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Welcome to Mattanu Private Game Reserve

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Visit the Gem of the Northern Cape 58km outside Kimberley.

Animal Guide

Red Hartebeest

Red Hartebeest  (Alclaphus buselaphus) Identification:  Dark reddish brown in colour, sloping back, long thin, black face.  Horns are on a pedestal base and point backwards.  Tummy and inside of thighs are cream in colour.  There are dark areas stretching from the shoulders down to the hoofs.  Lateral sides of front and hind limbs are mainly black.  Size:  Shoulder height +/-1,25m; weight 120 - 150kg.  Habits:  Group animals 20-300.  Territorial, they have a gland just under the eye for marking of territories.  Sense of smell and hearing very well developed.  Graze during the day.  They can run very fast.  Calves start to graze at 2 weeks of age.  Calving season - October and November.  Distribution:  Namibia, Botswana,  Northern Cape and also a small part of Central Africa.

Yellow Mongoose

Yellow Mongoose  (Cynictis penicillata) Identification: Yellow to yellow-grey in colour and has a bushy tail with a white end.  Size:  Weight 829-900 gram.  Habits:  Move around during the day, occasionally seen at night.  Live in colonies of 10-50.  Diet consists of ants, termites, small birds, grasshoppers, reptiles and seeds.  Distribution:  Namibia, Botswana and most parts of South Africa.

Suricate

Suricate  (Suricata suricatta) Identification:  Siver-brown, broad head with short, pointed nose, thin sharp tail.  Hindquarters better developed than forequarters.  They all have dark patches around the eyes but the eyes are relatively small, the ears are small and dark and the front claws are well-developed for digging.  Size:  Length 50cm; weight 720-960gram.  Habits:  Day living and love sunbathing, always very alert.  They dig their own holes, live in colonies of up to 20.  diet consists of worms, lizards, eggs and small snakes.  Distribution:  South-West Angola and Southern Africa. 

Springhare

Springhare  (Pedetes capensis) Identification:  Short front legs and large, very strong hind legs.  Long tail with a black distal half.  Small, round head with big eyes and long thin ears (with rounded tips) looks a bit like a mini kangaroo, tail is a mechanism for balance.  Size:  Length 90cm; weight 3,1kg.  Habits:  Nocturnal.  When chased they can jump up to 2m at a time.  They live in groups and have no territorial behavior.  They dig holes to live in and stay underground during rain and very cold nights.  Diet consists mainly of grass and roots.  Distribution:  Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and eastern Africa. 

Smith's Red Rock Rabbit

Smith's Red Rock Rabbit  (Pronolagus rupestrus) Identification:  Red brown in colour with black speckles.  Darker spot on the back of the neck.  Size:  Length 40-45cm.  Weight 1,3 - 2,05kg.  Habits:  Nocturnal.  They eat grass and have 1-2 babies at a time.  They live in rocky areas.  Distribution:  South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. 

Steenbok

Steenbok  (Raphicerus campestris) Identification:  Small, gracious antelope with thin legs.  Reddish brown in colour.  White underneath, nose is pointed, forehead has a dark Y-shape mark on it.  Horns male.  The tail is the same colour as the body.  Size:  Shoulder height 52cm.  Weight 11-11,3kg.  Habits:  Solitary.  Browse and graze at dusk and dawn.  Territorial.  They use their pre-orbital, hoof and throat glands for marking of territories.  When in danger they hide motionless in the grass.  Lambs are born throughout the year.  Distribution:  Southern Africa, Tanzania and adjacent coastal area.

Small-Spotted Genet

Small-Spotted Genet  (Genetta genetta) Identification:  Short legs; long body.  Tail has got white rings around and is the same length as the body plus the head.  The body has a black dorsal stripe from behind the ears to the base of the tail.  The background colour of the hair is white to yellow.  Two distinct black stripes run from the inside of the ears down to the front of the shoulders.  The spots on the rest of the body are arranged in rows from front to back.  Front legs are very dark, eyes have a white spot underneath.  Cheeks and chin are black.  Size:  Weight 1,6-2,6kg.  Habits:  Nocturnal.  Mostly solitary, are good climbers but prefer walking on the ground.  Diet consists of small rodents, reptiles, insects, birds and rabbits.  Distribution:  South of the Sahara, East Africa and Southern Africa (not in Central Africa).

Slender mongoose

Slender mongoose  (Calerella sanguinea) Identification:  Small, short legs, slender with a long, black tipped tail.  Colour is reddish brown.  Size:  Weight 370-790 gram.  Habits:  Solitary or in groups, moves around during the day, in sunny, hot conditions.  Diet consists of grasshoppers, termites, beetles and ants.  Also lizards, mice, birds, wild fruit, snakes, frogs and worms.  It can also climb trees.  Distribution:  Central, Eastern and most areas of South Africa.

Large Spotted Genet

Large Spotted Genet  (Genetta tigrina) Identification:  Short legs, long body, white rings around the tail with a black distal part.  Chin is always white, limbs are light in colour.  Size:  Weight 1,4-2,3kg.  Habits:  Nocturnal.  Live in holes in the ground and in trees.  It can jump very far and are good climbers.  Diet consists of rat, mice, beetles, grasshoppers and birds.  Distribution:  Eastern part of Southern Africa.

Ground Squirrel

Ground Squirrel  (Xerus inauris) Identification:  Ground living, bushy tail is often jerked up towards the head.  Cinnamon colour with lighter tummies.  Typical white side stripes, they have got white rings around the eyes, they have no external ears.  Size:  Weight 500-800gram.  Habits:  Day living, live in colonies of up to 30.  Love sunbathing and sand bathing, always alert, certain birds are part of their alarm system.  Diet consists of leaves, grass, seeds, will occasionally eat insects.  Distribution:  Southern Africa.

Common Duiker

Common Duiker  (Sylvicapra grimmia) Identification:  Grey white in colour.  Tummy and inner sides of legs are white.  On the forehead and nose is a black line.  Rams have a tuft of hair between the horns.  They have pre-orbital glands, foot glands and glands in the groin.  Horns (males) and sometimes old females as well.  Size:   Shoulder height 50-52cm; weight 15-25kg.  Habits:  Mostly solitary, browse during dusk and dawn.  When in danger they lie motionless in the grass and only run away when you get very near.  They run very fast and are very strong.  They also eat grass, roots and wild fruit.  Lambs are born throughout the year.  Distribution:  Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. 


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