Gambia has a very conducive ecosystem that can be able to support different life forms. Domestic animals form the biggest composition of animals in Gambia, however, some wild animals also exists which include mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and a very big percentage of fish and bird species. Gambia is a very small country located in Western Africa; these animal species form part of the country's rich ecological system.
The country has suffered a great loss through hunting and poaching activates, this brought some of the treasured animals like elephants to extinction. Today the country has a small number of hippos, which form part of the large mammals in protected area. Baboons, monkeys and small antelope species like
sitatunga,
bushbuck and maxwell's duiker contribute to the percentage of mammals in the country. Birds and fish species form the biggest part of animal species in the country, there about 566 and 627 species respectively. Other animals like the hyena,
aardvark, monitor lizards, bush pigs, geckos, chameleons, spitting cobras, puff adders and green mambas form the rest of the animal groups. You can catch a glimpse of bottlenose dolphins near the mouth of river Gambia that connects it to the Atlantic Ocean.
River Gambia is the most predominant feature as you move from east to the western parts of the country. Most parts along these areas are largely wetlands. The Guinea woodland savanna and Sahelian scrub are the most established natural habitants in the country. Savanna grasslands and shrubs form a great part of the countries vegetation. Mangroves form a bigger part of the western parts of Gambia, mainly found on floodplains where River Gambia connects to the ocean and along its banks. The eastern side of the country forms a big portion of the cultivatable and due to the presence of fresh water supply from the upper and middle river Gambia basins.