The Kakamega Forest National Reserve is situated in the Lake Victoria basin, about 50km north of Kisumu city. Being the only remnant in Kenya of the unique Guineo-Congolian forest ecosystem, the park offers unique wildlife and scenic beauty. For bird and butterfly watchers, this is the place to visit.  The forest is home to over 400 species of butterflies, about 300 bird species and 27 species of snakes. The park also supports more than 350 species of trees and 7 primate species including the endangered DeBrazza monkey, black and white colobus monkey and vervet monkey. The Potto (the world's slowest mammal on earth), duikers and Dik diks are also found in Kakamega Forest National Reserve. No complete floristic studies have been done at Kakamega. The forest hosts about 160 tree and shrub species, many of Congolean lowland forest affinities, including a number of endemic plant species, mostly ferns and orchids. The flora of the open areas and glades has not been well studied. The glades often have small trees ( Combretum molle , Psidium guajava , Maesa lanceolata , Harungana madagascariensis and Chaetacme aristata ). Conspicuous flowering plants include flame lilies and Gladiolus . The forest edge is lined by dense thickets of Acanthus pubescens , a shrub with sharply spined, thistle-like leaves. Marshy patches are dominated by sedges and the grass Echinocloa pyramidalis . The forest is best known for its diversity of birds: 367 species have been recorded (a checklist is available). The avifauna is a mix of lowland and highland species, but lowland elements dominate. Nine of the species that occur at Kakamega are found nowhere else in Kenya, and two of its species, Turner's Eremomela ( Eremomela turneri ) and Chapins' Flycatcher ( Muscicapa lendu ), are threatened. Insects are abundant and some are quite spectacular, such as giant Goliath beetles ( Goliathus goliathus ), pink and green African flower mantids ( Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi ), and numerous colorful butterflies. Particularly well represented groups are ants (Formicidae), Lepidopterans, Orthopterans, and beetles. Gastropod mollusks, millipedes and spiders are also common. Kakamega is also known for its diverse snake fauna, with over 40 species, although they can be difficult to find. Lizards are more in evidence, with various skinks ( Mabouya spp.), chameleons ( Chamaeleo spp.), and agamas ( Agama spp.) the most common. Amphibians are represented by a number of anuran species, the most common being Bufo and Phrynobatrachus toads and Ptychadena (Rana) mascariensis frogs. Except for the monkeys ( Colobus guereza , Cercopithecus mitis , C. ascanius , and Papio anubis ) and squirrels ( Protozerus strangeri and Heliosciurus rufobranchium ), large mammals are not much in evidence. Today only smaller antelope (primarily various duikers) and bush pig ( Potamochoerus porcus ) are present. Small carnivores, such as Egyptian mongooses ( Herpestes ichneumon ), African civets ( Viverra civetta ), servals ( Felis serval ), genets ( Genetta tigrina ), and palm civets ( Nandinia binotata ) are common; some larger carnivores, including jackals ( Canis adustus ), spotted hyaenas ( Crocuta crocuta ), and leopards ( Panthera pardus ) also occur there. Although rodents, insectivores, and bats are clearly present, they have been little studied at Kakamega.