Wildlife of South Africa

Last updated
Male lion and cub feeding on a Cape buffalo, Sabi Sand Game Reserve Male Lion and Cub Chitwa South Africa Luca Galuzzi 2004.JPG
Male lion and cub feeding on a Cape buffalo, Sabi Sand Game Reserve

The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.

Contents

Geography

Topography of South Africa South Africa Topography.png
Topography of South Africa

South Africa is located in subtropical southern Africa, lying between 22°S and 35°S. It is bordered by Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland) to the northeast, by the Indian Ocean to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the coastline extending for more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi). The interior of the country consists of a large, nearly flat, plateau with an altitude of between 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and 2,100 m (6,900 ft). The eastern, and highest, part of this is the Drakensberg, the highest point being Mafadi (3,450 m (11,320 ft)), which is on the border with Lesotho, a country surrounded by South Africa. [1]

The south and south-western parts of the plateau, at approximately 1,100 to 1,800 m (3,600 to 5,900 ft) above sea level, and the adjoining plain below, at approximately 700 to 800 m (2,300 to 2,600 ft) above sea level, is known as the Great Karoo, and consists of sparsely populated shrubland. To the north the Great Karoo fades into the drier and more arid Bushmanland, which eventually becomes the Kalahari Desert in the far north-west of the country. The mid-eastern, and highest part of the plateau is known as the Highveld. This relatively well-watered area is home to a great proportion of the country's commercial farmlands. To the north of Highveld, the plateau slopes downwards into the Bushveld, which ultimately gives way to the Limpopo lowlands or Lowveld. [1]

The climate of South Africa is influenced by its position between two oceans and its elevation. Winters are mild in coastal regions, particularly in the Eastern Cape. Cold and warm coastal currents running north-west and north-east respectively account for the difference in climates between west and east coasts. The weather pattern is also influenced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. In the plateau area, the influence of the sea is reduced, and the daily temperature range is much wider; here the summer days are very hot, while the nights are usually cool, with the possibility of frosts in winter. The country experiences a high degree of sunshine with rainfall about half of the global average, increasing from west to east, and with semi-desert regions in the north-west. The Western Cape experiences a Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall, but most of the country has more rain in summer. [2]

Flora

A total of 23,420 species of vascular plant has been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened. [3] Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, desert, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thickets, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, and forests. [4]

The most prevalent biome in the country is the grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is dominated by different species of grass; fires, frosts and grazing pressure result in few trees occurring here, but geophytes (bulbs) are plentiful and there is a high level of plant diversity, especially on the escarpments. [5] Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low rainfall. There are several species of water-storing succulents, like aloes and euphorbias, in the very hot and dry Namaqualand area. The grass and thorn savannah turns slowly into a bush savannah towards the north-east of the country, with denser growth. There are significant numbers of baobab trees in this area, near the northern end of Kruger National Park. [6]

Fynbos vegetation on the Cape Peninsula Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos - Cape Town 8.JPG
Fynbos vegetation on the Cape Peninsula

There are few forests in the country, these being largely restricted to patches on mountains and escarpments in high rainfall areas and gallery forests, and much of the plateau area is covered by grassland and savanna. The karoo occupies much of the drier western half of the country; this area is influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic and has winter rainfall. The vegetation here is dominated by dwarf succulent plants, with many endemic species of both plants and animals. Fynbos is a belt of natural shrubland located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces with a unique flora dominated by ericas, proteas and restios. [7] This area is part of the Cape Floristic Region. The World Wide Fund for Nature divides this region into three ecoregions: the Lowland fynbos and renosterveld, the Montane fynbos and renosterveld and the Albany thickets. There is some concern that the Cape Floristic Region is experiencing one of the most rapid rates of extinction in the world due to habitat destruction, land degradation, and invasive alien plants. [8]

The Cape Floral Region Protected Areas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a group of about thirteen protected areas that together cover an area of over a million hectares. This is a hotspot of diversity of endemic plants, many of which are threatened, and demonstrates ongoing ecological and evolutionary processes. This region occupies less than 0.5% of the area of the African continent yet has almost 20% of its plant species, almost 70% of the 9,000 plant species being endemic to the region. The Fynbos vegetation consists mainly of sclerophyllous shrubland. Of special interest is the pollination biology of the plants, many of which rely on ants, termites, birds or mammals for this function, the adaptions they have made to the fire risk, and the high level of adaptive radiation and speciation. [9] The Mediterranean climate produces hot, dry summers, and many of the plants have underground storage organs allowing them to resprout after fires. A typical species is the silver tree, which grows naturally only on Table Mountain. Fire kills many of the trees but triggers the germination of the seeds, founding the next generation of these short-lived trees. [10]

Fauna

Mammals

Some 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, of which 30 species are considered threatened. [11] The Kruger National Park, in the east of the country, is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 square kilometres (7,523 sq mi) of grassland with scattered trees. It supports a wide range of ungulates including Burchell's zebra, impala, greater kudu, blue wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, Cape buffalo, giraffe and hippopotamus. There are also black and white rhinoceroses, African elephant, African wild dog, cheetah, leopard, lion and spotted hyena. [12]

Elsewhere in the country there are gemsbok, alternatively known as oryx, nyala, bushbuck and springbok. There are seventeen species of golden mole, a family limited to southern Africa, five species of elephant shrew, many species of shrews, the southern African hedgehog, the aardvark, various hares and the critically endangered riverine rabbit. There are numerous species of bat and a great many species of rodent. Primates are represented by the Mohol bushbaby, the brown greater galago, the Sykes' monkey, the vervet monkey and the chacma baboon. Smaller carnivores include mongooses, genets, the caracal, the serval, the African wildcat, the Cape fox, the side-striped jackal, the black-backed jackal, meerkats, and the African clawless otter. The brown fur seal and other species of seal occur on the coasts and the waters around the country are visited by numerous species of whale and dolphin. [13]

Birds

With its diverse habitat types, South Africa has a wide range of residential and migratory species. According to the 2018 edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World , 849 species of bird have been recorded in South Africa and its offshore islands. Of these, 125 species are vagrants, and about 30 are endemic either to South Africa, or the more inclusive South Africa/Lesotho/Eswatini region. [14] The endemic species include the southern black and blue korhaans, the grey-winged francolin, the Knysna turaco, the Fynbos buttonquail, the southern bald ibis, the forest buzzard, the ground woodpecker, the Cape and Drakensberg rockjumpers, the Cape, eastern and Agulhas long-billed larks, the red, Karoo, Rudd's and Botha's larks, the Cape bulbul, the Victorin's and Knysna warblers, the Drakensberg prinia, the bush blackcap, the Cape sugarbird, the chorister robin-chat, the sentinel and Cape rock thrushes, the buff-streaked chat, the pied starling, the African Penguin, and the orange-breasted sunbird. [15]

The common ostrich is plentiful on the open grassland and savannah areas. [16] Some birds breed elsewhere but migrate to South Africa to overwinter, while others breed in the country but migrate away in the non-breeding season. Migratory species include the greater striped swallow, white-rumped swift, white stork, African pygmy kingfisher, yellow-billed kite and the European bee-eater. [17]

Reptiles and amphibians

There is a rich fauna of reptiles and amphibians, with 447 species of reptile recorded in the country (as compiled by the Reptile Database), [18] and 132 species of amphibian (compiled by AmphibiaWeb). [19] South Africa has the richest diversity of reptiles of any African country. Endemic species include the angulate tortoise and geometric tortoise, the Zululand dwarf chameleon, the Transkei dwarf chameleon and the Robertson dwarf chameleon, the Broadley's flat lizard, the dwarf Karoo girdled lizard, the Soutpansberg rock lizard, and the yellow-bellied house snake. [20]

Natal diving frog Natalobatrachus bonebergi02.jpg
Natal diving frog

Also included among the fauna are the Nile crocodile, the leopard tortoise, the Speke's hinge-back tortoise, the serrated hinged terrapin, various chameleons, lizards, geckos and skinks, the cape cobra, the black mamba, the eastern green mamba, the puff adder, the mole snake and a range of other venomous and non-venomous snakes. [21]

Amphibian diversity reflects the many diverse habitats around the country. Species of interest include the endemic western leopard toad and the arum frog, the bronze caco, the spotted snout-burrower and the critically endangered Rose's ghost frog, found only on the slopes of Table Mountain. [22] Another endangered endemic species is the Natal diving frog. [23]

National parks

The following have been designated as national parks in South Africa: [24]

South African endangered species

Some animals occurring in South Africa are classified as "endangered" or "critically endangered". These include: [25]

Critically endangered

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fynbos</span> Shrubland and heathland ecoregion of southwestern South Africa

Fynbos is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highveld</span> Geographic region of the South African inland plateau

The Highveld is the portion of the South African inland plateau which has an altitude above roughly 1500 m, but below 2100 m, thus excluding the Lesotho mountain regions to the south-east of the Highveld. It is home to some of the country's most important commercial farming areas, as well as its largest concentration of metropolitan centres, especially the Gauteng conurbation, which accommodates one-third of South Africa's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape gray mongoose</span> Species of mongoose from southern Africa

The Cape grey mongoose, also called the small grey mongoose, is a small mammal native to South Africa, Lesotho and southern Namibia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succulent Karoo</span> Desert ecoregion of South Africa and Namibia

The Succulent Karoo is a ecoregion defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature to include regions of desert in South Africa and Namibia, and a biodiversity hotspot. The geographic area chosen by the WWF for what they call 'Succulent Karoo' does not correspond to the actual Karoo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Burundi</span> Flora and fauna in Burundi

The wildlife of Burundi is composed of its flora and fauna. The small, landlocked country is home to 2,950 species of plants, 596 birds, 163 species of mammals, 52 species of reptiles, 56 species of amphibians, and 215 fish species. The wildlife has been drastically reduced in recent years, mainly on account of intense population pressure, conversion of large areas of forest into agricultural land, and extensive livestock farming. The protected area encompasses little more than 5% of the total area of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Ivory Coast</span> Flora and fauna of Ivory Coast in West Africa

The wildlife of Ivory Coast consists of the flora and fauna of this nation in West Africa. The country has a long Atlantic coastline on the Gulf of Guinea and a range of habitat types. Once covered in tropical rainforest, much of this habitat has been cleared, the remaining terrain being gallery forests and savanna with scattered groups of trees, resulting in a decrease in biodiversity. As of 2016, 252 species of mammal had been recorded in Ivory Coast, 666 species of bird, 153 species of reptile, 80 species of amphibian, 671 species of fish and 3660 species of vascular plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Mozambique</span> Flora and fauna of Mozambique

The wildlife of Mozambique consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southeastern Africa. Mozambique has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife. This includes 236 species of mammal, 740 species of bird and 5,692 species of vascular plant. The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany hotspot, with significantly high levels of biodiversity, stretches from the southern tip of Mozambique into northeastern South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fynbos golden mole</span> Species of mammal

The fynbos golden mole is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is endemic to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Togo</span>

The wildlife of Togo is composed of the flora and fauna of Togo, a country in West Africa. Despite its small size the country has a diversity of habitats; there are only remnants of the once more extensive rain forests in the south, there is Sudanian Savanna in the north-western part of the country and larger areas of Guinean forest-savanna mosaic in the centre and northeast. The climate is tropical with distinct wet and dry seasons. There are estimated to be over 3000 species of vascular plant in the country, and 196 species of mammal and 676 species of bird have been recorded there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot</span> Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot

The Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot (MPA) is a biodiversity hotspot, a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity, in Southern Africa. It is situated near the south-eastern coast of Africa, occupying an area between the Great Escarpment and the Indian Ocean. The area is named after Maputaland, Pondoland and Albany. It stretches from the Albany Centre of Plant Endemism in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, through the Pondoland Centre of Plant Endemism and KwaZulu-Natal Province, the eastern side of Eswatini and into southern Mozambique and Mpumalanga. The Maputaland Centre of Plant Endemism is contained in northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique.

<i>Homopus femoralis</i> Species of tortoise

Homopus femoralis, commonly known as the greater padloper, is a small tortoise of the genus Homopus, indigenous to the highveld grasslands of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fauna of South Africa</span>

The fauna of South Africa is diverse and largely typical of the ecosystems in Africa. South Africa is ranked sixth out of the world's 17 megadiverse countries. Many endemic species are unique to South Africa. The country is among the world leaders in conservation, but at the time wildlife is threatened by poaching and canned hunting.

The Biodiversity of South Africa is the variety of living organisms within the boundaries of South Africa and its exclusive economic zone. South Africa is a region of high biodiversity in the terrestrial and marine realms. The country is ranked sixth out of the world's seventeen megadiverse countries, and is rated among the top 10 for plant species diversity and third for marine endemism.

References

  1. 1 2 Philip's (1994). Atlas of the World. Reed International. pp. 104–105. ISBN   0-540-05831-9.
  2. ↑ "Climate: South Africa". Climates to Travel. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. ↑ Butler, Rhett A. (1 July 2019). "Total number of plant species by country". Mongabay. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "Vegetation of South Africa". PlantZAfrica.com. SA National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "Grassland Biome". Vegetation of South Africa. SA National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Plants and Vegetation in South Africa". Southafrica-travel.net. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Carruthers, Vincent (2017). The Wildlife of Southern Africa. Penguin Random House South Africa. p. Introduction. ISBN   978-1-77584-464-8.
  8. ↑ South African Press Association (14 August 2014). "Cape is world's extinction capital" . Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Cape Floral Region Protected Areas". World Heritage List. UNESCO. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  10. ↑ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; Koopman, R.; Raimondo, D. (2020). "Leucadendron argenteum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T30350A185568120. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T30350A185568120.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  11. ↑ Butler, Rhett A. (1 July 2019). "Total number of mammal species by country". Mongabay. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  12. ↑ "Kruger Statistics & Animal Numbers". dreamfieldsguesthouse.com. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  13. ↑ These details are derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammal and their distributions.
  14. ↑ Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ retrieved August 14, 2018
  15. ↑ These details are derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of bird and their distributions.
  16. ↑ BirdLife International (2016). "Struthio camelus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T45020636A95139620. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T45020636A95139620.en .
  17. ↑ "Africa's birds". SouthAfrica.co.za. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  18. ↑ Butler, Rhett A. (1 July 2019). "Total number of reptile species, by country". Mongabay. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  19. ↑ Butler, Rhett A. (1 July 2019). "Total number of amphibian species, by country". Mongabay. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "Native Reptiles Of South Africa". World Atlas. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  21. ↑ "Reptiles of South Africa". SouthAfrica.co.za. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "Amphibians Of South Africa". World Atlas. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  23. ↑ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group.; South African Frog Re-assessment Group; et al. (SA-FRoG) (2016). "Natalobatrachus bonebergi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T58076A77159820. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T58076A77159820.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  24. ↑ "South African National Parks". South African National Parks. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  25. ↑ These details are derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species, their distributions and conservation status.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.