Animals

You should get to see a few animals and bugs on your expeditions. I have seen scorpions a few times, and snakes on only two occasions to-date. Caution should be taken with baboons, especially if you have dogs in your party.

Angulate Tortoise

Chersina angulata

I saw a number of these little guys around the campsite at the Bontebok National Park, as well as one making a bee-line across the dirt road.

According to http://www.conservation.org/: “The Cape boasts an impressive level of tortoise diversity. South Africa itself has the highest tortoise diversity on Earth, and five species are found almost exclusively within the Cape Floristic Region”.

Sighting: Bontebok National Park [late February]

Bontebok

 

Damaliscus pygargus pygarus

The Bontebok population was once reduced to 17 animals, but has since been increased to over 3000.

The animal has a distinctive white blaze on its face, a round white patch on it’s backside, and recognizable, ringed, lyre-shaped horns.

Sightings: Bontebok National Park

Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

Spotted this lovely female Bushbuck along the side of the road in Nature’s Valley. It seemed fairly unperturbed by the car and the camera flash.

Sighting: Nature’s Valley [September]

Cape Cobra

Naja nivea

Snakes are a reality of the great outdoors, and you need to watch carefully where you put your feet! Another reason (besides safety and the prevention of erosion) to stay on the path! The Cape Cobra‘s powerful neurotoxin affects the respiratory system: 60% of victims die, usually of respiratory failure, which takes place within 2 – 5 hours.

My first encounter with a snake was on the Bloupunt Trail in Montagu. From its appearance and behavior I am pretty sure it was a Cape Cobra. It had been on the trail in front of me, and as I was not being nearly vigilant enough, I had moved close enough to it that it had reared up with its hood extended, ready to strike. Considering I had broken another hiking rule, and was hiking alone, and was more than an hours walk from any help, I was extremely lucky to have looked up in time. A sobering thought.

Sightings: Bloupunt Trail, Montagu

Cape Porcupine

Hystrix africaeaustralis

Porcupines are large, herbivorous rodents.

The Cape Porcupine is nocturnal — the most you can normally hope to see is the odd quill lying around in the bush.

I was lucky enough to see this little guy in the parking lot at Silvermine. He had obviously been disturbed from his sleep, and was a little disoriented and agitated. The Park Warden watching over him was waiting for a cage so that he could be taken back into the bush out of harm’s way.

Sightings: Silvermine West

Chacma Baboons

Papio ursinus

Chacma Baboons are fairly common on the Cape Peninsula (though there are none on Table Mountain itself) — you are hardly likely to spend a day at Cape Point Nature Reserve without coming into close contact with one of the four troupes in the area. Unfortunately, they are cheeky opportunists, and have learned that humans are an easy supply of food — mostly as a result of the stupider of the two (that would be the humans!) feeding them and leaving food around their habitat. Please be aware that they will approach you aggressively for food, and will grab anything they can — including your bags and cameras. Especially take care if you have dogs — the chances are your pet will come off very badly (if not dead) from a fight with a baboon.

As suburbia encroaches on their natural habitat, baboons are now frequently coming into built-up areas with disastrous results. There are various initiatives in place to deal with this problem, for instance in the Cape Point Nature Reserve you will quite likely bump into one of the “baboon chasers”! The baboon monitoring programme is being managed by Nature Conservation Corporation (NatConCorp), who have a 24/7 Baboon Help Line for all problems related to baboons. Do not hesitate to call them on 071 588 6540.

Read more about the plight of the baboons on the Peninsula here…

Sightings: Tokai Arboretum; Cape Point Nature Reserve; Beaverlac

Dassies

Procavia capensis

Dassies [Cape or Rock Hyrax] are commonly found in rocky outcrops. They are believed to be the closely related to — of all animals — the elephant. I cannot remember ever having been in the vicinity of the restaurant on Table Mountain without seeing a couple of them.

Please do not feed them: the population on Table Mountain has suffered considerably from a junk food diet courtesy of idiot tourists who do not heed the signs pleading with you not to do so. They are docile little critters more cared with sunning themselves than paying any attention to you, and will scatter if approached.

Sightings: vicinity of Restaurant, Table Mountain; Fountain Ledge, Table Mountain

Grey Rhebok

Pelea capreolus

Sighting: Bontebok National Park

Himalayan Tahr

Hemitragus jemlahicus

A program to eradicate these little guys from the mountain was started a while back (and then stopped as a result of the outcry) as they are not indigenous to South Africa. They cause erosion, as well as compete for territory with indigenous fauna, like the Klipspringer.

There are supposedly only about 50 left. I have seen them on a number of occasions — each time there were three of them. Is it possible that these are the last three?

Sightings: top of Platteklip Gorge; top of India Ravine

Klipspringer

Oreotragus oreotragus

We saw a pair of beautiful klipspringers alongside the N1 in Du Toit’s Kloof on our way to Montagu. They bounded away from us as we approached, and then turned to pose for perfectly for the camera!

Sighting: Du Toit’s Kloof [October]

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

Apart from spotting quite a number of Angulate Tortoises, I spotted this much larger Leopard Tortoise just as he was heading off into the fynbos after crossing the road.

Sighting: Bontebok National Park [late February]

Puffadder

Bitis arietans

I have seen a puffadder on three occasions: twice the snake was crossing a dirt road (once on the West Coast and once near Citrusdal), and the third time it was lying hidden amongst some fynbos (on Little Lion’s Head). It is possibly the most common and widely occurring snake in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake. The snake is fairly easily recognisable: it is fat, has a distinctive brown patterned skin, and a blunt head which is less triangular than that of most other snakes.

The puffadder has a reputation for being lazy, preferring to lie in wait to ambush for passing prey — it is well camouflaged for this end. This, the fact that it does not readily flee when approached, and the extreme toxicity of its venom which is delivered by a powerful strike, combine to make it such a nasty character. The venom has cytotoxic effects, meaning damage, and possible death, are caused by massive tissue damage.

We spotted this guy making a dash across the road near Churchaven on the West Coast.

Red Hartebeest

 

Alcelaphus caama

Sightings: Bontebok National Park [late February]

Southern Rock Agama

Agama atra

The Southern Rock Agama is a commonly occurring lizard — you will see these guys sunning themselves on rocks everywhere. Whilst not poisonous, they can apparently inflict a painful bite. As they are fairly timid, and will scuttle away as you approach, I think the likelihood of this happening improbable!

Table Mountain Cockroach

Aptera fusca

We saw this little guy whilst hiking up Constantia Corner. I am not a big fan of creepy-crawlies, but even though we suspected him of being a cockroach, he was so much cuter in nature than he would seemed in my kitchen!

Says Michelle: “turns out he was a Table Mountain Cockroach (surprise!), or Giant Cockroach — and a HE as the females don’t have wings (they resemble giant, striped woodlouses)”. They can grow to a size of 3 to 4cm in length.

Table Mountain Pride

Aeropetes tulbaghia

This butterfly seems fairly plain and common first sight, but has fairly pretty marking when viewed close-up.

Scorpion

This little guy found his way into the bathroom of a holiday house we were staying in Plettenberg Bay.

He was respectfully relocated.