Random Insane, Otherworldly Creatures Of Nile River (12 items)

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  (#10) Catfish

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  Vundu catfish hang out at the bottom of the Nile River, occasionally surfacing to eat whatever it can find. That includes a menu as diverse as fish, any garbage thrown into the water, and animal carcasses that something else left behind. Basically, vundu catfish are the vultures of the Nile. Their long, thick body can weigh more than 100 pounds and because they need to occasionally breath air, it's said that a vundu catfish can survive out of the water for a good chunk of time. There are also rumors that full grown men have been dragged down to their death by these huge catfish, but this has never been confirmed.
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  (#11) Nile perch

  • Organism Classification

  The Nile perch spends a lot of time eating, and the enormous size to which their body can grow proves just how big an appetite they have. A Nile perch can weigh up to 500 pounds, measure up to 6 feet long, and since these monster fish live off crustaceans, insects, and other fish, you can imagine how much they'd have to eat to become that big. Besides eating, Nile perch also enjoy mating. Females can produce around 9 million eggs that are able to hatch in only 20 hours. Although most of these young won't survive to adulthood, Nile perch are quickly becoming an invasive species, eating and breeding their way onto the IUCN's 100 Worst Invasive Species list.
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  (#5) Mosquito

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  The West Nile virus was discovered in 1937 when a woman west of the Nile in Uganda was affected. It has since spread all over the world, thanks to birds transporting it and mosquitoes passing it on. Malaria is another disease which can be partially blamed on mosquitoes and even though there is a cure, the World Health Organization reports it still causes somewhere around one million deaths each year. Since mosquitoes incubate their larvae in water, the Nile River is most likely home to many of these blood suckers. Since 90% of the all the malaria cases in the world appear in Africa, perhaps it's mosquitos which are the most deadly thing around the Nile.
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  (#1) Black mamba

  • Organism Classification

  Black mamba snakes are not named for their exterior color, but rather the inky black that appears inside their mouth. Since they are one of the world's most venomous and deadly snakes, the inside of a black mamba's mouth is not what you want to see. Their highly toxic venom can kill a person in 20 minutes if left untreated. If that's not scary enough, these deadly snakes are extremely aggressive and have the ability to move up to 12 miles per hour. When they attack, they will often strike more than once and inject a good amount of venom each time. Although there is an antivenom, it's not widely available in parts of Africa, another reason the black mamba is considered to be so deadly.
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  (#8) Monitor lizard

  • Organism Classification

  The monitor lizards found around the Nile River may not be as big as their crocodile relatives, but they are still some of the largest lizards in Africa, able to grow up to almost 80 inches long. They use their powerful tails to swim like pros, but can also whip them with strength and accuracy when self-defense is needed. Nile monitors are known as vicious predators and are not discriminating about their prey, killing and consuming fish, frogs, birds, and small mammals. They have also been observed using teamwork to distract female crocodiles from their nest while another lizard steals her eggs.
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  (#6) African Rock Python

  The largest snake in Africa can also be found around the Nile River. African rock pythons can grow up to 20 feet long and are not known for being friendly. They can be extremely aggressive when provoked or hungry and have killed humans. Although they are not venomous snakes, they will constrict themselves around their prey, tightening their grip each time the victim exhales. Rock pythons swallow their prey whole and are able to consume animals as big as crocodiles and antelopes. Their digestive system is so sophisticated, a huge meal gives them enough to digest for an entire year.

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