DOCSLIB.ORG

Trachylepis Occidentalis 2018.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Trachylepis Occidentalis 2018.Pdf NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 AHN AFRICAN HERP NEWS NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 1 AHN FORWARD FOUNDED 1965 The HAA is dedicated to the study and con- COMMITTEE OF THE HAA servation of African reptiles and amphib- CHAIRPERSON LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON ians. Membership is open to anyone with Krystal Tolley, South African National Biodi- an interest in the African herpetofauna. versity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Members receive the Association’s journal, Cape Town, South Africa. On behalf of the new HAA committee, I would like to thank the members for giving us the Email: [email protected] African Journal of Herpetology (which opportunity to promote and foster African herpetology for both the established and the publishes review papers, research articles, SECRETARY next generation of herpetologists. The new committee has met several times since its for- and short communications – subject to Buyi Makhubo, Department of Herpetology, mation as there were a number of outstanding issues, as well as new initiatives to discuss. peer review) and African Herp News, the National Museum, P. O. Box 266, Bloemfontein We would like to share these with the members. Firstly, our membership has decreased Newsletter (which includes short com- 9300, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] substantially over recent years. We now have less than 150 members. Most of the loss munications, natural history notes, book has been from overseas members, most likely due to the lack of a mechanism to make reviews, bibliographies, husbandry hints, TREASURER payments to the society. We are looking into new methods, such as PayPal. While ease announcements and news items). Jens Reissig, P.O.Box 62, Kelvin, Sandton 2054, of payment might boost our membership, the committee also discussed why one would South Africa want to be a member. What is the advantage and why should we value membership in the NEWSLETTER EDITOR’S NOTE Email: [email protected] Articles shall be considered for publication HAA? We tossed around some ideas such as access to the journal, receiving the newsletter and cheaper conference fees. But ultimately, the group agreed that we really are members provided that they are original and have JOURNAL EDITOR not been published elsewhere. Articles will Ché Weldon, Unit for Environmental Sciences and because it gives us a sense of belonging. We are a community, we have common ground, be submitted for peer review at the Edi- Management, North-West University, Potchefst- and we want to encourage others to participate so that herpetology in Africa grows. Thus, room 2522, South Africa. tor’s discretion. Authors are requested to Email: [email protected] our goal for the next 2 years is to support scientific endeavors, to recognize excellence submit manuscripts by e-mail in MS Word within our community and foster young researchers. Our first obvious step is to update the ‘.doc’ or ‘.docx’ format. NEWSLETTER EDITOR website and to step things up with social media on the FaceBook page. There will be fre- COPYRIGHT Jessica da Silva, South African National Biodi- quent postings regarding the journal content and other activities. The FaceBook page will : Articles published in versity Institute. Kirstenbosch Research Centre, also become a more active student forum, where students can post questions and we will the Newsletter are copyright of the Herpe- Cape Town, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] encourage our more seasoned members to engage with the students and provide advice. tological Association of Africa and may not This is just the beginning of our work and the committee will be meeting fairly regularly so be reproduced without permission of the WEBPAGE/SOCIAL MEDIA Editor. The views and opinions expressed Bryan Maritz, Department of Biodiversity and if members have comments or recommendations, please contact us at our new committee in articles are not necessarily those of the Conservation at the University of the Western email address: [email protected]. Cape. Editor. E-mail: [email protected] Committee of the haa STUDENT SUPPORT COVER PHOTOGRAPH Hanlie Engelbrecht, School of Animal, Plant Krystal Tolley : Python and Environmental Sciences, University of the natalensis Photograph by: Graham Witwatersrand, South Africa. HAA Chairperson E-mail: [email protected] Alexander 2 NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 3 6 EDITORIAL 34 M. PETFORD & R. VAN HUYSSTEEN. Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia (Günther, 1864). Hunting strategy. CORRECTIONS 7 CORRECTION TO ISSUE 66, PAGE 28 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIONS 37 M. P. HEINICKE & A. M. BAUER. Goggia essexi (Hewitt, 1925) and SURVEYS Lygodactylus capensis (Smith, 1849). 8 B. HUGHS. THE SNAKES OF DODOMA 41 W. CONRADIE & T. BUSSCHAU. Macrelaps microlepidotus (Günther, 1860). ARTICLES 43 D. W. PIETERSEN, J. P. DAVIES & L. J. THOMPSON. Lygodactylus 12 R. C. BOYCOTT. EFFECT OF DROUGHT ON HATCHING SUCCESS chobiensis - FitzSimons, 1932. 45 D. W. PIETERSEN, J. P. DAVIES & L. J. THOMPSON. Chamaeleo NATURAL HISTORY NOTES anchietae - Bocage 1872 19 M. F. BATES & D. BOSHOFF. Psammophis crucifer (Daudin, 1803). 48 INSTRUCTION TO AUTHORS Death-feigning. 20 E. HESTER, A. SCHAEFER & A. M. BAUER. Afrogecko prophyreus 51 HAA MEMBERSHIP FEES (Daudin, 1802). Reproduction. 21 S. KIRCHHOF, L. B. LOSOGO, C. S. GOOSH, K. SAITOTI & P. K. MALONZA. Latastia longicaudata (Reuss, 1934). Diet. 25 F. H.A. VAN LOON. Homopus signatus - Gmelin, 1789. Two-egg clutching. 26 R. VAN HUYSSTEEN & M. PETFORD. Lamprophis guttatus (A. Smith, 1844). Diet. 27 P. R. JORDAAN. Varanus albigularis albigularis - Daudin, 1802. Severe facial myiasis. 30 P. R. JORDAAN & X. COMBRINK. Crocodylus niloticus(Laurenti, 1802). Hunting behaviour. 32 P. CUNNINGHAM. Trachylepis occidentalis (Peters, 1867). Avian preda tion. 4 NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 NUMBER 67 | APRIL 2018 5 . NATURAL HISTORY Notes...>>>>>>>> ..>>>>>>>> NATURAL HISTORY Notes after several minutes. All three hunting -at Herpetology. 42 (2): 361-368. Clauss (2002) mention snakes, monitors, tempts witnessed were successful. - SUBMITTED BY raptors, small mammals (e.g. shrews, mon ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS goose, African wild cat and domestic cat) PHILIPPUS RUDOLPH (PHILIP) JORDAAN preying on Trachylepis wahlbergii. Known We would like to thank Catharine Hanekom , - avian predators ofTrachylepis spp. are var- for her comments as well as Dr. Jessica da Tshwane University of Technology, Depart ious raptors and lilac-breasted roller (Clauss Silva who reviewed the article. ment of Nature Conservation. & Clauss 2002). REFERENCES Email: [email protected] ALEXANDER STANISLOU (XANDER) COM- On 21 July 2017 I found a juvenileTrach - BRANCH, B., 1998. Field guide to the snakes BRINK, Tshwane University of Technology, ylepis occidentalis individual (SVL 50 mm & and other reptiles of southern Africa. Struik. Department of Nature Conservation. Room Tail 78 mm – identified by colour pattern and Cape Town. 511, Floor 5, Building 5, Pretoria Campus, known presence on the farm) impaled on a CORBET, P.S. (1959). The food of a sample of Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001. Rhigozum trichotomum shrub (at a height crocodiles (Crocodilus niloticus L.) from Lake Email: [email protected] of 70 cm on a shrub with a total height of Victoria. Proceedings of the Zoological Soci- 100 cm) by a common fiscalLanius ( collaris) ety of London. 29 (4): 211-235. on a farm approximately 70 km northeast COTT, H.B. 1961. Scientific results of an in- SCINCINAE of Noordoewer in the Karas Region, south- jury into the ecology and economic status Trachylepis occidentalis ern Namibia (28°16’12.7”S & 18°03’44.1”E; of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) (Peters, 1867) 740m). Although the actual impaling pro- in Uganda and northern Rhodesia. Transac- cess was not observed, this is inferred as tions of the Zoological Society of London, 29 Western Three-striped Skink common fiscal are resident on farm and of- (4): 211-235. ten seen preying on invertebrates (Fig. 1). Figure 1. Juvenile Trachylepis occidentalis impaled MATTHEWS, W.S., VAN WYK, A.E., VAN AVIAN PREDATION on Rhigozum trichotomum shrub by common Common fiscal’s have a catholic diet and ROOYEN, N., BOTHA, G.A. 2001. Vegetation P. CUNNINGHAM fiscal. of the Tembe Elephant Park, Maputaland, are known predators of vertebrates - e.g. Common fiscal are seen daily on the farm South Africa. South African Journal of Bota- Although lizards are known to fall prey to blindworms, lizards, chameleons, snakes, and although this was the first impaled prey ny. 67: 573-594. a variety of predators (e.g. Branch 1998, frogs, birds, rodents, bats (Hockey et al. item encountered, most other foraging -ob Marais 1992, Alexander & Marais 2007) 2005) although these usually make up a RADLOFF, F.G.T., HOBSON, K.A., LESLIE, A.J. servations have been of arthropods and small percentage of the diet (e.g. <10% of 2012. Characterising ontogenetic niche there is often a paucity of data regarding even a scorpion, but no reptiles. The last - shifts in Nile Crocodile using stable isotope specific species and/or predators with most the diet in KwaZulu/Natal – e.g. Soobramon few years on the farm have been associat- ey et al. (δ13C, δ15N) analyses of scute keratin.Iso - data on predators being anecdotal. This is 2004). Prey items are often impaled ed with below average annual rainfall. This topes in Environmental and Health Studies. especially true for the genus Trachylepis. or wedged on thorns, wood splinters, and overall dry spell and probably general lack of 48 (3): 439-456. However, some predators are mentioned, barbs of wire fence (Hockey et al. 2005) arthropod prey items may have influenced TEMBE ELEPHANT PARK: MANAGEMENT albeit mostly at genus level – e.g. Shine et which serves as a ‘storage’ function (Bevanthe bird to attempt larger reptile prey. On Trachylepis PLAN. Version 1.0 (2015). Ezemvelo KwaZu- al. (2006) include in the diet of & England 1969) or as a display for territorialthe other hand, the breeding season for lu-Natal Wildlife, Pietermaritzburg. Psammophiine (Colubridae) snakes; Marais advertisement and to attract females (Yosefcommon fiscal is between August and -Janu (1992) include Trachylepis spp.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Herpetofaunal Survey of the Ongeluksnek (Malekgalonyane) Nature Reserve in the Foothills of the Drakensberg, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
    Herpetology Notes, volume 13: 717-730 (2020) (published online on 25 August 2020) Herpetofaunal survey of the Ongeluksnek (Malekgalonyane) Nature Reserve in the foothills of the Drakensberg, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Werner Conradie1,2,* Brian Reeves3, Sandile Mdoko3, Lwandiso Pamla3, and Oyama Gxabhu3 Abstract. The results of a herpetofaunal survey of Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa are presented here. Combination of visual encounter survey methods and standard Y-shape trap arrays were used to conduct the survey. A total of 26 species (eight amphibians and 18 reptiles) were recorded, representing 29 quarter-degree grid cell records, of which 62% represented the first records for these units. Furthermore, we document the presence of three species of snakes (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, Hemachatus haemachatus and Homoroselaps lacteus) for the first time for the whole degree square of 3028 (approx. 100 km2). This study highlights the need to survey poorly known regions to enable us to understand and document the full distributional extent of species. We also discuss the impact of uncontrolled fires on the absence of grassland specialised species during our survey. Keywords. Amphibia, Reptilia, karroid, conservation, biodiversity, fire Introduction has been done in the southern and western regions (e.g. Branch and Braack, 1987), while the northern and The herpetofaunal richness of South Africa is central areas associated with the former homelands of considered to be amongst the highest in the world the Ciskei and Transkei remained poorly surveyed. In (Branch, 1998; Bates et al., 2014; Du Preez and recent years a series of rapid biodiversity studies has Carruthers, 2017; Tolley et al., 2019).
    [Show full text]
  • Driftsands Nature Reserve Complex PAMP
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Driftsands Nature Reserve is situated on the Cape Flats, approximately 25 km east of Cape Town on the National Route 2, in the Western Cape Province. The reserve is situated adjacent to the Medical Research Centre in Delft and is bounded by highways and human settlement on all sides. Driftsands is bound in the northwest by the R300 and the National Route 2 and Old Faure road in the south. The northern boundary is bordered by private landowners, while the eastern boundary is formed by Mfuleni Township. The Nature Reserve falls within the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality. The reserve experiences a Mediterranean-type climate with warm dry summers, and cool wet winter seasons. Gale force winds from the south east prevail during the summer months, while during the winter months, north westerly winds bring rain. Driftsands Nature Reserve represents of one of the largest remaining remnants of intact Cape Flats Dune Strandveld which is classified as Endangered, and harbours at least two Endangered Cape Flats endemics, Muraltia mitior and Passerina paludosa. The Kuils River with associated floodplain wetlands, dune strandveld depressions and seeps are representative of a wetland type that has been subjected to high cumulative loss, and provides regulatory ecosystem services such as flood attenuation, ground water recharge/discharge and water quality improvement. The site provides access for cultural and/or religious practices and provides opportunities for quality curriculum based environmental education. Driftsands Nature Reserve is given the highest priority rating within the Biodiversity Network (BioNet), the fine scale conservation plan for the City of Cape Town.
    [Show full text]
  • Lotta Berg Western Cape Day Trips
    Lotta Berg Western Cape Day Trips 5th to 7th September 2015 (3 days) Cape Rockjumper by Cliff Dorse Day 1, 5th September: West Coast National Park & Darling Hills Loop. After meeting Lotta at 05h30 at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, we were off on our first of three day trips. The weather forecast was perfect with very little wind and temperatures of around 30oC predicted. As such, we decided to do the West Coast first in order to fully optimize the good weather. We arrived at the gate of the West Coast National Park at sunrise, shortly before the gate opened. There we encountered our first birds of the trip, including Bokmakierie, Cape Weaver, Karoo Prinia, and Karoo Scrub Robin. Once in the Park we had good views of Southern Black Korhaan, Karoo Lark and White-backed Mousebird. We proceeded to the small freshwater wetland and bird hide known as Abrahamskraal. Wetland birds included Yellow-billed Duck, Cape Shoveler, Lesser Swamp Warbler and Little Grebe. A pair of confiding White-throated Swallow were building a nest in the hide and they gave exceptional views. We had a Black Crake flying across the reeds before we decided to head on to the popular area for flower displays, before it became too busy. The Flowers did not disappoint and there were fields of multi-coloured flowers in the Postberg section of the Park. When the flower area started to get very congested, we decided to retreat to quieter areas of the park. We had a good lunch at the Geelbek Restaurant before continuing our birding.
    [Show full text]
  • Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations in Southern Africa, with Special Reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin
    Bonner zoologische Beiträge Band 52 (2003) Heft 3/4 Seiten 193–214 Bonn, November 2004 Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations in Southern Africa, With Special Reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin Aaron M. BAUER Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA Abstract. The earliest herpetological records made by Germans in southern Africa were casual observations of common species around Cape Town made by employees of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the mid- to late Seven- teenth Century. Most of these records were merely brief descriptions or lists of common names, but detailed illustrations of many reptiles were executed by two German illustrators in the employ of the VOC, Heinrich CLAUDIUS and Johannes SCHUMACHER. CLAUDIUS, who accompanied Simon VAN DER STEL to Namaqualand in 1685, left an especially impor- tant body of herpetological illustrations which are here listed and identified to species. One of the last Germans to work for the Dutch in South Africa was Martin Hinrich Carl LICHTENSTEIN who served as a physician and tutor to the last Dutch governor of the Cape from 1802 to 1806. Although he did not collect any herpetological specimens himself, LICHTENSTEIN, who became the director of the Zoological Museum in Berlin in 1813, influenced many subsequent workers to undertake employment and/or expeditions in southern Africa. Among the early collectors were Karl BERGIUS and Ludwig KREBS. Both collected material that is still extant in the Berlin collection today, including a small number of reptile types. Because of LICHTENSTEIN’S emphasis on specimens as items for sale to other museums rather than as subjects for study, many species first collected by KREBS were only described much later on the basis of material ob- tained by other, mostly British, collectors.
    [Show full text]
  • Leeuwpan Appendix E Biodiversity
    Appendix E Biodiversity Informative/ Scoping Level Report: Ecological Assessment Of The Leeuwpan Colliery and Expansion, Delmas - Mpumalanga Commissioned by Groundwater Consulting Services Pty (Ltd) Compiled by EkoInfo CC & Associates Augustus 2012 EkoInfo CC P.O. Box 72847 Lynwood Ridge 0040 Pretoria Gauteng RSA http://www.ekoinfo.co.za Member: Willem de Frey Registration no: CC1995/34111/23 Tel: 012-365-2546 Fax: 012-365-3217 Email: [email protected] 1995 - 2010 CONTRIBUTING ASSOCIATES Company EkoInfo CC Pachnoda Enviro-Insight Enviro-Insight Person Willem de Frey Lukas Niemand Luke Verburgt Sam Laurence Qualifications MSc Wildlife MSc Restoration MSc MSc (In press) Management – Ecology–UP, Zoology - UP Wildlife-UP UP, 1999 2000 Field of expertise Flora, Ecology, Avifauna & Herpetofauna, Mammalogy Soil, Wetlands, entomology bio-acoustics GIS Years experience 15 – Full time 9 years 7 years 8 years Professional Pr.Sci.Nat. - Pr.Sci.Nat. - Pr.Sci.Nat. – SACNASP – in Registration Botany & Ecology Zoology & Zoological process (400100/02) Ecology Science (400095/06) (400506/11) Component Vegetation Avifauna & Herpetofauna Mammalogy Invertebrates Telephone 012 365 2546 012 365 2546 012 8036696 012 365 2546 Fax 012 365 3217 012 365 3217 012 420 5134 012 365 3217 Cell phone 082 579 5049 083 978 0817 0837841997 0724371742 Email wdefrey@ekoinfo. Lukas@pachnoda luke@enviro- sam@enviro- co.za .co.za insight.co.za insight.co.za Logo DISCLAIMER AND COPY RIGHT EkoInfo CC and its associates operate as independent consultants under the auspice of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) within their spheres of expertise as determined by their peers. They have no vested interest in the project, other than to provide a professional service within the constraints of the projects (timing, time and budget) based on the principals of science, namely: objectivity, transparency and repeatability while applying internationally and nationally accepted scientific methods.
    [Show full text]
  • A Plant Ecological Study and Management Plan for Mogale's Gate Biodiversity Centre, Gauteng
    A PLANT ECOLOGICAL STUDY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MOGALE’S GATE BIODIVERSITY CENTRE, GAUTENG By Alistair Sean Tuckett submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in the subject ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF. L.R. BROWN DECEMBER 2013 “Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important that television.” Aldo Leopold 2 Abstract The Mogale’s Gate Biodiversity Centre is a 3 060 ha reserve located within the Gauteng province. The area comprises grassland with woodland patches in valleys and lower-lying areas. To develop a scientifically based management plan a detailed vegetation study was undertaken to identify and describe the different ecosystems present. From a TWINSPAN classification twelve plant communities, which can be grouped into nine major communities, were identified. A classification and description of the plant communities, as well as, a management plan are presented. The area comprises 80% grassland and 20% woodland with 109 different plant families. The centre has a grazing capacity of 5.7 ha/LSU with a moderate to good veld condition. From the results of this study it is clear that the area makes a significant contribution towards carbon storage with a total of 0.520 tC/ha/yr stored in all the plant communities. KEYWORDS Mogale’s Gate Biodiversity Centre, Braun-Blanquet, TWINSPAN, JUICE, GRAZE, floristic composition, carbon storage 3 Declaration I, Alistair Sean Tuckett, declare that “A PLANT ECOLOGICAL STUDY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR MOGALE’S GATE BIODIVERSITY CENTRE, GAUTENG” is my own work and that all sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references.
    [Show full text]
  • An Integrative Taxonomic Revision of the Cape Verdean Skinks (Squamata, Scincidae)
    Zoologica Scripta An integrative taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks (Squamata, Scincidae) AURE´ LIEN MIRALLES*, RAQUEL VASCONCELOS*, ANA PERERA,DAVID J. HARRIS &SALVADOR CARRANZA Submitted: 12 March 2010 Miralles, A., Vasconcelos, R., Perera, A., Harris, D. J. & Carranza, S. (2010). An integra- Accepted: 15 September 2010 tive taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks (Squamata, Scincidae). — Zoologica doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00453.x Scripta, 00, 000–000. A comprehensive taxonomic revision of the Cape Verdean skinks is proposed based on an integrative approach combining (i) a phylogenetic study pooling all the previously pub- lished molecular data, (ii) new population genetic analyses using mitochondrial and nuclear data resulting from additional sampling, together with (iii) a morphological study based on an extensive examination of the scalation and colour patterns of 516 live and museum spec- imens, including most of the types. All Cape Verdean species of skinks presently recogni- sed, formerly regarded as members of the genera Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 and Macroscincus Bocage, 1873 are considered as members of the Cape Verdean endemic genus Chioninia Gray, 1845. The new phylogeny and networks obtained are congruent with the previously published phylogenetic studies, although suggesting older colonization events (between 11.6 and 0.8 Myr old), and indicate the need for taxonomic changes. Intraspecific diversity has been analysed and points to a very recent expansion of Chioninia delalandii on the southern islands and its introduction on Maio, to a close connection between Chioninia stangeri island populations due to Pleistocene sea-level falls and to a generally low haplo- typic diversity due to the ecological and geological characteristics of the archipelago.
    [Show full text]
  • SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE) Acta Zoológica Mexicana (Nueva Serie), Vol
    Acta Zoológica Mexicana (nueva serie) ISSN: 0065-1737 [email protected] Instituto de Ecología, A.C. México JEREZ, ADRIANA; SÁNCHEZ-MARTÍNEZ, PAOLA MARÍA; GUERRA-FUENTES, RICARDO ARTURO EMBRYONIC SKULL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEOTROPICAL VIVIPAROUS SKINK MABUYA (SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE) Acta Zoológica Mexicana (nueva serie), vol. 31, núm. 3, diciembre, 2015, pp. 391-402 Instituto de Ecología, A.C. Xalapa, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57542699005 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative ActaISSN Zool. 0065-1737 Mex. (n.s.) 31(3) (2015) Acta Zoológica Mexicana (n.s.), 31(3): 391-402 (2015)391 EMBRYONIC SKULL DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEOTROPICAL VIVIPAROUS SKINK MABUYA (SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE) A JEREZ1, P M SÁNCHEZ-MARTÍNEZ2 & R A GUERRA-FUENTES2,3 1Departamento de Biología. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia. Carrera 45 No 26-85, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. <[email protected]> 2Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil. Av. Nazaré 481, Ipiranga, 04263-000, São Paulo (SP), Brasil. <[email protected]>; 3<[email protected]> Recibido: 01/03/2015; aceptado: 09/10/2015 Jerez, A., Sánchez-Martínez, P. M. & Guerra-Fuentes, R. A. 2015. Jerez, A., Sánchez-Martínez, P. M. & Guerra-Fuentes, R. A. 2015. Embryonic skull development in the neotropical viviparous skink Desarrollo embrionario del cráneo en la lagartija vivípara Mabu- Mabuya (Squamata: Scincidae). Acta Zoológica Mexicana (n.s.), ya (Squamata: Scincidae).
    [Show full text]
  • Patterns of Species Richness, Endemism and Environmental Gradients of African Reptiles
    Journal of Biogeography (J. Biogeogr.) (2016) ORIGINAL Patterns of species richness, endemism ARTICLE and environmental gradients of African reptiles Amir Lewin1*, Anat Feldman1, Aaron M. Bauer2, Jonathan Belmaker1, Donald G. Broadley3†, Laurent Chirio4, Yuval Itescu1, Matthew LeBreton5, Erez Maza1, Danny Meirte6, Zoltan T. Nagy7, Maria Novosolov1, Uri Roll8, 1 9 1 1 Oliver Tallowin , Jean-Francßois Trape , Enav Vidan and Shai Meiri 1Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, ABSTRACT 6997801 Tel Aviv, Israel, 2Department of Aim To map and assess the richness patterns of reptiles (and included groups: Biology, Villanova University, Villanova PA 3 amphisbaenians, crocodiles, lizards, snakes and turtles) in Africa, quantify the 19085, USA, Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, PO Box 240, Bulawayo, overlap in species richness of reptiles (and included groups) with the other ter- Zimbabwe, 4Museum National d’Histoire restrial vertebrate classes, investigate the environmental correlates underlying Naturelle, Department Systematique et these patterns, and evaluate the role of range size on richness patterns. Evolution (Reptiles), ISYEB (Institut Location Africa. Systematique, Evolution, Biodiversite, UMR 7205 CNRS/EPHE/MNHN), Paris, France, Methods We assembled a data set of distributions of all African reptile spe- 5Mosaic, (Environment, Health, Data, cies. We tested the spatial congruence of reptile richness with that of amphib- Technology), BP 35322 Yaounde, Cameroon, ians, birds and mammals. We further tested the relative importance of 6Department of African Biology, Royal temperature, precipitation, elevation range and net primary productivity for Museum for Central Africa, 3080 Tervuren, species richness over two spatial scales (ecoregions and 1° grids). We arranged Belgium, 7Royal Belgian Institute of Natural reptile and vertebrate groups into range-size quartiles in order to evaluate the Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, role of range size in producing richness patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • Reptiles & Amphibians
    AWF FOUR CORNERS TBNRM PROJECT : REVIEWS OF EXISTING BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION i Published for The African Wildlife Foundation's FOUR CORNERS TBNRM PROJECT by THE ZAMBEZI SOCIETY and THE BIODIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA 2004 PARTNERS IN BIODIVERSITY The Zambezi Society The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa P O Box HG774 P O Box FM730 Highlands Famona Harare Bulawayo Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Tel: +263 4 747002-5 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.biodiversityfoundation.org Website : www.zamsoc.org The Zambezi Society and The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa are working as partners within the African Wildlife Foundation's Four Corners TBNRM project. The Biodiversity Foundation for Africa is responsible for acquiring technical information on the biodiversity of the project area. The Zambezi Society will be interpreting this information into user-friendly formats for stakeholders in the Four Corners area, and then disseminating it to these stakeholders. THE BIODIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR AFRICA (BFA is a non-profit making Trust, formed in Bulawayo in 1992 by a group of concerned scientists and environmentalists. Individual BFA members have expertise in biological groups including plants, vegetation, mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, insects, aquatic invertebrates and ecosystems. The major objective of the BFA is to undertake biological research into the biodiversity of sub-Saharan Africa, and to make the resulting information more accessible. Towards this end it provides technical, ecological and biosystematic expertise. THE ZAMBEZI SOCIETY was established in 1982. Its goals include the conservation of biological diversity and wilderness in the Zambezi Basin through the application of sustainable, scientifically sound natural resource management strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • 4.4 Possible Impacts of Proposed River Club Development
    South African astronomical observatory: vegetation and conservation 4.4 Possible impacts of proposed River Club development on the renosterveld of the SAAO site Dr Liz Day’s report on the wetlands of the River Club (Day, 2015) says the following: “The Flood Report of Krige (2015) (in Day, 2015) suggests that infilling of the entire River Club site to the 1:50 year flood level would not affect flooding in adjacent properties. Subsequent discussions with Mr Krige clarified the fact that infilling of the floodline would have an (as yet) unquantified effect on floodplain capacity, resulting in likely more rapid inundation of areas below a specified floodline, during an event of such a magnitude (as a result of reduced storage capacity). It is assumed that, up to floods of a magnitude at which flows bypass the constricting Salt River bridge, described in Krige (2015), infilling of the floodplain would also result in increased inundation depth in areas that have not been infilled”. There would be no impacts on the dryland renosterveld vegetation at the SAAO site (the water levels would be constant). However, as articulated by Day (2015) there is possibility that certain wetlands would be more quickly inundated, along with an increase in inundation depth. This would likely affect the species composition of localised wetland habitats, where deeper water species such as Typha capensis bulrush are likely to invade at the expense of those species with a more ephemeral wetland character. By comparison, the artificial perennial inundation of the Kuils River wetlands has led to the decline and even loss of certain wetland species in the area (Ninham Shand, 1999; Low, 1998).
    [Show full text]
  • Reptiles of the Western Cape: Snakes: Berg Adder
    Reptiles of the Western Cape: Snakes: Berg Adder/ Berg Adder Bitis atropos Size: Adults reach an average length of 40 cm (max. 60 cm). Description: A thick bodied snake with the head distinct from the body, but more elongated than other adders. The coloration is generally dark grey with a series of darker grey or dark brown half circles (flat side facing down) down the upper sides. Below this is a series of square to X-shaped dark grey or brown blotches. Both series of blotches are outlined with a thin white border. The top of the head normally has a spearhead-shaped darker marking, also outlined in white. The overall pattern effectively disrupts the snake's shape. Biology: This snake is strongly associated with mountains and generally occurs at higher altitudes, but does also occur at low altitudes in the case where mountains arise from the low altitude such as on the Cape coast. It preys on rodents, lizards and amphibians. It is viviparous and gives birth to 4 to 15 young. It is a somewhat nervous snake and hisses profusely when approached and will usually retreat into thick cover immediately if approached. It is quite agile for an adder and can move quite quickly. If pursued or cornered, it will strike rapidly at an aggressor. Few people are bitten by this snake, but due to its good camouflage and relatively small size, it is sometimes not seen and stood or sat on resulting in severe injuries to the snake and sometimes a consequent bite to the offender. The venom causes a number of different symptoms including cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects.
    [Show full text]