Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Fooble » Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:35 am

Myself And Scavenger had been planning a this trip for ages, of course like all good plans we didn't stick to them at all
and landed up planning our route day by day.

We travelled some 1800km's from Durban Through The Eastern Cape.
Road cruising for snakes at didn't prove fruitful at all, hot Karoo Days turned into Afternoon Thunder showers with cold evenings.

We found the following species :

Lamprophis capensis -Brown House Snake
Lamprophis inornatus - Olive House Snake
Lamprophis aurora - Aurora House Snake
Leptotyphlops nigricans - Cape Worm Snake
Naja nivea - Cape Cobra
Psammophis crucifer Cross marked Whip Snake
Pachydactylus maculatus - Spotted Thick toed gecko
Chondrodactylus bibronii - Bibrons Gecko.
Hemidactylus mabouia - Tropical House Gecko
Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf gecko
Afrogecko sp.
Trachylepis sulcata - Western Rock Skink
Acontias meleagris orientalis - Striped Legless Skink
Pseudocordylus microlepidotus
Cordylus cordylus - Cape Girdled Lizard
Varanus albigularis - Rock Monitors
Agama atra Southern Ground Agama
Chersina angulata - Angulate Tortoises
Geochelone pardalis - Leopard Tortoise
Pelomedusa subrufa - Marsh Terrapin
Kassina sengalensis - Bubbling Kassina
Strongylopus grayii Clicking Stream Frog.


Acontias meleagris orientalis

Image

Image

Image

Pachydactylus maculatus

Image


Image

Image

Gravid Female With Eggs At Communal nest site.
Image

Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf gecko
Image

Hemidactylus mabouia
Image

Chondrodactylus bibronii Habitat
Image

Image

Image

Angry Chondrodactylus
Image

Varanus albigularis

First Road Kill Monitor we found thsi guy was still much alive but the lower half of it's jaw was broken.
Image

Image

Another Monitor.
Image

Image

Image

Pseudocordylus Basking Early morning.
Image

Cordylus cordylus - Basking
Image

Image

Image

Image

Agama atra

Image

Image

Image

Habitat
Image

Lamprophis inornatus - Olive House Snake

Image

Image


Image

Psammophis crucifer

Image

Lamprophis aroura
Image

Lamprophis capensis
Image

Naja nivea
Image

Geochelone pardalis
Image

Image

Image

Chersina angulata
Image

Image

Habitat
Image

Kassina senegalensis Bubbling Kassina
Image

DOR - Aardwolf
Image

Wind Mill.
Image

Not So Vegetarian after all ;)
Image
Organized crime comes in more forms than one.
User avatar
Fooble
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Umhlanga, Durban - KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby charl.dbn » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:07 am

haha awesome pictures bud..i would love to just jump in my car and cruise..pitty about some of those dead animals though..
User avatar
charl.dbn
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 128
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 4:51 pm

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Pythonodipsas » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:18 am

Very nice pics. Even with little road-cruising you still got a nice species list. BTW. The P. crucifer pic looks to me like P. notostictus.
`
If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes, you'll just have to claw your way through this disguise.
Roger Waters & David Gilmour - 1979
User avatar
Pythonodipsas
SAReptiles Techie
 
Posts: 3167
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 1:32 pm
Location: Ramsgate, KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Mitton » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:21 am

Sounds like it was a good trip, nice pics.
Glad to see the Land Rover is not the one I know. :D
www.moreliapythons.co.za
User avatar
Mitton
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 3206
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 12:32 pm
Location: Jhb

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Silvrav » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:35 am

Hey Fooble

Sould've given me a call while you were crusing through the EC... Can show you some nice spots.

And nice pictures.
Carpet Python - Morelia spilota cheynei
User avatar
Silvrav
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 1074
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2010 5:47 pm
Location: Pretoria East, Johannesburg, South Africa

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby alexander » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:39 am

Great post
Life is but a glimpse of triumph amongst incomprehensible failure.
User avatar
alexander
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 1228
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:39 pm
Location: CAPE TOWN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Fooble » Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:41 am

Pythonodipsas wrote:Very nice pics. Even with little road-cruising you still got a nice species list. BTW. The P. crucifer pic looks to me like P. notostictus.


Thanks Craig, Sam also had some disagreement with me on the Psammophis ID.
Reason i went with my initial ID was the ventral coloration of this snake was bright orange which is consistent with P.crucifer ive found in the past. I've never found P.notostictus so i wouldn't know how to differentiate between the two can you give me some insight?

Silvrav - I guess that would have been a good idea next time ;)

Mitton - That defender is a BEAST we were quite upset it wasn't ready before the trip or else we would have taken it.
Organized crime comes in more forms than one.
User avatar
Fooble
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Umhlanga, Durban - KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby sega » Mon Feb 07, 2011 12:38 pm

Great pics that naja nivea has insane colour pity its dead :( .
1.0.0 red tailed boa
0.1.0 snow corn snake,1.0.0 male butter corn snake,1.1.0 candy cane corn snakes,1.0.0butter stripe\motley,amel motley
User avatar
sega
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 447
Joined: Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:31 pm
Location: Mcgregor western cape

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Pythonodipsas » Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:22 pm

Tyrone I think it is P. notostictus because of the slender build (crucifer are usually fatter and more chunky) - Also the white facial markings seem typical for notostictus. I have also found them often and this resembles one.

In what habitat was it found? P. notostictus seem also more common in dry karroid regions whereas P. crucifer prefers moister montane and coastal grasslands.
`
If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes, you'll just have to claw your way through this disguise.
Roger Waters & David Gilmour - 1979
User avatar
Pythonodipsas
SAReptiles Techie
 
Posts: 3167
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 1:32 pm
Location: Ramsgate, KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Westley Price » Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:36 pm

Very cool post Fooble!

I also feel that Psammophis is is P. notostictus.

I had a look at the A. atra pics and I have a feeling that might be A.aculeata. A. atra have smaller tubercles on the back and they usually aren't in such straight rows, but rather scattered.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
User avatar
Westley Price
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 4019
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:25 am
Location: South Africa

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Fooble » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:05 pm

Thanks for the Info Craig.
Well that one was found on the road ( see pic of the road alongside is habitat more drier karroid as you say.
Thanks though i didnt even realise it!

Thanks Wes you may be right also.

I must say some of these animals i ahve never found so i feel like quite the n00b now messing up the ID's ;)
Organized crime comes in more forms than one.
User avatar
Fooble
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Umhlanga, Durban - KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Westley Price » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:11 pm

Haha, you also ID'd the olive-coloured snake wrong.

It's not Lamprophis inornatus, it's Lycodonomorphus inornatus :twisted:
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
User avatar
Westley Price
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 4019
Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:25 am
Location: South Africa

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Fooble » Mon Feb 07, 2011 8:18 pm

westley wrote:Haha, you also ID'd the olive-coloured snake wrong.

It's not Lamprophis inornatus, it's Lycodonomorphus inornatus :twisted:


Hay! Easy there Ive seen the paper but for the majority of the forum who haven't i was not going t confuse!

Thanks --- :smt021
Organized crime comes in more forms than one.
User avatar
Fooble
Forum gatekeeper
 
Posts: 5319
Joined: Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:32 am
Location: Umhlanga, Durban - KZN

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Scavenger » Mon Feb 07, 2011 11:14 pm

Wow nice pics Tyrone was definitely an awesome trip :) My pics will have to wait till I organise a better internet connection.
Knowledge talks, wisdom listens
Scavenger
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 587
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:47 am

Re: Trip Through The Eastern Cape

Postby Bushviper » Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:07 pm

Fooble wrote:
westley wrote:Haha, you also ID'd the olive-coloured snake wrong.

It's not Lamprophis inornatus, it's Lycodonomorphus inornatus :twisted:


Hay! Easy there Ive seen the paper but for the majority of the forum who haven't i was not going t confuse!

Thanks --- :smt021


Next time just call them L. inornatus.
It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Those who are afraid to ask are ashamed of learning.
User avatar
Bushviper
Founder Member
 
Posts: 17358
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:02 am
Location: Pretoria

Next

Return to Eastern Cape

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests

cron