Animal Info - South Africa
Contents
Threatened Species, Environmental
and Social Data (Mammals, Biodiversity/Ecosystems,
Population, Area/Land Use, Protected Lands, Economy), References
and Links
Threatened Species
Threatened Species: The following list
includes all mammals which occur in South Africa and are rated as
Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU) in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.
- Critically Endangered:
- Endangered:
- Barbour's Rock Mouse (Petromyscus barbouri). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Blue Whale (Balaenoptera
musculus).
- Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus).
- Giant Golden Mole (Chrysospalax
trevelyani). (Endemic to South
Africa.)
- Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra).
- Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis).
- Wild Dog (Lycaon
pictus).
- Vulnerable:
- African Elephant (Loxodonta africana).
- Angolan Hairy Bat (Myotis seabrai).
- Black-footed Cat
(Felis nigripes).
- Cape Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus edwardii). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Cape Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus capensis).
- Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).
- De Winton's Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Dugong (Dugong dugon).
- Duthie's Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa duthieae). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Grant's Golden Mole (Eremitalpa granti).
- Greater Red Musk Shrew (Crocidura flavescens). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Gunning's Golden Mole (Amblysomus gunningi). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Humpback Whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae).
- Large-eared Free-tailed Bat (Otomops martiensseni).
- Lesueur's Hairy Bat (Myotis lesueuri). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Lion (Panthera leo).
- Long-tailed Forest Shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Natal Free-tailed Bat (Mormopterus acetabulosus).
- Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus).
- Rough-haired Golden Mole (Chrysospalax
villosus). (Endemic to South
Africa.)
- Sclater's Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa
sclateri).
- Sclater's Tiny Mouse Shrew (Myosorex sclateri). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Short-eared Elephant Shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus).
- Spectacled Dormouse (Graphiurus ocularis). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon).
- Spotted-necked Otter (Lutra maculicollis).
- Springhare (Pedetes capensis).
- Thin Mouse Shrew (Myosorex tenuis).
- Western Rock Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus rupestris). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- White-tailed Rat (Mystromys albicaudatus).
Environmental and Social Data
Mammals
Total number of species: 247 (Groombridge
& Jenkins 1994)
Number of endemic species: 27 (Groombridge & Jenkins 1994)
Number of threatened species: 1996:
33 (13 % of
total species) (IUCN 1996); 2000:
41 (16 % of total species) (IUCN 2000)
Biodiversity/Ecosystems
South Africa contains the Fynbos Global 200 Ecoregion as well
as portions of the Maputaland- Pondoland Dry Forests, South African Montane
Grasslands & Shrublands, Namib & Karoo Deserts & Shrublands, Agulhas Current
Marine Ecosystems, and Benguela Current Global 200 Ecoregions (Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999)
South Africa contains the Cape Floristic Region Global Biodiversity
Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 1999a)
South Africa is a Megadiversity Country
(Cons. Intl. 1999b)
Population
Population in 1995: 43,474,000 (Natl.
Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population density in 1995: 35.6 people/sq km (92.2 people/sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Population in 1998: 42,834,520 (World
Almanac 1999)
Average population growth rate, 1980 - 1990: 2.4 % (World Bank 1992)
Area/Land Use
Area: 1,221,037 sq km (471,445 sq mi) (Natl. Geog. Soc. 1995)
Percentages of primary world ecosystem types:
- Other Coastal Aquatic: 4 %
- Desert and Semi-desert: 15 %
- Grass and Shrub: 29 %
- Crop and Settlements: 13 %
- Interrupted Woods: 37 %
- Major Forests: 2 %
(Groombridge 1992)
Percent of land area classified as the following degree of human disturbance: Low:
27 %, Medium: 33 %, High: 40 % (WRI 1994)
Protected Lands
Area: 73,900 sq km (28,525 sq mi) (Groombridge
1992)
Percent of land protected: 2.78 % totally protected, 3.46 % partially protected,
6.24 % totally or partially protected (Groombridge
1992)
Economy
Per capita GNP ($ U.S.) (1991): $2,543 (WRI
1994)
Per capita GDP ($ U.S.) (1996): $5,400 (World Almanac 1999)
References and Links
References: Cons. Intl. 1999a, Cons. Intl. 1999b, Groombridge 1992, Groombridge
& Jenkins 1994, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996,
IUCN 2000, IUCN
2004, Natl. Geog.
Soc. 1995, Olson & Dinerstein 1998, Olson & Dinerstein 1999, World Almanac 1999, World Bank 1992, WRI 1994,
Wright 1995
General Links (After you get to one of these sites, click on the link
for South Africa): CIA
World Factbook, Foreign
Embassies of Washington, D.C., Library
of Congress - Country Studies, University
of Texas - Country Maps, Washington
Post - Countries, World
Resources Institute - Country Profiles
Links for South Africa: Cape Nature Conservation,
De Wildt Cheetah and
Wildlife Center, Endangered Wildlife Trust,
Museums
Online South Africa, WWF South
Africa
Top of Page | Search
This Site
Home | Rarest
Mammals | Species Index | Species Groups Index | Country
Index | Links
Last modified: March 11, 2006;
|
