AFRICAN HERP NEWS Number 42 APRIL 2007 CONTENTS EDITORIAL .............................................................................. Newsletter of the ARTICLES BANDU, V.H., & DOWNS, C.T. Ultramicroscopic structure of the Herpetological Association of Africa feet ofMoreau's Tropical House. Gecko, Hemidactylus mabouia ......... .... 2 SCHMIDT, W. The Eighth Herpetological Association of Africa Symposium ......................................... ................................... 9 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES MASHININI, L. Varanus albig11laris (Daudin, 1802). Hibernation . ... .. 17 WlTBERG, M. Pseudaspis cana (Linnaeus, 1754). Maximum size .. .. .. .... 18 WITBERG, M. Naja nivea (Lirmaeus, 1758). Juvenile markings .. .. .. ... 21 PHELPS, T. Naja nivea (Linnaeus, 1758). Maximum size . .. 23 GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIONS BAUER, A.M., JACKMAN, T.R., BRANCH, W.R., & MARAIS, J. Pachydactylus waterbe1ge11sis Bauer & Lamb, 2003 . 24 BAUER, A.M., JACKMAN, T.R., BRANCH, W.R., & MARAIS. .J . Hemirhagerrhis viperina (Bocage. 1873) ....... .... ..... .......... .. .. .. .. ... ..... 25 EIGHTH H.A.A. SYMPOSIUM: MINUTES OF THE GENERAL MEETING................. ......... ... .. ........ .. ............... ..... ..... 27 INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS .. .. ... 41 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 41 l\umber 42 APRIL 2007 ISSN 107-6187 AFRICAN HERP NEWS 42, APRIL 2007 HERPETOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA http://www.wits.ac.za/haa FOll:\DED 1965 The HAA is dedicated to the study and conservation of African reptiles and amphibians. Membership EDITORIAL is open to anyone with an interest in the African hcrpctofauna. Members 1-ccei,·c the Association·s journal. African ./011ntal of //e17Je10/ogy. which publishes review papers. research articles. short This issue introduces some changes to the general fonnat of the Newsletter communications and book reviews subject to peer review) and African lft!l'p New,·. the Newsletter mostly of a minor nature but which will; I hope, enhance its overall appearance'. (\\hich includes short communications. life history notes. geographical distribution notes. herpctological survey reports. ,·enom and snakebite notes. short book reviews. bibliographics. husbandry hints. Some amendments have been made to the Instructions to Authors, and contributors announcements and news items). are ~equested_t~ follow these in order to facilitate production ofthe Newsletter. Fol­ lo_wmg a dec1s1on made at the General Meeting of the Association, held after the NEWSLETTFR EDITOR'S NOTF Eighth H.A.A. Symposium in Potchefstroom last year, a new membership fee struc­ Articles shall be considered for publication provided that they arc original and haYe not been ture w~ ~dopted and members are urged to consult this carefully - full details are published elsewhere. Articles will be submitted for peer review at the Editor's discretion. Authors arc on the inside back cover. I hope to bring out a third issue of the Newsletter in No­ requested to submit long manuscripts by e-mail or on disc in Word 6.0 or 7.0. or \Vindo\\S XP format. v~m~r or December of this year, and encourage you to send more contributions - Shorter articles may he submitted may be submitted as typescripts. The ,·icws and opinions expressed in articles arc not necessarily those of the Editor. this issue spe~ for its_elfwith respect to the fine work being done by members! Articles and news items appearing in Aji-ica11 //c:rp Ne 11 ·s may be reprinted. pro,ided that the author's !11 the article by Vmcent Egan entitled "Chiromantis xerampe/ina: Nesting be­ name and full Newsletter reference arc gi,·en. haviour'', the frogs were taking refuge in birds' nests, not nesting in them. The arti­ cle should have been entitled "Chiromantis xerampelina: Refuge site selection". CO~DIITTEF OF TIIE IIERl'ETOI.Of;l('AL ASSOCLATIO:\ OF AFRICA Angelo Lambiris CIIA/R.1/A.!\' Dr. Michael F. Bates. National Museum. PO Box 2(,6. Bloemfontein 9300. South Africa. herp([t'nasmus.co.za SECRETAR )' & TREA.\'UR/;'R l\lrs. Mandi Alhlas. Department of Biomedical Sciences. P.O. Box 19063. Tygcrherg 7505. South Africa. aa2([, sun.ac.za JOt'RSAI. £1)/TOR Dr. Alex Flemming. Department of Zoology and Botany. Pri vate Bag XI. Stellenbosch 7602. South Africa. aff(c, sun.ac.za NEIISl.l:'TT/;'R £1)/TOR Dr. Angelo Lamhiris. 22 Ashley Road. West Riding. Hillcrest 3(, I 0. Kwa-Zulu Natal. South Africa. lambiris(~d i.co za AIJDITIOS.-1 I. /11 /;,I/IJERS Dr. Ernst II.\\'. Baard. Scientific Ser\'ices. Western Cape Nature ConscrY,llion 8oard. Pri\'atc Bag 5014. Stellenbosch 7600. South Africa. baarde(r, cncjnk.wcapc.go,,_ za Dr. W.R. Branch. Curator of Hcrpetolo.t,'Y- [3ayworld. P.O.Box I 3147. Humc\\'ood r,O 13. South Africa. wrbranch<i_, bay\\'orld.co.za Prof. Louis du Preez. School of En\'ironmental Science and Development. North-West University. Potchefstroom Campus. Private 8ag X600 I. Potchefstroom 2520. South Africa. Louis.duPrcez([1 nwu.ac.za Dr. Krystal Tolley. Molecular Ecology and Evolution Program, South African National Biodiversity Institute. P/Bag X7. Claremont 7735. South Africa. Tollcy(,'1 sanbi.org Prof. l\lartin J. \Vhiting. Animal. Plant & En,,iron111cntal Sciences. University of the Witwatersrand. Pri,·atc Bag 3. WITS 2050. South Africa. martin((, biology.biol.wits.ac.za COVER PHOTO Boulenger's Skink, Trachy/epis bou/engeri (Sternfeld, 1911) Photo: Bart Wursten Clicking Stream Frog, Stnmgylo1711s g. gmyii (Smith, 1849). Photo: Warren Schmidt African Herp News No. 42, pp 2-8, April 2007 BANDU & DOWNS Ultramicroscopic structure of Hemidactylus feet gecko feet has been the focus of studies for over a century (Autumn & Peattie, 2002; Autumn et al., 2002). Recent evidence has explained that the mechanism that ULTRAMICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF THE FEET OF MOREAU'S underlies the gecko feet's ability to adhere and separate from a range of surfaces is TROPICAL HOUSE GECKO, HEMIDACTYLUS MABOUJA based on the physical principle of weak van der Waal's forces (Hille, 1968; Autumn et al., 2000, 2002; Jagota & Bennison, 2002). For this mechanism to occur geckos Vijay H. BANDUi and Colleen T. DOWNS2* require a microscopic fibrillated interface for contact and adhesion (Jagota & Benni­ son, 2002). Macroscopic morphology of the feet of most gecko species has been described (Ruibal & Emst 1965; Branch, 1998). Toe tips of many gecko species 'Centre for Electron Microscopy and 2School ofBiological and Conservation have groups of unique scales known as scansors, or lamellae; their arrangement and Sciences, University ofKwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag XOJ. Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, number is of systematic importance (Roll, 1995; Branch, 1998; Autumn & Peattie, 3209, South Africa. E-mail:[email protected]. 2002). Gecko scansors have numerous epidermally derived, keratinous microscopic hairs known as setae (30-130 micrometers long) (Russell, 1975; Schleich & Kastle, 1968; Autumn et al., 2000; Autumn & Peattie, 2002; Gao et al., 2005). Each seta *Correspondence: ProfC. T. Downs, School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, Univer­ usually consists of a columnar section with the end tip branching into 100-1000 sity of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag XOl, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa Tel: +27- structures called spatulae (200-S00nm in size) (Ruibal & Ernest, 1965; Williams & 33 -2605127; fa'X: +27-33-2605 !05 Peterson, 1982; Autumn et al., 2000; Gao et al., 2005). It appears that the nano­ metre size range of gecko spatula may have evolved to optimise the adhesive ABSTRACT strength and maximum tolerance of imperfect adhesion (Gao et al., 2005). Further­ The ability of geckos to move up and down walls is a consequence of the struc­ more, the asymmetrical structure of gecko's setae may allow robust attachment and ture and function of their feet. The mechanism that underlies the gecko feet's ability easy detachment (Gao et al., 2005). Few gecko feet have been described at scan­ to adhere and separate from a range of surfaces is based on the physical principle of ning electron microscopic scale (Stewart & Daniel, 1972; Russell, 1975; Roll, weak van der Waal's forces. Despite the description of most gecko feet on a macro 1995). Most information on gecko feet at this micro-scale has focussed on the To­ scale, few have been described at scanning electron microscopic scale where the kay Gecko Gekko gecko (Autumn & Peattie, 2002); descriptions and measurements nanometre size range of gecko spatula is necessary to understand how the van der of the structure of setae and spatulae of African gecko species are few. Schleich & Waal's forces may act. The morpho]ogy of the feet of the Moreau's Tropical House Klistle (1986) described the setal size and number of some species. Consequently, Gecko, Hemidactylus mabouia, was investigated using scanning electron micros­ the morphology of the feet of the Moreau's Tropical House Gecko, Hemidacty/us copy and the size of the spatulae determined. Number of spatulae per seta was less mabouia, was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and the size of the than 50, lower than numbers reported for other species of gecko. In addition the di­ spatulae determined. Hemidactylus mabouia is an arboreal, nocturnal, medium­ ameter of spatulae of H. mabouia was smaller, only 150-180nm across, than those sized gecko (66-68mm long) (Branch 1998). In Africa, they occur in a wide range of other geckos. of habitats in east and southern Africa (Branch 1998). It was hypothesised that the ultrastructure of feet, in particular the spatulae size, would be similar to those of INTRODUCTION other geckos generally.