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Ts'ehlanyane National Park
Ts'ehlanyane National Park is a National Park in Lesotho. It is located in the Maloti Mountains in Leribe District, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. This Lesotho northern park protects a high-altitude, patch of rugged wilderness, including one of Lesotho’s only stands of indigenous forest with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat. The name "Ts'ehlanyane" is the local common name for the berg bamboo ('' Thamnocalamus tessellatus''), from which the river and park take their name. It is fitting that the park should bear the name of this Drakensberg endemic plant, as it may be the most important refuge for this plant in the entire Maloti-Drakensberg mountain range. History This proclaimed protected pristine area lies at the junction of the Ts'ehlanyane and the Holomo rivers. It owes its origin to the access road to the "Mamohale tunnel" (May 1991), which was the first adit drive for the Lesotho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ts'ehlanyane National Park
Ts'ehlanyane National Park is a National Park in Lesotho. It is located in the Maloti Mountains in Leribe District, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. This Lesotho northern park protects a high-altitude, patch of rugged wilderness, including one of Lesotho’s only stands of indigenous forest with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat. The name "Ts'ehlanyane" is the local common name for the berg bamboo ('' Thamnocalamus tessellatus''), from which the river and park take their name. It is fitting that the park should bear the name of this Drakensberg endemic plant, as it may be the most important refuge for this plant in the entire Maloti-Drakensberg mountain range. History This proclaimed protected pristine area lies at the junction of the Ts'ehlanyane and the Holomo rivers. It owes its origin to the access road to the "Mamohale tunnel" (May 1991), which was the first adit drive for the Lesotho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malachite Sunbird
The malachite sunbird (''Nectarinia famosa'') is a small nectarivorous bird found from the highlands of Ethiopia southwards to South Africa. They pollinate many flowering plants, particularly those with long corolla tubes, in the Fynbos. Taxonomy The sunbirds are a group of small Old World passerine birds, and are placed within the family Nectariniidae, which is found across Africa, the Middle East and into South-east Asia. Also called green sugarbird. The malachite sunbird has two subspecies. The nominate ''N. f. famosa ''occurs mainly in South Africa, Lesotho and western Eswatini, although its range just extends into southern Namibia and Zimbabwe. ''N. f. cupreonitens'' breeds in the highlands from Ethiopia south to northern Mozambique. Description The breeding male malachite sunbird, which has very long central tail feathers, is 25 cm long, and the shorter-tailed female 15 cm. The adult male is metallic green when breeding, with blackish-green wings with small y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizontidae. Both families belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi within the profoundly diverse order Rodentia and display superficially similar coats of rigid or semi-rigid quills, which are modified hairs composed of keratin. Despite this, the two groups are distinct from one another and are not closely related to each other within the Hystricognathi. The largest species of porcupine is the third-largest living rodent in the world, after the capybara and beaver. The Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) live in Italy, Asia (western and southern), and most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. The New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They live in wooded ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smith's Red Rock Hare
Smith's red rockhare, Smith's red rock hare or Smith's red rock rabbit (''Pronolagus rupestris'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae (rabbits and hares), and is the smallest member of the genus ''Pronolagus''. The upperparts and gular collar are reddish brown in colour. It has warm, brown, grizzled, thicker hairs at the back of the body, and white to tawny, thinner underfur. It is native to Africa, found in parts of Kenya (Rift Valley), Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa (Northern Cape, Free State, and North West), Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is a folivore, and usually forages on grasses (such as sprouting grass), shrubs and herbs. It breeds from September to February, and the female litters one or two offspring. The young leave the nest at three years of age. In 1996, it was rated as a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Taxonomy Scottish zoologist Andrew Smith first described the Smith's red rock hare i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rock Dassie
The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the dassie (; af, klipdassie), it is one of the five living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only one in the genus ''Procavia''. Rock hyraxes weigh and have short ears and tails. Rock hyraxes are found at elevations up to above sea level in habitats with rock crevices, allowing them to escape from predators. They are the only extant terrestrial afrotherians in the Middle East. Hyraxes typically live in groups of 10–80 animals, and forage as a group. They have been reported to use sentries to warn of the approach of predators. Having incomplete thermoregulation, they are most active in the morning and evening, although their activity pattern varies substantially with season and climate. Over most of its range, the rock hyrax is n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-backed Jackal
The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas),'' also called the silver-backed jackal, is a medium-sized canine native to eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly 900 kilometers. One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. It is listed by the IUCN as least concern, due to its widespread range and adaptability, although it is still persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector. Compared to members of the genus '' Canis'', the black-backed jackal is a very ancient species, and has changed little since the Pleistocene,Kingdon, J. (1977), ''East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa'', Volume 3, Part A: Carnivores, University of Chicago Press, p. 31 being the most basal wolf-like canine, alongside the closely related side-striped jackal. It is a fox-li ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Clawless Otter
The African clawless otter (''Aonyx capensis''), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub-Saharan Africa. It is characterised by partly webbed and clawless feet, from which their name is derived. The word 'aonyx' means clawless, derived from the prefix a- ("without") and onyx ("claw/hoof"). Taxonomy ''Aonyx capensis'' is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and of the order Carnivora. The earliest known species of otter, ''Potamotherium valetoni'', occurred in the upper Oligocene of Europe: ''A. capensis'' first appears in the fossil record during the Pleistocene. ''Aonyx'' is closely related to the extinct giant Sardinian otter, '' Megalenhydris''. Subspecies ''Mammal Species of the World'' lists six subspecies of the African clawless otter: * ''A. c. capensis'' (Schinz, 1821) * ''A. c. hindei'' (Thomas, 1905) * ''A. c. m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sloggett's Vlei Rat
Sloggett's vlei rat or ice rat (''Myotomys sloggetti'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in southern Lesotho and South Africa where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, swamps, and rocky areas. Its name commemorates Col. Arthur Sloggett who served in South Africa and collected at Deelfontein in 1902. This is a common species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being of "least concern". Description This is a medium-sized rat with thick, soft, fine fur. The head is large and the snout blunt. The area of skin surrounding the whiskers is reddish brown, a characteristic that distinguishes this species from other members of the genus ''Otomys''. The ears are small with dark edges. The upper parts are greyish buff and the flanks greyish brown. The underparts are buffy white. The tail is short, being about half the length of the head and body. It is bicoloured, being black above and buf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sentinel Rock-thrush
The sentinel rock thrush (''Monticola explorator'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. References sentinel rock thrush Birds of Southern Africa sentinel rock thrush The sentinel rock thrush (''Monticola explorator'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland A grassland is a ... Taxa named by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Muscicapidae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Pipit
The mountain pipit (''Anthus hoeschi'') is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae. It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, possibly Botswana, possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly Namibia, and possibly Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na .... References External links * Mountain pipit Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds mountain pipit Birds of Southern Africa mountain pipit Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Passeroidea-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drakensberg Siskin
The Drakensberg siskin (''Crithagra symonsi'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family. It is an endemic resident breeder in the eastern Cape Province Transkei and western Natal in South Africa, and in Lesotho. This species is sometimes considered to be conspecific with the Cape siskin (''Crithagra totta'') of southern Cape Province, in which case the nominate western form is ''C. t. totta'', and the eastern form is ''C. t. symonsi''. This locally common but shy and unobtrusive siskin is found in the scrubby valleys and hillsides of the Drakensberg mountains. Taxonomy The Drakensberg siskin was formerly placed in the genus ''Serinus'' but phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the genus was polyphyletic. The genus was therefore split and a number of species including the Drakensberg siskin were moved to the resurrected genus ''Crithagra''. Description The Drakensberg siskin averages 13–14 cm in length. The tail has white ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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