Northern Cape April 2019
Namib Web-footed Gecko - Pachydactylus rangei
Over the first week of April Nicolau Ecology set out on a biodiversity survey within the Lower Orange River.
Due to the impressive diversity along route we left a few days early allowing for multiple stops prior to the survey, stops were made at Augrabies, Springbok, Port Nolloth and two days between Port Nolloth and Alexender Bay in search of the rare and illusive Diamond Rain Frog - Breviceps branchi (Which unfortunately proved unsuccessful), lastly the survey site east of Alexandra Bay.
During this time we recorded a handful of species in new Quarter Degree Grid Squares along with 3 major range extensions of 150km , 400km and a possible ±800 km.
Below is a collection of photographs of the herpetofauna found over the duration of the trip.
Namaqua Gecko - Pachydactylus namaquensis
Left to right, Top to Bottom. Common Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus garrulus (Female) ; Common Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus garrulus (Male) ; Striped Pygmy Gecko - Goggia lineata ; Orange River Gecko - Pachydactylus atorquatus ; Austen’s Gecko - Pachydactylus austeni (Male) ; Austen’s Gecko - Pachydactylus austeni (Female) ; Namib Web-footed Gecko - Pachydactylus rangei ; Spotted Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus maculatus
Top Left. Namaqua Pygmy Gecko - Goggia rupicola ; Top Right. Weber’s Gecko - Pachydactylus weberi ; Bottom Left. Namaqua Gecko - Pachydactylus namaquensis ; Bottom Right. Haacke’s Gecko - Pachydactylus haackei
Lawrence’s Nama Lizard - Namazonurus lawrenci
Top Left - Pink Blind Legless Skink - Typhlosaurus vermis ; Top Right - Coastal Dwarf Legless Skink - Acontias litoralis ; Middle Left - Coastal Dwarf Legless Skink - Acontias litoralis ; Middle Right - Southern Blind Legless Skink - Typhlosaurus cf caecus ; Bottom Left - Male and female Augrabies Flat Lizard - Platysaurus broadleyi ; Bottom Right - Lawrence’s Nama Lizard - Namazonurus lawrenci
Western Dwarf Chameleon - Bradypodion occidentale
Top Left - Western Thread Snake - Namibiana occidentalis ; Top Right - Western Dwarf Chameleon - Bradypodion occidentale ; Bottom Left - Cape Coral Snake ; Bottom Right - Desert Rain Frog - breviceps macrops.
Reptiles Species List
Angulate Tortoise - Chersina angulata ; Leopard Tortoise - Stigmochelys pardalis ; Common Giant Gecko - Chondrodactylus angulifer angulifer ; Bibron’s Gecko - Chondrodactylus bibronii ; Striped Pygmy Gecko - Goggia lineata ; Namaqua Pygmy Gecko - Goggia rupicola ; Orange River Gecko - Pachydactylus atorquatus ; Austen’s Gecko - Pachydactylus austeni ; Haacke’s Gecko - Pachydactylus haackei ; Quartz Gecko - Pachydactylus latirostris ; Namaqua Mountain Gecko - Pachydactylus montanus ; Namaqua Gecko - Pachydactylus namaquensis ; Namib Web-footed Gecko - Pachydactylus rangei ; Common Rough Gecko - Pachydactylus rugosus ; Weber’s Gecko - Pachydactylus weberi ; Namaqua Day Gecko - Phelsuma ocellata ; Common Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus garrulus ; Spotted Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus maculatus ; Wedge-souted Desert Lizard - Meroles cuneirostris ; Knox’s Desert Lizard - Meroles knoxii ; Spotted Desert Lizard - Meroles suborbitalis ; Western Sandveld Lizard - Nucrus tessellata ; Namaqua Sand Lizard - Pedioplanis namaquensis ; Southern Karusa Lizard - Karusasaurus polyzonus ; Lawrence’s Nama Lizard - Namazonurus lawrenci ; Augrabies Flat Lizard - Platysaurus broadleyi ; Coastal Dwarf Legless Skink - Acontias litoralis ; Southern Blind Legless Skink - Typhlosaurus cf caecus ; Pink Blind Legless Skink - Typhlosaurus vermis ; Kalahari Tree Skink - Trachylepis spilogaster ; Western Rock Skink - Trachylepis sulcata sulcata ; Variegated Skink - Trachylepis variegata ; Western Dwarf Chameleon - Bradypodion occidentale ; Anchieta’s Agama - Agama anchietae ; Southern Rock Agama - Agama atra ; Western Thread Snake - Namibiana occidentalis ; Puff Adder - Bitis arietans arietans (DOR) ; Common House Snake - Boaedon capensis ; Dwarf Beaked Snake ; Dipsina multimaculata (DOR) ; Namib Sand Snake - Psammophis namibensis (DOR) ; Karoo Sand Snake - Psammophis notostictus (DOR) ; Coral Shield Cobra - Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus.
Augrabies Flat Lizard - Platysaurus broadleyi
Beetz’s Tiger Snake - Telescopus beetzii
Coral Shield Cobra - Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus
Common House Snake - Boaedon capensis
Common Rough Gecko - Pachydactylus rugosus
Spotted Barking Gecko - Ptenopus garrulus maculatus
Namaqua Pygmy Gecko - Goggia rupicola
Weber’s Gecko - Pachydactylus weberi
Augrabies Flat Lizard - Platysaurus broadleyi
Surveying in the lower orange river was tough and the density of reptiles decreased severely once we moved to the far north. However overall the survey was a great success.
*findings of importance from the trip will be out soon.
Orange River Gecko - Pachydactylus atorquatus