellinum Melanostoma mellinum
• Silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci
• Syritta pipiens Syritta pipiens

Spiders, scorpions & other arachnids 5

• Argiope trifasciata Argiope trifasciata
• Heteropoda venatoria Heteropoda venatoria
• Latrodectus geometricus Latrodectus geometricus
• Nephila pilipes Nephila pilipes
• Rhipicephalus sanguineus Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Records: GBIF.org, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only, no fossils or captive animals, accessed 23 October 2026. Region outlines: Natural Earth (public domain), simplified. Birds include migrants passing through.