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Fauna | Wildlife

Fauna of the lower slopes

The lower slopes of the Drakensberg support much wildlife, perhaps most importantly are:

The Drakensberg is home to large herds of grazing and antelopes such as:

Endemic species include a large number of chameleons and other reptiles. There is one endemic frog, Forest Rain Frog (Breviceps sylvestris), and four more that are found mainly in these mountains:

  • Long-toed Tree Frog (Leptopelis xenodactylus)
  • Plaintive Rain Frog (Breviceps maculatus)
  • Rough Rain Frog (Breviceps verrucosus)
  • Poynton's Caco (Cacosternum poyntoni)

Fauna of the high peaks

The Drakensberg area is "home to 299 recorded bird species"' making up "37% of all non-marine avian species in Southern Africa."

Notable bird species found in the Drakensberg are:

Mammals include:

Endemic species include three frogs found in the mountain streams:

  • Drakensberg River Frog, (Amietia dracomontana)
  • Phofung River Frog (Amietia vertebralis)
  • Maluti River Frog (Amietia umbraculata)

Fish are found in the many rivers and streams including:

  • Maluti Redfin (Pseudobarbus quathlambae) which was thought to be extinct but has been found in the Senqunyane River in Lesotho. Breeding stock can be found at Sethlabathebe National Park.
  • Brown Trout
  • Rainbow Trout