Super Soutpansberg

BY THE NUMBERS

The Soutpansberg range in Limpopo is home to a number of endemic species and unique ecosystems. The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is working to establish a 23 000-hectare conservation area from the Luvhondo Private Nature Reserve at the western end to the Happy Rest Provincial Nature Reserve to the east.

6

The number of biomes found in the Soutpansberg: forest, thicket, savannah, grassland, fynbos and wetland.

19

The number of scorpion species found here – two species are endemic. The Soutpansberg rock scorpion ( Hadogenes soutpansbergensis) is one of the biggest scorpions in the world. Males can reach more than 20 cm in length, but their venom is weak and harmless to humans. They do have powerful pincers, however. The female could easily crush the male during courtship.

133

The number of ant species in the western Soutpansberg, which is considered a hot spot for ant biodiversity in southern Africa.

140

The number of reptile species in the area. Sixteen species are endemic, like the Soutpansberg dwarf gecko and the Soutpansberg rock lizard.

152

Total number of mammal species found in the Soutpansberg – 63 % of all the mammals found in South Africa. This number is comparable to the Kruger Park, even though the Soutpansberg area is only about a third as big.

309

The number of butterfly species found in the area – 37 % of all butterfly species in South Africa. One of the most interesting is the endangered Induna Acreae ( Telchinia induna salmontana), which is only found on the slopes of Mount Letjume, the highest peak in the Soutpansberg. There have also been 550 spider species recorded; many more have not been catalogued…

542

The number of recorded bird species – 59 % of South Africa's avifauna. One Cape vulture colony consists of 215 breeding pairs and between 600 and 800 individual birds – potentially 8,5 % of the global population estimate.