TH's field herping in the Western Cape

TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby TH » Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:54 am

My last thread seems to have gotten a little long, so I thought I would rather start a new one…

Anyway, the last couple of months have been quite good around the Western Cape in terms of finding good stuff out in the field – here are a few of my finds since the beginning of September 2012. It’s been awesome to finally have some decent activity again and I hope it continues for a good while still… I even managed to find a couple of species that I had never seen before, so I was well chuffed… :D

Ocellated Thick-toed Gecko - Pachydactylus geitje
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Large-scaled Girdled Lizard - Cordylus macropholis
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Cuvier’s Blind Legless Skink - Typhlosaurus caecus
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Silvery Dwarf Burrowing Skink - Scelotes bipes
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Gronovi’s Dwarf Burrowing Skink - Scelotes gronovii
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Bloubergstrand Dwarf Burrowing Skink - Scelotes montispectus
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Common Slug-eater - Duberria lutrix
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Cape Worm Snake (aka Black Thread Snake) - Leptotyphlops nigricans
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Herald Snake - Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
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Spotted Skaapsteker - Psammophylax rhombeatus
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Karoo Sand Snake - Psammophis notostictus
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Spotted Harlequin Snake - Homoroselaps lacteus
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Puffadder - Bitis arietans
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Boomslang - Dispholidus typus
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Raucous Toad - Amietophrynus rangeri
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Striped Stream Frog - Strongylopus fasciatus
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Rattling Frog - Semnodactylus wealii
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Eastern Ghost Frog - Heleophryne orientalis
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Strawberry Rain Frog - Breviceps acutirostris
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Sand Rain Frog - Breviceps rosei
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Namaqua Rain Frog - Breviceps namaquensis
Image
follow my local exploits in the field at:
http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/

see my photos and longer trip reports at:
http://www.hardaker.co.za
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TH
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Lillypod » Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:17 am

I love the rain frogs! They have very cute faces.
3-1-4 Leopard Gecko
1-1-2 Bearded Dragon
0-1 Brown House Snake
2-3 Ball Python
1-1 Western Hognose
1-1 Kenyan Sand Boa
3-2 Corn Snake
0-0-1 Bosc Monitor
0-1 Taiwanese rat snake
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Bushviper » Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:23 am

Have you been excavating or something? How did you find all the fossorial reptiles and amphibians?
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Westley Price » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:14 pm

Some very nice find TH, and even better photographs!

Have you ever observed C. macropholis for a period of time? I'm curious as to how they behave. Other Cordylids bask on rocks, but of course this species shouldn't.

Do they even bask at all?
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby TH » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:38 pm

Thanks for the comments!

Bushviper, all of these animals were found through actively searching various areas, mostly looking under rocks, logs, junk lying out in the veld or scratching around in molehills or at the base of vegetation.

Westley, I very seldom see C. macropholis out in the open, but when I do, it is generally darting between patches of restios. I have never seen them out in the open basking. Most of the time, I just find them under things in the veld.
follow my local exploits in the field at:
http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/

see my photos and longer trip reports at:
http://www.hardaker.co.za
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Fooble » Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:50 pm

Stunning!

That fasciatus pic is beautiful!

Always enjoy your posts Trevor keep them coming!
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Robyn@TRR » Sat Oct 27, 2012 3:19 am

Geez, I guess rain frogs don't like having their pictures taken...
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby Kev » Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:53 pm

Great post as usual... I’m curious to know how common the Homoroselaps are?
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Re: TH's field herping in the Western Cape

Postby TH » Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:19 pm

Thanks Kev! They are not too uncommon, but I don't ever find them in large numbers anywhere in the Western Cape...
follow my local exploits in the field at:
http://hardakerwildlife.wordpress.com/

see my photos and longer trip reports at:
http://www.hardaker.co.za
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Location: Cape Town


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