SOUTH AFRICA TRIP

[Jürgen Gebhart]

It Looks like that you Guys had a great time without me!!!
and it Looks like you had a good Trip, not perfect, but good!
To make it pefect I think one or two small Bitis species will help!

[Ruggero M.]

Very beautiful and interesting!

Cobras and boomslang pictures are great. What kind of DOR snake is the big yellowish one in the upper right of the picture? Naja annulifera? And the other species?
The forest cobras were found under a shelter, in the open territory or inside houses?
Have you found living and unharmed snakes while travelling by car, or only injured specimens?

You wrote: Python shed. But it seems more a skin to me, not a shed... ?!

Thanks and compliments again!

[Bastien Comment]

Wow very nice report Gabri, thanks for sharing

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

A country for the "to do" list! Thanks, Gabri.

[Gabriel Martínez]

Thanks Jurgen. One of the small Bitis and a tiger Telescopus and it could have been great! But both Aviad and me are too nervous. And after 2 nights in their habitat with 12 and 13º we cannot wait for good weather and we drove to Kalahari!!

Ruggero, dead snakes are 1. Naja annulifera, 2. Dasypeltis scabra, 3. Vine snake, 4. ???, 5-6. Puff adders, 7. Herald snake, 8. Female boomslang
The forest cobras were found: 1 crossing road, other DOR, 3 rescued in houses and other capture by the people of the camping inside it! All herpers in Kzulu Natal told us that forest cobra is probably one of the commonest snake there (with Bitis arietans and others)

No, we keep only dead snakes, and after some photos we leave them. I don´t want to be confused by police with a smuggler or any "bad" herper

Yes! "Shedding skin" is the phrase and I confused words. It was a huge skin! A pity to not find the snake, but all was full of great holes

Thanks Bastien for your help before the trip.

Yes Jeroen, it´s a place to be visited!

[Ronald Zimmerman]

Great trip and great photos! I hope you are not too much addicted to South Africa and you will finish the Morocco site
Good to know that there is another great way to escape the cold winter days around the holidays.

[Bobby Bok]

The massive variety in landscapes and the diversity in both mammals as well as in herpetofauna makes this a dream destination. What a fantastic pictures and amazing trip! The Duberria is my personal favourite snake

[Gabriel Martínez]

Ronald don't worry about www.moroccoherps.com Morocco is very close to Spain and I will continue visiting them! And for sure many people will visit Morocco and will help to complete it (it's not my site, it's the Web of everybody that loves Morocco

I agree with you Bobby. And we found 1% of the herps. Strange that we didn't find any chamaleon for example!! That places are too cool. I am already waiting for the photos of your next trip to Malawi and Zambia. Tanzania is one of my top countries so for sure you will find some of my favourite species in these 2 places. Duberria was under a dead wood. It was a great surprise! Flipping in new places is always very exciting

Regards from the very cold Madrid and thanks for your comments

[miguel santos]

What a great trip you had in South Africa, it is always nice to see your field reports in Marocco and this one is of the same qualily and the pictures are great.
Although I live in the Netherlands, I am Portuguese and your trips in Morocco inspired me to go there a few times in recent years.I totally agree with you when it comes to finding snakes in dry habitats, it is not easy at all. Having said that, I think I need more sleep that the average herper that posts on this site
I also try to use all the time I can when I am on hollidays but I would die if I would go out as often as what I read on many reports.
Gracias for adding South Africa on my wish list.
Miguel

[Gabriel Martínez]

Thanks Miguel for your nice words. Both Morocco and South Africa are amazing places