Fauna - SA Wildlife

 
 

Fauna - SA Wildlife

Southern Africa is boasting with an astounding diversity of habitats and wildlife. The small Cape floral kingdom situated on the Southern is regarded as the second only to the tropical rain forests in the number of species. A great deal of the species are endemic. Southern Africa has the largest number of land tortoise species (13), and is home to no less than approximately 300 mammal, 900 bird, 130 frog, 130 snake, 250 lizard, 1,500 tree, 24,000 flowering plant and an estimated 80,000 insect species! A great list indeed! We share our landscape with viable populations of the fastest (cheetah), tallest (giraffe) and biggest (elephant) of earths land mammals.

Fauna:

The Big Five

Elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo.

The big cats

The lion tops the food chain, but it does have one formidable enemy. People. We have expelled it from most of the country so the King of the jungle is forced into protective conservation areas.

The majestic leopard survives in larger area like the southern Cape and far north of the country.

The third famous big cat, the cheetah, is the speed champ and has the capability to reach a speed of almost 100 kilometres an hour.

Lesser known wildlife

Other large African animals are the hippo, giraffe, kudu, wildebeest and zebra, oftentimes seen in South Africa's conservation areas.

Over 200 mammal species

South Africa thrives with well over 200 mammal species.

South African primates they include the nocturnal bushbabies, vervet and samango monkeys, and chacma baboons.

Dassies (can be an agricultural problem) - hyraxes, residents of rocky habitats - and meerkats - suricates, familiar from their alert upright stance - have tremendous charm.

The appealing aardvark (ant eater) and the aardwolf (termite eater) are virtually spread over the entire of the country.

One of the most endangered mammals in Africa is the wild dog or Cape hunting dog. Wild dogs are wildly appreciated for their ecological value and for their remarkably caring family behaviour in the pack. A single pack requires vast territories, on average several hundred square kilometres.

Other canine carnivores are the hyaena, jackal and bat-eared fox. Felines include the caracal with its characteristic tufted ears, the African wild cat and the rare black-footed cat. Flesh eating mammals include the civet, genet and several kinds of mongoose.

Plant eaters are represented by assorted antelope such as the little duiker to the large kudu and wonderous antelope, found only in the most northerly regions.

Marine mammals and fish

The  blue whale is the largest mammal in South Africa and the world. It can grow to 33 metres in length. Of the eight whale species found in South African waters (including the dramatic black-and-white killer whale), the most frequently seen by humans is the southern right whale as it visits coastal bays to calve, allowing for superb land-based viewing.

The impressive great white shark is only one of more than 2 000 fish species, comprising 16% of the world's total. Several line fish, rock lobster and abalone are of particular interest to gourmets, while sardines, pilchards and hake are popular for their commercial value.

Reptiles

Of all the South African reptiles (112 named species) the crocodile is much as any of the Big Five, a symbol of Africa. The crocodile is a supreme ruler over some stretches of river and estuary, lakes and pools, exacting an occasional toll in human life.

The  sea-roaming loggerhead and leatherback turtles are the focus of a major community conservation effort at their nesting grounds on the northern KwaZulu-Natal shoreline.

Land reptiles include rare tortoises and the fascinating chameleon. There are well over 100 snake species. 50% of the snake species including the python, are non-venomous. The puffadder, green and black mamba, boomslang and rinkhals are some of the deadly killirs of the family.

Birdlife

South Africa is any bird lovers paradise. Boasting an enourmous selection of typically African birds, migrants, and endemics (those birds found only in South Africa), bird watchers from around the globe frequent South Africa.

An estimated 725 of the recorded 850 species are resident or annual visitors, 50 of these are endemic or near-endemic.

Intra-African migrants such as cuckoos and kingfishers, as well as birds from the Arctic, Europe, Central Asia, China and Antarctica are also regular visitors to our great country during the year.

From the ostrich to the hornbills to the ubiquitous, a birder need not move out of a typical Gauteng garden to spot grey loeries, mousebirds, hoopoes, hadeda ibises, crested and black-collared barbets, Cape whiteyes, olive thrushes, to mention only a few.

 

 

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