Biodiversity
[edit]
Veld typesOpen savanna grassland in the northern flatsMixed woodlands in the southwest on graniteOpen savanna on dry basalt flatlands in the southeast
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Vegetation[edit]
Plant life consists of four main areas, which correspond roughly to the four quadrants of the park. The main veld types are determined by the rainfall gradient (400 to 750 mm per annum) and geological substrates.
Shrub mopane veld[edit]
Shrub mopane covers almost the entire northeastern part of the park.
Red bush-willow and mopane veld[edit]
This area lies in the park's western half, north of the Olifants River. The two most prominent species here are the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum) and the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane).
Thorn trees and red bush-willow veld[edit]
This area lies between the western boundary and roughly the centre of the park south of the Olifants River. Combretums, such as the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum), and Acacia species predominate while there are a great number of marula trees (Sclerocarya afra). The Acacias are dominant along the rivers and streams, the very dense Nwatimhiri bush along the Sabie River between Skukuza and Lower Sabie being a very good example.
Knob-thorn and marula veld[edit]
South of the Olifants River in the park's eastern half, this area provides the most important grazing land. Species such as red grass (Themeda triandra) and buffalo grass (Megathyrsus maximus) predominate while the knob-thorn (Senegalia nigrescens), leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and marula (Sclerocarya afra) are the main tree species.
Local vegetation communities[edit]
Several smaller areas in the park carry distinctive vegetation. The Pretoriuskop sourveld and Malelane mountain bushveld receive relatively high rainfall. Here sickle bush and silver cluster-leaf (Terminalia sericea) are prominent. The sandveld communities northeast of Punda Maria are equally distinctive, with a wide variety of unique plant species. The bush-clad hills along the Levuvhu River also shelter an interesting floral diversity and some near-endemic species.
Mammals[edit]
MammalsMale lionLeopardCheetahAfrican bush elephant crossing a roadA pair of white rhinoceros
All the big five game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve (at 147 species). There are webcams set up to observe the wildlife.
Kruger supports packs of the endangered African wild dog, of which there are thought to be only about 400 in the whole of South Africa.
Wildlife population as of 2011[update]
Species
Count (2009)
Count (2010)
Count (2011)
South-central black rhinoceros (D. b. minor)
350
590–660
–
Blue wildebeest (C. t. taurinus)
9,612
11,500
6,400–13,100
Chapman's zebra (E. q. chapmani)
17,797
26,500
23,700–35,300
Bushbuck
500
500
–
African buffalo (S. c. caffer)
27,000
37,500
37,130
Common eland
300
460
460
African bush elephant
11,672
13,700
13,750
South African giraffe (G. c. giraffa)
5,114
9,000
6,800–10,300
Greater kudu (nominate ssp.)
5,798
9,500
11,200–17,300
Hippopotamus (H. a. capensis)
3,000
3,100
3,100
Impala (nominate ssp.)
150,000
120,000
132,300–176,400
Lichtenstein's hartebeest (A. b. lichtensteinii)
–
50
–
Mountain reedbuck (nominate ssp.)
–
150
150
Nyala
–
300
300
Roan antelope (nominate ssp.)
–
90
90
Sable antelope (nominate ssp.)
–
290
290
Common warthog (P. a. sundevallii)
–
3,500
3,100–5,700
Waterbuck (nominate ssp.)
5,000
5,500
3,100–7,800
Southern white rhinoceros (C. s. simum)
7,000 to 12,000
10,500
–
African wild dog (L. p. pictus)
240
–
120
Southeast African cheetah (A. j. jubatus)
120
120
120
Nile crocodile
–
4,420
4,420
African leopard (P. p. pardus)
2,000
1,000
1,000
Lion (P. l. melanochaita)
2,800
1,600
1,620–1,720
Spotted hyena
2,000
3,500
5,340
Birds[edit]
Harlequin quail (C. delegorguei)
A fairly uniform aggregate of bird species is present from the southern to central areas of the park, but a decline in diversity is noticeable in the mopane-dominated flats northwards of the Olifants. Most species breed in summer when rains sustain most vegetable and animal food, but the larger birds of prey conversely breed during the dry winter, when their prey is most exposed.
Constituting the southern lowveld, the park's avifaunal affinities are mainly with the tropical north. Some representatives of this group are the African openbill, hooded vulture, Dickinson's kestrel, white-crowned lapwing, brown-necked parrot, Senegal coucal, broad-billed roller, trumpeter hornbill, Böhm's spinetail, tropical boubou, Meves's starling and scarlet-chested sunbird. Some 30 waterbird and wader species are dependent on the rivers or associated dams, including the African finfoot, white-backed night heron, white-crowned lapwing and water thick-knee. Other species are limited to riparian thicket or forest, including African goshawk, crested guineafowl, Natal spurfowl, Narina trogon, Pel's fishing owl, bearded scrub robin, terrestrial brownbul and black-throated wattle-eye. This habitat is often reduced by drought or floods or the understorey is opened up by elephant.
Some of the larger birds require large territories or are sensitive to habitat degradation. Six of these birds, which are by and large restricted to Kruger and other extensive conservation areas, have been assigned to a fanciful grouping called the "Big Six Birds". They are the lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, saddle-billed stork, kori bustard, ground hornbill and the reclusive Pel's fishing owl, which is localized and seldom seen. The 2011 aerial survey found 22 martial eagle nest sites, the 2015 survey an additional 17, while the 2020 survey found 70 nest locations in all, though the activity of these has yet to be determined. There are 25 to 30 breeding pairs of saddle-billed storks in the park, besides a handful of non-breeding individuals. In 2012 178 family groups of ground hornbills roamed the park and 78 nests were known, of which 50% were active. In 2013, it was estimated that 904 pairs of white-backed vulture, 78 pairs of lappet-faced vulture and 60 pairs of white-headed vulture breed in the park.
Other vertebrates[edit]
Kruger is inhabited by 114 species of reptile, including black mambas, African rock pythons, and 3,000 Nile crocodiles. As yet, knowledge of the densities and distributions of the reptiles, especially on smaller spatial scales, is limited by sampling bias and a strong dependence on the park's public infrastructure is evident. 34 species of amphibians are found in the park, as well as 49 fish species. A Zambezi shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull shark, was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like the Limpopo.
Invertebrates[edit]
A seasonally fluctuating biomass of arthropods is observed in response to the summer rainfall regime and the mostly deciduous vegetation, as shown by sampling during 11 months in grassland near Satara Camp.
219 species of butterfly and skipper are native to the park. The fastest and most robust of these belong to the genus Charaxes, of which 12 species have been recorded. Genera Papilio and Acraea are also well-represented, with about 10 and 15 species respectively. The total number of Lepidoptera species in the park is unknown but could be in the order of 7,000, many of which range widely in African savanna. The mopane moth in the northern half of the park is one of the best known, and communities outside the park have at times been given permits to harvest their caterpillars. The park has a high diversity of termites and 22 genera are known to occur, including the mound-building genera Macrotermes, Cubitermes, Amitermes, Odontotermes and Trinervitermes. A new species of woodlouse, Ctenorillo meyeri, has been discovered inside termite nests, east of Phalaborwa and near Mopani Rest Camp. It is the first instance of a termitophilous species from the family Armadillidae. Many species of mosquito occur in the park, including the Culex, Aedes and Anopheles genera which target mammals. A. arabiensis is the most prevalent of the 9 or more Anopheles species in the park, and their females transmit malaria.
As of 2018, 350 species of arachnids, excluding ticks and mites, are known from Kruger. These are mostly true spiders, including 7 species of baboon spider, but also 9 scorpion and 7 pseudoscorpion species, 18 solifugid species (sun and roman spiders), 2 species of harvestmen and 1 species of tailless whip scorpion.
