Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

For your reports/images, made outside Europe and the "Mediterranean" countries. Not to be too narrow minded and limited to our European/Mediterranean herps.

Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Nick Evans » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:58 pm

Hi all

Spring is finally underway here in South Africa, after a mild and short winter. With some warm weather and decent rain, reptile and amphibian activity has picked up nicely. Here are some photos of what I've been finding in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Mamba in the sky! Picture was taken after releasing this beautiful 2,2m Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) which was removed from an old shed.

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Another photo from a release. A much smaller mamba, of around 1,2m. Removed from an abandoned shed.

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Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

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Rhombic Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus)

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Olive Grass Snake (Psammophis mossambicus)

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Pretty Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboiea)

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Dull Herald Snake....

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Common Wolf Snake (Lycophidion capense)

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Green Water Snake (Philothamnus hoplogaster)

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Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis)

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Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus). Found while frogging!

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Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis)

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One of the most fascinating little lizards around, the Large-scaled Grass Lizard (Chamaesaura macrolepis)

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It's tiny little legs!

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Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink (Afroablepharis wahlbergii)

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Pondo Flat Gecko (Afrodeura pondolia)

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KwaZulu Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion melanocephalum)

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Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)

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I've been loving frogging season!

Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)

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Natal Tree Frog (Leptopelis natalensis)

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

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Kloof Frog (Natalobatrachus bonebergi) Endangered

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Kloof Frog egg-clumps

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Natal Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus spinifrons) Near-threatened

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Natal Cascade Frog (Hadromophryne natalensis)

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Plaintive Rain Frog (Breviceps verrucosus) What a cute little frog!

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Bronze Caco (Cacosternum nanum)

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Bushsqueaker (Arthroleptis wahlbergi)

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Clicking Stream Frog (Strongylopus grayii)

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Common Platanna (Xenopus laevis)

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Guttural Toad (Amietophrynus gutturalis)

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Call-outs have started getting busy now that its Spring!

2,7m Black Mamba removed from a rondavel in a township.

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Big Vine Snake, of around 1,2m, removed out of a friends garden. It made itself comfy on the mesh going over his veggie patch!

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Had an incredible day on the 24th of September. In the morning I was called to remove a nice big Mozambique Spitting Cobra, 1,5m long, and very healthy looking! Then I got another call for a big one, but by the time I got there, it had gone. The homeowner showed me where it was hiding, and we found another! Smaller specimen of around 1,2m, and a female. She obviously left pheromones behind, because in the next 2,5 hours I came back to catch two more males looking for her! The biggest was 1,7m! Biggest spitter I've seen.

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To follow what I do, you can like my page on Facebook, KZN Amphibian and Reptile Conservation:
https://www.facebook.com/KZNHerpConservation

Thanks for looking!
Nick Evans
 
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Mario Schweiger » Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:42 pm

fantastic shots of all these different herps ;)
Mario (Admin)

Please visit also my personal Herp-site vipersgarden.at
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Gabriel Martínez » Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:16 pm

Hi Nick!

Many many species. For the calls received it seems that black mamba is not so rare in Kwazulu Natal. Although your herp photos are always cool, it could be possible to see some photos of the place where you found mamba and cobra? (old shed, abandoned shed... just to see where that snakes live close to humans, and leave imagination flying free :D )

In SouthAfrica, Anton told me that 90% of calls of people are forest cobras. This is only in Hluwluwe?
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Andre Schmid » Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:38 pm

Amazing, thanks for sharing and watch for your fingers :mrgreen:
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Bobby Bok » Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:55 pm

What a gorgeous Vine Snake and amazing finds in general! Would love to see more chameleon pictures though ;)
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Jeroen Speybroeck » Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:11 pm

Top notch, especially with some frogs thrown in, thanks a lot!
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Tim Leerschool » Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:10 pm

The Breviceps always brings a smile to my face. :D

Thanks for sharing these pictures!

With all the best,

Tim
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Berislav Horvatic » Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:25 pm

Andre Schmid wrote:... and watch for your fingers :mrgreen:

Beware, Andre - I've already posted here the same message to the same guy, a few times,
all in goodwill, and got quite severely reprimanded by the severe co-admin for something
like "molesting" the forum with my idiosyncrasies noone is interested in...
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians)

Postby Nick Evans » Fri Oct 02, 2015 6:11 am

Thank you everyone for the compliments and support :mrgreen:

Berislav, I was interested and took note ;) Thanks again for your concern, both of you :D

Bobby, I would too :| Need to keep searching!

Gabriel, sure, I will post pics of the snake hideouts soon, it makes sense :) Black Mambas are really common around the city of Durban, but not so much in the Northern parts of KZN, like Hluhluwe. They are there though! The Forest Cobras are much more common up there than around Durban.
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Re: Spring finds: KZN, South Africa (Reptiles and Amphibians

Postby GertJan Verspui » Fri Oct 02, 2015 8:16 pm

Great stuff Nick! Thanks!
Amphibian & Reptile Adventures http://www.gertjanverspui.com
Instagram: @gj.verspui_wildlife
Facebook: Gerrit Jan Verspui
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