THINGS TO SEE IN THE CEDERBERG

In the Cederberg you will find two different vegetation types or biomes, namely the Fynbos Biome and the Succulent Karoo Biome. With only 34 internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots how amazing is it that the Cederberg offers up two!

There are also mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arthropods to be seen.

After being deemed a wilderness area in 1973, the Cederberg Wilderness Are is protected by Cape Nature. Being in the Cerderberg gives you a rare opportunity to be complete engulfed by the rich sights, smells, and sounds of mother nature as it stretches over almost 71 000 hectares.

Mammals

Baboons, dassies, grey rhebuck, klipspringers, duiker and grysbok are fairly common. Although porcupine, honey badger, Cape clawless otter and aardvark occur here, they are seldom seen. The leopard is the Cederberg’s largest predator, and is fairly common although very shy. Smaller predators include African wild cat, caracal, bat-eared fox, aardwolf and Cape fox. The small grey mongoose and striped polecat are often seen. Various interesting rodents occur, including the spectacled dormouse.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Birds

The Cederberg is home to more than 100 bird species, with the black (Verreaux’s) eagle, rock kestrel and jackal buzzard as the most common raptors.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Fish

The rivers in the Cederberg are home to eight endemic fish species. All these species are threatened and include the Clanwilliam yellow fish, Clanwilliam redfin minnow and fiery redfin minnow.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Reptiles

The armadillo lizard is one of the endemic reptiles to be found in the Cederberg. The rare Southern Speckled Padloper occur along with about 16 snake species, the most common are the berg adder, puff adder and black spitting cobra. Snake bites rarely occur in the area. Unless people try and capture or threaten snakes, they will generally move away from people and will not bite without warning.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Amphibians

Various frogs are found in rivers and vlei areas in the Cederberg Conservancy. These include the Banded stream frog, Delalande’s sand frog, Karoo toad, Raucous toad, Platanna and Tradouw Mountain toad.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Insects & Arthropods

A variety of butterflies, moths, locusts and many more insects occur in the Cederberg. The Cederberg Conservancy is a malaria free area, nevertheless mosquitoes do occur. Spiders and scorpions also occur in the area. If these animals are not tampered with, they pose no threat to visitors.

 

Information found on: Cederberg.co.za

Flora

The high Cederberg Mountains don’t usually have many spring flowers. (As the real displays are in the drier valleys). But higher up in the Cedarberg mountains, the protea flowers and other fynbos species are seen later on in the spring (September to October) with their spectacular large bulbous flowers.

 

Information found on: Cedarbergtravel.com

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