Karoo Isolation - Covid-19 Lockdown
The Covid-19 pandemic reached South Africa and shortly after Universities closed, a national lockdown took place. A week before this Emily and I were assisting in some fieldwork on the endangered Albany Adder - Bitis albanica in the Eastern Cape, along with some work on the Herpetological collection at the Port Elizebeth Museum. With little indication on what was going to happen, we decided to travel to the Little-Karoo, to be in a more remote region while spending some quality time with good friends - Keir and Alouise Lynch. Little did we know our short getaway was going to end in a 90-day lockdown in the Karoo.
Fynbos
Langeberg Mountains
Hemicordylus capensis - Cape Cliff Lizard. — Several individuals were found near the peak of the Langeberg mountain, Afrogecko porphyreus - Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko were also abundant up at the peak
We were based just out of Barrydale, within typical Karoo Renosterveld, yet 5 minutes to the base of the Langeberg. Weekends were mainly spent along the Tradouw river or in the northern slopes of the Langeberg. The herpetofauna diversity along this mountain was weak. However, the majority of our time was spent looking for Capensibufo tradouwi - Tradouw Mountain Toad, so it was likely that our surveying techniques were slightly bias to one direction. Over the three months, we did not find the toad. Unfortunately, we were there slightly before their breeding season, I am most likely writing this as they accumulate in their breeding ponds as the winter rains begin to fall.
Reaching the peak of the Langeberg Mountain took several hours, but was definitely worth the effort.
Agama atra - Southern Tree Agama
Strongylopus bonaespei - Banded Stream Frog
Tradouw River
Emily Anne Jackson photographing her favourite herp.
Hemicordylus capensis
Cape Cliff Lizard
Renosterveld
The Little Karoo
A significant amount of our free time was spent playing within the Renosterveld, flipping shale and looking within grass clumps. Our time in the Karoo provided me with two new reptiles that I had not seen, both of which were snakes, which is rare. These "lifers” were the Slender Thread Snake - Namibiana gracilar and the Red Adder - Bitis rubida. Before this trip I had spent very little time in the area and the region remains one which I am missing the most herps from, most notably on the Amphibian side.
Glauconia gracilior - Slender Thread Snake
Boadeon capensis - Brown House Snake
Trachylepis capensis - Cape Skink
Nucras livida - Karoo Sandveld Lizard
Bitis rubida - Red Adder
Bitis rubida - Red Adder -
Chondrodactylus bibroni - Bibrons Gecko
Bradypodion gutterale - Little-karoo Dwarf Chameleon
Bitis rubida - Red Adder
Agama atra - Southern Rock Agama
Bitis rubida - Red Adder
Variation in Cacosternum australis - Southern Dainty Frog from a single pool
Bradypodion gutterale - Little-karoo Dwarf Chameleon
Hawequa Mountain RangE
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agulhas plain
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Bitis armata - Southern Adder
Arthroleptella villiersi - De Villiers' Moss Frog
Bitis armata - Southern Adder
Chersina angulata - Angulate Tortoise
Pseudaspis cana - Mole Snake
A massive shout out to our outstanding friends Keir & Alouise Lynch for letting us live with them due to unforeseen circumstances… we owe you, looking forward to our next adventure.
Check out there awesome work here ——- BIONERDS
Additional Fauna and Flora found over lockdown
Cape Sengi - Elephantulus edwardii
Riverine Rabbit - Bunolagus monticularis
Riverine Rabbit - Bunolagus monticularis
