Soutpansberg February – April 2016: Dragons!

Dragon Lizard, Smaug warreni depressus resting in it's crack.

The three months were an extremely busy period for the SCBC. We did a lot of traveling and recorded many new species and surveyed many new sites, continuing our ‘broadening horizons’ programme. February started off just South-west of the Soutpansberg at Masebe Cultural Village. The SCBC was helping a team led by evolutionary biologist Chris Broeckhoven, including geneticist Genevieve Diedericks and herpetologist Yousri EL Adak. We were looking for Smaug depressus lizards, the scientists aimed to figure out why there is such a high variation in armour and osteoderms in this species from different localities in the Soutpansberg. We moved along a West-East axis surveying areas of different altitudes which took us to some beautiful locations in the Soutpansberg and surrounding areas: Lajuma, Bluegumspoort, Zvakanaka, Golwe-Vhurivhuri, Gundani and of course sunny Medike. We eagerly await the results of this study.

Unusually dark Smaug warreni depressus with reduced spines,  Entabeni.

Smaug warreni depressus, light with reduced spines Golwe-Vhurivhuri.

Typically coloured Smaug warreni depressus in its crack for the night, Medike.

Dragon lizards can remain still for hours. Their camouflage effectively conceals them when in the open.

Night scene, Golwe-Vhurivhuri.

Arid northern slopes, Goro.

View descending Lajuma Peak, The highest point on the Soutpansberg.

A view looking south over Medike.

Open area, Entabeni, Eastern Soutpansberg.

Sand River in flood after break in drought.

The drought finally gave way to some rain and on a night in March we got over 100ml of rain in a single down pour. It is impossible to say how much rain fell as our rain gauges spilled over. That night the Sand River came up, a few days later plants bolted and life exploded into action. It was a beautiful event.

Cordylus vittifer, Common Girdled Lizard, Entabeni.

Late summer is usually a good period for biodiversity and in particular a good time for reptiles and this late summer season was exceptionally good. I have never encountered so many reptiles and snakes as we did over the last three months. We had some record night drives and record walks. One memorable night walk turned up seven snakes three of which were rarities.Besides the rarities, common species were also out in full-force and we enjoyed a wide spectrum of reptilian biodiversity.

Unusual sighting, a Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), lying on a bare rock face at night. Photograph Melissa Petford.

A young Black Mamba captured by Medike resident Alan Carr. Photograph Melissa Petford.

A hatchling Puff Adder. A large proportion of the snakes seen this season were hatchlings.

Striped Skaapsteker (Psammophylax tritaeniatus), Medike.

Shortly after saying goodbye to the team from Stellenbosch the SCBC welcomed volunteer Freo Jaques from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Freo, a young environmentalist, volunteered in order to add some more work experience to his already impressive portfolio of working with wildlife and conservation. Freo had the following to say about his experience at the SCBC:

I started my journey in conservation only one year ago and it was in the Soutpansberg that i got my first chance to get close to wild snakes. Like most people I grew up in a culture very poor when it comes to information about reptiles. What it could be easily taken as amazing or fascinating was rather sold as scary or despicable. I realized that it is impossible to understand, truly understand, a snake through a book or a documentary film, even when they are realistic and committed to change the 5000 years of bad reputation of these animals.

They are dangerous, yes, but so is every other animal when attacked or highly disturbed. It's no reason to fear, but to respect them. They are in the far edge of conservation right now and not many people care when a snake is killed. People were led to believe that in order to be safe they must kill every snake close by. But they were not taught that the main cause of a bite is, in fact, the attempt to kill a snake.

It was in the Soutpansberg, during warm nights, after a rainy week, or a sunny day, that I got to truly understand snakes. There, sometimes, I would encounter 4 or even 5 different species of snakes in a day. And you have to get close to them. You have to hear the sound of the night instead of the background music or Sir Attemborough's voice, look at their movement instead of a high definition picture or the text on Marais' pages.You have to hold them between your fingers to realize how delicate and calm they can be. There's something mystical about a snake moving in the night, smelling the air silently, sliding smoothly among rocks that no device can capture. And, if you give it a chance, it's something powerful enough to finish every myth, fear or prejudices of ignorant times.

Freo having a closer look at a Common Purple-glossed Snake.

Thank you Freo, without your help and motivation, this season would not have been half as successful. I have full-confidence in your future as an environmentalist making positive changes in this world.

Our activities during the three-month period were centered searching for reptiles and scorpions to build our lists for the Soutpansberg and surrounds. Our reptile list now stands at seventy for the Soutpansberg. Looking at distribution maps, historical records and anecdotal accounts we believe there are still many more species to be found and documented. For the February-April period we found seven new reptiles: Cordylus vittifer, Trachylepis punctatissima, Amblyodipsas polylepis polylepis, Elapsoidea sundevallii longicauda (technically this record is just north of the mountain but is included here), Lychophidion capense capense, Psammophylax tritaeniatus and finally Megatyphlops mucruso.

This three month period was excellent for nocturnal snakes. We spent a lot of time getting out there and walking at night, often until past midnight searching for nocturnal species. Ocassionally we took a drive and had some good success. The efforts really paid off. Below are a few of our more charismatic finds:

The Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis) a very common nocturnal snake.

A beautiful Variegated Wolf Snake (Lychophidion variegatum). Locally common at Medike.

A dark Variegated Wolf Snake, Medike.

Common Wolf Snake (Lychophidion capense), near Buysdorp.

Black File Snake (Gonionotophis nyassae) adult, Medike.

Black File Snake (Gonionotophis nyassae) hatchling, Medike.

The Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis polylepis) Medike.

Atractaspis bibronii, Bibron's Stiletto Snake. Uniform colouration Medike.

Atractaspis bibronii, Bicoloured form Waterpoort.

Common Egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra) a harmless snake with an effective defensive display.

The Eastern Tiger Snake, Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus, near Waterpoort.

The Zambezi Giant Blind Snake (Megatyphlops mucruso), Goro.

Pachydactylus vansoni, Vanson's Gecko. Entabeni.

Pachydactylus nigropunctatus incognitus, Lajuma peak.

Pachydactylus nigropunctatus incognitus, Cryptic Dwarf Gecko, a Soutpansberg ndemic.

Afroedura pienaari, Medike.

A large Chondrodactylus turneri, the most common gecko on Medike.

Common Rough-scaled Lizard, Meroles squamulosus, Golwe-Vhurivhuri.

Besides the new reptiles in we also added some new scorpions to our Soutpansberg list over the three months we got Parabuthus mossambicenis from eastern and western Soutpansberg. Hottentotta trilineatus and Uroplectes planimanus from the Sand River valley. From the Northern slopes we got Uroplectes carinatus and finally managed to photograph Opistacanthus asper. Just to the north of the mountain we found Opistophthalmus boehmi.

A 'normal' coloured Parabuthus transvaalicus.

An unusually colourful Parabuthus transvaalicus.

Dark Parbuthus mossambicensis from Western Soutpansberg region. New for our Soutpansberg lists.

Light Parabuthus mossambicensis from Eastern Soutpansberg (Golwe-Vhurivhuri).

Hottentotta trilineatus, Sand River Valley. New for our Soutpansberg lists.

Uroplectes carinatus, Goro, Northern slopes, Soutpansberg. New for our Soutpansberg lists.

Opistophthalmus boehmi, north of Waterpoort. A new species for our Soutpansberg list.

Soutpansberg endemic Opistophthalmus lawrenci, Goro.

Opisthacanthus asper, Goro.

Soutpansberg endemic, Hadogenes soutpansbergensis, Goro.

In addition to our creation of biodiversity lists for the Soutpansberg, we have also been collecting behavioural data on reptiles. This requires spending time watching animals without disturbing them and recording what they are doing and how they are doing it. We aim to begin using trail cameras in order to help record behaviour. This is new ground for us and we hope to be producing relevant data on these behavioural aspects in the next SCBC update. 

 

The Rough-scaled Plated Lizard, Broadleysaurus major. Photo Melissa Petford.

In broadening our horizons the SCBC has been doing data collection on different properties on the mountain. We recently visited Goro on the Northern slopes and will return in due course. Lajuma has been a good site too and in May we will be there for ten consecutive days, I am sure they will be productive. In the near future we aim to expand our surveys to even more sites to create lists that better reflect the biodiversity of this beautiful and diverse mountain range. Thanks to everyone at Lajuma, Leshiba, Goro and Zvakanaka who helped us during this period.

Pyxicephalus edulis, the African or Edible Bullfrog, near Waterpoort.

South African Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis). Medike. Photo Melissa Petford.

26 May-26 April

As the dry season sets in the 'autumn' colours begin.

 

A busy month at the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. There were some significant sightings and developments for the project.

The period saw the last days of summer and the beginning of the cold nights of winter. This a beautiful time of year, the trees begin to loose their leaves and before they drop them the leaves begin to change colour and the result is a landscape washed in warm autumn colours.

European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) preparing to depart.

This time year sees a spike in reptile observatons. As the weather begins to cool, many reptiles are out basking. This month we saw a lot of Mozambique Spitting Cobras.

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica). One of the most commonly seen snakes in the area.

Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus). Beautiful arboreal snakes.

The Stripe-bellied Sand Snake, Psammophis subtaeniatus, this is the snake which is most often seen.

Crested Guineafowls grow rather tame in the dry season.

It is always exiting to add a new species to one of our growing lists and this month saw two new mammals, a new bird and a new reptile. For me the highlight of the month was seeing a Nile Crocodile, Crocodylus nilotica, for the first time in the area. The animal was spotted in a large pool to the North of the property. Unfortuanately I was not fast enough to get a picture. As soon as I manage to photograph the animal it will be a good record for the Soutpansberg and Greater Vhembe Biosphere Reserve. Another new species was the White-breasted Cuckoo-Shrike, a good record for our bird list. In terms of mammals we were lucky enough to get two new records this month. The first was an African Wild Cat caught on Alan Carr’s camera trap. The second new mammal, something that has been under our noses this whole time, was a Yellow-spotted Hyrax. Every time I had seen this species in the past, and they are common, I assumed that they were Rock Hyrax. That was foolish as they are quite different looking.

South African Rock Python (Python natalensis).

There were also some amazing sightings/encounters with animals. Namely a porcupine sighting that was very unusual. These animals usually leave the area at the slightest disturbance, but we had one that allowed close approach before slowly moving off.

Damon variegatus, these arachnids are perfectly harmless and common in the area.

As far as infrastructure at the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation is concerned, we finally managed to get our solar power system up and running. At the moment we are able to charge a computer for data entry and also batteries. The system is modular, so as our needs grow, we can grow the system to accommodate the needs.

As for conservation activities, there were some developments in our nursery – finally I have managed to germinate Baobab seeds. All horticultural activities are for conservation, be it selling trees for fund-raising or planting trees out into the veld. The next month will see path clearing for ecotourism taking place and also alien invasive clearing. The illegal sand mining operation has begun its activities again and the fight to stop them will have to continue, hopefully there will be some developments soon.

Boaedon capensis, known as the Brown House Snake. This juvenile was consuming a gecko.

Participant Report

Recent participant Melissa Petford from London recently visited the SCBC. The following is an account of her impressions of the programme. 

"I was at the SCBC for three amazing weeks over March and April 2015. The SCBC is located in a stunning area of the Soutpansberg next to the sand river. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and never ceases to amaze; whether it be the picturesque mountains reflecting in the river with the everlasting sunlight, or the Milky Way stretching between the mountain ranges in the night-time sky.

The fauna and flora in the area are extremely diverse. You are guaranteed every day to see amazing things from the typical vibrant flat lizards basking in the sun, to the shiny dung beetles battling over the latest excrement. One of the most notable sightings of the three weeks was an amazing porcupine sighting at night; we were able to get to within 5m of the animal without disturbing it and it was a very rare and exciting view.
  

The day-to-day activities included biodiversity hikes and setting up camera traps. Often we went on croc duty; one day we saw a crocodile in the sand river but were unable to capture a photograph, therefore we frequently went back to look for it. Croc duty involves walking along the train track adjacent to the river, which often feels like a scene out of “The Railway Children”, and hope that you catch a glimpse of a dark shadow under the water.

To sum up the SCBC offers a great opportunity to actively learn about South African wildlife in a remote and picturesque area whilst also allowing you to take part in the conservation efforts in the area which are extremely important in the Soutpansberg region.

The trip has definitely been an amazing experience and I hope to return soon.  "

Namaqua Doves (Oena capensis) can occasionally be spotted in the dry area south of Medike.

The familiar chat, Cercomela familiaris. Delightful little birds.

Bird List

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Eqyptian Goose; African Black Duck; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Common Scimitarbill; Malachite Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; White-fronted Bee-eater; European Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Red-chested Cuckoo; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; African Black Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Cape Eagle Owl; African Wood Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-dove; Tambourine Dove; African Fish Eagle; Cape Vulture; Brown Snake Eagle; Little Sparrowhawk; Black Sparrowhawk; African Goshawk; African Harrier-Hawk; Verreaux's Eagle; African Hawk Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Lanner Falcon; Goliath Heron; Grey Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black-headed Oriole; African Paradise Flycatcher; Fork-tailed Drongo; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Gorgeous Bushshrike; Grey-headed Bushshrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; White-crowned Helmet-shrike; Cape Batis; Chinspot Batis; Pied Crow; White-breasted Cuckooshrike; Southern Black Tit; Wire-tailed Swallow; Barn Swallow; Rock Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Sombre Greenbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Long-billed Crombec; Cape White-eye; Rattling Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Bar-throated Apalis; Yellow-throated Apalis; Grey-backed Cameroptera; Kurrichane Thrush; Ashy Flycatcher; Grey Tit-Flycatcher; White-throated Robin-chat; Red-capped Robin-chat; White-browed Robin-chat; White-browed Scrub-robin; Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-chat; Red-winged Starling; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Spectacled Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Swee Waxbill; Blue Waxbill; Red-billed Firefinch; SouthernGrey-headed Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

African Pied Wagtail (Motacilla aguimp). Nice little birds.

The huge Goliath Heron, Ardea goliath.

Reptile List

Crocodylus niloticus                               Nile Crocodile

Afroedura broadleyi                              Flat Gecko

Chondrodactylus turneri                      Turner’s Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia                         Common Tropical House Gecko

Homopholis wahlbergii                         Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko

Lygodactylus capensis capensis          Common Dwarf Gecko

Smaug warreni depressus                    Flat Dragon Lizard

Platysaurus relictus                               Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Gerrhosaurus flavigularis                    Yellow-throated Plated Lizard

Afroablepharus maculicollis                Spotted-Necked Snake-Eyed Skink

Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii          Sundevall’s Writhing Skink

Trachylepis margaritifer                      Rainbow Skink

Trachylepis striata                                 Striped Skink

Trachylepis varia                                   Variable Skink

Scelotes l. limpopoensis                        Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing-Skink

Varanus niloticus                                   Nile Monitor

Agama armata                                       Northern Ground Agama

Python natalensis                                  Southern African Python

Boaedon capensis                                  Common House Snake

Psammophis subtaeniatus                  Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

Naja mossambica                                  Mozambique Spitting Cobra

Philothamnus semivariegatus           Spotted Bush Snake

Leptotyphlops species                          Thread Snake

Myriopholis longicauda                       Long-tailed Thread Snake

The Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis). Massive rodents.

Mammal List

Bushveld Senghi

Lesser Bushbaby

Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Chacma Baboon

Vervet Monkey

Cape Porcupine

Tree Squirrel

Denderomus

Spiny mouse

African Wild Cat

Leopard

Cape Clawless Otter

Large Spotted Genet

African Civet

Banded Mongoose

Dwarf Mongoose

Water Mongoose

Yellow-spotted Hyrax

Rock Hyrax

Bushpig

Bush Buck

Kudu

Sharpe’s Grysbok

Camera Trap in remote Ochna woodland.