South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

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Andy Avram
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South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by Andy Avram »

Looking for a little help on some South Africa and Namibia herps. Unfortunately, I didn’t see more herps, but those skinks are not easy to ID!

This is not my picture. I accidentally deleted mine. But this skink was seen in Windhoek, Namibia. I am sort of thinking either Striped Skink (Mabuya striata) or Kalahari Tree Skink (Mabuya spilogaster) due to the white spots on the side.
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This one is from Kruger. Looks like the Kalahari Skink with the white spots, but they don't occur there. Is this a Striped SKink again?

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Striped Skink? Etosha National Park, Namibia.
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No clue. I am not sure if this is even a skink, a plated lizard or what. There were a number around, but I was only able to snap this picture and with the sun setting the lizards were not coming back out after being spooked. This was at Renosterkoppies near Skukuza in Kruger.
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There was also the tail end of a large girdled lizard at Renosterkoppies, but it never came back out after I accidentally spooked it. Any ideas? It had the large pointed scales on the tail.

A large gecko found in Skukuza Rest Camp I believe in Kruger. There were many small geckos around that looked the same, but this one was a monster, probably 9 or so inches long. There are not many options and Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus turneri) seems to fit best, but I think that was the same species I was seeing in Namibia and they had white spots on them (see other gecko picture).
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I am thinking this is a Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko. This was in central Namibia near the Waterberg Plateau.
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This toad was found under my tent platform at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp in Kruger. It hopped really fast and wouldn’t let me get close to it. No idea.
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This toad was found at Windhoek, Namibia. I am thinking it is Western Olive Toad (Amietophrynus poweri).
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For the record I also saw:

Nile Monitor
Marsh Terrapin
Serrated Hinged Terrapin
Nile Crocodile

Thanks,

Andy
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mariquensis
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Re: South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by mariquensis »

Andy Avram wrote:
This one is from Kruger. Looks like the Kalahari Skink with the white spots, but they don't occur there. Is this a Striped SKink again?

Image

Striped Skink? Etosha National Park, Namibia.
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Trachylepis striata - Striped Skink

No clue. I am not sure if this is even a skink, a plated lizard or what. There were a number around, but I was only able to snap this picture and with the sun setting the lizards were not coming back out after being spooked. This was at Renosterkoppies near Skukuza in Kruger.
Image


This is Trachylepis margaritifer - Rainbow Skink. The males and female vary dramatically in colour. That would be a female.





A large gecko found in Skukuza Rest Camp I believe in Kruger. There were many small geckos around that looked the same, but this one was a monster, probably 9 or so inches long. There are not many options and Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus turneri) seems to fit best, but I think that was the same species I was seeing in Namibia and they had white spots on them (see other gecko picture).
Image

This is a Homopholis wahlbergii - WAHLBERG’S VELVET GECKO

I am thinking this is a Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko. This was in central Namibia near the Waterberg Plateau.
Image

Turners Gecko They're really common.

This toad was found under my tent platform at Crocodile Bridge Rest Camp in Kruger. It hopped really fast and wouldn’t let me get close to it. No idea.
Image

Guttural toad, another common species in the area.

This toad was found at Windhoek, Namibia. I am thinking it is Western Olive Toad (Amietophrynus poweri).
Image

I'd agree on that.
Hope those help.
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Andy Avram
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Re: South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by Andy Avram »

Thanks Mariquensis!

So just to be clear. You aren't making a call on the fist skink pictured?

Both the second and third are Striped Skinks?

And I forgot to post this frog up too:

Image

It was found in Skukuza, Kruger. I think it is a Grass Frog species (Ptychadena sp.)


Andy
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mariquensis
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Re: South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by mariquensis »

Sorry I missed that out in my response,

I would suggest it is Trachylepis spilogaster -Kalahari Tree skink. I've not literature to check reference but quite certain.

That's right those 2nd and 3rd skink are the same species.
The frog is Queckett’s River Frog, they used to be called Common river frogs. Some images to show how variable they are: [img]http://www.tyroneping.co.za/amphibians/ ... quecketti/

Cheers.
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Re: South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by mfb »

Hi Andy, Can't help with the IDs, but just wanted to say it looks like a cool trip! If you have any habitat photos, I'd love to see them. Mike
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Andy Avram
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Re: South Africa and Namibia Lizard ID help...

Post by Andy Avram »

Thanks again for the ID help. I was not going to get to that frog on my own.

Mike,

It was an awesome trip. I didn't take much habitat shots. I didn't really end up bringing a good camera. I had to bring a lot of stuff for school and I did it all with carry-on. Binoculars trumped camera this time. But in general the habitat was all something between grassland and bushy scrub.
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