The miombo and other vegetation in and around the region have historically a variety of food and cover for several miombo specialist endemic bird and lizard species as well as more widespread mammals including herds of African elephant " ( Loxodonta africana ) ", giraffe, Burchell's zebra " ( Equus burchelli ) ", wildebeest " ( Connochaetes taurinus ) " and hippopotamus " ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) " and antelopes including greater kudu " ( Tragelaphus strepsiceros ) ", eland " ( Taurotragus oryx ) ", impala " ( Aepyceros melampus ) ", Roosevelt sable antelope " ( Hippotragus niger ) " and Lichtenstein's hartebeest " ( Sigmoceros lichtensteinii ) " ( Campbell 1996 ).
12.
The topographic and climatic conditions of the country has resulted in faunal species dominated by rare species such as African bush elephant ( " Loxodonta africana " ), striped hyena, Northwest African cheetah ( " Acinonyx jubatus hecki " ), waterbuck, African leopard ( " Panthera pardus pardus " ), West African lion ( " Panthera leo senegalensis " ), antelope, common warthog ( " Phacochoerus africanus " ), scimitar oryx ( " Oryx dammah " ), hippopotamuses ( " Hippopotamus amphibius " ) in the Niger River, crocodiles, horned vipers, lizards, pythons, manatee, the endemic Nigerian giraffe ( " Giraffa camelopardalis peralta " ) which is endangered, the Critically Endangered dama gazelle, which is the national symbol of Niger ( named " meyna " or " m�nas " in the Hausa language ) as well as Soemmerring's gazelle ( " Nanger soemmerringii " ), Grant's gazelle ( " Nanger granti " ) and slender-horned gazelle ( " Gazella leptoceros " ).
