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Aardvark
Aardvark [Orycteropus afer]. They have a body length of 110 cm and a shoulder height of 60 cm, and the tail is 60-70 cm long. The skin is pi...
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Aardwolf
The name Aardwolf means 'earth wolf' in Afrikaans and stems from its supposed dog-like features and its dietary habits of eating termites wh...
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African Buffalo
African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer). A large and powerful bovine, the African Buffalo reaches shoulder heights of up to 1.5 m ...
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African Civet
Civets are beautifully marked but secretive nocturnal animals with bushy coats with black and white spots and stripes. Civets are good swimm...
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African Giant Pouched Rat
The African Giant Pouched Rat is generally considered to be the Gambian Pouched Rat [Cricetomys gambianu] which has been separated as a spec...
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African Primates
The primates of Africa are of the more common inhabitants. They live in trees and mountains and their most feared predator is the leopard. T...
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African Rhinoceros
These mammals are easily recognised by their prehistoric features and the horns on their forehead. Rhinos are bold and have been seen to gra...
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African Weasel
Head and body length is 300mm, and the tail measures 175mm. The African Weasel weighs about 250-350 gr. They have long slender bodies with s...
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African Wild Cat
Six thousand years ago Egyptians domesticated the African Wild Cat to control mice and rats raiding granaries. From these tamed animals, the...
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Ansorges Free Tailed Bat
Ansorge's Free-Tailed Bat (Tadarida ansorgei) Like all so-called 'free-tailed' bats, the distal portion of the tail of the Ansorgi's Free-Ta...
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Baboon
The baboon is a large primate with a dog-like face and big, prominent canines. Baboons are omnivorous, feeding on lizards, birds and their e...
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Badger
Honey Badgers are about 250 mm high at the shoulders and weighs 12 Kg. The coats have a broad and course saddle of grey hair running from ab...
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Banana Bat
Banana Bat (Neoromicia nanus). The Banana Bat is a tiny bat which is 77 mm long and weighs 4.0 grams. The dense fur on the back can be vario...
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Banded Mongoose
Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) males are only heavier than females during the immature stages. In adulthood both sexes are similar in size a...
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Bat Hawk
The adult is brownish black all over, except for a white spot above and below the eye. The centre of the chest and throat are white, with a ...
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Black Backed Jackal
Black backed Jackals are a widely distributed species that are known for their cunning and daring. They are often seen nipping in to steal a...
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Black Footed Cat
This species is very secretive in nature, which makes it difficult to census. The Black-Footed Cat is nevertheless considered rare. Except f...
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Black Rhino
Bulls weigh up to 1 200 Kg and cows about 800 Kg. As such this species is smaller than the White Rhino. It can further be distinguished from...
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Black Wildebeest
They have a dark brown to black body, an erect mane and a long whitish tail. Both sexes have heavy, forward curving horns. Bulls measure 1.2...
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Blesbok
Physically, rams and ewes are remarkably similar. Their mass can be as much as 85 kg. A characteristic of the Blesbok is the prominent white...
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Blue Duiker
The Blue Duiker is the smallest antelope in Southern Africa. Measures 300 mm at the shoulders and females weighs 4.7 kg, males only 4 kg. Th...
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Blue Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest or Common or White-bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) The dark silver-grey body is marked with dark vertical bands...
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Bontebok
The Bontebok is a medium-sized, generally dark brown antelope with a prominent, wide white blaze on its face, with a pure white rump, belly ...
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Brown Hyena
Brown Hyena [Hyaena brunnea]. This creature has pointed ears and striped legs with a dark brown to black shaggy coat, white shoulders and ne...
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Burchells Zebra
Burchell's Zebra [Equus burchelli]. Body stripes are less numerous and broader than that of the Cape Mountain Zebra, whereas body stripes ex...
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Bush Pig
The Bush Pig is a strong, stocky pig with powerful forequarters. Its upper tusks are barely visible, but the lower tusks are razor sharp and...
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Bushbaby
The Bushbabies or Galagos of Africa are of the smallest primates on the continent and, although fairly common, are not easily seen due to th...
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Bushbuck
The very sharp horns render the Bushbuck very dangerous when wounded. The Bushbuck is a close relative of the Kudu and the Nyala. The rams a...
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Bushpig
Bushpigs are nocturnal and can be very dangerous, as they use their sharp tusks when threatened. Their numbers have increased in areas where...
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Cape Clawless Otter
The Cape Clawless Otter has 5 toes on the fore- and hind-feet. Those on the hind-feet are webbed for half their length, while webbing on the...
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Cape Fox
The only true fox and the smallest canid found in South Africa. The Cape Fox is silver-grey in colour with large pointed ears. They have a d...
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Cape Ground Squirrel
The Cape Ground Squirrel is a rodent endemic to South Africa. It measures 450 mm in length and weighs up to 1 kg. Upper parts are cinnamon ...
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Cape Grysbok
The Cape Grysbok is a small, shy antelope with a thick-set body and a coarse coat of hair. A mingling of white and reddish hair on the back...
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Cape Hare
There are twelve sub-species of the Cape Hare found throughout Africa. The female Cape Hare is slightly larger than the male. Their mass var...
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Cape Mountain Zebra
The Cape Mountain Zebra is the smallest of the zebra species, and has a mass of 230-260 kg and a shoulder height from 1.16 m to 1.28 m. Sinc...
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Cape Otter
The Cape Clawless Otter measures 1,3 m in length and weighs about 13 kg. Except for the belly, throat, cheeks and upper lip, which are all w...
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Caracal
Caracal A large, rufous-fawn Cat with tufted black ears, creamy underbelly with faded orange spots, and long legs. The face has exquisite ma...
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Chacma Baboon
The Chacma Baboon is a large primate with a dog-like face and large, prominent canines. A mature male measures 1.5 m from head to tail and w...
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Cheetah
The Cheetah is credited as being the fastest land animal over short distances, and can reach speeds of up to 90 km/h (55.9 m/h) in pursuit o...
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Civet
The African Civet has short, dense fur that is a greyish colour, with black spots arranged in rows along their bodies. Their legs and about ...
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Common Duiker
The Duiker gets its name from the Afrikaans word 'duiker' which means to dive, relating to the animal's habit of ducking away into bushes wh...
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Damara Dik-Dik
Damara Dik-Dik males are smaller and lighter than the females. The two sexes are respectively 386 mm by 5.1 kg and 394 mm by 5.6 kg. Only t...
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Desert Elephant
Desert Elephant. Namibia is well known for its diversity of wildlife and the high adaptability to the harsh environment shown by the creatur...
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Duiker
Red Forest duiker or Natal red duiker [Cephalophus natalensis]. The Red Duiker is smaller than the Common Duiker. Standing, it is 420mm at t...
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Dwarf Mongoose
The Common Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) is the smallest of the mongoose family, and both males and females weigh only 350-400 gr. Total...
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Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew
The total body of the Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew measures 260 mm and the tail is longer than the head and body length and it weighs about 6...
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Eland
Eland [Taurotragus oryx]. Males can grow to a shoulder height of 1, 7 metres and weigh about 900 Kg. In spite of its heavy physique, eland a...
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Elephant
The African Elephant is the world's largest land mammal, and weighs up to 7 tonnes and reaches heights of 3.3 m at the shoulder. Where are E...
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FAQ on Africa Cats
These carniorous cats (Panthera) are extremely agile mammals and all live within a social hierarchy. Dominant males have breeding rights and...
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FAQ on African Antelope
The Antelope (Hippotragus) is an omnivorous mammal that frequents the African bush. They have complex social structures ranging from the sol...
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FAQ on African Buffalo
Buffalo are considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and the animal that hunters are most wary of. Buffalo have a reputation o...
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FAQ on African Elephant
The African Elephant (loxodonta africana) is the largest land mammal and males can grow up to 4m tall. Two thirds of the Kruger National Par...
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FAQ on African Leopard
The Leopard is a solitary member of the big cats. It is often confused with the Cheetah, but it is easily recognised by its panther-like fea...
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FAQ on African Lion
Lions are carnivorous mammals that live within a strict hierarchy. Males are the dominant gender and although the females are the hunters, f...
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Gemsbok
Gemsbok or Oryx [Oryx gazelle]. The Gemsbok is one of the characteristic animals of the arid areas of Southern Africa, adapted to living in ...
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Giraffe
The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world, attaining a height of 5.5m, its incredibly long neck accounting for much of its height. The ...
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Gorilla
The Gorilla is the largest of the apes and the closest living relative to humans, with the exception of the chimpanzee...
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Greater Cane Rat
This rodent is closer related to the porcupine than to veld rats. The spiny fur on the back and rounded nose distinguish this animal from tr...
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Hartebeest
Lichtenstein Hartebeests are large antelope with humped shoulders, sloping back and elongated head. Cows can weigh 180 Kg and adult bulls ov...
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Hartmans Mountain Zebra
The Hartman's Mountain Zebra's coat is characterized by its series of black and white stripes. These vertical lines are thin and relatively...
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Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are small insectivores, characterised by their pointed faces and short, sharp spines covering the flanks and back as protection ag...
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Hippo
The Hippo is a massive, semi-aquatic mammal with a mass of up to 2,5 tonnes. It is able to walk under water on the river bed, and can remain...
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Hippopotamus
The Hippopotamus a massive, semi-aquatic mammal with a mass of up to 2, 5 tonnes. The Hippopotamus is typically a slate brown colour to mudd...
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Honey Badger
One of Africa's most ferocious animals, Honey Badgers have been known to attack Lions and Buffalo when threatened. They will also attack hum...
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Impala
Impala [Aepyceros melampus]. This is the most common antelope of the bushveld regions of South Africa. A very graceful, rufous-fawn antelope...
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Jackal
There are three species of Jackal in Africa: the Common or Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), found in East and North Africa and the Black-Backe...
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Jamesons Red Rock Rabbit
This species has a fine, silky fur which is grizzled rufous-brown on the upper parts of the body. It has a whitish chin and slightly lighter...
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Klipspringer
The name Klipspringer is the Afrikaans for 'rock jumper' and alludes to the animal's ability in rocky territory where it can be seen moving ...
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Kudu
Kudu or Greater Kudu [Tragelaphus strepsiceros]. Kudu show strong sexual dimorphism in that bulls bear massive, long, spiral horns which rea...
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Large-Spotted Genet
The Large-Spotted Genet has a shoulder height of 210 mm, but this species is short legged. The elongated body has a length of 460 mm and a m...
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Leopard
Leopard [Panthera pardus]. Leopards have black spots arranged in rosettes, contrasted on a yellow-golden background. They have single black ...
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Lesser Bushbaby
The lesser bushbaby, known to scientists as Galago moholi, is a small, tree-dwelling primate active by night. They are capable of leaps of r...
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Lesser Yellow House Bat
Lesser Yellow House Bat (Scotophilus borbonicus) As implied by the popular name, this bat is similar in general appearance than it's sister ...
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Lion
A male Lion is 1.2m tall at the shoulders and has a mass of up to and over 200 Kg. Female lions (lionesses) are slightly smaller and weigh ...
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Long-tailed Forest Shrew
Forest Shrew is a mottled, medium-sized shrew. Colouration is grey-brown to dark grey-brown. Head and body length is about 83 mm, with a rel...
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Mole
Cape Golden Mole (Chrysochloris asiatica). These are small, blind, insectivorous mammals, and not remotely related to rodent moles. The minu...
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Monkey
Unlike many tropical African countries, there are only two monkey species in South Africa, namely the vervet and the samango monkey. Both ar...
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Mountain Ground Squirrel
The Mountain Ground Squirrel has previously been considered as a subspecies of the Cape Ground Squirrel, but has since been recognised as a ...
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Mountain Reedbuck
The Mountain Reedbuck is a medium-sized, graceful and shy antelope. Rams attain a mass of about 32 Kg and measures 750mm at shoulder. Ewes a...
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Nyala
Nyala
[Nyala angasii or Tragelaphus angasii]. The handsome slate-brown shaggy coat is marked with white vertical stripes and spots on th...
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Oribi
A small antelope with light rust-brown colouring, white throat and belly. The horns are straight but bend slightly forward towards the tips...
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Oryx
Oryx or Gemsbok (Oryx gazelle). A large antelope with striking black and white markings on the face and legs, black side stripes on the flan...
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Pangolin
Pangolin, Ground Pangolin (Manis temminckii), also known as Temminck's Pangolin or the Cape Pangolin. The body is protected by armour of imb...
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Porcupine
Both the male and female African Porcupines weigh from 18 to 30 kg (about 40 to 60 pounds) and are about two feet long. The African Porcupin...
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Puku
A gregarious antelope occurring in small herds. The social system is centralised on adult males maintaining and defending territories which...
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Red Hartebeest
The Red Hartebeest is a large, reddish-fawn antelope with sloping back and long narrow face. Both sexes have heavily ringed horns. Of the 12...
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Red Lechwe
Three subspecies of lechwe occur in southern Africa. The red lechwe, Kobus leche leche, occurs in separate populations in western Zambia, no...
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Reedbuck
Weighs up to 70 Kg and rams have a 950mm shoulder height. Ewes are smaller and only measure 800mm at the shoulders and weigh about 51 Kg...
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Rhebuck
Grey Rhebuck or Grey Rhebuck (Pelea capreolus). They weigh up to 30 Kg, with a shoulder height of 700-800 mm. This is a slender, long necked...
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Rhino
The two species of Rhino in Africa, Black Rhino and White Rhino, do not differ much in colour. The name White Rhino comes from the Dutch wor...
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Roan Antelope
Roan Antelope [Hippotragus equines]. The body colour is overall fawn, with the lower parts of the legs dark brown to black. The distinctive ...
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Roan Antelope Stats
The Roan Antelope's spoor is very much similar to the Sable Antelope's. It is bigger, though, and wider....
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Rock Dassie
Rock Dassie – now known as Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis). This small, plump and tail-less guinea-pig-like animal is about as large as a b...
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Sable Antelope
The handsome Sable Antelope is the national animal of Zimbabwe and is one of the most sought after for photographers and trophy hunters alik...
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Sable Antelope
The Sable Antelope is a large and handsome antelope. Sable Antelope are characterised by glossy black coats with white under parts and white...
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Samango Monkey
Males are larger than females, males have a mass of 7 to 9 kg and females 4 to 5 Kg. The tail is a third longer than the body. The coat of t...
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Scrub Hare
The Scrub Hare is larger in the south-western parts of the range (2.7-4.5 kg) than further north (1.5-3.2 kg). The upper parts are a grizzle...
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Serval
The Serval is a large, leggy and elegant, tawny-yellow wild cat richly marked with large, rather widely-spaced solid black spots which tend ...
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Sharpes Grysbok
Sharpe's Grysbok is a shy antelope, which is slightly smaller than the Cape Grysbok, and which has a thick-set body and a rich rufous-colour...
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Side-striped Jackal
The Side Striped Jackal is a nocturnal, dog-like carnivore, with a head and body length of 650-800 mm and tail length of 300-400 mm. Shoulde...
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Sitatunga
Head and body length of a Sitatunga ram measures 1.5 to 1.7 m, with a tail of 200 to 250 mm. Rams weigh 80-125 kg. Ewes are smaller, head an...
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Slender Mongoose
Slender Mongoose (Galerella sanguinea), also known as the Black-tipped Mongoose or the Black-tailed Mongoose. Slender Mongoose females attai...
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Small Grey Mongoose
Small Grey Mongoose. Males are larger than females at 500 - 1000 gr. Total body length varies from 550 mm to 690 mm. Tail length between 200...
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Small-Spotted Genet
The Small-Spotted-Genet is slightly smaller than the Large-Spotted Genet, and the markings are more distinct black and white and without a r...
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Spotted Hyaena
One of the characteristic predators of the African savannah the Spotted Hyena was long thought to be solely a scavenger but it is no known t...
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Spring Hare
The vernacular name of this creature is misleading, since the Spring Hare is in fact a rodent, and not a hare. Springhares are to some degre...
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Springbok
Springbok [Antidorcas marsupialis]. Rams may weigh up to 50 Kg, and ewes only up to 37 Kg. Rams stand 750mm at the shoulders. Their striking...
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Springhare
One of the more characteristic animals of the African night the Springhare has confused many people with its kangaroo-like hopping movements...
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Steenbok
The colour varies from light brown to darker brick-brown. The belly, the inside of the legs and underside of the tail are white. The ears ar...
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Striped Polecat
Polecats are close relatives of the African weasel, but differs in that it is larger, the coat hairs are longer, and that it has three chara...
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Suni
This petite antelope stands only 350mm at the shoulders, and rams weigh only 5 Kg. Ewes are slightly larger and weighs 5.4 Kg. Light-brown t...
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Suricate
The Afrikaans name Meerkat refers to either the Yellow Mongoose or the Suricate, and is a derivate of a Dutch terms denoting a diet of ants....
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Thick-Tailed Bushbaby
The Thick-Tailed Bushbaby is a nocturnal primate with child-like cries which gave cause for the English vernacular name. Probably due to its...
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Tree Squirrel
Tree Squirrel or Smith's Bush Squirrel [Paraxerus cepapi] The total length is 350 mm, half of which is tail. This species only weighs 200 gr...
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Tsessebe
The colouring is dark reddish-brown with a metallic sheen. The blaze on the face as well as the upper parts of the fore and hind legs down ...
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Vervet Monkey
Males have a mass of 6kg and measure 1.1 m in length, whereas females are slightly smaller and weigh only 4kg. Vervet Monkeys have a silver-...
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Warthog
Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus). This is the most commonly seen wild pig of the African Bush. It is a dull grey colour and has a naked skin...
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Water Mongoose
With an overall length of 800 to 1000 mm, this is a large and robust mongoose. It has a mass of between 2.5 to 4.2 kg. Their tails are 300-4...
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Waterbuck
The Waterbuck is a big antelope with a characteristic white circle around the tail and a collar of white hair around the neck. The colour o...
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White Rhino
The White Rhino is the third largest land mammal. Massive, stocky, and with a reputation of being not quite as aggressive as the black rhino...
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White-Tailed Mongoose
White-tailed Mongoose [Ichneumia albicauda] No size difference exists between the sexes, which are physically similar in appearance. Body l...
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White-Tailed Rat
The White-Tailed Rat is a thickset, mouse-like rodent with soft wooly fur. The body is coated with a buffy-grey coloured fur. Interspersed a...
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Wild Dog
Wild Dogs (Lycaon Pictus) occur in low population numbers as a consequence of large territories. The Wild Dog is one of Africa's most endan...
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Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest are seasonal breeders. Births of single calves per cow occur during summer after a gestation period of nine months...
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Yellow House Bat
Yellow House Bat or African Yellow Bat (Scotophilus dinganii) Larger than the lesser yellow house bat, but smaller than the giant yellow hou...
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Yellow Mongoose
Yellow Mongoose. Total length is 400-600 mm, with a tail length of 180-250 mm. Mass is about 450-900 g. Has a triangular shaped face with a ...
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Zebra
There are two species of Zebra in Southern Africa, the Plains or Burchell’s Zebra and the Mountain Zebra. As the names suggest they occur ...
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