One day in Limpopo , South Africa

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mariquensis
Posts: 93
Joined: April 8th, 2012, 12:54 pm

One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by mariquensis »

Fooble wrote:I was fortunate enough to spend an afternoon and a night near Vaalwater , Limpopo South Africa over the weekend.
Managed to turn up a few things, managed to get three vehicles stuck along the way and collected a couple of photos along the way.
Couple of new species for the list which isn't a bad thing.

Species Included
Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus - Shield Nose Snake
Atractaspis bibronii - Bibrons Stiletto Snake
Bitis arietans - Puff Adder
Boaedon capensis - Brown House Snake
Python natalensis - Southern African Rock Python
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia -Herald Snake
Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus - Eastern Tiger Snake
Rhinotyphlops schlegelii Schlegel's beaked blind snake
Homopholis walbergii -Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko
Pedioplanis lineoocellata pulchella - Spotted sand lizard
Pachydactylus affinis - Transvaal Thick toed Gecko
Platysaurus minor - Waterberg Flat Lizard.

On route Road Kill inspection:
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Bitis arietans - Puff Adder
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Homopholis walbergii -Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko
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Grasses
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Pedioplanis lineoocellata pulchella -Spotted Sand Lizard
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Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus - Shield Nose Snake
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Habitat : Puff Adder , Pachydacylus affinis and Shield Nose Snake.
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Habitat: Stiletto Snake , Rock Python , Boaedon Capensis.
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Rhinotyphlops schlegelii Schlegel's beaked blind snake
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Remains of a Zebra.
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Atractaspis bibronii - Bibrons Stiletto Snake
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Habitat : Platysaurus minor - Waterberg Flat Lizard.
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Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus - Eastern Tiger Snake
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Boaedon capensis - Brown House Snake
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Road Life:
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Way out:
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Adios:
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Dr. Dark
Posts: 380
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 4:39 pm
Location: Concord TWP, Ohio

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by Dr. Dark »

NICE! The is quite a crop of snakes you found for ONE DAY!
Jacob
Posts: 122
Joined: July 1st, 2010, 8:07 pm

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by Jacob »

Very cool. I desperately wanted to find an Aspidelaps while I was in the region. I was told there is high interest in the venom and were on the wanted list, fyi.
Thanks for sharing and please keep taking weekend adventures!
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mariquensis
Posts: 93
Joined: April 8th, 2012, 12:54 pm

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by mariquensis »

Thanks for the responses, summer is all but done here in SA leaving for a trip now as we speak. So hopefullly will have another thread to share next week.
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Trey
Posts: 156
Joined: October 1st, 2010, 9:40 pm
Location: NE OHIO

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by Trey »

Looks like a great day! That scutatus is great. I love Aspidelaps.

Jacob wrote:Very cool. I desperately wanted to find an Aspidelaps while I was in the region. I was told there is high interest in the venom and were on the wanted list, fyi.
Thanks for sharing and please keep taking weekend adventures!
I seem to remember reading that the venom of Aspidelaps is very similar to Naja pallida. Ill take a look for the citation..
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Trey
Posts: 156
Joined: October 1st, 2010, 9:40 pm
Location: NE OHIO

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by Trey »

Well here are some possibilities:
Venom of the south west African coral snake Aspidelaps lubricus infuscatus
Branch, William R
Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 25:2-3
1981

Neurotoxicity due to the bite of the shield-nose snake (Aspidelaps scutatus). A case report
Zaltzman M, Rumbak M, Rabie M, Zwi S
South African Medical Journal 66:111-112
1984

A fatal bite by the shield-nose snake (Aspidelaps scutatus)
van Egmond KC
South African Medical Journal 66:714-?
1984

Purification, some properties of two phospholipases A2 (CM-I and CM-II) and the amino-acid sequence of CM-II from Aspidelaps scutatus (shield or shield-nose) venom
Joubert FJ
Biological chemistry Hoppe-Seyler 368:1597-1602
1987

Purification and some properties of low-molecular-weight proteins of Aspidelaps scutatus (shield or shield-nose snake) venom
Joubert FJ
International journal of biochemistry 20:49-53
1988

Snake venom toxins--II. The primary structures of cytotoxin homologues S3C2 and S4C8 from Aspidelaps scutatus (shield or shield-nose snake) venom
Joubert FJ
International journal of biochemistry 20:337-345
1988
Y.Morgan
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Joined: January 28th, 2011, 10:51 pm
Location: SW New Mexico

Re: One day in Limpopo , South Africa

Post by Y.Morgan »

That was a helluva good day! The scutatus is just sick...so cute! I especially like your zebra shot, but many of your artsy photos are also cool...the way you used a sort of linear theme and made interesting images (that appear to go forward infinitely) out of relatively mundane subjects (asphalt road, airport moving sidewalk, etc.) Thanks for your post!
York
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