Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian niceness)
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- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian niceness)
Alright, I decided to break my trip report into two parts as otherwise it’d end up being a megapost whereas this will just a couple of pretty long posts. So here’s part 1 of our southern African road trip From Johannesburg, SA to Gobabeb Training and Research Centre in Namibia and back (and then a bit).
Our group consisted of seven herpetologists of four nationalities, including a couple of famous herpetology professors. The idea was to piss about (mostly me as I was just on holiday) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Joburg for a day or two, then pack our stuff into an 8-seater VW Combi and take a 5000+km road trip to the Herpetological Association of Africa meeting in Gobabeb, have some fun and do some herping along the way.
University of the Witwatersrand.
Origins museum.
Trachylepis punctatissima.
Lygodactylus capensis.
I stayed at the dear professor’s house for the first couple of nights before setting off. The lizards above were found in his garden. Unfortunately, despite electric fences, the house got robbed a day before setting off and along with the professor’s home electronics, they got my unpacked backpack, lenses and flash, so pretty much everything but my daybag (on that day, a laptop + camera with one lens). Having been left with limited camera gear and only the clothes I was wearing, we made a dash for the camera- and clothes shops where I spent a significant amount of money on a 105mm Micro-Nikkor and an SB-910 flash. Also some classy, cheap clothes. Having managed to get everything super-quickly and just before closing time, we set off to the Namaqualand coast at 4am.
4am start.
First amphibian was found at our first bathroom stop. Xenopus laevis.
DOR boomslang.
A must-do for any herpetologist visiting the region. A photo by the Pofadder sign.
Guilty.
After a 1460km drive from Joburg, we finally arrived at the coast. The site is super-interesting for herping as both Bitis cornuta and B. schneideri occur there.
Our accommodation was basic but comfy, and the location was stunning.
After settling in for an hour or so, we spent the final daylight doing what herpers do.
Karusasaurus polyzonus. A cool cordylid.
Found a couple of lizards, but were quickly ready for a braai and bed. The view next morning was pretty stunnig.
Ready for herping.
Acontias littoralis.
Scelotes sexlineatus. Notice the individual “only” having hind legs.
Came across an ostrich nest. Got us very alert very quick looking for the adults that may be nearby and ready kick the s*it out of us.
Karusasaurus polyzonus, in situ. A difficult species to get close to.
Meroles knoxii.
The reality of herping.
A grumpy, gravid buthid.
Flipping in a ghost town abandoned by De Beers employees after the mining had finished.
Acontias littoralis. There are two distinct morphs.
Scelotes sexlineatus. Unfortunately with the tail lost.
Pachydactylus labialis.
Evening at the coast. We went out looking for mainly Bitis, although it was prime time for looking for herps in general.
And luckily enough, we found a beautiful, female Bitis schneideri. “Fully grown” with a total length of around 200mm.
After a braai and a good night’s sleep it was time for some slightly different type of habitat further inland. Meroles ctenodactylus.
Trachylepis variegata.
Psammophis crucifer.
Horrible photos, but this is noosing an agama out of the window of our van.
And here it is. A gravid Agama hispida. Measured and sampled for tissue.
Acontias namaquensis. A cool little lizard, but a bastard to get any decent photos of.
Chondrodactylus bibroni.
Another Pachydactylus labialis.
Goggia lineata. It just happened to be on the same piece of wood as the Pachydactylus from before.
Ooh, what’s this? The fellas have found something.
Bitis schneideri male. Total length around 150mm.
Another lovely snake. Psammophylax rhombeatus.
After this we hopped back in the car and set off to Namibia for a few days and then back to SA. A report of that will follow in a few days when I have the time.
Happy Saturnalia, Christmas, holidays etc. Which ever you prefer.
Our group consisted of seven herpetologists of four nationalities, including a couple of famous herpetology professors. The idea was to piss about (mostly me as I was just on holiday) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Joburg for a day or two, then pack our stuff into an 8-seater VW Combi and take a 5000+km road trip to the Herpetological Association of Africa meeting in Gobabeb, have some fun and do some herping along the way.
University of the Witwatersrand.
Origins museum.
Trachylepis punctatissima.
Lygodactylus capensis.
I stayed at the dear professor’s house for the first couple of nights before setting off. The lizards above were found in his garden. Unfortunately, despite electric fences, the house got robbed a day before setting off and along with the professor’s home electronics, they got my unpacked backpack, lenses and flash, so pretty much everything but my daybag (on that day, a laptop + camera with one lens). Having been left with limited camera gear and only the clothes I was wearing, we made a dash for the camera- and clothes shops where I spent a significant amount of money on a 105mm Micro-Nikkor and an SB-910 flash. Also some classy, cheap clothes. Having managed to get everything super-quickly and just before closing time, we set off to the Namaqualand coast at 4am.
4am start.
First amphibian was found at our first bathroom stop. Xenopus laevis.
DOR boomslang.
A must-do for any herpetologist visiting the region. A photo by the Pofadder sign.
Guilty.
After a 1460km drive from Joburg, we finally arrived at the coast. The site is super-interesting for herping as both Bitis cornuta and B. schneideri occur there.
Our accommodation was basic but comfy, and the location was stunning.
After settling in for an hour or so, we spent the final daylight doing what herpers do.
Karusasaurus polyzonus. A cool cordylid.
Found a couple of lizards, but were quickly ready for a braai and bed. The view next morning was pretty stunnig.
Ready for herping.
Acontias littoralis.
Scelotes sexlineatus. Notice the individual “only” having hind legs.
Came across an ostrich nest. Got us very alert very quick looking for the adults that may be nearby and ready kick the s*it out of us.
Karusasaurus polyzonus, in situ. A difficult species to get close to.
Meroles knoxii.
The reality of herping.
A grumpy, gravid buthid.
Flipping in a ghost town abandoned by De Beers employees after the mining had finished.
Acontias littoralis. There are two distinct morphs.
Scelotes sexlineatus. Unfortunately with the tail lost.
Pachydactylus labialis.
Evening at the coast. We went out looking for mainly Bitis, although it was prime time for looking for herps in general.
And luckily enough, we found a beautiful, female Bitis schneideri. “Fully grown” with a total length of around 200mm.
After a braai and a good night’s sleep it was time for some slightly different type of habitat further inland. Meroles ctenodactylus.
Trachylepis variegata.
Psammophis crucifer.
Horrible photos, but this is noosing an agama out of the window of our van.
And here it is. A gravid Agama hispida. Measured and sampled for tissue.
Acontias namaquensis. A cool little lizard, but a bastard to get any decent photos of.
Chondrodactylus bibroni.
Another Pachydactylus labialis.
Goggia lineata. It just happened to be on the same piece of wood as the Pachydactylus from before.
Ooh, what’s this? The fellas have found something.
Bitis schneideri male. Total length around 150mm.
Another lovely snake. Psammophylax rhombeatus.
After this we hopped back in the car and set off to Namibia for a few days and then back to SA. A report of that will follow in a few days when I have the time.
Happy Saturnalia, Christmas, holidays etc. Which ever you prefer.
Re: Southern Africa
Awesome, waiting for more pics.
Re: Southern Africa
What is it?
Re: Southern Africa
Stunning picture. Is it Aspidelaps lubricus?
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
I didn't mention the species on purpose. It's an Aspidelaps lubricus.cbernz wrote:What is it?
edit: MCHerper got it before my post.
Re: Southern Africa
I can't take credit for knowing it without using google, but I wanted to see some of the snake fauna in Namibia based on your post. Really looking forward to seeing more!!
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
Photos still not sorted, but got a stomach bug, so got a lot of time, so will produce a proper post soon enough. Meanwhile, have another one. Bitis schneideri. The smallest viper in the world. This is a mature female with a total length of about 20cm.
- Jeroen Speybroeck
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Re: Southern Africa
Cool!!!Martti Niskanen wrote:Photos still not sorted, but got a stomach bug, so got a lot of time, so will produce a proper post soon enough. Meanwhile, have another one. Bitis schneideri. The smallest viper in the world. This is a mature female with a total length of about 20cm.
Somewhat of a sidewinder or Cerastes sp. lookalike, wouldn't you agree?
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
Very much so, but much cooler. Wouldn't use the word "lookalike", but take that as nitpicking. Crotalus cerastes are more "flinky/jumpy", schneideri not so: More the fat type. This one was posed after collection (returned to the collection spot a few hundred meters away), but in situ photos will follow. Mighty cool and stunning little things.Jeroen Speybroeck wrote: Cool!!!
Somewhat of a sidewinder or Cerastes sp. lookalike, wouldn't you agree?
S*it like this with the right people make field herping great.
Btw, there are Bitis peringueyi-photos coming.
- The Real Snake Man
- Posts: 405
- Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
- Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX
Re: Southern Africa
You didn't by any chance make this trip with Harry W. Greene and Graham Alexander, did you?Martti Niskanen wrote:Very much so, but much cooler. Wouldn't use the word "lookalike", but take that as nitpicking. Crotalus cerastes are more "flinky/jumpy", schneideri not so: More the fat type. This one was posed after collection (returned to the collection spot a few hundred meters away), but in situ photos will follow. Mighty cool and stunning little things.Jeroen Speybroeck wrote: Cool!!!
Somewhat of a sidewinder or Cerastes sp. lookalike, wouldn't you agree?
S*it like this with the right people make field herping great.
Btw, there are Bitis peringueyi-photos coming.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
I certainly did, but I'd like to know who's asking.The Real Snake Man wrote: You didn't by any chance make this trip with Harry W. Greene and Graham Alexander, did you?
- The Real Snake Man
- Posts: 405
- Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
- Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX
Re: Southern Africa
Haha cool! I'm a "facebook friend" of Professor Greene's, and I saw that same small viper (at least, the same kind) on his posts not too long ago. It just seemed likely to me that your two trips coincided closely enough as to have been the same trip!Martti Niskanen wrote:I certainly did, but I'd like to know who's asking.
-Gene
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
Yea, spent a good 2 weeks+ with the professors Alexander and Greene and other great naturalists. All were Perfect gentlemen with great knowledge to share.The Real Snake Man wrote: Haha cool! I'm a "facebook friend" of Professor Greene's, and I saw that same small viper (at least, the same kind) on his posts not too long ago. It just seemed likely to me that your two trips coincided closely enough as to have been the same trip!
- The Real Snake Man
- Posts: 405
- Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
- Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX
Re: Southern Africa
Oops, I didn't realize more detail would be nice. Gene Vaughan is my full name, I'm an 18-year-old herper who spent his life in South Texas and is now enjoying (or dying at the hands of) the incredibly rigorous curriculum of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). I looked up Professor Greene after reading his remarkable book "Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature." Other than that, I have no real connection with him.Martti Niskanen wrote:"Gene" hardly covers it, but I'll let it go
-Gene
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa
Fair enough and appreciate the input, TRSM, cheers. Harry and Graham are cool guys with extensive knowledge.The Real Snake Man wrote: Haha cool! I'm a "facebook friend" of Professor Greene's, and I saw that same small viper (at least, the same kind) on his posts not too long ago. It just seemed likely to me that your two trips coincided closely enough as to have been the same trip!
-Gene
Sorry, Gene. Didn't mean to get your details public. Delete at will.
- The Real Snake Man
- Posts: 405
- Joined: June 12th, 2010, 4:08 pm
- Location: Pasadena, CA or Mission, TX
Re: Southern Africa
Oh, it's not a big deal. That's just a condensed version of stuff that anyone could find out about me online if they looked in enough places (mainly, here and facebook). I look forward to the whole post, and I must say I'm envious of your company on this trip.
-Gene
-Gene
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Just a bump to make the update visible.
-
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Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
And Mr. Dwarf Bitis himself, Bryan Maritz...
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
It's "Dr.". We didn't do any small snake jokes.gabrielgartner wrote:And Mr. Dwarf Bitis himself, Bryan Maritz...
I doubt he reads this forum, but a great thank you to Bryan as he invited me to join this mötley crüe.
- Jeroen Speybroeck
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Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Good stuff. Cool to see how some of sandrunner lizards resemble unrelated(?) species of the northern hemisphere.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Cheers. Definitely some high level of convergence.Jeroen Speybroeck wrote:Good stuff. Cool to see how some of sandrunner lizards resemble unrelated(?) species of the northern hemisphere.
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Awesome post, man. Can't wait to see Bitis peringueyi, those have always been dream snakes to me.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Cheers, Rupert. I'll get the photos up as soon as possible. All dwarf Bitis are pretty special animals. Unfortunately there's a lot of collecting and smuggling, so seeing them in the wild is difficult, but pretty special.Ruxs wrote:Awesome post, man. Can't wait to see Bitis peringueyi, those have always been dream snakes to me.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 1 is up)
Southern Africa part deux. After setting off from the beautiful Namaqualand coast we hit the SA/Namibia border early morning. Due to their past relations, SA and Namibia have significant political and social friction, so a border crossing can be a bit of a hassle. We were going to a congress, but not really working, so we wanted (free) tourist visas. Surely enough Gobabeb Training and Reseach Centre came up at some point and we ended up staying at the Namibian immigration for about two and a half hours. We ended up telling immigration our plan and told them we had tongs and hooks (a big nono) in the van. They wanted to check the car but gave up seeing that it was full of backpacks, rucksacks, rubbish and biltong. In the end we were let off, but it was made very clear that we’d be in major trouble if caught with reptiles in Namibia.
Due to collecting and smuggling, they’re really wary of herpers in Namibia, which is great, but obviously frustrating for a conservation-minded group who have no intention to collect anything. Still, I prefer them being arses if it cuts collecting and smuggling even a bit.
After a lot of driving and a nights stop in Mariental, we headed for Gobabeb, a reseach station in the middle of nowhere just between the sand dunes sea and the gravel desert in the Namib.
5am. start. Again.
During the drive, we made a couple of random stops for herps. Not much luck.
Weaver nest .
Itsy bitsy and a bit red.
We made a few dodgy and potentially dangerous shortcuts on the way. Here we are at about 3800m asl. Getting ready to descend to the Namib with an outside temperature of 41 deg.C. Alone and without potential backup if something goes wrong.
Kuiseb river just before Gobabeb. The river runs (or doesn’t) just next to the research station.
Gobabeb. A dream-like location between the gravel desert and dunes. A mighty cool place.
Arrival after a long, stressful drive.
Registration for the congress. In the photo are a couple of living herpetology legends: Bill Branch and Aaron Bauer. There’s also a Johan Marais and a James.
Our glamorous accommodation. We had access to UV torches, but didn’t check the site for scorpions. Apparently the trees are full of them. Out of sight, out of mind.
Notice the survival kit in the boot.
After settling in, we headed straight for the beautiful dunes.
White lady spider, Leucorchestris arenicola. Not small.
And boom! The special species everyone wants to see. A stunningly beautiful little thing. Pachydactylus rangei.
Chondrodactylus turneri.
No braai that night, but a bit of food, mingling and a good sleep in the tent. The talks started the next morning. Here’s Prof. Graham Alexander giving the intro talk.
The talks went on through all the day and in the evening we took off to the dunes for a sundowner or two.
Gravel desert.
Roptropus afer with a certain Harry in the background.
What a struggle coming up, and it flipping was. Being short and fat with short legs with a backpack full of camera gear doesn’t really work with steep, high sand dunes. Notice the (lovely) idiotholes carrying up coolboxes full of beer.
After the group photo, little birds started to twitter about an interesting sighting. We knew what it would be and a scout was sent to confirm it. After descending the dune he gave us the thumbs up and off we followed and saw this stunner of a beast.
Bitis peringueyi.
Dune-sundowners were easily forgotten, so we took photos of the beautiful snake and headed back off to the Research Centre. At a place like this, one doesn’t want to waste time or opportunities, so we were off again after sunset. Someone had a brilliant setup for spotting the eye-glare of geckoes, so we were pretty successful.
Ptenopus garrulus.
The toes of a Ptenopus:
Eye lick:
Ptenopus kochi.
Chondrodactylus angulifer. One monster of a cool lizard.
Next morning:
Spotting Roptropus.
And there it is. R. boultoni.
A Ptenopus burrow:
Something found.
Trachylepis occidentalis.
Meroles suborbitalis.
That was the end of Gobabeb. On the way back to Joburg we spent the night in a very cool moon unit.
And on our way out, a Trachylepis sparsa.. THIS IS SPARSA! (sorry).
On our way to some protected area, we saw a bunch of ground squirrels around a burrow. The whole setup just screamed Naja, but unfortunately we didn’t see one.
Me with a rock hyrax. One of us in the photo found a cool, fat mammal. You decide which one.
Sister species, anyone? Seriously and sans Wikipedia.
Agama anchitae.
Another one for the reality of herping –book. A cemetery with pre-dug graves = pitfall traps.
Typhlops schinzi. Possibly the longest one recorded. A note may follow.
Aspidelaps lubricus. A megacool species one just doesn’t find.
Trachylepis variegatus.
Sporkion
Later on in the day we had our last stopover and of course went road-cruising and flipping.
Pachydactylus rugosus. A lovely species living up to its scientific name.
Pachydactylus purcelli and a photo I’m very happy with. The specimen is twitchy and around 25mm svl.
After a 10+h drive on the day, we reached Joburg. We then decided to take a four hour drive to a posh house in Rooiberg, north of Joburg. We got there just at prime road cruising time.
Chamaeleo dilepis.
Tomopterna cryptotis.
We spent the next day doing some light herping and relaxing. I also managed to break my own rule of always taking a voucher photo of any species. I was handed a flipped Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia which shot away as I was trying to pose it for a photo. No voucher, dammit.
Amietia angolensis.
Flipping.
Another scorpion.
More road cruising and a Chamaeleo dilepis:
Gerrhosaurus flavigularis. The scientific name is obviously misleading.
Rain next morning got our hopes up for finding frog-eaters on the road, but only found this: A flattened Causus rhombeatus.
After this, it was back to Joburg and a couple of long flights and a bus ride home to soggy, cold Finland. In total, a very cool trip with some fantastic people, beautiful locations and nice herping.
Oh, and some new camera gear, a big Visa bill and an upcoming struggle with the insurance company.
I hope you enjoyed. More photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pahakyy/s ... 826709475/
Due to collecting and smuggling, they’re really wary of herpers in Namibia, which is great, but obviously frustrating for a conservation-minded group who have no intention to collect anything. Still, I prefer them being arses if it cuts collecting and smuggling even a bit.
After a lot of driving and a nights stop in Mariental, we headed for Gobabeb, a reseach station in the middle of nowhere just between the sand dunes sea and the gravel desert in the Namib.
5am. start. Again.
During the drive, we made a couple of random stops for herps. Not much luck.
Weaver nest .
Itsy bitsy and a bit red.
We made a few dodgy and potentially dangerous shortcuts on the way. Here we are at about 3800m asl. Getting ready to descend to the Namib with an outside temperature of 41 deg.C. Alone and without potential backup if something goes wrong.
Kuiseb river just before Gobabeb. The river runs (or doesn’t) just next to the research station.
Gobabeb. A dream-like location between the gravel desert and dunes. A mighty cool place.
Arrival after a long, stressful drive.
Registration for the congress. In the photo are a couple of living herpetology legends: Bill Branch and Aaron Bauer. There’s also a Johan Marais and a James.
Our glamorous accommodation. We had access to UV torches, but didn’t check the site for scorpions. Apparently the trees are full of them. Out of sight, out of mind.
Notice the survival kit in the boot.
After settling in, we headed straight for the beautiful dunes.
White lady spider, Leucorchestris arenicola. Not small.
And boom! The special species everyone wants to see. A stunningly beautiful little thing. Pachydactylus rangei.
Chondrodactylus turneri.
No braai that night, but a bit of food, mingling and a good sleep in the tent. The talks started the next morning. Here’s Prof. Graham Alexander giving the intro talk.
The talks went on through all the day and in the evening we took off to the dunes for a sundowner or two.
Gravel desert.
Roptropus afer with a certain Harry in the background.
What a struggle coming up, and it flipping was. Being short and fat with short legs with a backpack full of camera gear doesn’t really work with steep, high sand dunes. Notice the (lovely) idiotholes carrying up coolboxes full of beer.
After the group photo, little birds started to twitter about an interesting sighting. We knew what it would be and a scout was sent to confirm it. After descending the dune he gave us the thumbs up and off we followed and saw this stunner of a beast.
Bitis peringueyi.
Dune-sundowners were easily forgotten, so we took photos of the beautiful snake and headed back off to the Research Centre. At a place like this, one doesn’t want to waste time or opportunities, so we were off again after sunset. Someone had a brilliant setup for spotting the eye-glare of geckoes, so we were pretty successful.
Ptenopus garrulus.
The toes of a Ptenopus:
Eye lick:
Ptenopus kochi.
Chondrodactylus angulifer. One monster of a cool lizard.
Next morning:
Spotting Roptropus.
And there it is. R. boultoni.
A Ptenopus burrow:
Something found.
Trachylepis occidentalis.
Meroles suborbitalis.
That was the end of Gobabeb. On the way back to Joburg we spent the night in a very cool moon unit.
And on our way out, a Trachylepis sparsa.. THIS IS SPARSA! (sorry).
On our way to some protected area, we saw a bunch of ground squirrels around a burrow. The whole setup just screamed Naja, but unfortunately we didn’t see one.
Me with a rock hyrax. One of us in the photo found a cool, fat mammal. You decide which one.
Sister species, anyone? Seriously and sans Wikipedia.
Agama anchitae.
Another one for the reality of herping –book. A cemetery with pre-dug graves = pitfall traps.
Typhlops schinzi. Possibly the longest one recorded. A note may follow.
Aspidelaps lubricus. A megacool species one just doesn’t find.
Trachylepis variegatus.
Sporkion
Later on in the day we had our last stopover and of course went road-cruising and flipping.
Pachydactylus rugosus. A lovely species living up to its scientific name.
Pachydactylus purcelli and a photo I’m very happy with. The specimen is twitchy and around 25mm svl.
After a 10+h drive on the day, we reached Joburg. We then decided to take a four hour drive to a posh house in Rooiberg, north of Joburg. We got there just at prime road cruising time.
Chamaeleo dilepis.
Tomopterna cryptotis.
We spent the next day doing some light herping and relaxing. I also managed to break my own rule of always taking a voucher photo of any species. I was handed a flipped Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia which shot away as I was trying to pose it for a photo. No voucher, dammit.
Amietia angolensis.
Flipping.
Another scorpion.
More road cruising and a Chamaeleo dilepis:
Gerrhosaurus flavigularis. The scientific name is obviously misleading.
Rain next morning got our hopes up for finding frog-eaters on the road, but only found this: A flattened Causus rhombeatus.
After this, it was back to Joburg and a couple of long flights and a bus ride home to soggy, cold Finland. In total, a very cool trip with some fantastic people, beautiful locations and nice herping.
Oh, and some new camera gear, a big Visa bill and an upcoming struggle with the insurance company.
I hope you enjoyed. More photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pahakyy/s ... 826709475/
- Paul Freed
- Posts: 130
- Joined: November 10th, 2013, 12:14 pm
- Location: Pacific Northwest (Oregon) U.S.
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Fantastic post, Martti! So many outstanding herps. Your post brought back so many wonderful memories of herping in that region. I was quite impressed at the turnout at Gobabeb, especially given the remoteness of the place. Nice also to see a good representation of women at the conference. (By the way, does Mary Seely still work there?) It goes without saying that observing Bitis peringueyi makes the entire trip worthwhile, not to mention Bitis schneideri. The Ptenopus were another outstanding find. All yours seem to be females, did you find any males? Finding herps in a cemetery is certainly a novel way to collect. Exactly how big was your Rhinotyphlops schinzi? I collected two specimens back in 1990 that were both larger than the previous record of 255 mm (one was east of Springbok, South Africa and that one was 283 mm [total length] and the other was collected east of Luderitz, Namibia and it measured 293 mm [total length]). I published a brief note in Herpetological Review about that [Herp Rev. 23(3):82]. The Pachydactylus rugosus are another spectacular species, well done! All the stories, together with your great photography made this an extremely enjoyable post. Thanks for sharing, Martti!
-Paul
-Paul
-
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Awesome post! I had a feeling I'd be seeing Stu's mug show up in this post
- Martti Niskanen
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Thank you, Paul. The turn-out was great, but one has to again take into account the politics and the remoteness of Gobabeb.Paul Freed wrote:Fantastic post, Martti! So many outstanding herps. Your post brought back so many wonderful memories of herping in that region. I was quite impressed at the turnout at Gobabeb, especially given the remoteness of the place.
Mary Seely is there and gave the first talk of the congress and told us about the history of Gobabeb.
I'm a very happy bunny.Paul Freed wrote:It goes without saying that observing Bitis peringueyi makes the entire trip worthwhile, not to mention Bitis schneideri.
Paul Freed wrote:The Ptenopus were another outstanding find. All yours seem to be females, did you find any males?l
People need to appreciate how cool finding Ptenopus are. Not an easy task. The ones in the photos were what we found. My first time there, so no idea of gender.
Then again. I've tried to explain the significance of finding dwarf Bitis to non-herpers. Doesn't work.
I can't remember and didn't write the length down.Paul Freed wrote:Finding herps in a cemetery is certainly a novel way to collect. Exactly how big was your Rhinotyphlops schinzi? l
Thank you, Paul. Much appreciated. P. rugosus was certainly a beautiful species.Paul Freed wrote:The Pachydactylus rugosus are another spectacular species, well done! All the stories, together with your great photography made this an extremely enjoyable post. Thanks for sharing, Martti!
-Paul
- Martti Niskanen
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Stu rocks. Just don't tag.Asnyder wrote:Awesome post! I had a feeling I'd be seeing Stu's mug show up in this post
edit: And thanks.
- Paul Freed
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Paul Freed wrote:
The Ptenopus were another outstanding find. All yours seem to be females, did you find any males?l
People need to appreciate how cool finding Ptenopus are. Not an easy task. The ones in the photos were what we found. My first time there, so no idea of gender.
You are absolutely correct, Martti, finding Ptenopus is no easy feat. Although the males can be heard calling from their burrows from quite a distance away, getting them out of their burrows however, well, that's another story entirely. Males can be easily differentiated from females by their bright yellow throats.
-Paul
The Ptenopus were another outstanding find. All yours seem to be females, did you find any males?l
People need to appreciate how cool finding Ptenopus are. Not an easy task. The ones in the photos were what we found. My first time there, so no idea of gender.
You are absolutely correct, Martti, finding Ptenopus is no easy feat. Although the males can be heard calling from their burrows from quite a distance away, getting them out of their burrows however, well, that's another story entirely. Males can be easily differentiated from females by their bright yellow throats.
-Paul
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
You can hear them, but the high-pitched bark has of course evolved to be difficult to locate. Even though our torch-and-binoculars -setup worked really well and enabled one to spot geckoes from 20-30m away, it was nearly impossible seeing them whilst looking straight at them from a metre away with three-four other people. Lovely little things, though.Paul Freed wrote: People need to appreciate how cool finding Ptenopus are. Not an easy task. The ones in the photos were what we found. My first time there, so no idea of gender.
You are absolutely correct, Martti, finding Ptenopus is no easy feat. Although the males can be heard calling from their burrows from quite a distance away, getting them out of their burrows however, well, that's another story entirely. Males can be easily differentiated from females by their bright yellow throats.
-Paul
Cheers Paul. My first time with this genus, so no idea how to differentiate the sexes.
- snakemastermyke
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Fantastic post! I've always wanted to venture over to the Southern African deserts... And this post just refuels that wanderlust. Thanks for sharing!
- Martti Niskanen
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- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Cheers. A region which is boring and exciting at the same time.snakemastermyke wrote:Fantastic post! I've always wanted to venture over to the Southern African deserts... And this post just refuels that wanderlust. Thanks for sharing!
Take me with, ready to go again.
Just wrote a report on a a Finnish herping forum. I've traveled well and hardly ever revisit places, but the Namaqualand coast is one to visit again. The location isn't a secret, but if you figure it out (or ask), go and visit.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
We're still missing the sister species for the rock hyrax.
Still, no wikipedia allowed. Shoot away. It's a seriously cool relation. No bad guesses will be mocked.
Still, no wikipedia allowed. Shoot away. It's a seriously cool relation. No bad guesses will be mocked.
- herpseeker1978
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
ElephantMartti Niskanen wrote:We're still missing the sister species for the rock hyrax.
Still, no wikipedia allowed. Shoot away. It's a seriously cool relation. No bad guesses will be mocked.
- Martti Niskanen
- Posts: 363
- Joined: June 11th, 2010, 11:19 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Yup, and Trichechidae. Had to be done as it is a mighty cool relation.herpseeker1978 wrote: Elephant
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Very cool post.
- The Real Snake Man
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Woah, Paul Freed posts here?! The Of Golden Toads and Serpents' Roads Paul Freed?! Awesome!
- Paul Freed
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Yes, I post here, but I'm too computer illiterate to post anything substantial other than a comment (that is, I can't add any photos and contribute one of my own travel adventures since I don't know how to do that. Someone explained that you have to have your photos on the web or the cloud or in the dirt or somewhere obviously where I don't have them. Sorry.)
-Paul
-Paul
- snakemastermyke
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
If you ever want I can help explain it a bit... it's not as confusing as it seems and I would love to see the posts you would have on here!Paul Freed wrote:Yes, I post here, but I'm too computer illiterate to post anything substantial other than a comment (that is, I can't add any photos and contribute one of my own travel adventures since I don't know how to do that. Someone explained that you have to have your photos on the web or the cloud or in the dirt or somewhere obviously where I don't have them. Sorry.)
-Paul
- The Real Snake Man
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
I respect any man (or woman) that can claim to have seen Golden Toads, no matter how disastrous the end of the trip was, and whether or not he can post photos online! I still think it's hilarious that you intentionally set up your trash to be stolen as well. I wasn't able to get very far in the book (due to the end of Christmas break and the inherent busy-ness of the season while it lasted), but I'm looking forward to finishing it over summer break. It's an honor to say I've "sort of" met you. If you ever come down to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, look me up and we can find some TX Drymobius and Leptodeira (that is, if I'm actually there; I'm now in Pasadena most of the time).Paul Freed wrote:Yes, I post here, but I'm too computer illiterate to post anything substantial other than a comment (that is, I can't add any photos and contribute one of my own travel adventures since I don't know how to do that. Someone explained that you have to have your photos on the web or the cloud or in the dirt or somewhere obviously where I don't have them. Sorry.)
-Paul
-Gene
Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Your shots of Bitis peringueyi were simply magical. I'm happy you got to see such amazing stuff out there!
- Martti Niskanen
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
Thank you, Rupert. The big thanks goes to the other, southern african, herpetologists who knew what they were doing. I hardly found anything myself. Always the problem whilst visiting a certain area for the first time. Will know better next time, and there will be a next time.Ruxs wrote:Your shots of Bitis peringueyi were simply magical. I'm happy you got to see such amazing stuff out there!
- snakemastermyke
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Re: Southern Africa (part 2 is up with some namibian nicenes
It's a killer book!The Real Snake Man wrote:I respect any man (or woman) that can claim to have seen Golden Toads, no matter how disastrous the end of the trip was, and whether or not he can post photos online! I still think it's hilarious that you intentionally set up your trash to be stolen as well. I wasn't able to get very far in the book (due to the end of Christmas break and the inherent busy-ness of the season while it lasted), but I'm looking forward to finishing it over summer break. It's an honor to say I've "sort of" met you. If you ever come down to the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, look me up and we can find some TX Drymobius and Leptodeira (that is, if I'm actually there; I'm now in Pasadena most of the time).Paul Freed wrote:Yes, I post here, but I'm too computer illiterate to post anything substantial other than a comment (that is, I can't add any photos and contribute one of my own travel adventures since I don't know how to do that. Someone explained that you have to have your photos on the web or the cloud or in the dirt or somewhere obviously where I don't have them. Sorry.)
-Paul
-Gene
If you ever get a chance to see the "Live Edition" that Mr. Freed presented at IHS, do it!
I used to read "Snakes and Snake Hunting" as pre-herp season inspiration book, but I think "Of Golden Toads and Serpent Roads" might become an annual read now as well.