Stand back Big 5 animals: Bring on the Shy 5, the Ugly 5 and the Small 5 animals in Africa

While every person coming on a safari in Africa has the Big 5 animals – African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, African Lion, Black Rhino, and Leopard – on their checklist, Africa has much more than just those majestic five safari animals to see. There are almost 150 species of mammal, just under 120 species of reptile, and over 500 species of birds in the iconic Greater Kruger National Park of South Africa alone.

It’s no wonder, therefore, that some clever people have put together various alternative top 5 lists of other African animals! These include the ‘Small 5 Animals’, which have similar names to the Big 5 animals in Africa, but are much smaller animals in size; the 'Shy 5 Animals’, who are hard to spot due to their introverted nature; and the ‘Ugly 5 Animals’ who can be loved only by their mothers.

We’re fans of all the wild and wonderful animals in Africa, from the smallest and strangest to the most dangerous and famous Big 5 animals. Here we list (and show) you the fantastic ugly animals, shy animals and small animals in Africa. They’re well worth adding to your list of 'African Animals to Spot’ on safari.

Ugly 5: The Ugly Animals in Africa

So, these ugly animals are clearly not the supermodels of the African wilderness, but they make up for it by being interesting and different.

1. Warthog
2. Wildebeest
3. Vulture
4. Marabou stork
5. Hyena

Ugly Animal #1 Warthog

Warthog, with bags under their eyes, double sets of tusks and coarse-haired bodies are found throughout southern Africa and are often rootling around close to camps.

These ugly animals are delightful to watch as they trot about, tails straight up in the air, or kneeling on their front legs snuffling about for food. Don’t be fooled by their cutesiness, though, they can be vicious if challenged but enjoy a sweet, symbiotic relationship with some of their fellow African animals:

Ugly Animal #2 Wildebeest

The most distinctive feature of wildebeest is their massive curled horns that start between their ears, grow backwards, and then turn outward and forward, giving them a kind of halo. It’d work if they were angelic-looking but, well, they’re not. They sit firmly on the list of ugly animals in Africa.

By no means are we denying that they’re majestic animals though, and if you’re lucky enough to see a migrating herd of wildebeest – which can run into the thousands (see the Great Wildebeest Migration in Africa) – it’s a pretty spectacular sight.

Ugly Animal #3 Vulture

Vultures do get a bad rap, probably mainly because of their rather bloodthirsty scavenging habits. See a flock of vultures circling high up above the African bush and you can be sure there’s a kill below. Their unfortunate looks, don't help their reputation either.

Despite there being numerous vulture species, these birds are at a real risk of becoming extinct due to humans invading their habitat with poisons in their hands. Birdlife has done wonderful campaigns to save these special (yet ugly) creatures:

Ugly Animal #4 Marabou stork

These feathered friends are huge, with wingspans reaching 2.6 m. They have faces that, well, are not-so-pretty, and it’s not surprising that they’re part of the Ugly 5 animal list. You see, they’re bald, with an enormous conical bill and red-spotted head.

Interestingly, marabou storks have hollow leg and toe bones: a clever way of making sure that, despite their size, they are light enough to fly.

Ugly Animal #5 Hyena

With their sloped backs and distinctive laugh-like voices, hyenas tend to look slightly unkempt. Incorrectly thought to be pure scavengers, hyenas are also very good, nocturnal, hunters. Nevertheless, most agree that these are rather ugly animals.

As brave as they are ugly - it’s not unheard of for a hyena to take big risks while trying to steal meat from big predators like lions, often with fatal consequences.

Shy 5: The 5 Shy Animals in Africa

You’re a very lucky human if you get to see any of these shy African animals as they are notoriously bashful and will do their best not to meet you!

1. Porcupine
2. Bat-eared fox
3. Aardvark
4. Meerkat
5. Aardwolf

Shy Animal #1 Porcupine

Porcupines are cute but prickly. And we mean that literally. A porcupine’s entire back is covered with sharp, black and white, quills that can reach up to 50 cm in length. If challenged, the porcupine will turn its back to the danger and raise its quills. Even if you’re a leopard:

Porcupines are shy animals, and mostly nocturnal. They can sometimes be spotted on night drives, rooting around.

Shy Animal #2 Bat-eared fox

These sweet li’l creatures with their huge upright ears and narrow snouts ensure their privacy by being mainly nocturnal. They are masters of disguise and, if they feel in danger, they lie down in tall grass or thick bush and become perfectly camouflaged due to their colouring.

Another reason these shy animals are hard to see is that they’re really small – usually only about 30 cm tall, weighing in at 3 to 5 kg.

Shy Animal #3 Aardvark

These must be one of the cutest members of the Shy 5 animals in Africa, with their long noses and sweet upright ears. There’s something kangaroo-like about aardvarks. They have a long, tapered tail and arched back, and are covered in coarse grey-brown hair that protects them from being bitten by insects.

During the day, aardvarks sleep, curled into a tight ball in their burrow. At night these shy creatures come out to hunt for termites and other insects.

Shy Animal #4 Meerkat

While people often question if this one is a shy animal because there are troops of habituated meerkats who are curious and wonderful to watch, meerkats have extraordinarily well-honed senses and, in their natural environment, will disappear way before a human can get anywhere near.

Slender-tailed and often striped, these shy animals are known for their standing pose – often whole troops together – to suss out their surroundings (and you, if you’re lucky enough to be in their presence).

Shy Animal #5 Aardwolf

Aardwolves, too, are mostly nocturnal, and small animals, usually measuring only about 45 cm in height. They are, in fact, a species of hyena but, unlike their rather less handsome cousins, their diet consists of termites. They can eat up to 300,000 termites in a night!

Due to their need to eat vast amounts of termites, these shy animals are solitary and meet up with other aardwolves only to mate and rear young.

Little 5: The Small Animals in Africa

While these five are not necessarily shy animals, they’re often as hard to see, just because they’re mostly small. Each of these small animals shares part of its name with one of the esteemed Big 5 animals of Africa.

1. Elephant shrew
2. Leopard tortoise
3. Ant lion
4. Rhino beetle
5. Buffalo weaver

Small Animal #1 Elephant shrew

Arguably the cutest of the Little 5, the elephant shrew looks like a small mouse but with a very long nose/trunk. Measuring just over 25 cm, including its tail, which is longer than its head and body, you’re very lucky indeed to see one of these small animals in the wild.

Elephant shrews are quick as lightning and agile, living in areas with rocky outcrops that provide crevices in which they can find shelter.

Small Animal #2 Leopard tortoise

The leopard tortoise’s name conjures up images of feline stalking. Despite this, there's nothing of the sort done by these slow-moving reptiles. The leopard part of their name comes from the characteristic black-spots-on-yellow-background of their shells.

They’re gentle creatures and snack on plants. Occasionally these small creatures nibble a bone to get some ever-essential calcium.

Small Animal #3 Ant lion

Like the leopard tortoise, with a name like ‘ant lion’ you’d kind of expect these insects to be large and fierce. They’re not large at all, but in their larval form can certainly be fierce. But only if you’re an ant: the larvae build characteristic little conical traps into which ants fall.

Adult ant lions, who have undergone metamorphosis, are often mistaken for dragonflies, with their translucent wings and narrow bodies. They mostly fly at night.

Small Animal #4 Rhino beetle

Rhino beetles are tough little creatures and strong contenders for joining the Ugly 5 animal list, too! They’re fierce-looking but are harmless to humans, being neither biters nor stingers. They’re not even terribly efficient flyers, due to their size.

The only time that rhino beetles tend to fight is over the attention of female rhino beetles. Sounds familiar.

Small Animal #5 Buffalo Weaver

There are two main kinds of buffalo weavers: red-billed and white-billed, distinguished from each other by, surprise(!), the colour of their bills. They are social creatures and colony-type nests are built which house numerous birds in separate ‘compartments’.

Buffalo weavers dine on insects like grasshoppers and ants, so can often be found hunting their prey on the ground.

One of the best places to see these weird, ugly, shy and small African animals is the Kruger National Park of South Africa. See our budget Kruger Safaris or browse upcoming tours starting in Johannesburg.

So now you know who the Small 5, Ugly 5 and Shy 5 animals are and you can add them to your lists of African animals to spot on your dream safari, beyond the Big 5 animals. Speak to one of our African travel experts and book that wildlife safari in Africa now! 

[First published 2018-09-25 / Updated 2024-01-10]