..\FRICA:\ HERP :\EWS

Number 39 January 2006

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL Newsletter of the ARTICLES KOPIJ, G. Avian predation of the Common Platanna, Xc11op11s laci'is ...... ,I Herpetological Association of Africa HARRISON. J.A. The Southern African Reptik Conservation Assessment and its Virtual Museum ...... 5 SCHMIDT. W.R. Foraging acti,·ity. diet. habitat and defensive behaviour in the Natal Black Snake. Macrelaps 111icro/cpido111s ...... 8

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES WHITAKER, K. Coggialincata, New niche ...... 10 SCHMIDT. W.R. Clra111ac/eodilcpis. Nocturnal heha,·iour ...... 12 PH ELPS. T. Biris· aricrans. Sedentary bcha\·iour ...... 13 PHELPS. T Birisam1ma. Arboreal behaviour ...... 14

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION O'CONNOR. G.D.. STEWART- FOX. D .. & WHITI NG. M.J. Cor

I

ISSN 107-6187 Number 39 January 2006 African Herp News Number 39 January 2006 African Herp News Number 39 January 2006 I NATURAL HISTORY NOTES I 1 REPTILIA: ; SAURIA J

Goggia lineata (Gray, 1838) Striped Dwarf Leaf-toed Fig. I. NEW NICHE lineata is unique among other leaf-toed gecko in that it is not strictly rupicolous. It has previously been reported amongst dead Mesembryanthe- mum bushes at Klipfontein (FitzSimons, 1938, cited in Branch et al., 1995, J Her- petol. Assoc. Afr. 44(2): 33-54), in dead litter at the base of Euphorbia sp. in the Richtersveld National Park, in dead Zygophyllum sp. and under dead Aloe romasis- simus and A. erinacae stems in the Sperrgebeit region, Namibia (Branch, 1994, Herpetol. Nat. Hist. 2: 1-11), in dead A. comptonii stems (Branch and Bauer, 1995, Herpetol. Nat. Hist 3: 47-89) and under Acacia bark in the Karoo National Park (Branch and Braack, 1989, In: Proceedings of the First H.A.A. Conference, Stellen• bosch, W.R. Branch (ed). J Herpetol. Assoc. Afr. 36: 26-35) as well as under stones, boulders and strandline debris (Branch et al., 1995, J Herpetol. Assoc. Afr. 44(2): 33-54). On 23 September 2004 we stopped 47.7km north ofVanrhynsdorp to search for Fig. 2. Goggia /ineata in a rock outcrop adjacent to the Kliprand Road (31 °22'48"S, 18° 53'08"E). We found the in the stems of dead Othonna sp. (Asteraceae) (Figures I and 2). A live sample of the plant was collected and later identified by the National Botanical Institute (Figure 3). After these plants die, the stems and branches become hollow with multiple entrances. Dead plant material accumulates at intervals within the stems, leaving patches that are relatively cool and moist that the geckos appear to prefer. ) Submitted by KELLEY WHITAKER, Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, J Pretoria 0002. E-mail: [email protected], and SIMON CONROY, 8/501 Wilson Street, Darlington, Sydney, New South Wales 2008, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]

Fig. 3. 10 11