Photo credit: Protea cordata Fernkloof.com
Rodents like the Striped Mouse and the Cape Spiny Mouse play an important role in the fynbos. These rodents are attracted to the yeasty smell of ground proteas, visit them for a sip of nectar and in the process get a dusting of pollen on their foreheads. When they visit the next flower, the pollen is transferred, and so the mice contribute to pollination of these flowers. It is now thought that the spiny mouse has another important role – that of hiding fynbos seed nuts from other seed munchers. These little mice are like squirrels, hiding some of their food underground for another day. Some of the seeds are not retrieved and can safely germinate when the time is ripe.