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I recently went on holiday to Kruger & the Lowveld. I thought I’d share my pics of all the herps & invertebrates that I came across. Please let me know if I’ve made an incorrect ID!
CHAMELEONS – Flapnecks (Chamaeleo dilepsis)
I saw a huge number of these on one day all over the place in Southern Kruger (near Berg en Dal). They were all crossing the road. I didn’t see them in this number before or after this day. I can only imagine that it had something to do with the weather. It was quite strange! I understand that chams are sexed according to the spur on their back feet as well as a swelling at the base of the tail. At what age do these features become apparent?
PICTURE 1 – a rather stressed specimen!
PICTURE 2 – another flapneck
PICTURE 3 – juvenile female
PICTURE 4 – juvenile female
PICTURE 5 – spotted on a night drive
CHELONIANS
My ID’s of these guys is terrible – these are my guesses
PICTURE 6 – Leopard tortoise (Geochelone pardalis)
PICTURE 7 – Sorry about the poor quality. Any ideas?
PICTURE 8 & 9 – I think Serrated Hinge Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus)
AMPHIBIANS
PICTURE 10 & 11 – This guy lay motionless all day in the thatch roof at Skukuza. In the evening, he climbed towards the thatch & seemed to lick it (I saw no bugs there) and then returned to his perch. I think he’s a Southern Foam Nest frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)
PICTURE 12 – Found in the pond at Skukuza camp – Sharp-nosed Grass Frog (Ptychadena oxyrhynchus)
PICTURE 13 – Also at Skukuza’s pond – I’m not sure of this one... I’d guess an Ornate Frog, but the neck colouring is wrong
PICTURE 14 – Another one from Skukuza’s pond – it was full of frogs!! Ornate frog (Hildebrandtia ornate)
PICTURE 15 – The resident toad at our bungalow at Skukuza – Eastern Olive Toad (Amietophrynus garmani)
PICTURE 16 – Juvenile something! Also at Berg en Dal. It was only about 10mm in size
PICTURE 17 – Hopping around Berg en Dal - think it’s another Southern Foam Nest Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)
LIZARDS
PICTURE 18 – These are all over Kruger. I haven’t seen them in KZN so they were a novelty for me. Think it’s a Five Lined Skink (Mabuya quinquetaeniata)
PICTURE 19 & 20 – This guy was a monster! We have loads of geckos in Durban, but this one was HUGE (15 cm) – I’m guessing a Thick Toed Gecko but which one?
PICTURE 21 – Cute Tropical House Gecko having a snack
PICTURE 22 – Okay this is cheating! I saw these Rock Monitors at Khamai Reptile Park near Hoedspruit – great spot with an impressive variety of beasties
SNAKES
I was very unlucky with snakes inside Kruger so I took the opportunity to photograph a few specimens at Khamai Reptile Park. We did an interactive tour, where you get to have more photo opportunities than usual. They offer a day long course for those interested in photography, where they provide good subjects throughout the day. Definitely on my to-do list!
PICTURE 23 & 24 – Cheating again! Boomslang at Khamai
PICTURE 25 & 26 – Black Mamba feeding time
PICTURE 27 – My single ‘wild’ snake – I saw this Puffie whilst on a night drive in the Berg en Dal region. Apologies for the poor photo quality – it’s the only one I managed to get
PICTURE 28 & 29 – Khamai’s Puffadder
PICTURE 30 – Khamai’s Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera) Lovely feisty animal!
ARACHNIDS
PICTURE 31 – Golden Orb Spider that I saw on a walk in Kruger
PICTURE 32 – Khamai’s Golden Brown baboon Spider – an endangered species found only in the Hoedspruit region
And, finally – this is my arm! Something bit me and the ring around it is an immune reaction, called a target lesion. Any ideas? I’m presuming a spider but i don’t know which one - it seems that only specific spiders produce this lesion
And that is it! Thanks for looking
