Based on published and unpublished records, together with original data collected from regular field trips over a 15-year period, 68 mammal species have been reliably recorded from the Mountain Zebra National Park. I assessed the current status of all mammal species, in relation to park expansion and research effort over time (1937–2020). Although numerous large and charismatic mammal species have been reintroduced to the park since it was gazetted in 1937, both in an attempt to restore the historical diversity of the region and to attract tourists, research effort in the surveying of the smaller and more cryptic mammal species has been sorely lacking. I recommend that future survey work targets the small, mostly fossorial mammals (i.e. golden and rodent moles, elephant shrews and gerbils) and insectivorous bats.
This work provides critical presence data for several mammal species from an important protected area that straddles three biomes in South Africa.
South Africa boasts a network of 20 national parks that are situated across a range of vegetation biomes. The primary function of these national parks is to protect the ecological integrity of these various natural ecosystems for current and future generations (Bezuidenhout & Brown
Although the MZNP has been the focus of much mammalian-related research since it was proclaimed, the park has expanded to 12 times its original size since 1937, and the current checklist of mammals appears to be a transcript of several earlier (flawed) lists. In addition, since the proclamation of the park, several technological advancements (e.g. the introduction of passive infra-red camera traps) are likely to have improved the detectability of some species that other more traditional techniques failed to detect in the past (De Bondi et al.
The MZNP (32°18’S, 25°24’E) is a South African National Park (SANParks) and initially included only the farm ‘Babylons Toren’ which was just 1712 Ha in size (Grobler & Hall-Martin
The current (2020) extent of the Mountain Zebra National Park in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
The park is situated in a transition zone between the Nama-Karoo, Grassland and Albany Thicket biomes and is characterised by a semi-arid climate (Mucina et al.
Mammal records for the MZNP since its proclamation were collated from (1) relevant published articles, (2) relevant unpublished reports and student theses, (3) unpublished, annual and individual field trip reports submitted to SANParks for the period 2001–2016 under approved projects 2000-11-08RBER and BISC864 and (4) direct observations during field trips not captured under (3).
For published articles, a Google Scholar search was conducted using the search term ‘Mountain Zebra National Park’. This search produced 1200 potential articles which I then screened to determine their relevance. If an article’s title alluded to the manuscript including records for mammals, I read the abstract (where applicable) to ascertain if such records were in fact provided. In cases where mammal records were included in the manuscript, these data were extracted (
The mammal species recorded at Mountain Zebra National Park between 1937 and 2020.
Genus | Species | Common name | 1937‒1964 | 1965‒1998 | 1999‒2002 | 2003‒2020 | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hottentot golden mole | - | X | - | X | 1,2,3 | ||
Bushveld elephant shrew | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Western rock elephant shrew | X | X | - | X | 2,3,4,5,6 | ||
Round-eared elephant shrew | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Aardvark | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6 | ||
Rock hyrax | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 | ||
Scrub hare | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,9,10,12,13 | ||
Cape hare | X | X | - | X | 1,2,4,6,7 | ||
Smith’s red rock rabbit | X | X | - | X | 1,2,4,9,10,12,14 | ||
African mole-rat | X | X | - | - | 2,4,5,7 | ||
Porcupine | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,7,15 | ||
Springhare | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,9,12 | ||
Ground squirrel | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,13 | ||
Spectacled dormouse | X | X | - | - | 2,4 | ||
Woodland dormouse | - | X | - | X | 2,5,16 | ||
Striped fieldmouse | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,7,12,17,18,19 | ||
Pygmy mouse | X | - | X | X | 4,18,20 | ||
Natal multimammate mouse | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,7,16,18,19 | ||
Brown mouse | - | X | - | - | 2 | ||
Namaqua rock mouse | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,12,18,19,20 | ||
Grant’s rock mouse | - | X | - | - | 2 | ||
Vlei rat | X | X | - | X | 2,4,19,20,21 | ||
Sloggett’s ice rat | X | - | - | X | 4,20 | ||
Bush Karoo rat | X | X | - | - | 2,4,7,12 | ||
Pouched mouse | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,7,12,16,18,19 | ||
Grey climbing mouse | - | - | - | X | 20 | ||
Fat mouse | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Gerbil mouse | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Short-tailed gerbil | X | X | - | - | 2,4,5 | ||
Hairy-footed gerbil | X | X | - | - | 2,4,5 | ||
Chacma baboon | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,13 | ||
Vervet monkey | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,13 | ||
Forest shrew | - | X | - | X | 1,2,20 | ||
Reddish-grey musk shrew | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Hedgehog | X | X | - | X | 2,4,22 | ||
Straw-coloured fruit bat | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Geoffroy’s horseshoe bat | - | X | - | - | 2 | ||
Mauritian tomb bat | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Egyptian slit-faced bat | - | - | - | X | 23,24 | ||
Egyptian free-tailed bat | X | X | - | X | 2,4,23,24 | ||
Cape serotine bat | X | X | - | X | 2,7,7,23,24 | ||
Natal long-fingered bat | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Aardwolf | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,13 | ||
Brown hyaena | - | - | - | X | 6,13,25 | ||
Cheetah | - | - | - | X | 6,13,25 | ||
Lion | - | - | - | X | 6,25 | ||
Leopard | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Caracal | X | X | - | X | 2,4,6,12,15 | ||
African wild cat | X | X | - | X | 2,4,14 | ||
Black-footed cat | X | X | - | X | 2,4,5,6 | ||
Small-spotted genet | X | X | - | X | 1,2,4,6 | ||
Large-spotted genet | - | - | - | X | 6 | ||
Meerkat | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,13 | ||
Yellow mongoose | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,7,13,26 | ||
Cape grey mongoose | X | X | X | X | 2,4,5,6,9,10,13 | ||
Marsh mongoose | X | X | - | X | 1,2,4,6,26 | ||
White-tailed mongoose | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Bat-eared fox | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6 | ||
Cape fox | X | X | - | X | 2,4,6 | ||
Black-backed jackal | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,13,27 | ||
African clawless otter | X | X | - | X | 1,4,6 | ||
Spotted neck otter | X | - | - | - | 4 | ||
Honey badger | X | - | - | X | 4,14 | ||
White-naped weasel | X | X | - | - | 1,2,4 | ||
Striped polecat | X | X | - | X | 2,4,5,6 | ||
Black rhinoceros | - | - | X | X | 6,13,25,27 | ||
Cape mountain zebra | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,8,11,13,27,28 | ||
Plains zebra | - | X | X | X | 6,27 | ||
Bushpig | - | X | - | X | 1,2,6 | ||
Warthog | - | - | - | X | 6,27,29 | ||
Buffalo | - | - | X | X | 6,13,25,27 | ||
Greater kudu | - | X | X | X | 1,2,6,11,13,27,28 | ||
Bushbuck | - | X | - | - | 1,2 | ||
Eland | - | X | X | X | 2,6,8,11,12,13,27,28 | ||
Black wildebeest | - | X | X | X | 2,6,8,11,12,13,27,28 | ||
Red hartebeest | - | X | X | X | 2,6,8,11,13,27 | ||
Blesbok | - | X | X | X | 2,6,8,11,13,27,28 | ||
Gemsbok | - | X | X | X | 6,8,25,27,28 | ||
Common duiker | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,8,9,11,13,27,28 | ||
Common reedbuck | - | X | - | - | 8 | ||
Mountain reedbuck | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,27,28 | ||
Grey rhebok | X | X | X | X | 1,2,4,6,27,28 | ||
Springbok | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,27,28,30 | ||
Steenbok | X | X | X | X | 2,4,6,8,9,10,11,13,27 | ||
Klipspringer | X | X | X | X | 4,6,8,11,27,28 | ||
Note: Please see the full reference list of the article, Parker, D.M., 2021, ‘Mammals in the mountains: An historical review and updated checklist of the mammals of the Mountain Zebra National Park’, Koedoe 63(1), a1683.
The genus, species and common names are listed along with the period(s) in which the species was recorded (denoted by an X), and the associated references for each species.
For unpublished reports, student theses and annual and field trip reports, relevant sections (including appendices) were checked and any reliable mammal data were extracted (
The extracted data were then organised taxonomically and chronologically to match the four separate periods of park expansion described above (
To update and revise the checklist of mammals for MZNP, I assessed the reliability of the time-series data generated using the methods described above (
In its first 27 years of existence, it was estimated that a total of 60 mammalian species could have been present in MZNP (
The four periods of park expansion for the Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa between 1937 and 2020. The total number of mammal species recorded during each period (grey bars) is also shown. The solid line denotes the cumulative increase in park area (hectares) over time.
The revised and updated checklist for the park includes 68 species from 25 families representing 13 orders (
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
Like the previous two species, the spectacled dormouse appears to have been included based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The first published field guide for the park lists this alien species as being present, but without any corroborating evidence (Grobler & Hall-Martin
Similarly, Grobler and Hall-Martin (
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
This species is listed in the first field guide for the park (Grobler & Hall-Martin
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
Skead (
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
The inclusion of this species was based on what was believed to be the most plausible distribution at the time (Skead
Plains zebra were intentionally introduced into MZNP in 1998 (SANParks
Common reedbuck (
At the time of proclamation (1937), the only larger herbivores believed to be present in the park were Cape mountain zebra, klipspringer (
The late 1970s saw the natural immigration of bushpig (
Although thought to be present in the region at the time of establishment of the park (Skead
Three African clawless otters (
The number of species within the genus
Cryptic speciation amongst the laminate toothed rats (family Muridae: subfamily Murinae: tribe Otomyini), to which the vlei (
Notwithstanding the taxonomic conundrums that require resolution, it is clear that there has been unequal surveying and documenting of the mammals present within the MZNP over time. There has clearly been a bias towards the larger, more charismatic species and less of a focus on the small, more cryptic mammal groups (but see De Graaff & Nel
Like most of the initial national parks gazetted in South Africa, the MZNP was initially proclaimed to protect the survival of just one species, the mountain zebra. However, as time has progressed, and conservation priorities have changed (SANParks
I would like to thank my colleagues, Ric Bernard, Adrian Craig and Chris Brown, for getting much of the more recent mammal survey work off the ground in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Thanks are also because of the park managers and section rangers at MZNP for their support of the work. Thank you to Paddy Gordon, Johan de Klerk, Phumla Mzazi, Lesley-Ann Brown, Robyn Woods, Craig Williams, Megan Taplin and Greg Bond. Additionally, thank you to all the students, colleagues and other ‘hangers on’ who assisted in the field over the years. Special mention must be made of Charlene Bissett for all the glorious hours in the field, the fire-side chats (and arguments) and her critical and constructive eye on the manuscript. Finally, I acknowledge Rhodes University for its financial assistance.
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.
D.M.P. contributed solely to this work.
This article followed all ethical standards for research without direct contact with human or animal subjects.
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, D.M.P., upon reasonable request.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated agency of the author.
The updated (2020) checklist of 68 mammal species in the Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa. See text for details on the criteria used for inclusion.
Order | Family | Genus | Species | Common name |
---|---|---|---|---|
Afrosoricida | Chrysochloridae | Hottentot golden mole | ||
Macroscelidae | Macroscelididae | Western rock elephant shrew | ||
Tubulidentata | Orycteropodidae | Aardvark | ||
Hyracoidea | Procaviidae | Rock hyrax | ||
Lagomorpha | Leporidae | Scrub hare | ||
- | - | Cape hare | ||
- | - | Smith’s red rock rabbit | ||
Rodentia | Bathyergidae | African mole-rat | ||
- | Hystricidae | Porcupine | ||
- | Peditidae | Springhare | ||
- | Sciuridae | Ground squirrel | ||
- | Myoxidae | Woodland dormouse | ||
- | - | Striped fieldmouse | ||
- | Muridae | Pygmy mouse | ||
- | - | Natal multimammate mouse | ||
- | - | Namaqua rock mouse | ||
- | - | Vlei rat | ||
- | - | Sloggett’s ice rat | ||
- | - | Bush Karoo rat | ||
- | - | Pouched mouse | ||
- | - | Grey climbing mouse | ||
- | - | Short-tailed gerbil | ||
- | - | Hairy-footed gerbil | ||
Primates | Cercopithecidae | Chacma baboon | ||
- | - | Vervet monkey | ||
Eulipothyphla | Soricidae | Forest shrew | ||
Hedgehog | ||||
Chiroptera | Nycteridae | Egyptian slit-faced bat | ||
- | Molossidae | Egyptian free-tailed bat | ||
- | Vespertilionidae | Cape serotine bat | ||
Carnivora | Hyaenidae | Aardwolf | ||
- | - | Brown hyaena | ||
- | Felidae | Cheetah | ||
- | - | Lion | ||
- | - | Caracal | ||
- | - | African wild cat | ||
- | - | Black-footed cat | ||
- | Viverridae | Small-spotted genet | ||
- | - | Large-spotted genet | ||
- | - | Meerkat | ||
- | - | Yellow mongoose | ||
- | - | Cape grey mongoose | ||
- | - | Marsh mongoose | ||
- | Canidae | Bat-eared fox | ||
- | - | Cape fox | ||
- | - | Black-backed jackal | ||
- | Mustelidae | African clawless otter | ||
- | - | Honey badger | ||
- | - | White-naped weasel | ||
- | - | Striped polecat | ||
Perissodactyla | Rhinocerotidae | Black rhinoceros | ||
- | Equidae | Cape mountain zebra | ||
Suiformes | Suidae | Bushpig | ||
- | - | Warthog | ||
- | - | Buffalo | ||
Ruminantia | Bovidae | Greater kudu | ||
- | - | Bushbuck | ||
- | - | Eland | ||
- | - | Black wildebeest | ||
- | - | Red hartebeest | ||
- | - | Blesbok | ||
- | - | Gemsbok | ||
- | - | Common duiker | ||
- | - | Mountain reedbuck | ||
- | - | Grey rhebok | ||
- | - | Springbok | ||
- | - | Steenbok | ||
- | - | Klipspringer |