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.
Another photo from a release. A much smaller mamba, of around 1,2m. Removed from an abandoned shed.
Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)
Rhombic Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus)
Olive Grass Snake (Psammophis mossambicus)
Pretty Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboiea)
Dull Herald Snake....
Common Wolf Snake (Lycophidion capense)
Green Water Snake (Philothamnus hoplogaster)
Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis)
Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus). Found while frogging!
Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis)
One of the most fascinating little lizards around, the Large-scaled Grass Lizard (Chamaesaura macrolepis)
It's tiny little legs!
Wahlberg's Snake-eyed Skink (Afroablepharis wahlbergii)
Pondo Flat Gecko (Afrodeura pondolia)
KwaZulu Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion melanocephalum)
Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)
I've been loving frogging season!
Painted Reed Frog (Hyperolius marmoratus)
Natal Tree Frog (Leptopelis natalensis)
Pickersgill's Reed Frog (Hyperolius pickersgilli). Critically Endangered
Kloof Frog (Natalobatrachus bonebergi) Endangered
Kloof Frog egg-clumps
Natal Leaf-folding Frog (Afrixalus spinifrons) Near-threatened
Natal Cascade Frog (Hadromophryne natalensis)
Plaintive Rain Frog (Breviceps verrucosus) What a cute little frog!
Bronze Caco (Cacosternum nanum)
Bushsqueaker (Arthroleptis wahlbergi)
Clicking Stream Frog (Strongylopus grayii)
Common Platanna (Xenopus laevis)
Guttural Toad (Amietophrynus gutturalis)
Call-outs have started getting busy now that its Spring!
2,7m Black Mamba removed from a rondavel in a township.
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!
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.
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!