South African animal guide

Antelope Other Herbivores Predators Primates Antelope Impala The beauty of this graceful antelope is frequently overlooked as a result of its abundance, and despite often being referred to as 'the hamburger of the bush', the Impala is a creature full of surprises.    Kudu The long elegant eyelashes, the disproportional large pink ears and the spectacular spiraling horns of the male make the Kudu one of Africa’s great showpieces. Famous for their fence-jumping abilities, they have been known to clear heights of 3.5m under stress.   Waterbuck As their name suggests, Waterbuck are always found in close association with water and will even readily take to crocodile-infested pools and rivers to avoid predators. They are the first herbivores to suffer during periods of prolonged drought.    Bushbuck The seldom seen Bushbuck is something of an enigma. Although normally shy and elusive, the males are known to be exceptionally aggressive and there is at least one case of a bushbuck ram fatally goring a human. They have a ventriloquil call which confuses predators as to their whereabouts.    Common Duiker The name Duiker means 'diver' and describes the characteristic behavior of this small antelope as it glides through the bush when fleeing from unwanted attention. Active predominantly during the night, the common duiker eats a wide range of foods, including nesting birds, lizards and even small mammals.    Steenbok As with all small antelope, the Steenbok is almost always found singly or in pairs. This non-herding strategy has developed firstly to minimize competition in order to meet the high energy requirements of small mammals, and secondly as a means to avoid detection by predators.    Roan Being extremely sensitive to changes in their habitat, the Roan is now rare throughout most of its distributional range. They are apparently reluctant to share water holes with other game.    Sable The majestic Sable is one of only a few antelope species that effectively use their horns against predators and they have been known to drive off leopard and deter even lions and spotted hyenas.    Gemsbok The gemsbok is one of the most beautiful antelope in the southern African sub-region, as well as being one of the largest antelope able to live in desert conditions. The moisture content of its stomach is so high, that Bushmen living in arid areas use this as a source of water by straining the liquid through a bunch of grass.    Tsetsebe In the unforgiving environment of the African savanna, the attributes of great speed and endurance are certainly of more value to the rather unfortunate-looking tsetsebe than any of the aesthetic qualities other antelope species may enjoy.    Eland It is evident from their legacy of rock art that the docile eland held a special place in the culture of the indigenous San people (Bushmen). The eland is the largest of the African antelope, and when walking, the adults produce a characteristic clicking noise from their knees which can be heard over a considerable distance.    Blue Wildebeest With a theatrical array of noises and strange movements and said to comprise of bits and pieces of all the other animals of the savanna, the ungainly wildebeest is an integral part of the character of the African bush. Where water and grazing are available all year round the populations are sedentary, but in seasonally variable habitats they migrate in their thousands.    Bontebok The bontebok is one of South Africa's most handsome antelope - as well as its rarest. This antelope is confined to the short-grass areas of the southwestern Cape and is distinguished by its glossy, purple coat.    Common Reedbuck The reedbuck is not a fast runner and relies heavily on thick cover to avoid predators. A shrill alarm whistle is very often the only indication of its presence.    Nyala Beneath the canopy of the tall, often fruit-bearing trees that stand proudly on the banks of dry, sandy riverbeds, the stately nyala can often be seen following after troops of baboons waiting to take advantage of what the busy primates knock down.    Klipspringer Their colloquial name means 'rock jumper', and this is entirely appropriate for this sure-footed antelope. Their hoofs are specially adapted for the rocky environment in which they live and they can scamper up virtually vertical rock-faces.    Other herbivores Giraffe The local Shangaan name for giraffe, 'ndlulamithi', means taller than the trees, and at heights of up to 5.88m, this very often holds true. They are at their most vulnerable when drinking and they do so with obvious trepidation.    Zebra The function of the striped coat of zebras has led to much speculation. It has been suggested that it has value in camouflage under certain light conditions or that it tends to confuse a predator as to their direction of movement or to confuse it at close range when confronted by a group. None of these explanations are considered entirely acceptable.    Warthog The warthog is an animal that evokes a kaleidoscope of emotions, but despite its rather comical appearance, its razor sharp tusks make it a formidable adversary, a fact many an indignant leopard would testify to.    Buffalo Although buffalo in a herd are extremely placid, this animal has the reputation of being the most dangerous of the African species to hunt. When wounded they have been known to circle and stalk their hunters, and a charging buffalo with head outstretched is difficult to stop as the heavy boss can deflect or stop even the bullet of a heavy rifle.    Hippopotamus The hippo's disconcerting habit of stamping out camp fires is legendary, but this is not the only odd aspect of their behavior. Several accounts exist of hippos actively trying to rescue animals in distress, but in contrast they have also been observed killing and chewing on an unfortunate eland calf.    Elephant Although the trunk of an elephant weighs as much as an adult buffalo, it is an organ of extreme dexterity and is capable of performing most of the activities carried out by the hands of man.    White Rhinoceros Shortly after the turn of the century the white rhino seemed doomed to extinction, but due to the extreme efforts of several dedicated people, this reminder of our prehistoric existence is one of conservation’s great success stories.    Black Rhinoceros Well-known for its bad temper and terrifying charges, the black rhino is also a shy, solitary animal. Its numbers are still few and it only exists in national parks and game reserves.    Porcupine When a porcupine is annoyed or attacked, it raises its crest and quills to present a formidable barrier to the potential predator. It may also run backwards at a predator which may be injured by the quills as they tend to come loose and embed themselves in the would-be-attacker.    Tree Squirrel "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" takes on a whole new dimension when watching tree squirrels darting over the road or effortlessly leaping between branches. These creatures are so called thanks to the fact that they like to nest in trees.    Predators Lion This is an animal that needs little introduction and anyone who has observed the awesome power of the king of beasts will agree that this truly is an appropriate title. However, true to their elevated status, lions spend the good majority of their lives doing as little as possible.    Leopard Frequently the accolades of supreme resilience and tenacity are bestowed upon what certainly is a remarkable animal, and to many people the leopard epitomes everything that is wild and unknown about the African bush.    Cheetah The cheetah has sacrificed bulk and strength for exceptional speed and although their success rate is higher than most other predators, kills are very often appropriated by opportunistic bystanders, sometimes even as small as black-backed jackals.    Wild Dog The territories of these absorbing creatures encompass huge areas, and although no-longer ruthlessly persecuted, the majority of existing conservation areas are simply too small to facilitate a satisfactory increase in numbers of this highly endangered mammal. Competition with lions and spotted hyenas has also been identified as a factor in maintaining very low densities of the evocative 'painted wolf'.    Spotted Hyena Frequently misunderstood and maligned, the spotted hyena is in many ways an exceptional animal. Long thought to be hermaphrodite due to the unusual development of the female genitalia, the hyena has a complex, female-dominated social structure and is as effective a hunter as the lion.    Serval The Serval emerges at night to hunt, and its long legs allow fast movement over short distances and it has prodigious leaping powers which are used to good effect pursuing prey through long grass. It is an expert climber and often seeks refuge from its enemies in trees.    Caracal Closely resembling the American lynx, the Caracal is extremely widespread but is seldom seen due to its secretive and solitary habits. It is known to be extremely aggressive when cornered.    Black-Backed Jackal Unlike most mammals, these handsome members of the dog family form long-term pair-bonds between dog and bitch and both take part in rearing the offspring. Pups of the previous litter may remain with the parents and help raise the next litter.    White-tailed mongoose This is the largest of the eleven mongoose species found in southern Africa, and is known to be a good swimmer. Insects appear to comprise the bulk of their diet, followed by amphibians, rodents, reptiles and earthworms.    Dwarf mongoose The dwarf mongoose has the distinction of being the smallest carnivore in Africa. Highly social, this animal moves around in packs of 20 or more. Each individual takes turns to baby-sit, or at sentry duty - all for the good of the group.    Banded Mongoose The banded mongoose is an easily-recognized little animal, with black stripes or bands along its back. Like other mongoose, it lives in large groups. When moving through the veld, the pack moves in single file, the individuals chatting unceasingly as they go.    Small Spotted Genet The small spotted genet is a lithe, graceful little carnivore, living in the savanna areas of southern Africa. Its distinguishing markings include a white tip at the end of its tail and a band of dark hair along its back.    Large Spotted Genet The large spotted genet is distinguished from its cousin, the small spotted genet by the dark tip at the end of its tail. A nocturnal creature, this slender predator is always found near water.    African Wildcat The African wildcat looks very much like the domestic cat, and the two species can and do interbreed freely. As a result, hybridization is a very real threat to the survival of this species in many areas.    Civet A member of the mongoose family, the civet uses a secretion from a gland under the tail to scent mark. This secretion, known as 'civet' was formerly used in the manufacture of perfumes.    Honey-Badger A formidable and fearless fighter, the honey-badger is avoided by all and sundry, including lions. It has a disconcerting habit of attacking the groin region of any target unfortunate enough to have incurred its wrath.    Aardvark The aardvark uses its keen sense of smell to locate termites and ants under the ground. They use their well developed claws to expose the insects, and catch them with their long, sticky tongues. They are extremely adept diggers, and the speed at which they can tunnel into the ground to evade predators is truly amazing.    Pangolin This strange patron of the night does not possess teeth, but has a well-developed muscular stomach which grinds up the ants and termites which form the major part of its diet. When threatened, the pangolin rolls up into a tight ball, with the scales of the back and tail protecting its vulnerable parts, and it has been said that even a bullet cannot penetrate this suit of armor.    Primates Chacma Baboon The baboon is a gregarious species with an extremely sophisticated social hierarchy. They are omnivorous and will eat virtually anything, there are even accounts of cannibalism. They have extremely strong jaws, and their canines are longer than those of lions.    Vervet Monkey This appealing primate has a sophisticated array of vocalizations, with a different alarm call for each of its principal predators. The presence of an otherwise phantom-like leopard is very often betrayed by the frantic chattering of these engaging little animals.

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