Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and more.

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and more.

Post by Nick Evans »

I'm from Durban, South Africa, and go up to Northern KwaZulu Natal often to see what I can find. It's an awesome area, with many different ecosystems and some amazing animals. I usually stay at Umkhumbi Lodge, just outside the town of Hluhluwe, owned by Anton Roberts. It's perfectly situated to explore the whole area, and it's a great place for snakes!

Isimangaliso Wetland Park

Image

Setaro's Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion setaroi). This endangered species is quite common in the park. It ranges from the St.Lucia just into Southern Mozambique.

Image

St.Lucia Estuary

Image

Mission Rocks Beach

Image

View from Bats Cave at Mission Rocks

Image

The bats in the cave

Image

False Bay

Image

Ongoye Forest

Image

Umlalazi Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion caeruleogula) from the Ongoye Forest. This species is only found in 3 forests in KZN.

Image

Kosi Bay, near the Mozambique border. Some interesting snake species are found in this area.

Image

Shield-nose Snake(Aspidelaps scutatus spp). Only the second one found in the province of KZN. Awaiting DNA tests to see which subspecies it is.

Image

Image

East-African Egg-eater (Dasypeltis medicii). A fairly rare snake.

Image

Rhombic Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra)

Image

Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis)

Image

Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia). Along with the Rhombic Egg-eater and Brown House Snake, it is probably the most common snake found, especially while cruising on the roads at night. All 3 species are harmless.

Image

Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) eating a Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)

Image

Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus)

Image

Common File Snake (Gonionotophis capensis) Quite a rare and sought after harmless species.

Image

East-African Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmannii)

Image

Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca).

Image

Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera)

Image

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica) A very common snake throughout most of its distribution. It never seems to run out of venom!

Image

Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)

Image

Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) One of the few sexually dimorphic species in South Africa. Females are usually brown while males are usually green.

Image

Southern Stiletto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii). A primarily cytotoxic species responsible for many bites. All though not fatal, bites are painful and cause some damage!

Image

Image

Southern Africa Python (Python natalensis) Africa's largest snake.

Image

Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko (Homopholis wahlbergi). The largest gecko species in the area.

Image

Lowveld Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes bidigittatus)

Image

Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink (Panaspis wahlbergi)

Image

Water Monitor (Varanus niloticus)

Image

Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis). A large, common species.

Image

Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)

Image

Perfect frog habitat in Hluhluwe. Many interesting frog species can also be found cruising on the roads at night after some rain.

Image

Delicate Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus delicates)

Image

Pickersgill's Reed Frog (Hyperolius delicates). Critically Endangered.

Image

Tinker Reed Frog (Hyperolius tuberilinguis)

Image

Brown-backed Tree Frog (Leptopelis mossambicus)

Image

Natal Tree Frog (Leptopelis natalensis)

Image

Southern Foam-nest Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)

Image

Red-legged Kassina (Kassina maculate)

Image

Banded Rubber Frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus). A poisonous species.

Image

Mozambique Rain Frog (Breviceps mossambicus)

Image

Knocking Sand Frog (Tomopterma krugerensis).

Image

Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus marmoratus)

Image

Sharp-nosed Grass Frog (Ptychadena oxyrhynchus)

Image

Bushsqueaker (Arthroleptis wahlbergi)

Image

Red Toad (Schismaderma carens)

Image

Carrion Beetles feeding off a dead Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis)

Image

Dung Beetle

Image

Yellow-legged Tree Scorpion (Opisticanthus asper)

Image

Roman or Sun spider (Solufugid spp)

Image

The Imfolozi River

Image

Here's some photos of some of the animals that I saw in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve. You don't need to go to Kruger to see the Big 5.

African Elephant

Image

Lion

Image

Charging White Rhino!

Image

Wild Dogs

Image

There's still plenty more to see in the area!
User avatar
Dr. Dark
Posts: 380
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:39 pm
Location: Concord TWP, Ohio

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Dr. Dark »

Fantastic post!!! Awesome photography and great variety of herps! That pic of the carrion beetles on the monitor is both gruesome and compelling! :beer:
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Nick Evans »

Thanks! Yes, the Carrion Beetles were very interesting. I had never heard of them before!
User avatar
Jeroen Speybroeck
Posts: 826
Joined: June 29th, 2011, 1:56 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Jeroen Speybroeck »

Fantastic indeed!!! Too many cool species, outstanding photography. Now I rrreally need to get overthere some day...
User avatar
TravisK
Posts: 774
Joined: July 8th, 2010, 11:14 am
Location: Eastern Washington

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by TravisK »

Super Cool, I always love African post. Thanks for sharing this with us.
User avatar
Soopaman
Posts: 924
Joined: March 18th, 2012, 7:34 pm
Location: Houston, Texas

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Soopaman »

Awesome post. We don't often get to see pics of snakes from Africa.
User avatar
cbernz
Posts: 547
Joined: March 16th, 2011, 12:28 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by cbernz »

Excellent shooting. The snakes were cool, but the frogs take the cake for me. I'd go to SA just to see that Rubber Frog. The Mottled Shovelnosed Frog is awesome too. Are there amphibians besides frogs in southern Africa? Sals or caecilians?
User avatar
walk-about
Posts: 567
Joined: June 14th, 2010, 12:04 pm
Location: 'God's Country' aka western KY
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by walk-about »

Nick,

Fantastic post! Your pictures could grace the pages of any natural history fieldguide. The cave shot opening out into the surf is my personal favorite. Were all those bats found there? Incredible cross section of south African serpents and Anuran as well. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

Rock ON!

Dave
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Nick Evans »

Thanks guys!

cbernz, no, there are no other amphibians except frogs in Southern Africa. I'm not too sure about the rest of Africa though.

Dave, thanks very much! Yes all those bats were found there. It's quite a small cave, but there's thousands of bats! There's quite a few species too. You can hear them when you approach the cave!
User avatar
Eitan
Posts: 35
Joined: June 13th, 2010, 12:14 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Eitan »

Sensational! Terrific pics of a fantastic variety. Some very cool looking frogs, and a great collection of snakes. Thanks also for throwing in some wonderful habitat shots, as well as a few bonus mammals. I hope to get a glimpse of a few reptile species during my safari in October in and around Kruger, but KZN looks like it would be a great choice for a dedicated herp trip.

Thanks for sharing!

Eitan
User avatar
Brian Willey
Posts: 100
Joined: June 21st, 2010, 6:32 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Brian Willey »

Very cool post! I especially enjoyed some of those anurans.
User avatar
Trey
Posts: 156
Joined: October 1st, 2010, 9:40 pm
Location: NE OHIO

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Trey »

Absolutely stunning post! Love love love the aspidelaps, South Africa is high on my bucket for sure.
ChadHarrison
Posts: 139
Joined: June 29th, 2012, 1:45 pm
Location: Illinois

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by ChadHarrison »

Spectacular post! I'd kill to make it over there some day.
User avatar
Rich in Reptiles
Posts: 494
Joined: November 30th, 2012, 7:45 am
Location: Missouri

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

This is like all of South Africa's finest packed into one post! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the shield-nosed cobra and the shovel-nosed frog!
User avatar
Rich in Reptiles
Posts: 494
Joined: November 30th, 2012, 7:45 am
Location: Missouri

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Rich in Reptiles »

Yikes. Just realized Trey said "love love love" too! :oops: lol. That's what i get for not reading all the comments!
User avatar
Scott Lupien
Posts: 56
Joined: June 15th, 2010, 5:15 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Scott Lupien »

Wow, Nick! You certainly did a lot better than I did in South Africa last year and your photos are way more awesome as well! Perhaps we can hook up in 2014 for some herping. I'm there a lot and love to look for herps in my free time. I live in China, but my safari business keeps in Africa about half of the year (unfortunately not the best herping time, though.)
Scott
User avatar
justinm
Posts: 3423
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 5:26 am
Location: Illinois
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by justinm »

Stellar post. I was glued to this post. The frog diversity was so amazing. I had thought that if I ever made it, I would hunt for snakes and large mammals. You've made me really rethink what my activities would be. Keep posting these pictures were great, thanks so much.
User avatar
Roki
Posts: 199
Joined: January 23rd, 2012, 10:08 am
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Roki »

Awesome post! Inspires me to get over to South Africa. The snake and mammal shots are great, but I was also surprised by the diversity of frogs you found. Thanks for sharing.
Roki
Jacob
Posts: 122
Joined: July 1st, 2010, 8:07 pm

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Jacob »

Great stuff! I almost took advantage of the St. Lucia beaches, but couldn't pull myself away from my research this past Feb. Thanks for posting!
User avatar
IllinoisGuy
Posts: 55
Joined: June 14th, 2013, 2:17 pm
Location: St. Louis

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by IllinoisGuy »

Wow, what an incredible diversity. Some of those frogs are truly amazing!
User avatar
Mike VanValen
Posts: 2074
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:41 pm
Location: Connecticut
Contact:

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Mike VanValen »

Can I come visit? :beer:

There is one caecilian sp. nearby in Malawi and Tanzania. Kirk's Caecilian (Scolecomorphus kirkii).
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Nick Evans »

Thanks for the comments! Hope to meet some of you here for some herping!
Durban Keeper
Posts: 39
Joined: August 29th, 2011, 11:26 pm

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Durban Keeper »

Excellent post Nick! I know you put a great deal of time & effort into getting these images. It shows in the quality of your work!
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Nick Evans »

Thanks Dean! Appreciate it!
NACairns
Posts: 372
Joined: December 30th, 2013, 7:27 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by NACairns »

Great post, great photos and I love the diversity of anurans. Were all those frogs from that one wetland in Hluhluwe?
User avatar
Nick Evans
Posts: 71
Joined: February 6th, 2014, 9:21 am

Re: Northern KZN, South Africa- Reptiles, Amphibians and mor

Post by Nick Evans »

Thanks! No, some were found in St.Lucia and a lot were found on the roads at night after rain in Hluhluwe.
Post Reply