Republic of South Africa
South Africa has a
truly spectacular flora: only Australia
has more endemic families or genera and South Africa
has over 13,000 vascular plant species found nowhere else (POSA). Families unique to South
Africa
include Grubbiaceae (Fernkloof), Bruniaceae (PlantZAfrica.com),
Lanariaceae (Fernkloof), Roridulaceae (Kew), and Geissolomataceae (JSTOR).
An endemic family of non-vascular plant is the aquatic moss
Wardiaceae (BBS).
Other endemic plants include the Bird of Paradise Flower (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Red Disa (ARKive),
the Rhinoceros Bush (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Cushion Restio (PlantZAfrica.com), the
Clanwilliam Cedar (ARKive),
Rhynchocalyx (ARKive), the Kammanassie Erica (PlantZAfrica.com),
Bergeranthus
jamesii (Desert
Tropicals), the Keurboom (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Silver Tree (ARKive), the Buck Bay Vygie (PlantZAfrica.com),
Kniphofia
leucocephala (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Belladonna Lily (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Cape Strawflower (PlantZAfrica.com), the Forest Lily (PlantZAfrica.com),
the Tree Pagoda (Biodiversity Explorer),
Penaea mucronata (Fernkloof), and the national flower, the King Protea (PlantZAfrica.com).
Mammals
unique to
South Africa include the Cape Grysbok (ARKive),
the Cape Elephant Shrew (ScienceDaily),
the Spectacled African Dormouse (Wikipedia),
and the
Cape Mole-rat (Mammalian Species pdf file).
Endemic genera include the Riverine Rabbit (EDGE)
and three genera of golden moles: Chrysospalax (EDGE), Cryptochloris (Afrotheria),
and Neamblysomus
(ARKive). Sometimes considered
full species are the Bontebok (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cape Springbok (Trevor Hardaker), the Cape Klipspringer (flickr), the Cape Kudu (flickr), and the Cape Blue Duiker (flickr). Extinct endemic mammals include the Quagga (ARKive)
and the Bluebuck or Blue Antelope (Extinction Website). The Cape Mountain Zebra (ARKive) is an endemic subspecies.
Birds found nowhere else include the Black Bustard (ARKive),
the Cape Francolin (IBC), the Knysna Woodpecker (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Orange-breasted
Sunbird (IBC), the Cape
Sugarbird (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Cape Rockjumper (IBC),
the Cape Bulbul (IBC),
Botha's Lark (BirdLife
Int'l), the Red Lark (Biodiversity Explorer), Victorin's Warbler (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cape Siskin (IBC), and the Protea Canary (African
Bird Image Database).
Reptiles restricted to South Africa include the Geometric Tortoise (ARKive),
the Speckled Padloper (ARKive), the Spotted Harlequin Snake (SCARCE),
the Southern Adder (ARKive),
Fisk's House Snake (Biodiversity Explorer),
the Giant Girdled Lizard or Sungazer (ARKive),
the Augrabies Flat Lizard (ARKive),
the Namaqua Plated Lizard (SCARCE),
the Knysna Dwarf Chameleon (Biodiversity Explorer),
Austen's Gecko (SCARCE),
and the Cape Legless Skink (SCARCE).
Endemic genera include the Soutpansberg Rock Lizard (ARKive), Peringuey's Leaf-toed Gecko (Jon Boone),
and the Natal Black Snake (SA Reptiles).
Amphibians known only from South Africa include the Table Mountain
Ghost Frog (EDGE),
the Spotted Snout-burrower (ARKive),
the Knysna Spiny Reed Frog (AmphibiaWeb),
the Cape Platanna (ARKive),
and the Cape Mountain Rain Frog (SCARCE).
Representing endemic genera are the Tradouw Mountain Toad (SCARCE),
the Mistbelt Moss Frog (EDGE),
Rattray's Frog (African Amphibians Lifedesk),
the Micro Frog (ARKive),
Boneberg’s Frog (AmphibiaWeb),
and the Montane Marsh Frog (AmphibiaWeb).
Freshwater fish exclusive to South Africa include the Eastern Cape
Rocky (ARKive), the Clanwilliam Rock Catfish (ARKive),
the Sawfin (ARKive),
the Clanwilliam Sandfish (ARKive),
the Cape Galaxias (FishBase),
and the Southern Churchill (Univ.
Regensburg pdf file).
Endemic marine fish include the Ornate Sleeper Ray (IISE),
the
Blue-spotted Klipfish (Southern
Underwater Research Group),
the Cape Triplefin (ECFWP),
the
Puffadder Shyshark (FLMNH),
the Speckled Guitarfish (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Estuarine Pipefish (ARKive), and the Knysna Seahorse (ARKive).
Invertebrate families that occur solely in South Africa include a
spider Chummidae (p. 11 of ARC
pdf file), an amphipod Sternophysingidae (SATNT), an isopod Mesamphisopidae (Zootaxa
pdf file), a caddisfly Hydrosalpingidae (Trichoptera Africana), and the Cliff Water Beetle Aspidytidae (Biodiversity
Explorer). Other endemic invertebrates include the Cape stag beetles (ARKive),
the Flightless Dung Beetle (Biodiversity
Explorer), a heelwalker Karoophasma
biedouwensis (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Brenton Blue
Butterfly (Brenton Blue), the Silver-spotted Ghost Moth (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Basking Malachite (ARKive),
the
Meganosed Fly Moegistorhynchus
longirostris
(MOBOT),
the
Net-casting Spider (Biodiversity
Explorer), the Pink Velvet Worm (ARKive),
the Albany Giant Earthworm (CalPhotos), the Devil's Worm Halicephalobus mephisto (IISE),
the Trumpet-mouthed Hunter Snail (ARKive),
the Dlinza
Forest Pinweel (IUCN Red List),
and Conus algoensis
(Endemic
Cones of SA).
Biodiversity Hotspots in South Africa include all of the Cape Floristic
Region (CI) and portions of the the
Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (CI) and the Succulent Karoo (CI). Eastern South Africa is one of the
world’s top ten coral reef hotspots (Reef
Guardian pdf file). The Cape Fold (FEOW)
is an important freshwater ecoregion.