Nature's Valley, South Africa

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Nature's Valley is a holiday resort and retirement village on the Garden Route along the southern Cape coast of South Africa, tucked between the Soutrivier, the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains, the Indian Ocean and the Grootrivier lagoon. It has a balmy climate and the unusual status of being surrounded by the Tsitsikamma National Park.

An network of trails covers the surrounding hills and beaches. The lagoon offers sheltered water for sailing and canoeing, without powerboating and beach buggies. A walk along beaches and a rocky path, leads to the Salt River Mouth after crossing Pebble Beach, a large area completely covered in sea-smoothed cobbles.

East of Nature's Valley is the Grootrivier Lagoon, which marks the end of the Otter Trail, starting at Storms River Mouth, 60km further east. This 5-day trail is considered by many hikers to be the finest in South Africa, being strenuous, scenic and extremely varied. The route meanders along the coast through evergreen forest, past boulder-strewn beaches and frequently crossing tannin-stained streams. Huts are available for the hiker at the end of each day, but bookings have to be made well in advance.

Contents 1 Mammals 2 Birds 3 Snakes 4 Trees, Shrubs and Lianes 5 References

[edit] Mammals

Chlorotalpa duthieae - Duthie's Golden Mole Amblysomus hottentotus devilliersi - Hottentot Golden Mole Amblysomus iris corriae - Knysna Golden Mole Myosorex varius - Forest Shrew Crocidura flavescens - Giant Musk Shrew Rousettus aegyptiacus leachii - Cape Fruit Bat Rhinolophus clivosus - Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus capensis - Cape Horseshoe Bat Nycteris thebaica - Long-eared Bat Miniopterus fraterculus - Black Clinging Bat Kerivoula lanosa - Woolly Bat Myotis tricolor - Cape Hairy Bat Pipistrellus kuhlii broomi - Kuhl's Bat Eptesicus hottentotus - Long-tailed Housebat Cercopithecus pygerythrus - Vervet Monkey

Papio ursinus - Chacma Baboon Lepus saxatilis - Scrub Hare Praomys verreauxi - Cape Mouse Thamnomys dolichurus - Forest Mouse Otomys irroratus - Vlei Otomys Dendromus mesomelas - Climbing Mouse Graphiurus ocularis - Cape Dormouse Graphiurus murinus - Forest Dormouse Hystrix africae-australis - Porcupine Bathyergus suillus - Cape Dune Mole-rat Georychus capensis - Cape Mole-rat Cryptomys hottentotus - Common Mole-rat Mellivora capensis - Honey Badger Ictonyx striatus - Cape Polecat Aonyx capensis - Clawless Otter

Genetta tigrina - Large-spotted Genet Herpestes ichneumon cafer - Cape Ichneumon Herpestes pulverulentus - Cape Grey Mongoose Atilax paludinosus - Water Mongoose Felis lybica cafra - Cape Wild Cat Felis serval - Serval Felis caracal - Caracal Panthera pardus melanotica - Leopard Loxodonta africana - African Elephant Procavia capensis - Cape Dassie Potamochoerus porcus koiropotamus - Bush Pig Pelea capreolus - Grey Rhebuck Tragelaphus scriptus sylvaticus - Cape Bushbuck Cephalophus monticola - Blue Duiker Oreotragus oreotragus - Cape Klipspringer Raphicerus melanotis - Cape Grysbok

[edit] Birds

Cape Spurfowl Red-necked Spurfowl Common Quail Helmeted Guineafowl Egyptian Goose African Black Duck Yellow-billed Duck Red-billed Teal Scaly-throated Honeyguide Greater Honeyguide Lesser Honeyguide Brown-backed Honeybird Knysna Woodpecker Cardinal Woodpecker Olive Woodpecker Crowned Hornbill African Hoopoe Green Wood-Hoopoe Narina Trogon European Roller Half-collared Kingfisher Malachite Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kingfisher Giant Kingfisher Pied Kingfisher Speckled Mousebird Red-faced Mousebird Red-chested Cuckoo Black Cuckoo Klaas's Cuckoo African Emerald Cuckoo Diederik Cuckoo Burchell's Coucal Alpine Swift African Black Swift Little Swift Horus Swift White-rumped Swift Knysna Turaco Barn Owl Cape Eagle Owl Spotted Eagle Owl African Wood Owl

Fiery-necked Nightjar Common Nightjar Rock Dove Speckled Pigeon African Olive Pigeon Lemon Dove Laughing Dove Cape Turtle Cove Red-eyed Dove Emerald-spotted Wood-dove Tambourine Dove Denham's Bustard African Finfoot Buff-spotted Flufftail Striped Flufftail Common Moorhen Red-knobbed Coot Common Whimbrel Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Wood Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Ruff Water Thick-knee Spotted Thick-knee African Black Oystercatcher Black-winged Stilt Grey Plover White-fronted Plover Blacksmith Lapwing Black-winged Lapwing Parasitic Jaeger (Arctic Skua) Kelp Gull Grey-headed Gull Caspian Tern Swift Tern Sandwich Tern Roseate Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Osprey

African Cuckoo Hawk Black-shouldered Kite African Fish Eagle Palmnut Vulture African Marsh Harrier Black Harrier African Harrier-hawk African Goshawk Little Sparrowhawk Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk Black Sparrowhawk Steppe Buzzard Forest Buzzard Jackal Buzzard Black Eagle Booted Eagle Martial Eagle Long-crested Eagle African Crowned Eagle Rock Kestrel Peregrine Falcon Little Grebe Red-tailed Tropicbird Cape Gannet African Darter Reed Cormorant Crowned Cormorant White-breasted Cormorant Cape Cormorant Little Egret Grey Heron Black-headed Heron Purple Heron Cattle Egret Green-backed Heron Black-crowned Night Heron White-backed Night Heron Dwarf Bittern Hamerkop Lesser Flamingo Hadeda Ibis African Sacred Ibis African Spoonbill

Greater Frigatebird African Penguin Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Southern Giant Petrel Pintado Petrel Blue Petrel White-chinned Petrel Black-headed Oriole Fork-tailed Drongo Blue-mantled Crested-flycatcher African Paradise-flycatcher Black-backed Puffback Southern Tchagra Southern Boubou Olive Bush-shrike Cape Batis Black Crow Pied Crow White-necked Raven Common Fiscal Grey Cuckooshrike Black Cuckooshrike Brown-throated Martin Barn Swallow White-throated Swallow Greater Striped Swallow Rock Martin Common House-martin Black Saw-wing Cape Bulbul Sombre Bulbul Terrestrial Bulbul Cape Grassbird Victorin's Warbler Long-billed Crombec Little Rush-warbler Knysna Warbler Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Willow Warbler Cape White-eye Grey-backed Cisticola Levaillant's Cisticola Neddicky

Karoo Prinia Bar-throated Apalis Bleating Warbler Cape Rock-thrush Olive Thrush Southern Black Flycatcher Fiscal Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher African Dusky Flycatcher White-starred Robin Cape Robin-chat Chorister Robin-chat White-browed Scrub-robin African Stonechat Red-winged Starling Black-bellied Starling Wattled Starling Common Starling Orange-breasted Sunbird Grey Sunbird Amethyst Sunbird Malachite Sunbird Collared Sunbird Southern Double-collared Sunbird Greater Double-collared Sunbird Cape Sugarbird Cape Weaver Yellow Bishop African Quailfinch Swee Waxbill Common Waxbill African Firefinch Pin-tailed Whydah House Sparrow Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Cape Wagtail Cape Canary Brimstone Canary White-throated Canary Protea Seedeater Streaky-headed Seedeater Cape Siskin Golden-breasted Bunting

[edit] Snakes

Typhlops delalandii - Pink Earth Snake Leptotyphlops nigricans - Black Worm Snake Lycodonomorphus rufulus - Brown Water Snake Lamprophis aurora - Aurora Snake Lamprophis inornata - Olive House Snake Boaedon fuliginosus - Brown House Snake Philothamnus hoplogaster - Green Water Snake Philothamnus natalensis - Natal Green Snake

Prosymna sundevallii - Southern Shovel-snout Pseudaspis cana - Mole Snake Duberria lutrix - Slug-eater Dasypeltis scabra - Common egg-eater Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia - Red-lipped Snake Amplorhinus multimaculatus - Reed Snake Dispholidus typus - Boomslang Psammophylax rhombeatus - Spotted Grass Snake

Psammophis crucifer - Cross-marked Grass Snake Elaps lacteus - Dwarf Garter Snake Hemachatus haemachatus - Rinkhals Naja nivea - Cape Cobra Causus rhombeatus - - Night Adder Bitis arietans - Puff Adder Bitis atropos - Berg Adder Bitis cornuta albanica - Hornsman Adder

[edit] Trees, Shrubs and Lianes

Acokanthera oppositifolia Allophylus decipiens Andrachne ovalis Apodytes dimidiata Berzelia intermedia Brachylaena glabra Brachylaena neriifolia Brunia nodiflora Buddleia saligna Buddleia salviifolia Burchellia bubalina Calodendrum capense Canthium mundianum Canthium obovatum Canthium pauciflorum Canthium ventosum Capparis sepiaria var. citrifolia Carissa bispinosa Cassine aethopica Cassine eucleaeformis Cassine papillosa Cassine parvifolia Cassine peragua Cassine tetragona Cassinopsis ilicifolia Celtis africana Chionanthus foveolatus subsp. foveolatus Chrysanthemoides monilifera Clausena anisata Clematis brachiata Clutia affinis Colpoon compressum Cunonia capensis

Curtisia dentata Cussonia thyrsiflora Cyathea capensis (L.f.) J.E. Sm. Cynanchum ellipticum Diospyros dichrophylla Diospyros glabra Diospyros whyteana Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia Dovyalis rhamnoides Ekebergia capensis Empleurum serrulatum Erica floribunda Euclea polyandra Euclea racemosa Euclea schimperi var. schimperi Euclea undulata Faurea macnaughtonii Ficus burtt-davyi Ficus sur Gnidia denudata Gonioma kamassi Grewia occidentalis Halleria lucida Hartogia schinoides Heteromorpha arborescens Hippobromus pauciflorus Ilex mitis Kiggelaria africana Lachnostylis hirta Laurophyllus capensis Leucadendron adscendens Leucadendron conicum Leucadendron eucalyptifolium

Leucospermum attenuatum Maerua cafra Maerua racemulosa Maytenus acuminata Maytenus heterophylla Maytenus peduncularis Melothria punctata Myrica humilis Myrica cordifolia Myrica serrata Nuxia floribunda Ochna arborea Ocotea bullata Olea africana Olea capensis subsp. capensis Olea capensis subsp. macrocarpa Olea exasperata Olinia cymosa Osyris compressa Passerina falcifolia Pittosporum viridiflorum Platylophus trifoliatus Podocarpus falcatus Podocarpus latifolius Polygala myrtifolia Protea cynaroides Protea mundii Protea neriifolia Prunus africana Psoralea pinnata Psychotria capensis Pterocelastrus rostratus Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus

Pyrenacantha scandens Rapanea melanophloeos Rhamnus prinoides Rhoicissus tomentosa Rhus chirindensis Rhus crenata Rhus glauca Rhus longispina Rhus lucida Rhus tomentosa Rhus undulata Rothmannia capensis Salix mucronata subsp. capensis Schefflera umbellifera Scutia myrtina Secamone alpini Schotia afra var. afra Schotia latifolia Scolopia mundii Scolopia zeyheri Sideroxylon inerme Sparmannia africana Strelitzia alba Strychnos decussata Tarchonanthus camphoratus Trichocladus crinitus Trimeria grandifolia Vepris lanceolata Virgilia oroboides Zanthoxylum capense Zanthoxylum davyi

[edit] References

• Southern Cape Forests and Trees - F von Breitenbach (Government Printer, Pretoria 1974) ISBN 0 621 00596 7
• A Checklist of Birds of Nature's Valley - Geoff McIlleron (Nature's Valley Trust 2005)

Coordinates: 33°58′50″S, 23°33′33″E

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