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Hi Okkie, I just had a look in the dictionary don't have anything else here at office!!

According to the dictionary a "platanna" is a Spur-toed frog or a platanna.

Don't know how that is going to sound in english.

Yes , spur-toed is also another description . The platanna gained " fame " for being used previously for testing to see whether a woman is pregnant or not . The frog would be injected or something with urine , and if it starts to lay eggs , then it means that the woman is pregnant

I just found this thread, its great!
There have been some bird names mentioned, like Spookvoel, Volstruis and Troupant.

One of my favourites is Witliesbosbontrokkie (Chinspot Batis). I'm not sure what it means though.

Another is Bontvisvanger (Pied Kingfisher).

Earlier on in the thread, its mentioned that Roan Antelope is Bastergemsbok. I always thought it was a Witpens? (And hence a Sable being a Swartwitpens).

Witliesbosbontrokkie= White groin bush variegated little dress

Josh , it is so called , because the roan antelope resembles a gemsbok - earlier settlers were of opinion that it was a cross between a gemsbok and another antelope , possible the sable .
In the same manner we get the : rooi hartebees for tsesebbe , as well as a " baster hartbees " for the lighter coloured " lichtenstein's hartbees ".
And interestingly , hartbees , comes from the fact that the face of the seems to be in the shape of a heart . Also a derivitive of the other afrikaans word : hert .

We were in Mokala last weekend and saw a lot of Bastergemsbokke.

We could not think were the name came from. Thank you Okie

And then of course there is the water mongoose , that goes by the afrikaans name of " kommetjiesgatmuishond " .
Directly translated : littledishholemousedog .
Now that brings up all sorts of mindpictures . Maybe it lives in a hole shaped like a dish , or maybe it has a dish-shaped --s . You take your pick of that

Thanks okie. I understood why it was called a Bastergemsbok, my question was more along the lines of is it also called a Witpens?

No Josh , in that case it appears that the afrikaans is just totally discriptive of the animal : Swartwitpens being Blackwhitebelly .

Josh you already mentioned some birdnames . Now consider the Kaapse Kapokvoel , directly translated : Cape Snowbird . This bird makes its nest from the white fluffy flower parts of a karoo plant , and which looks like snowflakes , hence Kapokvoel .
But it is the english name for this bird which intrigues me , namely : " Cape penduline tit " , and this brings a vision of , well ... ........ hanging there , swinging in the breeze

okie, sorry, but you've got them confused a bit here.
Red hartebeest = rooihartebees (Alcelaphus buselaphus)
Tsessebe = basterhartebees (Damaliscus lunatus)
Lichtenstein's hartebeest = Lichetenstein hartebees (Sigmoceros lichtensteinii)

(Latin names from 2000 version of Smithers - don't know if they've changed again.)

The Lichtenstein also has another interesting Afrikaans name - mofhartebees!

Wow, I'm happy to see that this thread is back on track.





Mofhartebees = Gay Hartebees.