SCBC Soutpansberg Highlights 2016

[rvanhuyssteen]

Hello everyone.

Another busy and exciting year at the SCBC in the Soutpansberg working on our reptile and scorpion assemblages. This season we visited many new habitats in the mountain and really experienced the magic of this biodiversity hotspot. Currently our project list stands at 92 species of reptile and 22 species of scorpion. Looking forward to another year in paradise. A lot of snakes so far this season record walk turned up nine snakes one night and a record drive we saw 18 snakes.

It's been interesting to see the difference in visible reptiles over a prolonged period, every month has it's own common species.

Hope you enjoy the pics and are inspired to get out there and enjoy our reptilian wildlife. I know that this forum definitley got me motivated and more active with regards to these animals. Thanks for looking.

Pelomedusidae


Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus), dorsal and ventral view. Photo Melissa Petford.


Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen

Testudinidae



Speke's Hinged Tortoise (Kinixys spekii). Photo Melissa Petford.


Hatchling Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) about the size of a golf ball, Lajuma. Photo Melissa Petford.


Chamaeleonidae


Northern Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion transvaalense). Photo Melissa Petford.


Flap-necked Chameleon (Chameleo dilepis). Photo Melissa Petford.

Gekkonidae


Pienaar's Flat Gecko (Afroedura pienaari). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Cryptic Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus incognitus). Image depicts extreme colour varaition in individual as it warmed up in the sun after exiting its refuge. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis). Photo Melissa Petford.


Transvaal Gecko (Pachydactylus affinis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Neonate Van Son's Gecko (Pachydactylus vansoni). The egg shells were still laying around. Photo Melissa Petford.


Adult Van son's Gecko (Pachydactylus vansoni). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Speckled Gecko (Pachydactylus punctatus). Photo Melissa Petford.


Neonate Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii). Photo Melissa Petford.


Homopholis wahlbergi saved from a cat. Photo Melissa Petford.


Muller's Velvet Gecko (Homopholis mulleri). Never thought I would ever see one of these. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Cordylidae


Common Girdled Lizard (Cordylis vittifer). Photo Melissa Petford.


Flat Dragon Lizard Typical form (Smaug depressus).


Flat Dragon Lizard eastern low altitude form (Smaug depressus).


Soutpansberg Flat Lizard (Platysaurus relictis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Gerrhosauridae


Orange-throated Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus flavigularis). Blue phase. Photo Melissa Petford.


Black-lined Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus intermedius). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Rough-scaled Plated Lizard (Broadlysaurus major). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Rough-scaled Plated Lizard, Broadleysaurus major. Photo Melissa Petford.


Giant Plated Lizard (Matabosaurus validus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Lacertidae


Spotted Sandveld Lizard (Nucras intertexta). Photo Melissa Petford.


Spotted Rough Scaled Lizard (Meroles squamulosus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Bushveld Lizard (Heliobolis lugubris). Photo Melissa Petford.

Scincidae


Cregoi's Legless Skink (Acontias cregoi). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Detail of Cregoi's Legless Skink. Photo Melissa Petford.


Stripe-bellied Legless Skink (Acontias kgalagadi subtaeniatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


White-bellied Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes limpopoensis albiventris). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Varanidae


Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Foraging Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus). Photo Melissa Petford.

Pythonidae


Southern African Rock Python (Python natalensis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Juvenile Southern African Rock Python (Python natalensis). Photo Melissa Petford.


Large Southern African Rock Python (Python natalensis). In ambush position. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Colubridae


Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus). Photo Melissa Petford.


Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen).


Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Lamprophiidae


Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Soutpansberg Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Soutpansberg Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra). Photo Melissa Petford.


Black-headed Centipede Eater (Aparallactus capensis). Photo Melissa Petford.


Reticulated Centipede Eater (Aparallactus lunulatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Bibron's Stilleto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii) Uniform phase. Photo Melissa Petford.


Bibron's Stilleto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii). Bicoloured phase. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Common House Snake (Boedon capensis). Photo Melissa Petford.


Large female Black File Snake (Gonionotophis nyassae). Photo Melissa Petford.


Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Common Wolf Snake (Lycophidion capense). Photo Melissa Petford.


Varigated Wolf Snake (Lycophidion varigatum). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Varigated Wolf Snake (Lycophidion varigatum). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Eastern Bark Snake (Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia). Photo Melissa Petford.


Montane or Cross-marked Sand Snake (Psammophis crucifer). Photo Melissa Petford.


Striped Skaapsteker in camouflage mode (Psammophylax tritaeniatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Two-stripped Shovel-snout (Prosymna bivittata). Photo Melissa Petford.


Lined Shovel Snout (Prosymna lineata). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


East African Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni). Usual phase. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


East African Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni). High altitude blue and yellow phase. Photo Melissa Petford.


Common Slug-eater (Duberia lutrix). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Elapidae


Shield-nosed Snake (Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus). Photo Melissa Petford.


Black Mamba (Denderoaspis polylepis) basking on warm cliff face on a cool night. Photo Melissa Petford.


Juvenile black mamba caught and released.


Long-tailed Garter Snake (Elapsoidea sundevallii longicauda). Photo Melissa Petford.


Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

[img]Viperidae[/img]


Puff Adder (Bitis arietans). Photo Melissa Petford.


Hatchling Puff Adder (Bitis arietans). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Snouted Night Adder (Causus defilippii). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Typhlopidae


Zambezi Giant Blind Snake (Megatyphlops mucruso). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.

Frogs


Northern Forest Rain Frog (Breviceps sylvestris taeniatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus edulis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Banded Rubber Frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Bubbling Kassina (Kassina senegalensis). Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Scorpions
Here are some pictures of amazing scorpions from the Soutpansberg.


Cheloctonus jonesii photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Opistophthalmus boehmi. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Opistophthalmus lawrenci Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Opistophthalmus glabrifrons mating. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Opistacanthus asper Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Hadogenes troglodytes killing Parabuthus transvaalicus. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Hadogenes soutpansbergensis Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Yellow Parabuthus mossambicensis. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Red Parabuthus mossambicensis. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Parabuthus transvaalicus. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.



Parabuthus transvaalicus photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Hottentotta trilineatus. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Uroplectes carinatus Photo Ryan van Huyssteen


Uroplectes chubbi eating a fellow Uroplectes chubbi. Photo Melissa Petford.


Uroplectes olivaceus. Photo Melissa Petford.


Uroplectes vittatus. Photo Melissa Petford.


Uroplectes triangulifer, two females fighting. Photo Ryan van Huyssteen.


Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation visit our blog http://soutpansbergcbc.blogspot.com

Thanks for looking!

[Westley Price]

Amazing post man a d a great variety of species.

I just love the picture of the Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia.

Thanx for posting.

[Pythonodipsas]

Lovely pictures!

[Superciliaris]

Oh my !! Reticulated Centipede Eater !!! That is such a nice looking snake !! Great work dude

[Superciliaris]

Are you actually on the slopes of the Mountains or in the surrounding flat areas too ? Any habitat pics ?

[rvanhuyssteen]

Thanks for looking.

The habitats were varied. Currently we try and limit our sampling to anything on Soutpansberg geology. So these finds are from very diverse habitats: afromontane forest, grassland, bushveld, lowveld, kalahari sands, woodland (various types including mopane and iron wood) and even right on top of the mountain fynbos! Some habitat shots below.

[Mitton]

Another great post, thanks for sharing.

You are very forunate to be able to do what you do, something most of us only get limited time to experience.

[Nick Evans]

Absolutely incredible finds Ryan! Good stuff Looks like you're having fun!

[Fooble]

Incredible thread!

Thanks for sharing.

[rvanhuyssteen]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

[mania]

Amazing finds and awesome photos too.