Animal of the week Archive

Desert locust

Common names: Southern African desert locust (Eng.); Tsie ea lehoatata (Southern Sotho) Desert locust (Schistocerca gragaria) is known to be […]

Bugweed lace bug

Gargaphia decoris, the bugweed lace bug, is originally from Brazil and Argentina in South America. The bugweed lace bug is […]

Brown locust

Common names: Karoo brown locust or brown locust (English); tsie e sootho (southern Sotho) Locusts are grasshoppers that are able […]

Black mamba

Common names: Black mamba, black-mouthed mamba, southern brown mamba (Eng.); swartmamba (Afr.), imamba emnyama (isiZulu & Ndebele); mokwepa (Setswana and […]

Cape dwarf chameleon

Common names: Cape dwarf chameleon (Eng.); Kaapse dwerg trapsuutjies (Afr.). Synonym(s): Lacerta pumila (Gmelin, 1789) First sentence/ opening paragraph: South […]

Armadillo girdled lizard

Common names: Armadillo lizard, golden-armadillo lizard, armadillo spiny-tailed lizard (Eng.). Evoking an ancient Egyptian symbol, the Ouroborus cataphractus lizard is […]

Tomato russet mite

Common names: Tomato russet mite Description/how to recognize a……. Aculops lycopersici, commonly known as tomato russet mites, are so small […]

House crow

Common names: House Crow, Indian House Crow, Grey-necked Crow, Town Crow, Ceylon Crow, Colombo Crow and Grey-necked Crow (Eng.); huiskraai […]

Cape Robin-Chat

A song-filled, perky, shy, yet curious bird that bears an orange throat and a striking white speculum, which separates the […]

Common fruit fly

Description/How to recognize a…….. An adult Drosophila melanogaster (common fruit fly) is yellow-brown (tan) in colour, and is only about […]

Honey badger

Derivation of scientific name: Even though primarily a carnivore/insectivore, honey badgers search out honeybee hives, hence their English common name. […]