Animal of the week

Common names: Cape francolin (Eng.); Kaapse fisant (Afr.) The Cape Spurfowl is the largest of the six spurfowl species found […]

Common names: Puff adder (Eng.); pofadder (Afr.); isimamfene (isiZulu); phiri (seSotho); mhiri (Xitsonga); irhamba (isiXhosa). The puff adder is one […]

Derivation of scientific name: The genus name Acridotheres comes from the Ancient Greek and Latin words akridos (locust or grasshopper) […]

Common names: African catfish, barbel, sharptooth catfish (Eng.); skerptand-baber (Afr.); bavuri (Xitsonga) bavhuri (Tshivhenda). Derivation of scientific name: Clarias: Greek, chlaros = […]

Official common name: Pearl-spotted owlet Common names: Pearl-spotted Owlet (Eng.); witkoluil (Afr.), xinkhovha (Tsonga) Derivation of scientific name: perlatum (Latin) […]

Derivation of scientific name: The name Stomoxys calcitrans comes from the Ancient Greek words stóma (mouth) and oxús (sharp, keen). […]

Hyperolius marmoratus Rapp 1842, is an amphibian species whose habitat preference and appearance reflect its name, the Marbled Reed Frog. […]

Ptyelus grossus is a bug that is commonly and easily recognised by the white foamy substance (‘spittle’) produced by the […]

The Asian house rat, Rattus tanezumi, is an invasive species in South Africa. The species was introduced by human activity […]

Pyura stolonifera is a species of ascidian or sea squirt, regularly used by fishermen as bait, hence the common name […]

Derivation of scientific name The genus name Orcinus is a Latin word that means ‘kingdom of the dead’ or ‘belonging […]

Derivation of scientific name: The etymology of the term ‘holothurion’ is traced back to ancient Greek roughly meaning ‘unknown animal’ […]

Derivation of scientific name: ‘Millipede’ is derived from Latin, where ‘milli’ meaning ‘thousand’ and ‘ped’ meaning foot. Nevertheless, millipedes do […]

Derivation of scientific name The combination of the Greek word lophos, which means ‘crest’, and the New Latin word cephal, […]

Derivation of scientific name: Swedish botanist and scientist Carl Linnaeus originally named the housefly Musca domestica in his 1758 Systema […]