Flora & Fauna
Flora and Fauna
Fynbos, forest, Karoo, grassland, and savannah are the five major habitat types in South Africa. The country can also be divided into seven distinct categories of vegetation and related animal life namely; succulent Karoo, thicket, fynbos, forest, Nama Karoo, savanna, and grassland. 10% of the world’s flowering species are found in South Africa.
South Africa’s spectacular Flora
Listed below is some of the infamous plant life found in South Africa:
- Fynbos (composed of Ericas, Proteas and grass-like Restios)
- Namaqualand is famous for its carpet of flowers especially daisies of different colours
- Knysna- Tsitsikamma forest with its tall stinkwoods, black ironwoods and yellowwoods
- Medicinal plants such as the Aloe ferox, a purgative, were discovered to be medicinally useful for the indigenous African people.
South Africa’s wildlife wonders: Fauna
South Africa is famous for the big five namely; the elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. The bushveld serves as the habitat for all South African mammals.
Other animal species which are common to South Africa is;
200 different mammal species (this includes amongst others monkeys, baboons, aardvark, aardwolf etc.)
- Marine mammals and fish (this includes the black and white killer whales, the white shark etc.)
- Crocodiles and other reptiles( such as the puffadder, the green and black mamba and many more)
- 850 or so species of birdlife (which includes cuckoos, kingfishers, ostriches, eagles, vultures etc.)
