Animals
AFROTROPICAL
Heathland (Fynbos)

Order Araneae: Spiders

(the Boulders)

Nephila fenestrata 'Black-legged Nephila'.

Class Insecta


Order Coleoptera: Beetles

(Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, South Africa)

Cyrtothyrea marginalis, 'Common Dotted Fruit Chafer'.

Order Lepidoptera: Moths and Butterflies


Family Nymphalidae

(Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, South Africa)

Acraea horta, 'Garden Acraea'

Order Hymenoptera: Bees, Wasps & Ants


Family Apidae

(Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, South Africa)

Xylocopa, 'Carpenter Bee' .

Class Aves: Birds

Speckled Mousebird (image by Damon Ramsey)Speckled Mousebird (Kirstenbosch)

There are 8 species of birds endemic to the Fynbos. 

Family Phasianidae

(Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens)

Pternistis capensis, 'Cape Spurfowl'.

Family Coliidae: Mousebirds

(Avian Leisure, Cape Town)

Colius striatus, 'Speckled Mousebird'.

Family Pycnonotidae: Bulbuls

(Avian Leisure Cape Town)

Pycnonotus capensis'Cape Bulbul'.

Family Sturnidae: Starlings

(Avian Leisure Cape Town)

Onychognathus morio'Red-winged Starling'.

Family Muscicapidae: Old World Flycatchers, Chats

(Avian Leisure, Cape Town)

Melaenornis silens'Fiscal Flycatcher'.

Family Promeropidae: Sugarbirds

(Avian Leisure, Cape Town)

Sugarbirds are a small family of only two species. Their evolutionary relationships to other birds is still being resolved. As they share their habitat with old world tropical Sunbirds, and resemble them in look and habit, they were once assumed to be in the same family. As they also look very similar to the Australasian honeyeaters, it has been suggested they evolved from the Meliphagidae. The similar features are now thought to be the result of convergent evolution and they are placed firmly in their own family. They have a curved bill for poking into flowers. The males have long tails. As the name implies, they feed on the sweet nectar of flowers. Both species feed mostly off the flowers of Protea. They also take insects that are caught at the flowers. They are also easily enticed into urban areas with sugar feeders. They are found only in southern Africa. The species pictured above is Promerops cafer, 'Cape Sugarbird'.

Family Nectariniidae: Sunbirds

(Avian Leisure, Cape Town)

Cinnyris chalybeus'Southern Double-collared Sunbird'.

(Avian Leisure Cape Town)

Nectarinia famosa, 'Malachite Sunbird'.

Family Fringillidae: Finches

(Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, South Africa)

Serinus canicollis, 'Cape Canary'.

Class Mammalia


Order Hyracoidea: 'Hyrax'

Many areas around the world have mammals adapted to living in rocky outcrops. In North America it is the Mountain Goat, in Asia it is the Serows, in the Himalayas it is the Tarkin and the Tahr, and in Australia it is the rock wallabies. In sub-Saharan Africa, it is the Dassie or Hyrax.

(Table Mountain, Cape Town South Africa)

Procavia capensis, 'Cape Hyrax', 'Rock Hyrax', 'Rock Dassie'.

Order Rodentia 


Family Hystricidae: '(Old World) Porcupines'

(Avian Leisure, Cape Town)

Hystrix africaeaustralis, 'Cape Porcupine', 'South African Porcupine'.

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