Nieuwoudtville News
Nieuwoudtville’s Flora & Fauna Wednesday, 20 November 2019
The Bokkeveld Plateau is an internationally unique biodiversity hotspots, the Fynbos Biome and the
Succulent Karoo Biome. Dolorite extrusions that form hilly outcrops above the sandstone have weathered over time and produced heavy red clay soils.
The region contains fragments of Renosterveld, an extremely threatened vegetation type that is restricted to the Cape Floristic Region. There is less than 2% of the original Renosterveld remaining.
Nieuwoudtville is referred to as the bulb capital of the world richest concentration of geophytes, with about 309 species. Up to 50 species can be found within just one square metre of Renosterveld.
This is what makes Nieuwoudtville botanically different from the rest of Namaqualand, and a Mecca for botanist and flower lovers from around the world.
The diverse soil and vegetation types have formed unique habitats that support a diversity of small to meduim sized animal species. Amongst the smallest are the insects, with 63 species of ant and nearly 200 species of bees and wasps.
Solitary oil – collecting bees and long – tongued flies are particular interest in the area, with researchers from around the world visiting Nieuwoudtville to study them during the flower season.
About 44 species of reptile occur, including 24 lizards 16 snakes and 4 tortoise species. The Cape rana, raucous toad and common platanna are frequently found in or near the rivers. Over 36 species of small mammals can be sighted, include Smith`s red rock rabbit, stripe polecat, steenbok, duiker, porcupine, aardvark, aardwolf, bat eared fox and cape fox. Cape otter are seen along the rivers, exclusive Cape leopard make its home in the more moutainous areas.
Birds are abundant on the Bokkeveld, with about 200 species recorded, from the tiny clapper larks to large raptors such as Vereaux`s, martial and fish eagles. Threatened species such as the Ludwig`s bustard, lesser kestrel and the near threatened black harrier also occur here.Blue cranescan be sighted in the agricultural lands, together with helmeted guinea fowl, francolin and black korhaan.