All Over Namibia

Accounts and photos of non-captive reptiles in their natural habitat in South Africa. Try to record with your account details such as time of day/night, temperature, weather conditions, lunar cycle, sex, rough age of reptile, and so on.

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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Ruan Stander » Thu Sep 10, 2015 8:51 am

The time has come.
Beautiful specimen of an already wonderful species. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Westley Price » Fri Sep 11, 2015 7:51 am

Thanx guys.

I wanted to get a decent picture of its teeth because they have some monster choppers, but they stress so easily that I didnt want to spend too much time working with it.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Westley Price » Mon Mar 28, 2016 5:30 pm

So I havent posted in this topic for a while for two reasons; firstly I havent been herping much and secondly even when I have gone herping, I havent found much to write home about.

This past weekend I decided that it was time to get a lifer under the old belt for the first time in a while so I drove to the west coast in search on Bitis peringueyi. Most dwarf Bitis actually bore me, but there has always been something about B. peringueyi which had tickled my fancy. Probably their strange morphology with the eyes being so weird.

So off I set for two days to the coast in search of this little gem.

During my search I spotted three sets of tracks so characteristic of this little adder, it's side-winding locomotion.

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So after two sets of tracks ran dry over harder, gravelly patches, I again tracked the third set of tracks to another such hard patch, but then I realised....who is to say I am actually tracking in the right direction? The tracks have no real sense of direction so I set off in the opposite direction. back to where I started and then further in the other direction.

After Brian Maritz's recent studies on Bitis schneideri showed that they dont move much per day, I was expecting peringueyi to be the same, but I SERIOUSLY followed these track for like 200m. That is 200m it must have traveled in one night as it was very windy the previous night. For a 20cm snake that is INSANE!

So after nearly giving up hope, I saw a little spot in the flawless desert sand which looked disrupted so I approached expectantly... Could you believe it, my first Bitis peringueyi! all alonw in the desert I literally screamed with excitement/relief/pleasure once I saw the snake was still in there. Super chuffed.

Without further ado, here are some in-situ shots of Bitis peringueyi.

Here is the little disrupted spot I saw from a distance.

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The little guy snuggled up in the sand.

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And that's pretty much it. Hope you enjoyed the pics as much as I enjoyed finding the snake! I know they are relatively common, but there's nothing like ticking a lifer off the list.

Cheers
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby levi_20 » Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:38 am

Magic
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Mitton » Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:07 am

That is awesome Westley. Thanks for the story and pics.
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Westley Price » Tue Mar 29, 2016 8:05 pm

Thanx guys
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby GCol » Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:59 am

Beautiful photo's. Such an amazing place there. Thanks for the post.
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Mehelya » Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:14 am

Like finding a needle in a haystack... Amazing photos Westley. Looks absolutely dead as far as diversity and life is concerned, but that place must be teeming with life that is adept at hiding in the harsh environment.
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Ruan Stander » Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:49 am

Great find. Something I would love to see. Thanks for the post.
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Warren Klein » Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:37 am

Great find Westley, and all the better after tracking it down yourself. Makes me want to go back to South West to find mine!
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Chopper 1 » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:49 pm

Beautiful story - i know the feeling as i have done it as well and man it is awesome how our creation just fits so perfectly together in harmony (excluding the human part though). Brought a HUGE smile to my face just reading this post :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby Westley Price » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:41 pm

Thanx guys. Appreciate the feedback.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: All Over Namibia

Postby reptile » Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:42 am

Amzing observation!!!
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