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Jonkershoek Nature Reserve
Jonkershoek Nature Reserve is a CapeNature nature reserve located approximately south-east of the town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It covers an area of approximately . Description The reserve lies north of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains within the Hottentots-Holland Mountain Catchment Area and it contains the smaller Assegaaibosch Nature Reserve. It includes the Jonkershoek Mountains and portions of the upper Jonkershoek valley. The Eerste River and Berg River have their origins in these mountains, the former also flowing through the Jonkershoek valley on its way to False Bay. History The name Jonkershoek is said to hail from the 17th century owner of one of the freeholds that Simon van der Stel issued in the valley: Jan Andriessen, who had been a bachelor midshipman, was also known as Jan de Jonkheer and named his grant of land Vallei Jonkershoek. Started as the Assegaaibosch farmstead in 1790, it was subsequently altered substantially by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020. About two-thirds of these inhabitants live in the metropolitan area of Cape Town, which is also the provincial capital. The Western Cape was created in 1994 from part of the former Cape Province. The two largest cities are Cape Town and George. Geography The Western Cape Province is roughly L-shaped, extending north and east from the Cape of Good Hope, in the southwestern corner of South Africa. It stretches about northwards along the Atlantic coast and about eastwards along the South African south coast (Southern Indian Ocean). It is bordered on the north by the Northern Cape and on the east by the Eastern Cape. The total land area of the province is , about 10.6% of the country's total. It is roughly the size of England or the S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long tufted ears, and long canine teeth. Its coat is uniformly reddish tan or sandy, while the ventral parts are lighter with small reddish markings. It reaches at the shoulder and weighs . It was first scientifically described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1776. Three subspecies are recognised. Typically nocturnal, the caracal is highly secretive and difficult to observe. It is territorial, and lives mainly alone or in pairs. The caracal is a carnivore that typically preys upon small mammals, birds, and rodents. It can leap higher than and catch birds in midair. It stalks its prey until it is within of it, after which it runs it down and kills its prey with a bite to the throat or to the back of the neck. Both sexes b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nature Reserves In South Africa
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park. Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves. History Cultural practices that roughly equate to the establishment and maintenance of reserved areas for animals date back to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protea Canary
The protea canary (''Crithagra leucoptera''), also known as the protea seedeater, white-winged seedeater or Layard's seedeater, is a small passerine bird in the finch family. Taxonomy The protea canary was formerly placed in the genus ''Serinus'' but phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the genus was polyphyletic. The genus was therefore split and a number of species including the protea canary were moved to the resurrected genus ''Crithagra''. Description The protea canary is 15–16 cm in length with a large pale bill. The adult has grey-brown upperparts, a black chin, white throat and two thin buff wing bars. The underparts are buff with light streaking. The sexes are similar, but young birds are more heavily streaked below than the adults. The call of the protea canary is a trilled ''tree-lee-loo'' or a ''sweet''. The song is a loud medley of warbles and trills, with much mimicry. Distribution and habitat It is an endemic residen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orange-breasted Sunbird
The orange-breasted sunbird (''Anthobaphes violacea'') is a species of small, predominantly nectar-feeding bird that is endemic to the fynbos shrubland biome of southwestern South Africa. It is the only member of the genus ''Anthobaphes'', in the family Nectariniidae (the sunbirds and spiderhunters), though it is sometimes placed in the genus ''Nectarinia''. The birds are sexually dimorphic, with females being olive green while the males are orange to yellow on the underside with bright green, blue and purple on the head and neck. Taxonomy In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the orange-breasted sunbird in his ''Ornithologie'', based on a specimen collected from the Cape of Good Hope. He used the French name ''Le petit grimpereau a longue queue du Cap de Bonne Espérance'' and the Latin ''Certhia Longicauda Minor Capitis Bonae Spei''. The two stars (**) at the start of the section indicates that Brisson based his description on the exami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sugarbird
The sugarbirds are a small genus, ''Promerops'', and family, Promeropidae, of passerine birds, restricted to southern Africa. In general appearance and habits, they resemble large, long-tailed sunbirds, but are possibly more closely related to the Australian honeyeaters. They have brownish plumage, the long downcurved bill typical of passerine nectar feeders, and long tail feathers. Taxonomy and systematics The genus ''Promerops'' was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the Cape sugarbird (''Promerops cafer'') as the type species. The name of the genus combines the Ancient Greek προ ''pro'' "close to" or "similar" and the genus'' Merops ''that contains the bee-eaters. The relationships of the sugarbirds have been the source of considerable debate. They were first treated as a far-flung member of the honeyeater family, which is otherwise restricted to the Australasian region. Looking at egg white proteins in the 1970s Sibley and Ahlquist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spotted Eagle-owl
The spotted eagle-owl (''Bubo africanus'') also known as the African spotted eagle-owl and the African eagle-owl, is a medium-sized species of owl, one of the smallest of the eagle owls. Its length is and its weight is from . It has a wingspan. The facial disk is off-white to pale ochre and the eyes are yellow. It has prominent ear-tufts, and the upper body is dusky brown, the lower parts off-white with brown bars. Prior to 1999 the spotted eagle-owl was considered conspecific with the greyish eagle-owl, but now it is classed as a separate species. Distribution Spotted eagle-owls are the most common species of owl found in southern Africa. They have a healthy population in most parts of the region. They are often referred to as urban owls and will live in close proximity to human habitation. They occur throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian peninsula. They can also be found in thorn savanna and in suburban gardens, such as the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe. Diet Its p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Eagle
A sea eagle or fish eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus ''Haliaeetus'' in the bird of prey family Accipitridae. Taxonomy and evolution The genus ''Haliaeetus'' was introduced in 1809 by French naturalist Marie Jules César Savigny in his chapter on birds in the ''Description de l'Égypte''. The two fish eagles in the genus ''Ichthyophaga'' were found to lie within ''Haliaeetus'' in a genetic study in 2005, they were then moved accordingly. They are very similar to the tropical ''Haliaeetus'' species. A prehistoric (i.e. extinct before 1500) form from Maui in the Hawaiian Islands may represent a species or subspecies in this genus. The relationships to other genera in the family are less clear; they have long been considered closer to the genus ''Milvus'' (kites) than to the true eagles in the genus '' Aquila'' on the basis of their morphology and display behaviour;Brown, L. H, & Amadon, D. (1968) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Eagle
The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China. They hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests. They are easily identified by their widely splayed and long primary "fingers", the characteristic silhouette, slow flight and yellow ceres and legs that contrast with their dark feathers. Taxonomy and systematics The species name is spelt ''malayensis'' in most publications but the original spelling used by Temminck in his description uses the spelling ''malaiensis'' according to a 2011 finding of some of the original covers of the part publications leading to taxonomists applying the principle of priority and rejecting any later spelling emendations. Subspecies *''Ictinaetus malaiensis malaiensis'' - Myanmar to S China, SE Asia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a family, the Alcedinidae, of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species found in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, but also can be seen in Europe. They can be found in deep forests near calm ponds and small rivers. The family contains 114 species and is divided into three subfamilies and 19 genera. All kingfishers have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with only small differences between the sexes. Most species are tropical in distribution, and a slight majority are found only in forests. They consume a wide range of prey usually caught by swooping down from a perch. While kingfishers are usually thought to live near rivers and eat fish, many species live away from water and eat small invertebrates. Like other members of their order, they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mongoose
A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to southern Europe, Africa and Asia, whereas the Mungotinae comprises 11 species native to Africa. The Herpestidae originated about in the Early Miocene and genetically diverged into two main genetic lineages between 19.1 and . Etymology The English word "mongoose" used to be spelled "mungoose" in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name is derived from names used in India for ''Herpestes'' species: or in classical Hindi; in Marathi; in Telugu; , and in Kannada. The form of the English name (since 1698) was altered to its "-goose" ending by folk etymology. The plural form is "mongooses". Characteristics Mongooses have long faces and bodies, small, rounded ears, short legs, and long, tapering tails. Most are brindled or grizzly; a few h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Honey Badger
The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is the only living species in the genus ''Mellivora'' and in the mustelid subfamily Mellivorinae. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species; instead, it bears more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin, strength and ferocious defensive abilities. Taxonomy ''Viverra capensis'' was the scientific name used by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1777 who described a honey badger skin from the Cape of Good Hope. ''Mellivorae'' was proposed as name for the genus by Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr in 1780. Mellivorina was proposed as a tribe name by John Edward G ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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