Mozambique November / December 2017
This was my second trip to central Mozambique in 2017, an area I have become quite obsessed with. I joined up with a birding tour held by Unearth Safaris https://www.facebook.com/UnearthSafaris/, however being close friends all with a vast interest in biodiversity it was possible for us to produce the following reptiles and amphibians shown in this post.
The team consisted of tour operator and brother Justin Rhys Nicolau, Jo Balmer, William Trollip and myself.
Gaboon Adder - Bitis gabonica from Sofala Province.
Traveling in Mozambique is an experience on it’s own, we entered in the south which is somewhat okay, only mixup being William and myself getting robbed at the boarder. However, once we moved north the roads became somewhat more potholes than road and an arrogant corrupt official around every corner. In Rio Savane police were trying everything they had for a bribe, starting with asking for permits to bird on a main road leading up to throwing Jo into a cell for a good 3 hours on the basis of carrying a knife.
Our fort for a large portion of the trip, Gorongosa region, Sofala Province.
We spent a large portion of our time in the Sofala province, around the Gorongosa region and forests south of Caia, however this post contains images from the entire trip. Text has been kept to a minimum as this is an extremely photo heavy blog.
Reptiles
Field herping is hard in the Miombo forests and often you not quite sure who’s land you are on and who you might walk into around the corner, subsistence farmers spread throughout the country and majority of the time just give you a wave hello. However due to safety regions in the north most of the species below were found in close proximity to our camp sites or while on route to the next spot.
Savanna Monitor (Varanus albigularis) found active in the forests south of Caia.
Eastern Bark Snake from Cautada 12.
Family Pelomedusidae
Marsh Terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa)
Family Testunidae
Eastern Hinged Back Tortoise (Kinixys zombensis)
Family Crocodylidae
Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)
Family Gekkonidae
Gorongosa Flat Gecko (Afroedura gorongosa)
Turner’s Gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri)
Common Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Flat Leaf-toed Gecko (Hemidactylus platycephalus)
Cape Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus capensis)
Family Amphisbaenidae
Van Dam’s Dwarf Worm Lizard (Zygaspis vandami) DOR
Family Lacertidae
Pedioplanis sp
Family Corylidae
Mozambique Dragon Lizard (Smaug mossambicus)
Family Gerrhosauridae
Yellow-throated Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus flavigularis)
Eastern Black-lined Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus intermedius)
Common Giant Plated Lizard (Matobosaurus validus)
Family Scincidae
Wahlberg’s Snake-eyed Skink (Panaspis Wahlbergi)
African Coral Rag Skink (Cryptoblepharus africanus)
Eastern Sand Skink (Trachylepis depressa)
Boulenger’s Skink (Trachylepis boulengeri)
Rainbow Skink (Trachylepis margaritifer)
Striped Skink (Trachylepis striata)
Variable Skink (Trachylepis varia)
Family Varanidae
Southern Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis)
Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus)
Family Chamaeleonidae
Common Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)
Family Agamidae
Southern Tree Agama (Acanthocerus atricollis atricollis)
Mozambique Agama (Agama mossambica)
Family Leptotyphlopidae
Leptotyphlops sp
Family Pythonidae
Southern African Python (Python natalensis) DOR
Family Viperidae
Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)
Gaboon Adder (Bitis gabonica)
Snouted Night Adder (Causus defilippii) DOR
Family Lamprophiidae
Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis polylepis) DOR
Plumbeous Centipede-eater (Aparallactus lunulatus)
Bibron’s Stiletto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii)
Common House Snake (Boaedon capensis)
Dwarf Wolf Snake (Lycophidion nanum) DOR
Eastern Bark Snake (Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia)
Olive Grass Snake (Psammophis mossambicus) DOR
East African Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmannii)
Family Elapidae
Eastern Shield Cobra (Aspidelaps scutatus fulafula) DOR
Brown Forest Cobra (Naja subfulfa) DOR
Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)
Family Colubridae
Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia)
East African Egg-eater (Dayseltis medici) DOR
Rhomic Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra)
Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)
Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus) DOR
Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus aemiannulatus)
late afternoon drive in Coutada 12. My personal favourite spot over the trip. To my knowledge it has since been taken over by the Gorongosa National Park.
AMPHIBIANS
Frogging was a lot better over this trip than I had originally expected, especially since we did not have much rain. The highlights in the south were East African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus angusticeps), Beira Pygmy Toad (Poyntonophrynus beiranus) and Galam Golden-backed Frog (Amnirana galamensis). Moving Northwards it was far less exciting, however a Broadley’s Tree frog (Leptopelis broadleyi) and Broadley’s Reed frog (Hyperolius swynnertoni broadleyi) was more than enough to please us.
Galam Golden-backed Frog (Amnirana galamensis) Rio Savane.
The typical view you get while traveling through Southern Mozambique.
Afrixalus fornasinii (Greater Leaf-folding Frog)
Amnirana galamensis (Galam Golden-backed Frog)
Arthroleptis wahlbergi (Bush Squeaker)
Hemisus marmoratus (Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog)
Hildebrandtia ornata (Ornate Frog)
Hyperolius argus (Argus Reed Frog)
Hyperolius marmoratus (Painted Reed Frog)
Hyperolius microps (Sharp-headed Long Reed Frog)
Hyperolius tuberilinguis (Tinker Reed Frog)
Hyperolius swynnertoni (Swynerton's Reed Frog)
Phlyctimantis maculatus (Redlegged Kassina)
Phrynobatrachus acridoides (East African Puddle Frog)
Phrynobatrachus mababiensis (Dwarf Puddle Frog)
Phrynobatrachus natalensis (Snoring Puddle Frog)
Xenopus muelleri (Tropical Platanna)
Xenopus laevis (Common Platanna)
Ptychadena mascareniensis (Mascarene Grass Frog)
Ptychadena mossambica (Broadbanded Grass Frog)
Ptychadena oxyrhynchus (Sharpnosed Grass Frog)
Pyxicephalus edulis (African Bull Frog)
Pyxicephalus angusticeps (East African Bullfrog)
Tomopterna marmorata (Russetbacked Sand Frog)
Tomopterna krugerensis (Knocking Sand Frog)
Chiromantis xerampelina (Southern Foam Nest Frog)
Sclerophrys garmani (Olive Toad)
Sclerophrys gutturalis (Guttural Toad)
Sclerophrys capensis (Raucous Toad)
Schismaderma carens (Red Toad)
Poyntonophrynus beiranus (Beira Pygmy Toad)
Amietia delalandii (Delalande's River Frog
Strongylopus grayii (Clicking Stream Frog)
Kassina senegalensis (Bubbling Kassina)
Phrynomantis bifasciatus (Banded Rubber Frog)
Leptopelis broadleyi (Broadley's Tree Frog)
Leptopelis mossambicus (Brownbacked Tree Frog)
Some of the best frogging we have encountered while this wetland was burning.
Behind the scenes
3+ hours spent at the police station trying to get Jo out of the cell. These cops were intimidating and trying everything possible a bride, Including illegally arresting on of our members.
Juvenile Common Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis), central Mozambique.
Broadley's Tree Frog (Leptopelis broadleyi) and myself, just south of Caia, Central Mozambique.
Looking northwards over the Zambezi, unfortunately we did not get anymore north than this, despite the many treats hiding in the inselbergs passed this impressive river.
Overall the trip was a great successful and apart from many of my reptile and amphibian targets out of the way, the trip took me over 700 species of birds for Southern Africa. Thanks to Unearth Safaries for making the trip possible, Justin, Jo and William for behind the scene photos, the Van Syl Family, M’phingwe for accommodation and lastly Gorongosa National Park for organising a trip up Mount Gorongosa.
Thanks for reading