After a decent amount of planning in the beginning of the year it was finally time to head to Namibia.
Leaving my home city of Durban (South Africa), I travelled to Johannesburg and then connected to Windhoek, Namibia for the next 9 days.
Although there wasn't all that much time for herping days on end I certainly made the most of it. Hope you enjoy the images.
Trip outline:
No chance the bags will get opened up to take a few things
Bitis peringueyi - Peringuey's Adder.
Chamaeleo namaquensis - Namaqua Chameleon
Chondrodactylus turneri -Turners Gecko
Dendroaspis polylepis - Black Mamba
Dayspeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater.
Meroles reticulatus - Retculated Desert Lizard
Meroles suborbitalis - Spotted Desert Lizard
Pachydactylus puntactus - Speckled Gecko
Pachydactylus maraisi - Marais's Gecko
Pachydactylus rangei - Namib Web Footed Dune Gecko
Rhoptropus barnardi - Barnards namib Day Gecko
Rhoptropus bradfieldi - Bradfields Namib Day Gecko
Just want you want to see when on a trip.
The iconic snake of the Namib Desert. Bitis peringueyi - Peringuey's Adder.
Even when you're in the middle of nowhere news travels fast!
The gravel plains with small shrubs dotted around it, home to Bitis caudalis and notable Chamaeleo.
This was something I've always wanted to see since I was a kid. A dream find you could say. Chamaeleo namaquensis - Namaqua Chameleon
They switch it up as soon as they venture onto the gravel plains
These are one of the most common geckos across Namibia Chondrodactylus turneri - Turners Gecko
They're fairly large robust geckos.
Behind the scenes
Another extremely common snake across Southern Africa Dayspeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater.
Small male
Towards Walvis Bay through Dorob National Park.
Trying to catch these Meroles reticulatus - Retculated Desert Lizards is something else.
This technique seemed to work rather well!
The equally as quick Meroles suborbitalis - Spotted Desert Lizard
Classic sights, social Weaver Bird nests, Naja nivea are known to frequent these but I wasn't in luck this time.
Found numerous individuals within a few feet fo each other under some rocks on the gravel plains Pachydactylus puntactus - Speckled Gecko
Hatchling
Adults
Long days in the field when the sun only goes down around 20:30pm
Another huge find for me on this trip was this nondescript little gecko Pachydactylus maraisi - Marais's Gecko.
Described only as recently as 2011 and renamed after one of the masters in Southern African herpetology Johan Marais.
Commonly seen benath small rocks amongst larger boulders:
In the middle of nowhere, or so I thought.
Another Icon of the Namib Palmatogecko rangei - Namib Web Footed Dune Gecko
After 45mins in the sweltering afternoon sun chasing down this Rhoptropus I finally managed some photographs.
Rhoptropus barnardi - Barnards namib Day Gecko
A little car trouble.
Another common species that inhabits the large round black boulders along the coastline Rhoptropus bradfieldi - Bradfields Namib Day Gecko
Habitat:
Unforynately darker specimen with lost tail.
Thanks for looking!
More images over on http://www.tyroneping.co.za