2 July – 23 August

Uroplectes chubbi

The near two-month period at Medike in the Sand River Gorge was a long and productive stretch for the SCBC. There were some interesting developments and a good number of new species for the SCBC lists: three new mammals, a new scorpion (a first for the Soutpansberg) a new reptile and two new bird species.

Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra, Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake

Winter in the Soutpansberg is characterised by warm days and cold nights. It is an extremely dry time of year – and the dryness was exacerbated by the past El Nino event. Deep in the winter months, most animals and plants exhibit some or other form of dormancy, waiting for the warmth and the rains to return. Mammal sightings increase – at night it is very easy to see bush babies and rodents moving about.

Stripe-bellied Sandsnake,  Psammophis subtaeniatus, arguably the most common snake in Limpopo.

Paradoxically winter can be a good time of year to find reptiles – especially fossorial species as they tend to bask under sun-warmed rocks. An afternoon of looking under suitable rocks can often reveal more reptiles than one would commonly encounter on a typical summers day. The reptilian highlights for me this winter were seeing how common Sunduvall’s Writhing Skinks (Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii) and Soutpansberg Worm Lizards (Chirindia langi occidentalis) are on the property. Finally managing to see and photograph the Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra) and a very relaxed encounter with an African Rock Python (Python natalensis) made the winter successful for our reptile work.

Southern African Python, Python natalensis

Lifting rocks during this period also provided another surprise – two Uroplectes chubby found in the Sand River. According to scorpion fundi, Ian Engelbrecht, these are good records for the area – the closest records before these are from Northern Kruger National Park to the east and to the west on the Mogolakwena River system.

Since scorpions in Southern Africa are so under samples we have begun to include these fascinating invertebrates in our search for biodiversity. Already we have ten species on the Medike property. This list is bound to grow as we extend our search to surrounding areas.

Dark Opistophthalmus glabrifrons.

In terms of birding the winter was a good and produced two new species for the SCBC lists. A young female Saddle-billed Stork was seen in the Sand River and a Cape Bunting was spotted one afternoon along the railway track.

Our conservational activities during the winter saw a continued opposition to the illegal sand mining that has been going on in the river to the South of Medike. Two representatives from the Department of Minerals and Energy visited the site and we are hoping that with this new development we see a stop to this on-going and intrusive environmental degradation in the area.

Sunduvall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii,)

Bird List

Freckled Nightjar

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Eqyptian Goose; Lesser Honeyguide; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Cardinal Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; Acacia Pied Barbet; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Malachite Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Little Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; African Wood Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-dove; Tambourine Dove; Black Crake; Three-banded Plover; African Fish Eagle; Cape Vulture; Brown Snake Eagle; Little Sparrowhawk; African Goshawk; African Harrier-Hawk; Verreaux's Eagle; African Hawk Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Grey Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black Stork; Saddle-billed Stork; Black-headed Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Gorgeous Bushshrike; Grey-headed Bushshrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; Cape Batis; Chinspot Batis; Pied Crow; White-breasted Cuckooshrike; Black Cuckooshrike; Southern Black Tit; Lesser-striped Swallow; Wire-tailed Swallow; Rock Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Eastern Nicator; Terrestrial Brownbul; 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; White-browed Robin-chat; Bearded Scrub-robin; White-browed Scrub-robin;

Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-chat; Red-winged Starling; Collared Sunbird; Greater Double-collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Spectacled Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Swee Waxbill; Common Waxbill; Blue Waxbill; Jameson's Firefinch; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Striped Pipit; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting; Golden-breasted Bunting; Cape Bunting

Crested Guineafowl

Mammals

Eastern Rock Sengi

Thick-tailed Bushbaby

Lesser Bushbaby

Chacma Baboon

Vervet Monkey

Jameson's Red Rock Rabbit

Cape Porcupine

Tree Squirrel

Tree Mouse

Namaqua Rock Mouse

Bushveld Gerbil

Serval

Caracal

Leopard

Brown Hyeana

Cape Clawless Otter

Slender Mongoose

Dwarf Mongoose

Water Mongoose

Large-spotted Genet

African Civet

Yellow-spotted Hyrax

Rock Hyrax

Bush Pig

Sharpe's Grysbok

Red Duiker

Klipspringer

Bush Buck

Reptiles

Pelusios sinuatus, Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Afroedura pienaari, Pienaar’s 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

Pachydactylus vansoni,  Van Son’s Gecko

Chirindia langi occidentalis, Soutpansberg Worm Lizard

Vhembelacerta rupicola, Soutpansberg Rock Lizard

Smaug warreni depressus, Flat Dragon Lizard

Platysaurus relictus, Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Afroablepharus maculicollis, Spotted-Necked Snake-Eyed Skink

Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii, Sundevall’s Writhing Skink

Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis, Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink

Trachylepis margaritifer, Rainbow Skink

Trachylepis varia, Variable Skink

Varanus albigularis albigularis, Southern Rock Monitor

Varanus niloticus, Nile Monitor

Agama armata, Northern Ground Agama

Python natalensis , Southern African Python

Aparallactus capensis, Black-headed Centipede-Eater

Amblyodipsas microphthalma nigra, Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake

Psammophis subtaeniatus, Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

Dendroaspis polylepis, Black Mamba

Afrotyphlops bibronii, Bibron’s Blind Snake

Myriopholis longicauda, Long-tailed Thread Snake

Leptotyphlops scutifrons scutifrons,  Peter's Thread Snake

November 2- November 22

Bead Bean Tree (Maerua angolensis) with train in background.

Due to other commitments I was only able to spend twenty days of November at the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. The twenty days were very productive and many new species were added to our bird and reptile lists.

Flowers of the Baobab, Adansonia kilima

Reticulated Centipede-Eater, Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus. Possibly a first for the Soutpansberg.

The first rains began around the 15th and this marked the end of a long dry season. The rains brought some of the lesser-seen burrowing snakes to the surface. The highlight being a Reticulated Centipede-Eater, Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus. This record is, to my knowledge, a first for the Soutpansberg. With the rains come countless invertebrates, for November millipedes and different types of Chafers began to come out.

A large black and white Millipede (Spirostreptida).

Emerald Fruit Chafer (Rhabdotis intermedia), one of six species from the genus Rhabdotis in Southern Africa.

Anisorrhina algoensis, a beautiful Chafer.

Small Goliath Beetle (Cheirolasia burkei), another nice looking Chafer beetle.

Diversity of Odonata in the Soutpansberg has proved to be relatively high, this is a Portia Widow (Palpopleura portia).

Libanasidus, a large cricket. These are known in Johannesburg as Parktown Prawns.

Large group of Pachycondyla ants.

The daily activities during the twenty day period were biodiversity hikes with an emphasis on butterflies and reptiles. The month brought seven new species for our reptile list (Eastern Striped Skink, Brown House Snake, Soutpansberg Rock Lizard, Rock Monitor, Rhombic Egg-eater, Southern Rock Agama and Bibron's Blind Snake) and two unusual bird sightings, the Tropical Boubou and White-browed Robin Chat.

Cape Batis, a species often seen in forested areas of the Soutpansberg.

Bird List for November

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Helmeted Guineafowl; Crested Guineafowl; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Cardinal Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; Acacia Pied-Barbet; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-Hoopoe; Malachite Kingfisher; African Pygmy Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; European Bee-eater; Narina Trogon; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Red-chested Cuckoo; Black Cuckoo; Jacobin Cuckoo; Diderick Cuckoo; Klaas’s Cuckoo; Burchell’s Coucal; Little Swift; African Black Swift; Alpine Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Wood Owl; Spotted Eagle-Owl; Freckled Nightjar; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove; Tambourine Dove; Three-banded Plover

Brown-hooded Kingfisher, a common bird at Medike Mountain Sanctuary

African Fish-Eagle; Cape Vulture; Brown Snake-Eagle; Verreaux’s Eagle; Steppe Buzzard; Rock Kestrel; Cattle Egret; Grey Heron; Hamerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black-headed Oriole; African Paradise Flycatcher; Fork-tailed Drongo; Black-backed Puffback; Black-crowned Tchagra; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Tropical Boubou; Southern Boubou; Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike; Grey-Headed Bush-Shrike; Gorgeous Bush-Shrike; Retz’s Helmet-Shrike; Chinspot Batis; Cape Batis; Pied Crow; Black Cuckooshrike; Southern Black Tit; Barn Swallow; Lesser-striped Swallow; Rock Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Eastern Nicator; Terrestrial Brownbul; Sombre Greenbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Long-billed Crombec; Arrow-marked Babler; Cape White-Eye; Rattling Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Bar-throated Apalis; Yellow-breasted Apalis; Grey-backed Camaroptera; Kurrichane Thrush; Ashy Flycatcher; Grey Tit-Flycatcher; White-throated Robin-Chat; Red-capped Robin-Chat; White-browed Robin-Chat; Bearded Scrub-Robin; White-browed Scrub-Robin; Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-Chat; Red-winged Starling; Cape Glossy Starling; Violet-backed Starling; Common Myna; Amethyst Sunbird; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Red-headed Weaver; Lesser Masked-Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Blue Waxbill; Jameson’s Firefinch; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.

Verreaux's Eagle, a magnificent bird of prey.

Mammal List for November

Elephantulus brachyrhynchus (Elephant shrew). These are fast moving insectivores, not related to "true" shrews.

Aardvark; Rock Hyrax; Bushpig; Sharpe’s Grysbok; Klipspringer; Bush Buck; African Civet; Large-spotted Genet; Slender Mongoose; Banded Mongoose; Dwarf Mongoose; Leopard; Brown Hyaena; Chacma Baboon; Vervet Monkey; Thick-tailed Bush Baby; Tree Squirrel; Porcupine; Bushveld Gerbil; Spiny Mouse

Bushveld Gerbil (Gerbilliscus leucogaster), very common at Medike.

Soutpansberg Rock Lizard (Vhembelacerta rupicola), a Soutpansberg endemic. Delightful little lizards.

Reptile List for November

Sundevall's Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii subsp. sundevallii). This species was found to be active just after sundown.

The Southern Rock Agama, Agama atra, beautiful lizards.

Speke’s Hinged Tortoise Kinixys spekii

Flat Gecko Afroedura sp.

Turner’s Tubercled Gecko, Chondrodactylus turneri

Common Tropical House Gecko, Hemidactylus mabouia

Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko Homopholis wahlbergii

Common Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus capensis capensis

Soutpansberg Rock Lizard, Vhembelacerta rupicola

Flat Dragon Lizard, Smaug warreni depressus

Soutpansberg Flat Lizard Platysaurus relictus

Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Gerrhosaurus flavigularis

Giant Plated Lizard, Matobosaurus validus

Spotted-necked Snake-eyed Skink, Afroablepharus maculicollis

Sundevall’s Writhing Skink, Mochlus sundevallii sundevallii

Variable Skink, Trachylepis varia
Striped Skink, Trachylepis striata

Rainbow Skink, Trachylepis margaritifer

Nile Monitor, Varanus nilotica

Rock Monitor, Varanus albigularis albigularis

Flap-necked Chameleon, Chamaeleo dilepis

Peter’s Ground Agama, Agama armata

Southern Rock Agama, Agama atra

Bibron's Blind Snake Afrotyphlops bibronii        

Southern African Python, Python natalensis
Reticulated Centipede-eater Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus

Bibron's Stiletto Snake Atractaspis bibronii
Brown House Snake, Boaedon capensis

Stripe-bellied Sand Snake, Psammophis subtaeniatus

Black Mamba, Dendroaspis polylepis

Rhombic Egg-eater, Dasypeltis scabra 

Bibron's Stiletto Snake, Atractaspis bibronii, a burrowing snake with a potent venom.

The inoffensive Rhombic Egg-eater, Dasypeltis scabra, these snakes prey exclusively on bird eggs.

 Some Amphibians

 With the Sand River running through Medike Mountain Sanctuary, there are a fair number of amphibians in the area. We are busy generating an amphibian list and will put one up on the 'Species List' page soon.

Hemisus marmoratus, a burrowing species that lives on river banks.

Tomopterna cryptotis a burrowing species that is active during the wet season.

Schismaderma carens, the Red Toad. Possibly the most abundant amphibian in the area.

Keywords for the Month: Lightning, Night Walker, Crepuscular, Cuckoo, Green