Republic of South Africa

South Africa has a truly spectacular flora: only Australia has more endemic families or genera and by some estimates South Africa has more vascular plant species found nowhere else, perhaps 16500, than any other country in the world (but see also Brazil). Families unique to South Africa include Bruniaceae (PlantZAfrica.com), Geissolomataceae (JSTOR), Grubbiaceae (Fernkloof), Lanariaceae (Fernkloof), and Roridulaceae (Kew). 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), the Kammanassie Erica (PlantZAfrica.com), the Keurboom (PlantZAfrica.com), Bergeranthus jamesii (Desert Tropicals), 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 Silver Tree (ARKive), 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). Recently elevated to 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 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 (Wikipedia), and the Protea Canary (African Bird Image Database).

Reptiles restricted to South Africa include the Geometric Tortoise (ARKive), the Speckled Padloper (Homopus Research Foundation), the Spotted Harlequin Snake (SCARCE), the Southern Adder (ARKive), Fisk's House Snake (afriherp.org), 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 Southern Rock Lizard (SCARCE), 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 Clanwilliam Redfin (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 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), a subterranean nematode Halicephalobus mephisto (Nature), 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 (Biodiversity Hotspots) and portions of the the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (Biodiversity Hotspots) and the Succulent Karoo (Biodiversity Hotspots). 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.