Derivation of scientific name: The name Stomoxys calcitrans comes from the Ancient Greek words stóma (mouth) and oxús (sharp, keen). […]
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Marbled Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus Rapp 1842, is an amphibian species whose habitat preference and appearance reflect its name, the Marbled Reed Frog. […]
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Rain-tree spittlebug
Ptyelus grossus is a bug that is commonly and easily recognised by the white foamy substance (‘spittle’) produced by the […]
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Asian house rat
The Asian house rat, Rattus tanezumi, is an invasive species in South Africa. The species was introduced by human activity […]
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Red Bait
Pyura stolonifera is a species of ascidian or sea squirt, regularly used by fishermen as bait, hence the common name […]
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Orca
Derivation of scientific name The genus name Orcinus is a Latin word that means ‘kingdom of the dead’ or ‘belonging […]
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Black teatfish
Derivation of scientific name: The etymology of the term ‘holothurion’ is traced back to ancient Greek roughly meaning ‘unknown animal’ […]
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Ringed red millipede
Derivation of scientific name: ‘Millipede’ is derived from Latin, where ‘milli’ meaning ‘thousand’ and ‘ped’ meaning foot. Nevertheless, millipedes do […]
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Red forest duiker
Derivation of scientific name The combination of the Greek word lophos, which means ‘crest’, and the New Latin word cephal, […]
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Common housefly
Derivation of scientific name: Swedish botanist and scientist Carl Linnaeus originally named the housefly Musca domestica in his 1758 Systema […]
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Cockroach-hunting wasps
Images: Rob C. H. M. Oudejane Common names: Cockroach-hunting wasp, cockroach wasp (Eng.); kakkerlakwespe (Afr.). Ampulex is a genus of […]
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African harvester termite
Images: Alan Manson Common names: African harvester termite (Eng.); grasdraertermiet (Afr.); moloto (Sepedi); Imvungu (isiZulu); iphondondo (Tshivenda). Harvester termites are […]
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Furry marsh crab
Common names: Furry marsh crab, marsh crab (Eng.); moeraskrap (Afr.) One of the most fascinating creatures in the mangrove ecosystem […]
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Caracal
Derivation of scientific name: The name ‘caracal’ originates from a Turkish word ‘karakulak’, which means ‘black eared’. Common names: African caracal, […]
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Bushbuck
Images: Andrew Hankey Bushbucks are a species of antelope found in Sub-Saharan Africa, belonging to the family Bovidae. They are […]
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