Karoo are exposed. These are locally known as the Cango Group, but are probably continuous with the Malmesbury Group that forms the base of Table Mountain on the Cape Peninsula, and similar outcrops in the Western Cape. In the Little Karoo, the outcrop is composed of limestone, into which an underground stream has carved the impressively extensive Cango Caves. The Great Karoo and Little Karoo lie almost entirely within two of South Africa’s eight botanical biomes, namely the Succulent Karoo biome and the Nama Karoo biome, both of which, like the Karoo Geological System, are more extensive than the geographical or
Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden such as the succulents of the unique Robertson Karoo vegetation type, and patches of the threatened Breede Shale Renosterveld vegetation type. The cultivated area, with its network of pathways, includes a very large succulent collection. Including the greenhouses it maintains nearly 3,000 species. There are another 400 plant species that are naturally indigenous to the garden's premises. A range of wild animals also naturally occurs in the garden, including the shrub hare, grey mongoose, three tortoises species ("Chersina angulata", "Stigmochelys pardalis" & "Homopus areolatus") and a range of other small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden The