Animal Info - South Africa

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:
- Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis).
- Juliana's Golden Mole (Amblysomus julianae). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Riverine Rabbit (Bunolagus monticularis). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Van Zyl's Golden Mole (Cryptochloris zyli). (Endemic to South Africa.)
- Visagie's Golden Mole (Chrysochloris visagiei). (Endemic to South Africa.)
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

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