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Herpetological Survey of the Island Nature Reserve in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

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Herpetological Survey of the Island Nature Reserve in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 1087-1099 (2021) (published online on 12 August 2021) Herpetological survey of The Island Nature Reserve in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Brian Reeves1,*, Sandile Mdoko1,2, Alexander D. Rebelo3, and Werner Conradie3,4 Abstract. We present the results of a herpetofaunal survey of The Island Nature Reserve in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This study forms part of a series of rapid surveys to improve biodiversity inventory data of protected areas within the province. Visual encounter survey methods and standard Y-shape trap arrays were used to conduct the survey in November 2017. A total of 28 species (seven amphibians and 21 reptiles) were recorded, representing 21 new reserve records and three new species records at the Quarter Degree Grid Cell scale. Keywords. Amphibia, Reptilia, thicket-forest, conservation, biodiversity Introduction exotic tree plantation. Clearing of indigenous forest for the planting of pine and Eucalyptus started in 1948 and South Africa has a rich herpetofaunal diversity continued until 1985. At this point forestry efforts were (Branch, 1998; Bates et al., 2014; du Preez and abandoned due to the poor quality and low volumes Carruthers, 2017; Tolley et al., 2019) and even though of the timber produced. The land was handed over the country’s herpetofauna is considered fairly well- to the provincial conservation authority in 1986 and studied, new species are still being described (for proclaimed as a State Forest (ECPTA, 2011) under the example, frogs – Channing, 2012; Conradie, 2014; Forestry Act (Act 122 of 1984). After proclamation, Wilson and Channing, 2019; reptiles – Jacobsen et al., the reserve was managed by the Cape Provincial 2014; Conradie et al., 2018; Bauer et al., 2019). Administration and then by the Provincial Department The Island Nature Reserve (NR) is 484 ha in extent and of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and is situated in the southwestern sector of Nelson Mandela Tourism. It is currently managed by the Eastern Cape Bay Municipality, between the peri-urban Colleen Glen Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA). area and Seaview Village. The surrounding land is In this paper we present the results of a primarily privately owned and is used for small-scale herpetofaunal survey that was conducted in The agriculture, recreational, and residential purposes. The Island NR. This study forms part of a series of rapid Island NR was originally managed by the Department surveys to improve biodiversity inventory data of of Forestry and intended for the development of an protected areas managed by the ECPTA within the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The purposes of these surveys are to (a) develop and 1 Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency, 17–25 Oxford Street, update the biodiversity inventories of protected areas, East London, South Africa. (b) assess the biodiversity encountered in terms of 2 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch conservation value, (c) identify habitats and sites Research Centre, Claremont, South Africa. of conservation concern, and (d) create benchmark 3 Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), PO Box 13147, datasets for environmental change and anthropogenic Humewood, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 4 Department of Nature Conservation Management, Natural impact research. Concurrent to the purposes listed Resource Science and Management Cluster, Faculty of above, the surveys are also part of efforts to grow Science, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, the herpetology collection of the Port Elizabeth George, South Africa. Museum (PEM) so that a representative sample of the * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] province’s herpetofauna is curated for taxonomical © 2021 by Herpetology Notes. Open Access by CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. and other research purposes. 1088 Brian Reeves et al. Material and Methods mosaic of forest intergrading into Albany Thicket, with some fynbos elements. Three vegetation units have Study Site. The Island NR is split into two portions been identified for the reserve in the Nelson Mandela by Seaview Road (MR422), with the largest portion Bay Bioregional Plan (NMBM, 2014), namely situated to the west of this road (Fig. 1). The Island Sardinia Bay Forest Thicket, Bushy Park Indian Ocean NR falls within the 3325CD Quarter Degree Grid Cell Forest, and Chelsea Forest Thicket Mosaic. (QDGC). The reserve is situated in a highly fragmented The geology of The Island NR comprises primarily landscape. Most of the land adjacent to the northern stabilised dunes of Quaternary aeolian sands which and eastern boundaries of The Island NR has been have poor water retention capacity. These sands transformed for agricultural or residential purposes. are underlain by semi-consolidated to consolidated However, this reserve and other smaller local calcareous sandstone and sandy limestone of the authority reserves (Maitlands and Sardinia Bay/ Nanaga Formation (Toerien and Hill, 1989). Blue Sylvic) form part of a coastal corridor of relatively shale is found in the northern part of the reserve intact and connected habitat approximately 2 km (ECPTA, 2011). The climate is temperate, and the in width stretching along the southern coastline of region receives rain throughout the year, with rainfall Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality. ranging from 655–750 mm in typical years, and with Survey. A herpetofaunal survey was conducted two distinct rainfall peaks (June and October; ECPTA from 13–22 November 2017. The survey comprised a 2011). Prevailing summer winds are south-westerly, combination of active searching and passive trapping. however south-easterly winds, which bring moist air Four Y-shaped trap arrays were set up in different from the sea, are also experienced. During winter the habitats. These arrays had a single pitfall trap in the prevailing winds are warm, dry north-westerlies and centre, a funnel trap positioned on either side of the fence north-easterlies. The vegetation on The Island NR is a in the centre of each arm (which were approximately Figure 1. Location of The Island Nature Reserve, South Africa. Herpetofauna of the Island Nature Reserve, South Africa 1089 10–15 m long and 50 cm high), and a single terminal Results funnel trap on each arm (Table 1). An additional trap No records of previous herpetological surveys array (Trap 5) comprised a single straight drift fence of undertaken in The Island NR were found. During our about 80 m with 10 funnel traps (set in five pairs along survey, we recorded 28 species, representing seven each side of the fence). amphibian species (four families) and 21 reptile species Vouchers (1–6 individuals) were collected for each (11 families: nine lizards, nine snakes, three tortoises). species, while all other trapped animals were released We added 59 (35 reptile and 24 amphibian) voucher at the capture site. Voucher specimens were humanely specimens to the Port Elizabeth Museum herpetology euthanized by injecting reptiles and submerging frogs in collection. At the time of our survey, there were eight a tricaine methanesulfonate (MS222) solution (Conroy Port Elizabeth Museum records from The Island NR et al., 2009), and fixed in 10% buffered formalin before (Homopus areolatus, Homoroselaps lacteus, Bitis being preserved in 70% ethanol for long-term storage. arietans, Dispholidus typus, Lycodonomorphus Genetic samples (liver or muscle) were collected from inornatus, L. rufulus, Pachydactylus maculatus, each voucher specimen and stored in 96% ethanol. Scelotes anguineus). Of these, two species (H. lacteus All specimens were deposited in the Port Elizabeth and L. rufulus) were not encountered during our Museum, South Africa. survey. This brings the confirmed number of species Data collection. The Port Elizabeth Museum for the nature reserve to 30. The present survey added database and other major museum databases housing 21 new reserve records and three new QDGC records South African herpetological material were consulted (viz. Gerrhosaurus flavigularis, Causus rhombeatus, in order to obtain data of voucher specimens previously Pelomedusa galeata). collected within the boundaries of The Island NR. Additionally, we consulted virtual museum platforms Species Accounts. The species accounts are (e.g., ReptileMAP and FrogMAP, http://vmus.adu.org. grouped into four sections, namely Amphibia (frogs), za; iNaturalist, www.inaturalist.org) to obtain additional, Sauria (lizards), Serpentes (snakes), and Testudines non-vouchered records. The ECPTA’s internal records (chelonians). Within these groups we ordered were consulted for evidence of previous herpetofaunal species accounts taxonomically by family and then surveys in The Island NR. alphabetically within families. We follow the higher- Species Identification. Species identifications level classification suggested by Zaher et al. (2019) for were made using relevant field guides or published snakes. We provide information on voucher numbers identification keys (reptiles – Broadley, 1983; Branch, and sampling localities (latitude and longitude in 1998; frogs – Channing, 2001; du Preez and Carruthers, decimal degrees, WGS 84 GCS, and elevation in 2017) and comparison to other material housed in the metres). Brief notes on identification, taxonomy, and/ Port Elizabeth Museum. Nomenclature was based on or natural history are also provided when appropriate. established online databases (frogs – Frost, 2021; reptiles – Uetz et al., 2021), and updated
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