Biodiversity of Cape Town

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Cape Town's original vegetation types
Cape Town's surviving vegetation types

The Biodiversity of Cape Town is the variety and variability of life within the geographical extent of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, excluding the Prince Edward Islands. The terrestrial vegetation is particularly diverse and much of it is endemic to the city and its vicinity. Terrestrial and freshwater animal life is heavily impacted by urban development and habitat degradation. Marine life of the waters immediately adjacent to the city along the Cape Peninsula and in False Bay is also diverse, and while also impacted by human activity, the habitats are relatively intact.

Floristic region (phytochorion)

The

eco-tourism, is estimated to be in the region of R77 million a year.[2] Thus, it is clear that the Cape Floristic Region has both economic and intrinsic biological value as a biodiversity hotspot.[2]

Vegetation types

See also: List of vegetation types of South Africa

Cape Town is located within a

vegetation types
. (This enormous variety is mainly because the city is uniquely located at the convergence point of a great many different soil types and micro-climates.) These 19 vegetation types are mostly restricted to unusually small areas, and several are completely endemic to the city – occurring nowhere else in the world. Vegetation types include the following.[3][4]

Endemism

Table Mountain as seen from Bloubergstrand. Some examples of the region's plant biodiversity is seen in the foreground.

Of the thousands of plant species that are indigenous to Cape Town, 190 are known to be endemic to the city - occurring nowhere else in the world. In addition, there are over a hundred animal species that are also restricted to the city.[5] Endemic plant species include the following.[clarification needed] [6][7][8][9][10]

Cape Peninsula endemics
Additional species

Species records in South African Biodiversity Database

Mammals

Mammals present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

  • Acomys subspinosus
     (Cape spiny mouse)
  • Amblysomus hottentotus
     (Hottentot golden mole)
  • Aonyx capensis
     (Cape clawless otter)
  • Arctocephalus pusillus
     (Cape fur seal)
  • Atilax paludinosus
     (water mongoose)
  • Eubalaena glacialis
     (southern right whale)
  • Bathyergus suillus
     (Cape dune molerat)
  • Canis lupus familiaris
     (domestic dog)
  • Cephalorhynchus heavisidii
     (Heaviside's dolphin)
  • Chlorotalpa duthieae
     (Duthie's golden mole)
  • Connochaetes gnou
     (black wildebeest)
  • Crocidura cyanea
     (reddish-grey musk shrew)
  • Cryptomys hottentotus
     (common molerat)
  • Cynictis penicillata
     (yellow mongoose)
  • Damaliscus pygargus pygargus
     (bontebok)
  • Delphinus delphis
     (common dolphin)
  • Dendromus melanotis
     (grey climbing mouse)
  • Dendromus mesomelas
     (brant's climbing mouse)
  • Elephantulus edwardii
     (Cape rock elephant-shrew)
  • Eptesicus capensis
     (Cape serotine bat)
  • Eremitalpa granti
     (Grant's golden mole)
  • Felis caracal
     (caracal)
  • Felis silvestris catus
     (domestic cat)
  • Galerella pulverulenta
     (small grey mongoose)
  • Genetta genetta
     (smallspotted genet)
  • Genetta tigrina
     (large-spotted genet)
  • Georychus capensis
     (Cape molerat)
  • Gerbillurus paeba
     (hairyfooted gerbil)
  • Herpestes ichneumon
     (large grey mongoose)
  • Hippopotamus amphibius
     (hippopotamus)
  • Hystrix africaeaustralis
     (porcupine)
  • Ictonyx striatus
     (striped polecat)
  • Kogia simus
     (dwarf sperm whale)
  • Lagenodelphis hosei
     (Fraser's dolphin)
  • Lagenorhynchus obscurus
     (dusky dolphin)
  • Lepus capensis
     (Cape hare)
  • Lepus saxatilis
     (scrub hare)
  • Myomyscus verreauxii
    , syn. Mastomys verreauxii (Verreaux's mouse)
  • Mellivora capensis
     (honey badger)
  • Mirounga leonina
     (southern elephant seal)
  • Mus minutoides
     (African pygmy mouse)
  • Mus musculus
     (house mouse)
  • Myosorex varius (forest shrew)
  • Mystromys albicaudatus
     (whitetailed mouse)
  • Orcinus orca
     (killer whale)
  • Oreotragus oreotragus
     (klipspringer)
  • Orycteropus afer
     (aardvark)
  • Otocyon megalotis
     (bat-eared fox)
  • Otomys irroratus
     (vlei rat)
  • Otomys unisulcatus
     (bush Karoo rat)
  • Panthera pardus
     (leopard)
  • Papio ursinus
     (chacma baboon)
  • Pelea capreolus
     (grey rhebok)
  • Poecilogale albinucha
     (striped weasel)
  • Procavia capensis
     (rock dassie)
  • Pronolagus rupestris
     (Smith's red rock rabbit)
  • Pseudorca crassidens
     (false killer whale)
  • Raphicerus campestris
     (steenbok)
  • Raphicerus melanotis
     (Cape grysbok)
  • Rattus norvegicus
     (brown rat)
  • Rattus rattus
     (house rat)
  • Rhabdomys pumilio
     (striped mouse, striped field mouse)
  • Rousettus aegyptiacus
     (Egyptian fruit bat)
  • Sciurus carolinensis
     (eastern gray squirrel|grey squirrel)
  • Suncus varilla
     (lesser dwarf shrew)
  • Sylvicapra grimmia
     (common duiker)
  • Tatera afra
     (Cape gerbil)
  • Vulpes chama
     (Cape fox)
  • Ziphius cavirostris
     (Cuvier's beaked whale)

Fish

See also:
List of marine animals of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay

Fish present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

Reptiles

Reptiles present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

Amphibians

Amphibians present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

  • Amietia fuscigula
     (Cape river frog)
  • Amietophrynus pantherinus
     (western leopard toad)
  • Amietophrynus rangeri
     (raucous toad)
  • Arthroleptella landdrosia
     (landroskop moss frog)
  • Arthroleptella villiersi
     (Villiersdorp moss frog)
  • Breviceps gibbosus
     (Cape rain frog)
  • Breviceps montanus
     (Cape mountain rin frog)
  • Breviceps namaquensis
     (Namaqua rain frog)
  • Breviceps rosei
     (sand rain frog)
  • Cacosternum boettgeri
     (common caco)
  • Cacosternum platys
     (flat caco)
  • Heleophryne rosei
     (Table Mountain ghost frog)
  • Hyperolius horstockii
     (arum lily frog, arum lily reed frog)
  • Hyperolius marmoratus
     (painted reed frog)
  • Microbatrachella capense
     (micro frog)
  • Strongylopus bonaspei
     (banded stream frog)
  • Strongylopus grayii
     (clicking stream frog)
  • Strongylopus grayii grayii
     (clicking stream frog)
  • Tomopterna delalandii
     (Cape sand frog)
  • Vandijkophrynus angusticeps
     (sand toad)
  • Xenopus laevis
     (common platanna)

Insects

Insects present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

Fungi

Fungi present in Cape Town, as of 2011, including the following.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Environmental Resource Management in the city of Cape Town". Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  2. ^
    doi:10.4102/koedoe.v50i1.153
    .
  3. ^ "City of Cape Town - Vegetation Types". Archived from the original on 2013-08-24. Retrieved 2014-02-24.
  4. ^ "Vegetation Types". Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  5. ^ "Endemic Species of the city of Cape Town" (PDF).[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Brochures, booklets and posters". Archived from the original on 2012-12-23. Retrieved 2011-10-01.
  7. ^ "Endemic species" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  8. ISBN 0-621-17316-9
    .
  9. ^ A.G. Rebelo, C. Boucher, N. Helme, L. Mucina, M.C. Rutherford et al. 2006. Fynbos Biome, in: L. Mucina & M.C. Rutherford (eds). The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Strelitzia 19, pp 52‐219.
  10. ^ Anthony G. Rebelo, Patricia M. Holmes, Clifford Dorse & Julia Wood. Cape Town: Averting a Biodiversity Megadisaster? Unpublished MS.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Biodiversity Management". Retrieved 2024-02-19.
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