11 May – 6 June

A Fish Eagle surveying the gorge.

Moonrise and scorpio - a night scene.

Reticulated Centipede-eater, Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus, a snake that is not often seen.

This was an interesting period. The weather began to cool drastically and the light in the day is noticeably dimmer than when the sun is closer. Still not bad weather for what is considered winter in South Africa. The drought of the past year has really had a knock-on effect and the veld is taking strain. The fruit trees never fruited properly (this is especially noticeable with the lack of dry Grewia fruits on the trees). Let's see what the next rainy season brings. 

The endemic Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus soutpansbergensis.

Van Son’s Gecko, Pachydactylus vansoni

In terms of sightings this was an interesting period. For me the highlight was seeing two gecko species that have not been seen since March last year (Van Son’s Gecko and Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko). The dry environment also led to a spike in mammal sightings, because there is less vegetative cover it is easier to see certain species. Lesser Bush Babies, Large-spotted Genets and Porcupines were seen often on night walks and around the accommodation. The dry season also leads to a change in certain animal’s behavior, an example of this is the tendency of the Crested Guinea Fowl to hang around the accommodation. Usually they are very nervous of people, but they become semi-tame this time of year.

A very boldly marked Variable Skink, Trachylepis varia.

The Common Dwarf Gecko, Lygodactylus capensis capensis.

Boophone disticha. These strange plants are common in the dry hot areas of the property.

Large Hadogenes soutpansbergensis. Another species endemic to the Soutpansberg.

Baobab (Adansonia digitata) under cultivation.

With the cool weather reptile and invertebrate work slows down considerably, however there has been some recent success with burrowing reptiles. A new snake was added to the list (Soutpansberg Purple-Glossed Snake) and also another sighting of the Reticulated Centipede-Eater. The snakes warm themselves under sunbaked rocks, over the next few months we will continue with looking for these subterranean species.

A new mammal was added to our list during this period, the Mountain Reedbuck. We have been trying to capture hyaena on a trap camera and I was pleased to see a small herd of these nice looking antelope.

The last few weeks have seen some further developments in the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation’s programme. We are continuing our fight against the illegal sand-mining which is destroying a wetland south of the property. Our neighbour is selling rights to outsiders to remove sand by the truck load. You can see from the images the destruction this is causing.

This road was actually a river once before sand mining in the area became so big.

The knock-on effects of this activity are wide reaching and will certainly affect the area for years to come. The immediate problems this is causing is increased pressure on our part of the river from fishermen, they are no longer able to use the area upstream because of the environmental degradation. With all the activity it is much easier for poachers to get into the area, both small scale poachers hunting bush meat and also rhinocerous poachers using the free for all to access our neighbours at Leshiba. As for the future we can only speculate, but I am sure there will be increased problems with Alien Invasive plants and property destruction when the floods come. Watch this space for developments.

Crested Guinea Fowl, a strange looking bird from any angle.

Bird List

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Eqyptian Goose; Greater Honeyguide; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Cardinal Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; Acacia Pied Barbet; Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill; Red-billed Hornbill; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Common Scimitarbill; Malachite Kingfisher; Brown-hooded Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; White-fronted Bee-eater; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Pearl-spotted Owlett; Cape Eagle Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Emerald-spotted Wood-dove; Tambourine Dove; Three-banded Plover; African Fish Eagle; Cape Vulture; Little Sparrow hawk; Black Sparrow hawk; African Goshawk; African Harrier-Hawk; Verreaux's Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Little Grebe; Grey Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black Stork; Black-headed Oriole; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bush shrike; Gorgeous Bush shrike; Grey-headed Bush shrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; White-crowned Helmet-shrike; Cape Batis; Chinspot Batis; Pied Crow; Southern Black Tit; 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; Rufous-Naped Lark; 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; Amethyst Sunbird; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Spectacled Weaver; Red-billed Quelea; Blue Waxbill; Red-billed Firefinch; Southern Grey-headed Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Striped Pipit; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

The White-browed Scrub Robin, an extremely accomplished mimic.

Bibron’s Stilleto Snake, Atractaspis bibronii.

Reptiles

Pelusios sinuatus                                                   Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Kinixys spekii                                                         Speke’s Hinged-back Tortoise

Crocodylus niloticus                                              Nile Crocodile

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

Lygodactylus ocellatus soutpansbergensis           Soutpansberg Dwarf Gecko

Pachydactylus vansoni                                          Van Son’s Gecko

Smaug warreni depressus                                      Flat Dragon Lizard

Platysaurus relictus                                               Soutpansberg Flat Lizard

Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis                      Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink

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

Varanus niloticus                                                   Nile Monitor

Agama armata                                                       Northern Ground Agama

Afrotyphlops bibronii                                             Bibron’s Blind Snake

Python natalensis                                                   Southern African Python

Bitis arietans arietans                                            Puff Adder

Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus                           Reticulated Centipede-Eater

Atractaspis bibronii                                               Bibron’s Stiletto Snake

Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia                                   Eastern Bark Snake

Psammophis subtaeniatus                                     Stripe-bellied Sand Snake

The Eastern Bark Snake, Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia.

A large Leopard captured on camera trap up on an old mountain road.

Rock Hyrax, one of the most abundant mammals on the property.

It is always nice to see Bush Buck in the day.

Mammal List

Bushveld Elephant Shrew; Chacma Baboon; Vervet Monkey; Thick-tailed Bush baby; Lesser Bush baby; Jameson’s Red Rock Rabbit; Tree Squirrel; Porcupine; Bushveld Gerbil; Namaqua Rock Mouse; Multimammate Mouse; House Rat; Cape Clawless Otter; Selous’s Mongoose; Water Mongoose; Dwarf Mongoose; Large Spotted Genet; African Civet; Brown Hyaena; Leopard; Rock Dassie; Yellow-spotted Dassie; Bush Pig; Bush Buck; Mountain Reedbuck; Klipspringer; Sharpe’s Grysbok

The dry season has really led to a spike in sightings of the Lesser Bushbaby, our smallest primate.

Mountain Reedbuck, a new mammal record for SCBC.

Nile Crocodile

About a month ago I was walking along the river and something in the water caught my eye. I raised my binoculars and I saw a crocodile. The animal immediately disappeared. I was 100% sure of what I had seen and I had a fellow eye-witness.

I spent a lot of time trying to relocate the animal and even began to doubt what I had seen. Last week my crocodile duty paid off and I saw the animal and managed to get some photographs.

This is a good record for the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation and also for Limpopo in general. The Nile Crocodile is under immense human pressure and is considered vulnerable. The threats to the species are summerised in the latest red list of South African Reptiles as follows:

The main threat is degradation of aquatic habitat. This includes degradation of lakes, wetlands, dams, rivers, and estuaries, construction of dams in rivers, water contamination, and removal of water for agricultural and industrial uses. Illegal sand mining and urbanisation also result in habitat destruction. Other threats include persecution by humans (killing of adult crocodiles and destruction of nests), negative effects of invasive vegetation, fire, over-fishing with gill nets, crop encroachment, harvesting for the medicine market, and accidental poisoning that may be associated with leaching of fertilisers into water sources. 

(Marais, J. 2014. Crocodylus niloticus (Laurenti, 1768). In M.F. Bates, W.R. Branch, A.M. Bauer, M. Burger, J. Marais, G.J. Alexander & M.S. de Villiers (eds), Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.)

To have a free roaming animal like this in the area is really a privilege and is a good motivation to push for the conservation of the specific area and western Soutpansberg region. With proper protection of the area I am sure in the future a breeding population can be established.

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.

Volunteer Report - Steffi Krause March 1 - March 16

Ich war im März 2015 im Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. Die Organisation im Vorfeld lief per Email ab und hat reibungslos funktioniert, auch der Transport vom und zum ca. 600km entfernten Flughafen in Johannesburg war kein Problem. Die Landschaft in Soutpansberg ist atemberaubend und nahezu unberührt. Ein Muss für jeden Naturliebhaber. Auch das Wetter war in der eher „kühlen Jahreszeit“ zu der ich vor Ort war stets warm und selbst die Nächte sind angenehm gewesen. Die Natur im Gebiet ist sehr artenreich und vielfältig. Man kann nahezu jeden Tag etwas neues entdecken, sowohl Tiere als auch Pflanzen. Die Tätigkeiten und Unternehmungen sind sehr abwechslungsreich und werden immer gemeinsam abgestimmt. Es gab immer etwas zu tun- zu unseren Aufgaben zählte unter anderem die Aufstellung von Videofallen, Vogelstudien, Spurensuche, Erkundung neuer Gebiete oder die Entfernung invasiver Arten.

Die Landschaft erstreckt sich zwischen Bergen und einem Fluss entlang und bietet durch ihre Vielseitigkeit, vielen verschiedenen Tier- und Pflanzenarten einen Lebensraum. Auch die Abgeschiedenheit ist sehr positiv zu beurteilen. Man findet wirkliche Erholung und Ruhe und durch die weite Entfernung von Städten ist es möglich den Sternenhimmel in einer ungeahnten Klarheit zu beobachten.

Ich habe gelernt, dass man mit etwas Mut, viel Neugier, Humor und Freundlichkeit nicht nur sein Englisch aufbessern, seine Augen schulen und viele neue Infos über den Wald mit nach Hause nehmen kann, sondern vor allem eins gewinnt: Lebenserfahrung! (Steffi, 26, Deutschland.)

March 1 - March16

The first two weeks of March was a good period for the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. We had participant, Steffi Krause from Gießen, Germany helping out with biodiversity research and conservation.

The climate during the two weeks was hot and dry, the drought is still on in the area. Last year this time there were floods due to all the rain and this year it has not rained properly in a month. We are probably in for a tough winter ahead.

A nice coloured chafer beetle (Leucocelis)

Verreaux's Eagle patrolling the parched landscape.

The late summer reptile peak has begun and we have had some nice reptile sightings. Including three Mozambique Spitting Cobras in two weeks. But because of the dry weather there are not as many as their would be had it been raining.

During the two weeks we concentrated on butterflies for our biodiversity research and made some good observations (Butterfly List coming soon). We also managed to get three new birds for the SCBC bird list these were the White-fronted Bee-eater, Goliath Heron and Wire-tailed Swallow.

Bush Scarlet (Axiocerses amanga amanga)

Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades pisistratus)

Conservation work during the period included alien invasive clearing along the Sand River, identification of sites to be cleared, collection of snares and horticulture.

The two weeks were good for the development of the Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. The process of getting solar power for data entry has been initiated and certain parts of the programme have been refined.

Thank you to Steffi Krause for your hard work, input and participation in the project.

 

Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina narina) a beautiful forest bird.

Bird List

Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Golden-tailed Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Malachite Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; White-fronted Bee-eater; European Bee-eater; Narina Trogon; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Cape Eagle Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed Dove; Tambourine Dove; African Fish Eagle; Little Sparrowhawk; Black Sparrowhawk; African Goshawk; Steppe Buzzard; Verreaux's Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Goliath Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black-headed Oriole; African Paradise Flycatcher; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Grey-headed Bushshrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; White-crowned Helmet-shrike; Chinspot Batis; Black 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; Grey-backed Cameroptera; Kurrichane Thrush; Spotted 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; Violet-backed Starling; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Red-billed Quelea; Common Waxbill; Blue Waxbill; Jameson's Firefinch; Village Indigobird; SouthernGrey-headed Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Yellow-fronted Canary; Cinnamon-breasted Bunting; Golden-breasted Bunting

A curious group of Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus subsp. griseipes).

 Mammal List

Thick-tailed Bushbaby; Chacma Baboon; Vervet Monkey; Tree Squirrel; Spiny Mouse; Leopard; Slender Mongoose; Dwarf Mongoose; Water Mongoose; Large-spotted Genet; African Civet; Rock Hyrax; Bush Pig; Sharpe's Grysbok; Klipspringer; Bush Buck

Reptile List
 

Stigmochelys pardalis                        Leopard Tortoise

Afroedura sp.                               

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    

Broadleysaurus major                        Rough-scaled Plated Lizard

Gerrhosaurus flavigularis                  Yellow-throated Plated Lizard        

Matobosaurus validus                        Common Giant Plated Lizard          

Afroablepharus maculicollis             Spotted-Necked Snake-Eyed Skink

Trachylepis margaritifer                    Rainbow Skink          

Trachylepis varia                                  Variable Skink          

Varanus niloticus                                  Nile Monitor  

Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis                   Flap-Necked Chameleon     

Agama armata                                      Northern Ground Agama    

Psammophis subtaeniatus                 Stripe-bellied Sand Snake   

Naja mossambica                                 Mozambique Spitting-Cobra            

Mozambique Spitting-Cobra (Naja mossambica). Very common in the area.