Southern Africa

Big-game country from Kruger to the Cape of Good Hope.

ClimateWarm and sunny with a summer rainy season.

LandscapeBushveld, the Kalahari's edge and the Cape's fynbos.

Species recorded443

Written profiles0

Groups present9

Coordinates-24.5°, 28.0°

About Southern Africa

Southern Africa packs an unusual range of habitats into one region: the Kalahari's semi-desert, the Okavango's inland delta, the Zambezi valley, the highveld grasslands, the Karoo, and the Cape at the southern tip. The Cape Floristic Region is one of the richest and most distinctive plant communities on Earth, occupying a very small area and found nowhere else. Big-game country here is largely a fenced and actively managed landscape, which has produced strong recoveries for some species — white rhino most notably — while making questions of land use, ownership and hunting central to how conservation is done. The Okavango is remarkable for being a river that never reaches the sea, spreading into the Kalahari and creating seasonal wetland in the middle of a dry country.

Most-recorded wild species here

Photographed and identified by iNaturalist contributors in this region, ordered by number of records.

White Ringed Atlas

Epiphora mythimnia

Insects

Namaqua Plumefoot Mite

Eatoniana namaquensis

Arachnids

Giant Cellar Spider

Artema atlanta

Arachnids

Red Groundling

Brachythemis lacustris

Insects

Bee-louse

Braula coeca

Insects

Southern Serval

Leptailurus serval serval

Mammals

Cape Rough-scaled Lizard

Ichnotropis capensis

Reptiles

Rough Thicktail Scorpion

Parabuthus raudus

Arachnids

Holoptilus lupus

Insects

Whitemark Goliath Beetle

Goliathus albosignatus

Insects

Quamtana hectori

Arachnids

Green-veined Emperor

Charaxes candiope

Insects

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

Reptiles

South African Giraffe

Giraffa giraffa giraffa

Mammals

Cape Coral Snake

Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus

Reptiles

Damara Molerat

Fukomys damarensis

Mammals

Goliathus albosignatus albosignatus

Insects

White-banded asemesthes ground spider

Asemesthes albovittatus

Arachnids

Full species checklist

A further 425 species recorded in Southern Africa.

Common name	Scientific name	Group	Records
Humpback Largemouth	Serranochromis altus	Fish	195
Western Honey Bee	Apis mellifera	Insects	194
Southern Crested Barbet	Trachyphonus vaillantii vaillantii	Birds	194
Secretarybird	Sagittarius serpentarius	Birds	193
Aardvark	Orycteropus afer	Mammals	193
Brown Hyllus Jumping Spider	Hyllus brevitarsis	Arachnids	193
Southern Lion	Panthera leo melanochaita	Mammals	192
Big Red Large Carpenter Bee	Xylocopa flavorufa	Insects	192
Blesbok	Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi	Mammals	192
Beaufort West micaria ground spider	Micaria beaufortia	Arachnids	192
Speckled Rock Skink	Trachylepis punctatissima	Reptiles	191
Karoo Big Digger Bee	Pachymelus festivus	Insects	191
Eastern Scarlet	Axiocerses tjoane	Insects	191
Vine Hawkmoth	Hippotion celerio	Insects	190
Lycus ampliatus	Lycus ampliatus	Insects	190
Red-Banded Rubber Frog	Phrynomantis bifasciatus	Amphibians	189
Cryptic Banded Digger Bee	Amegilla mimadvena	Insects	189
Pied Crow	Corvus albus	Birds	188
Wispwing	Coenina poecilaria	Insects	188
Kenyan Thyene Jumping Spider	Thyene bucculenta	Arachnids	188
Dotted Veld Antlion	Pseudopalpares sobrinus	Insects	188
Cape Hare	Lepus capensis	Mammals	187
Parabomis martini	Parabomis martini	Arachnids	187
Southern Aardwolf	Proteles cristatus	Mammals	187
Phytomia curta	Phytomia curta	Insects	187
South African Bont Tick	Amblyomma hebraeum	Arachnids	186
Cape Wild Dog	Lycaon pictus pictus	Mammals	186
Transvaal Segregara Trapdoor Spider	Segregara transvaalensis	Arachnids	185
Phantom Flutterer	Rhyothemis semihyalina	Insects	185
Mexcala elegans	Mexcala elegans	Arachnids	184
Melaniparus cinerascens cinerascens	Melaniparus cinerascens cinerascens	Birds	184
African Wildcat	Felis lybica	Mammals	184
Prosmidia conifera	Prosmidia conifera	Insects	183
Southern and Eastern African Caracal	Caracal caracal caracal	Mammals	183
Nerthra grandicollis	Nerthra grandicollis	Insects	183
Ibala bulawayensis	Ibala bulawayensis	Arachnids	182
Dark Fisheating Spider	Nilus margaritatus	Arachnids	182
Galeosoma planiscutatum	Galeosoma planiscutatum	Arachnids	181
Common Giant Plated Lizard	Matobosaurus validus	Reptiles	180
Elvisura irrorata	Elvisura irrorata	Insects	180
Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra	Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra	Reptiles	179
Red-billed Oxpecker	Buphagus erythroryncha	Birds	179
Highveld Gurney's Sugarbird	Promerops gurneyi gurneyi	Birds	178
Spotted Sugar Ant	Camponotus maculatus	Insects	178
Southern Sable Antelope	Hippotragus niger niger	Mammals	177
Cispius kimbius	Cispius kimbius	Arachnids	177
Scarabaeolus afronitidus	Scarabaeolus afronitidus	Insects	177
Orange-throated Flat Lizard	Platysaurus monotropis	Reptiles	176
Goldband Thyene Jumping Spider	Thyene natalii	Arachnids	176
Oestrus variolosus	Oestrus variolosus	Insects	175
African Medicinal Leech	Asiaticobdella fenestrata	Other animals	175
Cryptic Mantis	Sibylla pretiosa	Insects	174
Pale Stegodyphus Velvet Spider	Stegodyphus tentoriicola	Arachnids	174
Beaked Burrowing Asp	Atractaspis duerdeni	Reptiles	173
Common Slender Mongoose	Herpestes sanguineus	Mammals	173
Skylight Flutterer	Rhyothemis fenestrina	Insects	173
Black-faced Waxbill	Brunhilda erythronotos	Birds	172
Grayfoot Chacma Baboon	Papio ursinus griseipes	Mammals	171
Orange Cyrba Jumping Spider	Cyrba nigrimana	Arachnids	171
Homogyna xanthomelaena	Homogyna xanthomelaena	Insects	171
Zebra Songololo	Doratogonus flavifilis	Other animals	170
Blotched Long-horned Antlion	Tmesibasis lacerata	Insects	170
Thin-tailed Legless Skink	Acontias gracilicauda	Reptiles	169
Idiops castaneus	Idiops castaneus	Arachnids	168
Jameson's Firefinch	Lagonosticta rhodopareia	Birds	168
Sulfurous Lady Beetle	Cheilomenes sulphurea	Insects	168
Tuft Head Lynx Spider	Hamataliwa rostrifrons	Arachnids	167
South African Ground Squirrel	Geosciurus inauris	Mammals	167
Kunene River Mussel	Coelatura kunenensis	Mollusks	167
Cape Buffalo	Syncerus caffer caffer	Mammals	166
Black Wildebeest	Connochaetes gnou	Mammals	166
Tiniocellus spinipes	Tiniocellus spinipes	Insects	166
Hairy-footed Gerbil	Gerbilliscus paeba	Mammals	165
Aorus tenuipes	Aorus tenuipes	Insects	165
Cape Porcupine	Hystrix africaeaustralis	Mammals	164
Cheirolasia burkei	Cheirolasia burkei	Insects	164
Ctenolophus fenoulheti	Ctenolophus fenoulheti	Arachnids	163
Pyralosis polycyclophora	Pyralosis polycyclophora	Insects	163
African Silk Moth	Gonometa postica	Insects	162
Neosisyphus calcaratus	Neosisyphus calcaratus	Insects	162
Woodland Dormouse	Graphiurus murinus	Mammals	161
Orange Lesser-Thicktail Scorpion	Uroplectes planimanus	Arachnids	161
Thomisus blandus	Thomisus blandus	Arachnids	160
Common Tsessebe	Damaliscus lunatus lunatus	Mammals	160
Psychedelic Forbhopper	Thericles obtusifrons	Insects	160
Southern Springhare	Pedetes capensis	Mammals	159
Hedgehog Spider	Pycnacantha tribulus	Arachnids	158
Cubango Stonebasher	Cyphomyrus cubangoensis	Fish	158
Marginal Drab	Ctenusa varians	Insects	157
Yellowbum Hotrod Ant	Ocymyrmex flaviventris	Insects	157
Red-headed Fly	Bromophila caffra	Insects	156
Witsand white lady	May bruno	Arachnids	156
African Barn Owl	Tyto alba poensis	Birds	156
Melanoxanthus melanocephalus	Melanoxanthus melanocephalus	Insects	155
Blue Wildebeest	Connochaetes taurinus taurinus	Mammals	154
Monaeses austrinus	Monaeses austrinus	Arachnids	154
Golden Pink	Heliothis galatheae	Insects	154
African Green-Pigeon	Treron calvus	Birds	153
Honeyania ragusana	Honeyania ragusana	Insects	153
Temminck's Ground Pangolin	Smutsia temminckii	Mammals	152
Common Puff Adder	Bitis arietans arietans	Reptiles	152
Large Hive Beetle	Oplostomus fuligineus	Insects	152
Southern Lesser Galago	Galago moholi	Mammals	151
Pale Chanting-Goshawk	Melierax canorus	Birds	151
Allen's Gallinule	Porphyrio alleni	Birds	151
White-bellied Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica rustica	Birds	150
Ammoxenus amphalodes	Ammoxenus amphalodes	Arachnids	149
Skin Maggot-fly	Cordylobia anthropophaga	Insects	149
White-backed Vulture	Gyps africanus	Birds	148
Chestnut-vented Warbler	Curruca subcoerulea	Birds	148
Chobe Bushbuck	Tragelaphus sylvaticus ornatus	Mammals	148
Transvaal Burrow-living Wolf Spider	Hogna transvaalica	Arachnids	147
African Leopard	Panthera pardus pardus	Mammals	146
Helmeted Turtle	Pelomedusa subrufa	Reptiles	146
Yellow Mongoose	Cynictis penicillata	Mammals	146
Common Bulbul	Pycnonotus barbatus	Birds	145
Pherecydes nicolaasi	Pherecydes nicolaasi	Arachnids	145
Eastern Rock Sengi	Elephantulus myurus	Mammals	145
White-headed Vulture	Trigonoceps occipitalis	Birds	145
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Birds	144
Southern Stiletto Snake	Atractaspis bibronii	Reptiles	144
Serrated Hinged Terrapin	Pelusios sinuatus	Reptiles	143
Veined Matron	Metarctia flavivena	Insects	143
Ancylotrypa elongata	Ancylotrypa elongata	Arachnids	142
Dicamptus crassellus	Dicamptus crassellus	Insects	142
Spotted Bush Snake	Philothamnus semivariegatus	Reptiles	142
Southern Greater Kudu	Tragelaphus strepsiceros strepsiceros	Mammals	141
Bug-Eyed House Snake	Boaedon mentalis	Reptiles	141
Solpugema hostilis	Solpugema hostilis	Arachnids	139
Pterotricha auris	Pterotricha auris	Arachnids	139
Zebra Mantis	Omomantis zebrata	Insects	138
Tandy's sand frog	Tomopterna tandyi	Amphibians	138
Blouberg Flat Lizard	Platysaurus intermedius parvus	Reptiles	137
Cape Fox	Vulpes chama	Mammals	137
Greater Kudu	Tragelaphus strepsiceros	Mammals	137
Muller's Velvet Gecko	Homopholis mulleri	Reptiles	136
Southern Bat-eared Fox	Otocyon megalotis megalotis	Mammals	136
Acidaliastis prophanes	Acidaliastis prophanes	Insects	136
Capheris crassimana	Capheris crassimana	Arachnids	135
Tessellate Goat	Hermannstaudeilla tesselata	Insects	135
Alpine Swift	Tachymarptis melba	Birds	134
Western Pila	Pila occidentalis	Mollusks	134
Lappet-faced Vulture	Torgos tracheliotos	Birds	133
Blue Crane	Grus paradiseus	Birds	133
Spotted-neck Snake-eyed Skink	Panaspis maculicollis	Reptiles	133
Green-pea Spider	Araneus apricus	Arachnids	132
Southern Kori Bustard	Ardeotis kori kori	Birds	132
Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog	Hemisus marmoratus	Amphibians	131
Egg-shaped Lanistes	Lanistes ovum	Mollusks	131
Greenhouse Orthezia	Insignorthezia insignis	Insects	130
Aquarius distanti	Aquarius distanti	Insects	130
Camel-back Spider	Menneus camelus	Arachnids	129
Doublecone Grass Mantis	Episcopomantis chalybea	Insects	128
Hoplisoides thalia	Hoplisoides thalia	Insects	128
Beytell's Bullfrog	Pyxicephalus beytelli	Amphibians	128
Mottled Avocado Bug	Paropioxys jucundus	Insects	127
Brown Locust	Locustana pardalina	Insects	127
Heteronitis castelnaui	Heteronitis castelnaui	Insects	127
Oniticellus pictus	Oniticellus pictus	Insects	126
Vivid Slug	Latoia vivida	Insects	125
Cattle Louse Fly	Hippobosca rufipes	Insects	125
Savanna Sharpcollar Cicada	Oxypleura quadraticollis	Insects	125
Namibian Long Spinnered Tree Spider	Hersilia setifrons	Arachnids	124
Desert Common Duiker	Sylvicapra grimmia steinhardti	Mammals	124
Springbok	Antidorcas marsupialis	Mammals	123
Karoo Springbok	Antidorcas marsupialis marsupialis	Mammals	123
Eunidia vagevittata	Eunidia vagevittata	Insects	123
Cape File Snake	Limaformosa capensis	Reptiles	122
Cuneisigna rivulata	Cuneisigna rivulata	Insects	122
Omophron capense	Omophron capense	Insects	121
Angolan Reed Frog	Hyperolius parallelus	Amphibians	121
Martial Eagle	Polemaetus bellicosus	Birds	120
Ctenus gulosus	Ctenus gulosus	Arachnids	120
Paratoxopoda rufithorax	Paratoxopoda rufithorax	Insects	120
Flap-necked Chameleon	Chamaeleo dilepis	Reptiles	119
CMR Blisterbeetle	Hycleus oculatus	Insects	119
Pygmy topminnow	Lacustricola pygmaeus	Fish	119
Roan Antelope	Hippotragus equinus	Mammals	118
Common Purple-glossed Snake	Amblyodipsas polylepis	Reptiles	118
Streaked Ermine	Popoudina linea	Insects	117
Pygmy Falcon	Polihierax semitorquatus	Birds	117
Sharptooth Catfish	Clarias gariepinus	Fish	116
Red Hartebeest	Alcelaphus buselaphus caama	Mammals	116
Bennett's Woodpecker	Campethera bennettii	Birds	116
African Fish-Eagle	Icthyophaga vocifer	Birds	115
Commoner Spindle Toktokkie	Chiliarchum bertolonii	Insects	115
Arid Southern Grey Sparrow	Passer diffusus diffusus	Birds	115
Marabou Stork	Leptoptilos crumenifer	Birds	114
Southern Roan Antelope	Hippotragus equinus equinus	Mammals	114
Southern Ostrich	Struthio camelus australis	Birds	114
Pel's Fishing-Owl	Scotopelia peli	Birds	114
Chapman's Zebra	Equus quagga chapmani	Mammals	113
Arcyophora patricula	Arcyophora patricula	Insects	113
Moholi Lesser Galago	Galago moholi moholi	Mammals	112
Southern Porcupine	Hystrix africaeaustralis africaeaustralis	Mammals	111
Opistophthalmus pluridens	Opistophthalmus pluridens	Arachnids	111
Cosmolestes pictus	Cosmolestes pictus	Insects	111
Polistes africanus	Polistes africanus	Insects	110
Cape Sparrow	Passer melanurus	Birds	109
Red Lechwe	Kobus leche leche	Mammals	109
Southern Spotted Thick-Knee	Burhinus capensis capensis	Birds	108
Wide Red-edged Quadrate Toktokkie	Bouchardium mariae	Insects	107
Desert Yellow Mongoose	Cynictis penicillata bradfieldi	Mammals	107
Long-crested Eagle	Lophaetus occipitalis	Birds	106
Sphingonaepiopsis nana	Sphingonaepiopsis nana	Insects	106
African Yellow-Warbler	Iduna natalensis	Birds	105
Blapton ramentaceus	Blapton ramentaceus	Insects	105
Green Hairy Field Spider	Neoscona rufipalpis	Arachnids	104
African Plain Tiger	Danaus chrysippus orientis	Insects	104
Hippobosca longipennis	Hippobosca longipennis	Insects	104
Southern Rock Agama	Agama atra	Reptiles	103
African Yellow Pansy	Junonia hierta cebrene	Insects	103
Elephant Armoured Darkling Beetle	Anomalipus elephas	Insects	102
Small Orange Tip	Colotis evagore antigone	Insects	102
Benguella Reed Frog	Hyperolius benguellensis	Amphibians	102
Goliath Heron	Ardea goliath	Birds	101
Sharpe's Grysbok	Raphicerus sharpei	Mammals	101
African Giant Water Bug	Lethocerus cordofanus	Insects	100
Sociable Weaver	Philetairus socius	Birds	100
Micomitra parvicellula	Micomitra parvicellula	Insects	100
White Pie	Tuxentius calice	Insects	99
Lioadalia flavomaculata	Lioadalia flavomaculata	Insects	99
Brown Hyaena	Parahyaena brunnea	Mammals	98
Orange River White-eye	Zosterops pallidus	Birds	98
Lacy Tipwilter	Tongorma latreillii	Insects	98
Citron Bug	Leptoglossus gonagra	Insects	97
Elegant grasshopper	Zonocerus elegans	Insects	97
Moustached Sugar ant	Camponotus mystaceus mystaceus	Insects	97
Spotted Maize Beetle	Astylus atromaculatus	Insects	96
Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark	Eremopterix verticalis	Birds	96
Bluetail Sprite	Pseudagrion nubicum	Insects	96
Giant African Bullfrog	Pyxicephalus adspersus	Amphibians	95
Athetis leuconephra	Athetis leuconephra	Insects	95
Hypoeschrus ferreirae	Hypoeschrus ferreirae	Insects	95
Gabar Goshawk	Micronisus gabar	Birds	94
South African Red-billed Quelea	Quelea quelea lathamii	Birds	94
Phonergates nigriventris	Phonergates nigriventris	Insects	94
Mauritian Tomb Bat	Taphozous mauritianus	Mammals	93
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow	Passer diffusus	Birds	93
Phonergates bicoloripes	Phonergates bicoloripes	Insects	93
Cape Starling	Lamprotornis nitens	Birds	92
Squinting Digama	Sommeria strabonis	Insects	91
Northern Harvester Termite	Hodotermes mossambicus	Insects	91
Common Pond Snail	Radix natalensis	Mollusks	91
Common Impala	Aepyceros melampus melampus	Mammals	90
White-backed Mousebird	Colius colius	Birds	90
Little Wisp	Agriocnemis exilis	Insects	90
African Striped Skink	Trachylepis striata	Reptiles	89
Cephalochrysa calopa	Cephalochrysa calopa	Insects	89
Threebar Droplet	Acontia trimaculata	Insects	89
Common Waterbuck	Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus	Mammals	88
Banded-legged Golden Orb-web Spider	Trichonephila senegalensis annulata	Arachnids	87
Lebistina subcruciata	Lebistina subcruciata	Insects	87
Cheiracanthium aculeatum	Cheiracanthium aculeatum	Arachnids	86
Red-crested Bustard	Lophotis ruficrista	Birds	86
Common Marbled Fruit Chafer	Porphyronota hebraea hebraea	Insects	85
Marico Flycatcher	Bradornis mariquensis	Birds	85
Attagenus pardus	Attagenus pardus	Insects	85
Marsh Owl	Asio capensis	Birds	84
Scaly Weaver	Sporopipes squamifrons	Birds	84
African False Flower Mantis	Harpagomantis tricolor	Insects	83
Onthophagus aeruginosus	Onthophagus aeruginosus	Insects	83
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill	Tockus leucomelas	Birds	82
Big-toothed Dauber Bee	Megachile maxillosa	Insects	82
Blunttooth Catfish	Clarias ngamensis	Fish	82
Natal Cellar Spider	Smeringopus natalensis	Arachnids	81
Lophothericles burri	Lophothericles burri	Insects	81
Eurasian Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax	Birds	80
Brown Armoured Corncricket	Acanthoplus discoidalis	Insects	80
Green Water Snake	Philothamnus hoplogaster	Reptiles	80
Southern Green Stink Bug	Nezara viridula	Insects	79
Clay Donkeyface Weevil	Bronchus furvus	Insects	79
Wide-armed Mantis	Cilnia humeralis	Insects	79
Lunate Lady Beetle	Cheilomenes lunata	Insects	78
African Jacana	Actophilornis africanus	Birds	78
Bates Carpet	Ligdia batesii	Insects	77
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver	Plocepasser mahali	Birds	77
Black Spot Cucumber Spider	Prasonica seriata	Arachnids	76
Brown Cocktail Ant	Crematogaster melanogaster	Insects	76
Pallid Spreadwing	Lestes pallidus	Insects	76
Marico Barb	Enteromius motebensis	Fish	75
Cape Boxing Mantis	Oxypilus capensis	Insects	75
Stenidea alutacea	Stenidea alutacea	Insects	74
Little Sparrowhawk	Tachyspiza minulla	Birds	74
African Hoopoe	Upupa epops africana	Birds	73
Fiscal Flycatcher	Sigelus silens	Birds	73
Vervet Monkey	Chlorocebus pygerythrus	Mammals	73
White-faced Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna viduata	Birds	72
Crimson-breasted Gonolek	Laniarius atrococcineus	Birds	72
Xystrocera dispar	Xystrocera dispar	Insects	72
Grey Go-away-bird	Crinifer concolor	Birds	71
Shaft-tailed Whydah	Vidua regia	Birds	71
Window Pearl	Filodes costivitralis	Insects	71
Common Garden Orbweb Spider	Argiope australis	Arachnids	70
Striped Policeman	Coeliades forestan	Insects	70
Yellowheart Fruit Chafer	Pedinorrhina trivittata	Insects	69
Highveld Yellow Canary	Crithagra flaviventris marshalli	Birds	69
Dysdercus superstitiosus	Dysdercus superstitiosus	Insects	69
Brooklet Milkweed Bug	Spilostethus rivularis	Insects	68
Domino	Acontia guttifera	Insects	67
Common Oogpister	Anthia thoracica	Insects	67
African Hummingbird Hawkmoth	Macroglossum trochilus	Insects	66
Large-billed Lark	Galerida magnirostris	Birds	66
Diaperasticus sansibaricus	Diaperasticus sansibaricus	Insects	66
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	Birds	65
Green Milkweed Locust	Phymateus viridipes	Insects	65
Brown-crowned Tchagra	Tchagra australis	Birds	65
Acacia Pied Barbet	Tricholaema leucomelas	Birds	64
Lemaire's Toad	Sclerophrys lemairii	Amphibians	64
Prismatocerus magnicornis	Prismatocerus magnicornis	Insects	63
Thamalakane barb	Enteromius thamalakanensis	Fish	62
Ornate Conehead Mantis	Idolomorpha dentifrons	Insects	61
Dolichostethus levis	Dolichostethus levis	Insects	61
Southern White Rhinoceros	Ceratotherium simum simum	Mammals	60
Mecosoma mensor	Mecosoma mensor	Insects	60
Tinktinkie Pygmy Blue	Brephidium metophis	Insects	60
Mesovelia vittigera	Mesovelia vittigera	Insects	60
Leroy's Grass Jumping Spider	Festucula leroyae	Arachnids	59
African Black-winged Kite	Elanus caeruleus caeruleus	Birds	59
Onthophagus deterrens	Onthophagus deterrens	Insects	59
Kannemeyer's ground spider	Trephopoda kannemeyeri	Arachnids	58
Dotted Blue	Tarucus sybaris	Insects	58
Cethera musiva	Cethera musiva	Insects	58
Garden Commodore	Precis archesia archesia	Insects	56
African Babul Blue	Azanus jesous	Insects	56
Sisyphus goryi	Sisyphus goryi	Insects	56
Lesser Flat Lizard	Platysaurus guttatus	Reptiles	55
Twospot Ground Beetle	Anthia omoplata	Insects	55
Rhanidophora odontophora	Rhanidophora odontophora	Insects	55
African Grass Blue	Zizeeria knysna knysna	Insects	54
Asian Woolly Hackberry Aphid	Shivaphis celti	Insects	54
Cypholoba alveolata	Cypholoba alveolata	Insects	54
Southern Giraffe	Giraffa giraffa	Mammals	54
African Gray Hornbill	Lophoceros nasutus	Birds	53
Southern Sitatunga	Tragelaphus spekii selousi	Mammals	53
Transvaal Thick-toed Gecko	Pachydactylus affinis	Reptiles	52
Pale Redhead Finch	Amadina erythrocephala erythrocephala	Birds	52
Lobatse Hingeback Tortoise	Kinixys lobatsiana	Reptiles	51
African Honey Bee	Apis mellifera scutellata	Insects	51
Moustached Sugar ant	Camponotus mystaceus	Insects	50
Stenocara aenescens	Stenocara aenescens	Insects	49
Arrow Sphinx	Lophostethus dumolinii	Insects	49
Southern Red Bishop	Euplectes orix	Birds	48
Tailed Net-winged Beetle	Lycus trabeatus	Insects	48
Southern Small-spotted Genet	Genetta felina	Mammals	48
Donkey	Equus asinus	Mammals	48
Black Crake	Zapornia flavirostra	Birds	47
Marno's Marbled Emperor	Heniocha marnois	Insects	47
Cerapterus laceratus	Cerapterus laceratus	Insects	46
Southern African Crocodile	Crocodylus niloticus cowiei	Reptiles	45
Natal Topminnow	Lacustricola johnstoni	Fish	45
Pioneer White	Belenois aurota	Insects	43
Attatha barlowi	Attatha barlowi	Insects	43
Southern Black-backed Jackal	Lupulella mesomelas mesomelas	Mammals	42
Asemesthes ceresicola	Asemesthes ceresicola	Arachnids	41
Big-headed Large Carpenter Bee	Xylocopa inconstans	Insects	40
Red-billed Spurfowl	Pternistis adspersus	Birds	39
African Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis rudis	Birds	38
Granulated Thick-tailed Scorpion	Parabuthus granulatus	Arachnids	38
Transvaal Klipspringer	Oreotragus oreotragus transvaalensis	Mammals	37
Protea Red Scale	Furcaspis proteae	Insects	36
Leptomyrina henningi henningi	Leptomyrina henningi henningi	Insects	36
Compsomera elegantissima	Compsomera elegantissima	Insects	35
Southern Redbill Firefinch	Lagonosticta senegala rendalli	Birds	34
Brown Greater Galago	Otolemur crassicaudatus	Mammals	33
Opistophthalmus lornae	Opistophthalmus lornae	Arachnids	33
Acmaeodera grata grata	Acmaeodera grata grata	Insects	33
Eastern Pointed Caper White	Pseudanaphaeis gidica abyssinica	Insects	32
Common White-legged Quadrate Toktokkie	Bouchardium cubicum	Insects	31
Cape House Snake	Boaedon capensis	Reptiles	31
Androlymnia torsivena	Androlymnia torsivena	Insects	31
Black Wave	Scopula nigrinotata	Insects	30
Honeyia clearchus	Honeyia clearchus	Insects	30
African Stick Mantis	Popa spurca	Insects	29
African Palm Swift	Cypsiurus parvus	Birds	29
Common Lesser-Thicktail Scorpion	Uroplectes carinatus	Arachnids	29
Swamp Boubou	Laniarius bicolor	Birds	29
Northern Yellow Zulu	Alaena amazoula ochroma	Insects	28
Red-eye Bulbul	Pycnonotus nigricans nigricans	Birds	28
Kurrichane Thrush	Turdus libonyana	Birds	28
Idiops sylvestris	Idiops sylvestris	Arachnids	27
Southern Steenbuck	Raphicerus campestris campestris	Mammals	27
Coppery-tailed Coucal	Centropus cupreicaudus	Birds	27
Fawn-colored Lark	Calendulauda africanoides	Birds	26
Smith's Bush Squirrel	Paraxerus cepapi	Mammals	26
African Buffalo	Syncerus caffer	Mammals	24
Burchell's Sandgrouse	Pterocles burchelli	Birds	24
Steenbok	Raphicerus campestris	Mammals	24
Southern Hadada Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash hagedash	Birds	23
Fork-tailed Drongo	Dicrurus adsimilis	Birds	22
Peters's Epauletted Fruit Bat	Epomophorus crypturus	Mammals	22
Eastern Sugar ant	Camponotus caffer	Insects	21
Cape Turtle Dove	Streptopelia capicola	Birds	21
Arrow-marked Babbler	Turdoides jardineii	Birds	21
Southern Yellow Mongoose	Cynictis penicillata penicillata	Mammals	20
Turnip Moth	Agrotis segetum	Insects	20
Fig tree moth	Naroma varipes	Insects	20
Rainbow Skink	Trachylepis margaritifer	Reptiles	19
African Hawk-Eagle	Aquila spilogaster	Birds	19
Cream Drab	Xanthodes albago	Insects	19
Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	Birds	18
Hewittia gracilis	Hewittia gracilis	Arachnids	17
Vestal	Rhodometra sacraria	Insects	17
African Pygmy-Goose	Nettapus auritus	Birds	16
Cabbage Tree Emperor	Bunaea alcinoe	Insects	15
Sundowner moth	Sphingomorpha chlorea	Insects	13
Marginal Wave	Lomographa indularia	Insects	13
Painted Lady	Vanessa cardui	Insects	11
Busy Banded Digger Bee	Amegilla acraensis	Insects	11
Tabanus taeniola	Tabanus taeniola	Insects	11
Yellow-billed Duck	Anas undulata	Birds	10
African Red-eyed Bulbul	Pycnonotus nigricans	Birds	9
Sicklefin Barb	Enteromius haasianus	Fish	9
Large Black Tip Wilter	Anoplocnemis curvipes	Insects	8
Sapphire Hover Fly	Allobaccha sapphirina	Insects	7
Adisura aerugo	Adisura aerugo	Insects	6
Southern Marsh Mongoose	Atilax paludinosus paludinosus	Mammals	5
Lomographa aridata	Lomographa aridata	Insects	5
Violet-backed Starling	Cinnyricinclus leucogaster	Birds	4
Blackback Barb	Enteromius barnardi	Fish	4
Okavango Mud Turtle	Pelusios bechuanicus	Reptiles	3
Bush Duiker	Sylvicapra grimmia	Mammals	2
Ariadna bilineata	Ariadna bilineata	Arachnids	1
Leopard Tortoise	Stigmochelys pardalis	Reptiles	1
Mottled Broadwing Cicada	Soudaniella marshalli	Insects	1

Southern Africa

About Southern Africa

Most-recorded wild species here

Full species checklist

Groups found here

Mammals

Birds

Fish

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects

Arachnids

Mollusks

Other animals