Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

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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Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Fooble » Tue Feb 07, 2012 10:59 am

In the early hours of January 25th 2012 Myself and Scavenger set off on our Journey Through The Eastern Cape Eventually finding our way to our final destination of George in the Western Cape.
We covered all most 2000km's over 8 day's Stopping in many one Horse towns (like Outdshoorn much to jka's excitement i may add) , long nights and even longer Karoo roads not something all that welcome when you need to stay awake.
We traversed through the Eastern Cape Grasslands , Thicket , Western Cape Fynbos , Nama Karoo , and eventually some Montane Habitat in the Western Cape.

It's almost inconceivable once you get out in the middle of no where with town names like "Ugie" you truly realize the massive expanse of this Country, of which I'm sure many people never bother to explore and it's real shame.
There's so much beauty in this Country we experienced besides the huge range of biodiversity of Reptiles , Amphibians , Mammals and Bird species
Seeing a Female Bat Eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis) with three cubs at 01:00am running along an quiet Karoo road is just one of those moments.


To cut a long story short here is a comprehensive list of Reptile and Amphibian Species we Encountered During The time.

Amphibians.
Amietia fuscigula - Cape river Frog
Amietophrynus rangeri - Racous Toad
Bufo gariepensis - Karoo Toad
Cacosternum boettgeri - Boettger's Dainty Frog
Heleophryne regis - Southern Ghost Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus verrucosus - Painted Reed Frog ( Southern Sub Species)
Strongylopus grayii - Clicking Stream Frog
Tomopterna tandyi - Tandy's Sand Frog

Snakes
Aspidelaps lubricus - Cape Coral Snake
Bitis arietans - Puff Adder
Bitis atropos - Berg Adder.
Boaedon capensis - Brown House Snake
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia - Herald Snake
Dispholidus typus - Boomslang
Duberria lutrix - Southern Slug Eater
Lycodonomorphus inornatus - Olive Snake
Naja nivea - Cape Cobra
Pseudaspis cana - Mole Snake

Lizards/Skinks/Geckos/Tortoises
Acontias melagris - Cape Legless Skink
Afrogecko porphyreus - Marbled Leaf Toed Gecko
Agama aculeata - Southern ground Agama
Bradypodion damaranum - Knysna dwarf chameleon
Bradypodion gutturale - Robertson/Little Karoo Dwarf Chameleon
Chersina angulata - Angulate Tortoise
Chondrodactylus bibronii - Bibrons Gecko
Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf gecko ( Not Naturally Occurring In Western Cape ,
Ninurta coeruleopunctatus - Blue Spotted Girdled Lizard
Pachydactylus maculatus - Spotted gecko
Trachylepis sulcata - Western Rock Skink Juvinile
Pedioplanis lineoocellata - Spotted Sand Lizard
Pelomedusa subrufa- Marsh terrapin
Stigmochelys pardalis - Leopard Tortoise
Trachylepis capensis -Cape Skink
Tetradactylus seps - Short Legged seps


Acontias melagris - Cape Legless Skink
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Afrogecko porphyreus - Marbled Leaf Toed Gecko
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Agama aculeata - Southern ground Agama
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Pelomedusa subrufa- Marsh terrapin
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Bufo gariepensis - Karoo Toad
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Amietia fuscigula - Cape river Frog
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Trachylepis sulcat - Western Rock Skink Juvinile
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Pedioplanis lineoocellata - Spotted Sand Lizard

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Amietophrynus rangeri - Racous Toad
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Male Calling for Females
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Chondrodactylus bibronii - Bibrons Gecko
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Pachydactylus maculatus - Spotted gecko
Specimen from Eastern Cape
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Another Specimen from the Western Cape
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Bradypodion gutturale - Robertson/Little Karoo Dwarf Chameleon
A tricky chameleon to find , we only found a few thankfully it was quite obliged to having it's photo's taken.
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Cacosternum boettgeri - Boettger's Dainty Frog
Very small species of frog again differing in colour somewhat from what i am used to seeing in Kwa Zulu Natal
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Stigmochelys pardalis - Leopard Tortoise
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An Unlucky one
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Chersina angulata - Angulate Tortoise
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Bitis arietans - Puff Adder
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Long Road to nowhere.
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Dispholidus typus - Boomslang
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Pseudaspis cana - Mole Snake

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Roughing In - Escaping The Mid Day heat.
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Heleophryne regis - Southern Ghost Frog
Habitat - Note the dark colour of the water , although it seems dirty the water is actually crystal clean.

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Extremely flat head of the Ghost Frog
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Strongylopus grayii - Clicking Stream Frog
Unusually darker then normal because of the very dark rich waters of the forest where it was found.
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Tomopterna tandyi - Tandy's Sand Frog
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Aspidelaps lubricus - Cape Coral Snake

This we found interesting, we came across this snake crossing the road when we confronted it it hooded and hissed like most do, after a short while it fell flat to the ground rolled up into a loose 8 shape ( much like the Shovel Snout snakes do) and just lay still. At this point we thought it was dead upon closer inspection and rolling the snake out it then returned to the loose 8 position once more. I handled the snake and it showed no signs of life at all.
Thinking we could use the snake as a nice preserved specimen we put it in a small container only to notice upon closing the lid the snake raised up hooded and started to hiss as almost back to normal. Has any one ever heard or seen these snakes display this type of behavior almost as if it shammed death?

In the almost comatose position
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Boaedon capensis - Brown House Snake DOR
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Another DOR
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Common Pancake Phase - Cape Coral Snake
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Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia - Herald Snake.
Herald snakes from the Western Cape are much more olive in colour and allot prettier then their Kwa Zulu Natal counterparts.
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Lycodonomorphus inornatus - Olive Snake
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Duberria lutrix - Southern Slug Eater
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Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf gecko
Interesting species to find, as their distribution doesn't naturally include the Western Cape at All. These were found in abundance in a Suburban garden in George.
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Naja nivea - Cape Cobra.

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Bradypodion damaranum - Knysna Dwarf Chameleon
The colour difference between individuals males and females is astounding.

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Close Up on Skin
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Females are not nearly as vibrant as the males.
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Male Displaying To Another Male
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Ninurta coeruleopunctatus - Blue Spotted Girdled Lizard
Strange adaption these Lizards actually have several BLUE scales scattered around their body which glint in the sun when they bask during the day.
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Taking a break on a Koppie over looking some small town along the way.
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Sam Taking in the view.
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If only this was true.
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Down Time entering finds in Journal
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I almost forgot...
Habitat of Bitis atropos - Berg Adder.
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For Size Indication
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Photo Taken By Scavenger.
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Thanks for looking.

Tyrone.
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Westley Price » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:05 am

I am getting SO tired of saying this to you every single bloody post, but great photography and even greater finds!

This is the type of trip every single member of this forum dreams about. I'm sure you guy had so much fun that all those kms just flew by.

That last picture is awesome. Shows the habitat nicely.

Thanx for sharing man. For me, post of the year so far!
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Mitton » Tue Feb 07, 2012 11:56 am

Fantastic post, amazing finds and even better photography.
I'm struggling to pick my favourite picture. Stunning Berg Adder and Cape Cobra! Well done!

westley wrote:For me, post of the year so far!

Seconded
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby nvlooi » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:04 pm

A fantastic post!

Your photography is brilliant and the amount of effort(not effort if you enjoy it) pays off!

A nice selection of animals across the field!

Thanks for sharing mate - we ALL appreciate it!


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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Smeegle » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:17 pm

westley wrote:I am getting SO tired of saying this to you every single bloody post, but great photography and even greater finds!


Haha, coudn't have said it better!

This has to be the most epic post ever! The finds are amazing and the photography is up to its usual awesome standard!

Well done, Guys! Fooble, you are going to be famous! I hope you have backups of all your millions of photo's :D
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Scavenger » Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:44 pm

Haha Tyrone, I don't know if I want to put my Photo's up any more ;) Yours are crazy good!! That Berg Adder was definitely the find of the trip :D Will post my select few when I get the time ;)
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Qball » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:43 pm

Some really nice finds. Cape coral still top of my list though! The DOR one seemed really bright...pity.
Must have been an epic trip, thanks for sharing!
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby jka » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:03 pm

It was great meeting fellow maniacs from so far away!

The roadcruising was fun, Tyrone was so gay with excitement when Scavenger saw the banana peel on the road.

Great photos like usual, such nice finds.
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby it_bit_me » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:27 pm

Don't worry man , I caught a banana peel , 2 naartjie skille en n debonairs pizza the other night.
If I'm gonna be an old, lonely man, I'm gonna need a thing, you know, a hook, like that guy on the subway who eats his own face. So I figure I'll be Crazy Man with a Snake, y'know. Crazy Snake Man. And I'll get more snakes, call them my babies, kids won't walk past my place, they will run. "Run away from Crazy Snake Man, " they'll shout!”
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Groenslang » Tue Feb 07, 2012 2:32 pm

F@kit... Great photos Mr. Ping! Next time I offer my services as cook/car washer/whatever you want it to be. Looks like it was an epic trip
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Scavenger » Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:44 pm

Rian don't forget that juicy looking chicken wing, that you were eyeing on the road and asked me to fetch twice ;)
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby D@RRYL » Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:26 pm

Awesome pics! Awesome trip!

Man those pics were epic espcially the berg adder my favorite......

Nicely done Tyrone

Thanks for sharing>>>>....
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby vuduman » Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:42 pm

Definately a great trip and great pictures.I love the broad bands on the corals and must agree,that DOR coral was stunning.Perfect N.nivea and beautiful B.atropos.That little ghost frog is stunning too.Huge congratulations guys !
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby armata » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:51 pm

Good Stuff Tyrone. I am so glad you found the berg adder on the pass. Theye are a mission to find but well worth the effort.
That photo of the pool that was nr the bridge yes? Like to know more about the ghost frog as well.

Cheers well done.
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Re: Eastern And Western Cape , January 2012

Postby Durban Keeper » Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:24 pm

Im just in absolute awe.

What an incredible list of finds. Will make a more constructive comment once I've actually had the chance to take it all in! Well done guys!
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