Habitats of Africa

In this Photo Gallery, explore the varied habitats of Africa through our classic dioramas!

tour of african mammal hall diorama school group gallery interpreter

Explore our Dioramas

Our famous dioramas, found across three large galleries on two floors, provide dozens of windows into the hidden world of wildlife. Our team of skilled artists adds new specimens every year, accurately re-creating natural habitats in painstaking detail from the smallest blade of grass to the largest rhino.

Take a tour through Africa through images of our amazing dioramas, featuring a diversity of mammals and their habitats! Below, find question prompts to get students looking closer at these detailed displays-- either in these images, or during your next visit to the Museum!

Taxidermy diorama of a family of African elephants

African Elephant 

Loxodonta

Taxidermy diorama of female ostrich sitting in nest with eggs

Ostrich

Struthio camelus

taxidermy diorama with two rhinos

Black rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

Taxidermy diorama of arabian oryx group, antelope with very long straight horns

Arabian oryx

Oryx leucoryx

 

Taxidermy diorama of a family of lions sitting on large rocks

Lion

Panthera leo

Taxidermy diorama of sable antelope group among trees

Sable antelope

Hippotragus niger

Taxidermy chimpanzee hanging from branches

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes

 

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African Elephant 

Loxodonta

Ostrich

Struthio camelus

Black rhinoceros

Diceros bicornis

Arabian oryx

Oryx leucoryx

 

Lion

Panthera leo

Sable antelope

Hippotragus niger

Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes

 

DISCUSSION PROMPTS FOR MAMMAL DIORAMAS

  • What is going on in this diorama? What do you see that makes you say that?
  • What time of day/year is it? How can you tell?
  • What features does the animal have that would be helpful in this habitat?
  • What might you hear or smell if you were standing in the location this diorama depicts?
  • Imagine you are drawing a word bubble for each animal in the scene: what might they say?

View this Photo Gallery in Google Slides