© University of Hamburg 2018 All rights reserved Klaus Hess Publishers Göttingen & Windhoek www.k-hess-verlag.de ISBN: 978-3-933117-95-3 (Germany), 978-99916-57-43-1 (Namibia) Language editing: Will Simonson (Cambridge), and Proofreading Pal Translation of abstracts to Portuguese: Ana Filipa Guerra Silva Gomes da Piedade Page desing & layout: Marit Arnold, Klaus A. Hess, Ria Henning-Lohmann Cover photographs: front: Thunderstorm approaching a village on the Angolan Central Plateau (Rasmus Revermann) back: Fire in the miombo woodlands, Zambia (David Parduhn) Cover Design: Ria Henning-Lohmann ISSN 1613-9801 Printed in Germany Suggestion for citations: Volume: Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N. (eds.) (2018) Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa – assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions. Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek. Articles (example): Archer, E., Engelbrecht, F., Hänsler, A., Landman, W., Tadross, M. & Helmschrot, J. (2018) Seasonal prediction and regional climate projections for southern Africa. In: Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa – assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions (ed. by Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N.), pp. 14–21, Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek. Corrections brought to our attention will be published at the following location: http://www.biodiversity-plants.de/biodivers_ecol/biodivers_ecol.php Biodiversity & Ecology Journal of the Division Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg Volume 6: Edited by Rasmus Revermann1, Kristin M. Krewenka1, Ute Schmiedel1, Jane M. Olwoch2, Jörg Helmschrot2,3, Norbert Jürgens1 1 Institute for Plant Science and Microbiology, University of Hamburg 2 Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management 3 Department of Soil Science, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University Hamburg 2018 RPlease cite the article as follows: Baptista, N., António, T. & Branch, W.R. (2018) Amphibians and reptiles of the Tundavala reGion of the AnGolan Escarpment. In: Climate change and adaptive land management in southern Africa – assessments, changes, challenges, and solutions (ed. by Revermann, R., Krewenka, K.M., Schmiedel, U., Olwoch, J.M., Helmschrot, J. & Jürgens, N.), pp. 397-403, Biodiversity & Ecology, 6, Klaus Hess Publishers, Göttingen & Windhoek. doi:10.7809/b-e.00351 mhibians and retiles of the undavala region of the ngolan Escarment inda Batista, elmo ntnio, illiam Branch, Instituto Suerior de incias da Educao da Hula, ua Sarmento odrigues, ubango, ngola Port Eliabeth Museum Bayorld, P Bo , Humeood , South frica esearch ssociate, Deartment of oology, P Bo , elson Mandela Metroolitan University, Port Eliabeth , South frica orresonding author nindabatistagmailcom Biodiversity The most poorly known section of the African Great Escarpment is located in Angola. It has been highlighted as a potential center of endemism for several biological groups, including herpetofauna. The region, which is critical for the conservation of Angolan biodiversity, reuires urgent research. In the scope of the SASSCAL project, a herpetofauna moni- toring plan is being implemented in Tundavala, in the southern Angolan escarpment. In total, 13 species of amphibians, 12 species of liards and 9 species of snakes have been registered so far, and more are expected to occur. Among them are some important rediscoveries of Angolan endemics uncollected for decades, such as Anchietas treefrog (Leptopelis anchietae) and Ansorges whip snake (Psammophis ansorgii). A seco menos conhecida da Grande Escarpa Africana localia-se em Angola. Esta j foi destacada como um potencial centro de endemismo para vrios grupos, incluindo a herpetofauna, sendo por isso uma regio crtica para a con- servao da biodiversidade angolana ue carece urgentemente de investigao. No mbito do projecto SASSCAL, est a ser implementado um plano de monitoriao de herpetofauna na Tundavala, no sul da escarpa de Angola. At ao momento foram registadas 13 espcies de anfbios, 12 espcies de lagartos e nove espcies de cobras, e presume-se ue existam mais. Entre estas, esto redescobertas importantes de endemismos angolanos no registados h vrias dcadas, como a r-arbor- cola-de-Anchieta (Leptopelis anchietae), e a cobra-de-Ansorge (Psammophis ansorgii). trodctio it one of the most important tourist des- the region with their livestock (cows and tinations in the country. The creation of goats) and plant crops. Other threats in- The Angolan section is the most poorly a nature reserve in Tundavala was pro- clude man-made res and the dumping known of the African Great Escarpment, posed by Huntley & Matos (1994), and of rubble and domestic, commercial, and and yet it supports the highest number of the reserve is mentioned in the Angolan even medical waste. vertebrate endemics after those in South National Biodiversity Strategy and Ac- Southwestern Angola is one of the Africa (Clark et al., 2011). It is rich in tion Plan (NBSAP, 2006) as a protected better-surveyed regions of Angola for all endemic plants and birds and is a po- area to be implemented. It is also classi- vertebrate groups (Crawford-Cabral & tential hotspot for Angolan biodiversity ed as an Important Bird Area (BirdLife Mesuitela, 1989), and the herpetofauna (Hall, 1960). However, more research International, 2017), and the Tundavala is no exception, with numerous studies is reuired to identify and meaningfully Crevice was classi ed as a Cultural addressing it (Bocage, 1895 Schmidt, implement conservation objectives, es- Landscape in 2012 (Executive decree no. 1933, 1936 Parker, 1936 Monard, pecially detailed biodiversity surveys 261/12). Despite its social and biological 1937a,b Mertens, 1938 Bogert, 1940 and systematic studies. These will allow importance, the region lacks o cial na- Loveridge, 1944 Hellmich, 1957 FitSi- the e ects of predicted climate change, tional protected status and is threatened mons, 1959 Laurent, 1964 Poynton & highlighted by Clark et al. (2011), to be by progressively increasing human activ- Haacke, 1993 Haacke, 1997). Despite identi ed, and refugia and migration hy- ities, especially logging and burning for this, new species continue to be described potheses to be formulated and tested. charcoal production and the harvesting from the region (Haacke, 2008 Conradie Tundavala is located on the Angolan of natural resources such as medicinal et al., 2012 Stanley et al., 2016). Little escarpment in southwestern Angola (Fig. plants and rocks for building purposes. work has focused speci cally on the es- 1), and its outstanding landscape makes Increasing numbers of villagers inhabit carpment region, and its herpetofauna is B E 6 2018 397 Biodiversity igure eft ocation of the study site in the frican reat Escarment ight ocalities near the study area mentioned here additional secies eected in undavala ere recorded far from being completely understood. The Humpata Plateau, including Tun- davala, has been identi ed as a potential center of endemism for montane herpeto- fauna and is therefore a priority area for herpetofaunal surveys (Laurent, 1964). The main goal of the SASSCAL Projects observatories (task 210) is to monitor biodiversity to understand the e ects of climate change and land use on plant communities in the long term. Several observatories have been im- plemented throughout Angola, includ- ing one in Tundavala. The herpetofauna igure Montane grassland grassy habitat at rst monitoring site is freuently cited as a useful indicator for environmental monitoring thanks to its importance in ecological function- ing and its sensitivity to environmental change (Smith & Rissler, 2010). In this context, a monitoring program of the Tundavala herpetofauna was initiated in 2016. The compilation of baseline infor- mation, such as presence and absence of species and their relative abundances in the mid- and long term, is essential for the e ective management of this critical region for the conservation of Angolan biodiversity. This is the rst herpetofauna monitoring plan implemented in Angola. The project is ongoing, and preliminary and more relevant ndings are presented in this publication. igure eathered sandstone outcros rocy habitat and associated oody and grassy vegetation at second monitoring site 398 C A ŽŵŵŽŶŶĂŵĞ ^ƉĞĐŝĞƐ &ĂŵŝůLJ able mhibian secies recorded from the undavala ŶĐŚŝĞƚĂ͛ƐdƌĞĞĨƌŽŐ ;Ϳ>ĞƉƚŽƉĞůŝƐĂŶĐŚŝĞƚĂĞ;ŽĐĂŐĞ͕ϭϴϳϯͿ ƌƚŚƌŽůĞƉƚŝĚĂĞ observatory and close ŽĐĂŐĞ͛ƐdƌĞĞĨƌŽŐ >ĞƉƚŽƉĞůŝƐĐĨ͘ďŽĐĂŐŝŝ;'ƺŶƚŚĞƌ͕ϭϴϲϱͿ ƌƚŚƌŽůĞƉƚŝĚĂĞ surroundings E indicates 'ƵƚƚƵƌĂůdŽĂĚ ^ĐůĞƌŽƉŚLJƌƐĐĨ͘ŐƵƚƚƵƌĂůŝƐ;WŽǁĞƌ͕ϭϵϮϳͿ ƵĨŽŶŝĚĂĞ secies endemic to the &ůĂƚͲĂĐŬĞĚdŽĂĚ ^ĐůĞƌŽƉŚƌLJƐĐĨ͘ƉƵƐŝůůĂ;DĞƌƚĞŶƐ͕ϭϵϯϳͿ ƵĨŽŶŝĚĂĞ ngolan highlands DŽŶĂƌĚ͛ƐZĞĞĚ&ƌŽŐ ;Ϳ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝƵƐĐŝŶĞƌĞƵƐDŽŶĂƌĚ͕ϭϵϯϳ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝŝĚĂĞ ŶŐŽůĂZĞĞĚ&ƌŽŐ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝƵƐĐĨ͘ƉĂƌĂůůĞůƵƐ'ƺŶƚŚĞƌ͕ϭϴϱϴ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝŝĚĂĞ ĞŶŐƵĞůĂ>ŽŶŐZĞĞĚ&ƌŽŐ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝƵƐĐĨ͘ďĞŶŐƵĞůůĞŶƐŝƐ;ŽĐĂŐĞ͕ϭϴϵϯͿ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝŝĚĂĞ ƵďďůŝŶŐ<ĂƐƐŝŶĂ <ĂƐƐŝŶĂƐĞŶĞŐĂůĞŶƐŝƐ;ƵŵĠƌŝůĂŶĚŝďƌŽŶ͕ϭϴϰϭͿ ,LJƉĞƌŽůŝŝĚĂĞ DĂďĂďĞWƵĚĚůĞ&ƌŽŐ WŚƌLJŶŽďĂƚƌĂĐŚƵƐĐĨ͘ŵĂďĂďŝĞŶƐŝƐ&ŝƚnj^ŝŵŽŶƐ͕ϭϵϯϮ WŚƌLJŶŽďĂƚƌĂĐŚŝĚĂĞ WĞƚĞƌƐ͛ůĂǁĞĚ&ƌŽŐ yĞŶŽƉƵƐĐĨ͘ƉĞƚĞƌƐŝŝŽĐĂŐĞ͕ϭϴϵϱ WŝƉŝĚĂĞ ŶĐŚŝĞƚĂ͛ƐZŝĚŐĞĚ&ƌŽŐ WƚLJĐŚĂĚĞŶĂĐĨ͘ĂŶĐŚŝĞƚĂĞ;ŽĐĂŐĞ͕ϭϴϲϴͿ WƚLJĐŚĂĚĞŶŝĚĂĞ ŶŐŽůĂZŝǀĞƌ&ƌŽŐ ŵŝĞƚŝĂĂŶŐŽůĞŶƐŝƐ;ŽĐĂŐĞ͕ϭϴϲϲͿ WLJdžŝĐĞƉŚĂůŝĚĂĞ ZŽƵŐŚ^ĂŶĚ&ƌŽŐ dŽŵŽƉƚĞƌŶĂĐĨ͘ƚƵďĞƌĐƵůŽƐĂ;ŽƵůĞŶŐĞƌ͕ϭϴϴϮͿ WLJdžŝĐĞƉŚĂůŝĚĂĞ