Plenty plenty plenty!

Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:34 pm

Good day all

I am currently completing my Masters degree in Environmental Management and my research focus is in reptile ecology at two Highveld Naure Reserve. My one research site is in the Northern Free State and the other in Gauteng.

On a day out, conducting research (in short, herping) I came across the game rangers telling me where all the reptiles are................... and there are lots! I wont say where but in literally 2 minutes I found 3 Rhombic Egg Eaters, 3 red-lips, 1 Spotted Harlequin Snake, 3 Thin-tailed Legless Skinks, 2 Bibron's Blind Snakes, a few Thread Snakes and 1 Cross-marked Sand Snake. This site is literally crawling with reptiles. You get your hot spots and your cold spots in reptile abundance even over a short distance, this site is a boiling spot there are so many snakes!!!!!!!!

The ranger told me 4 days ago that he caught a Rinkhals, Aurora House Snake, Brown House Snake and (Barrel Snake huh?). I will upload pics and post them soon. My research has changed from 'what's there' to 'what's not there' hahaha. Some rain has just fell so ill go out tomorrow again.

The egg eaters ate weaver eggs that I 'stole' cause the snakes were so skinny. These eggs were rather far in incubation but the egg eaters still swollowed the contents of these eggs. The one red-lip got a frog and another a chameleon of mine that died. Fattening these snakes up before I release them as winter is dry and harsh this site.
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Fooble » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:05 pm

All those snakes you mention often will be found in the exact same micro habitat.
Some pictures would be great to see.
BTW you're not cutting ant hills are you?
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: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:16 pm

Fooble this was not in termite mounds. I will be exploiting termite mounds later as the nature reserve is expanding its access routes and there are a few old mounds in the way. I told the rangers I want to come in the day before and relocate all the species before they get bulldozered.
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:17 pm

Image
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:19 pm

Image
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Fri Mar 09, 2012 11:20 pm

Image
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Mr Venom » Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:43 am

Nice find CC, I hope we find as much when we go herping either today or tomorrow!

Thanks for sharing
1.1.0 B.C. Imperator
User avatar
Mr Venom
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 634
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:34 pm
Location: Roodepoort

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Westley Price » Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:18 am

Always good to have many finds, even if they're common species.

But usually this type of herping is very destructive, like flipping termitaria, breaking up rotting logs etc.

I would assume a "Barrel Snake" is a Slug-eater.

How was your hand smelling after the terrapin?
"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: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chameleon Company » Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:27 am

The destruction is minimal, mainly flipping rocks and night searches after rain. The only time I will be opening termite mounds is when the proposed new rock is to be developed.

My hand smelt as pleasant as a sewage hahahaha............
2:2 Pseudaspis cana
1:2 Dasypeltis scabra

And yes they are all on permit.
Chameleon Company
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 240
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:28 am
Location: West Rand

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby Chris Anderson » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:49 pm

Chameleon Company wrote:Good day all

I am currently completing my Masters degree in Environmental Management and my research focus is in reptile ecology at two Highveld Naure Reserve. My one research site is in the Northern Free State and the other in Gauteng.

On a day out, conducting research (in short, herping) I came across the game rangers telling me where all the reptiles are................... and there are lots! I wont say where but in literally 2 minutes I found 3 Rhombic Egg Eaters, 3 red-lips, 1 Spotted Harlequin Snake, 3 Thin-tailed Legless Skinks, 2 Bibron's Blind Snakes, a few Thread Snakes and 1 Cross-marked Sand Snake. This site is literally crawling with reptiles. You get your hot spots and your cold spots in reptile abundance even over a short distance, this site is a boiling spot there are so many snakes!!!!!!!!

The ranger told me 4 days ago that he caught a Rinkhals, Aurora House Snake, Brown House Snake and (Barrel Snake huh?). I will upload pics and post them soon. My research has changed from 'what's there' to 'what's not there' hahaha. Some rain has just fell so ill go out tomorrow again.

The egg eaters ate weaver eggs that I 'stole' cause the snakes were so skinny. These eggs were rather far in incubation but the egg eaters still swollowed the contents of these eggs. The one red-lip got a frog and another a chameleon of mine that died. Fattening these snakes up before I release them as winter is dry and harsh this site.


As a biologist I view Environmental Management as a field dedicated to mitigating the effect of human activities on natural resources and the environment. I'm curious, however, how artificially manipulating the survival of individuals, and potentially introducing pathogens to a wild population in the process, furthers the nature of your research and the overall goal of Environmental Management as a whole? Were the snakes you fed malnourished and skinny due to human interference or natural causes? Why would you ever feed a wild animal a captive exotic pet (chameleon in this case) that had died in captivity for whatever reason (was not euthanatized as a healthy specimen for the purpose of feeding but died) and then release it back into the population? These actions seem in direct contrast to the purpose of the Environmental Management field and particularly in contrast to any study focusing on reptile ecology.

Chris
Christopher V. Anderson, Ph.D.
Department of Integrative Biology
University of South Florida
cvanders@mail.usf.edu
Professional Website: http://www.chamaeleonidae.com
Chameleons! Online E-Zine: http://www.chameleonnews.com
Chameleon Care & Information Center (CCIC): http://www.chameleoninfo.com
User avatar
Chris Anderson
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:26 pm
Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Re: Plenty plenty plenty!

Postby monopeltis » Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:07 am

I concur,

I would also put money on these finds being from a termite mound. I can only assume though.
User avatar
monopeltis
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 280
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 1:28 am
Location: Bellville


Return to Free State

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

cron