Summer South Africa, a month in review.

[mariquensis]

The summer herping really officially kicks off in December down here in South Africa. The finds were broken into three concise trips as detailed in the routes below:

Trip 1:


Trip 2:


Trip 3:


Species found over the three trips included:
Afroedura nivaria - Drakensberg Flat Gecko
Amietia delalandii - Common River Frog
Arthroleptis stenodactylus - Shovel-Footed Squeaker
Bradypodion setaroi - Setaro's Dwarf Chameleon
Cacosternum nanum - Bronze Dainty Frog
Chamaeleo dilepis - Flapneck Chameleon
Chamaesaura aenea - Coppery Grass Lizard
Dasypeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater
Hyperolius tuberinlinguis -Tinker Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus mamoratus - Painted Reed Frog
Kassina senegalensis -Bubbling Kassina
Kinixys zombensis - Eastern Hinged Tortoise
Leptopelis natalensis - Natal Forest Tree Frog
Lamprophis guttatus -Spotted Rock Snake
Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf Gecko
Meroles squamulosus - Common Rough Lizard
Pachydactylus vansoni - Van Sons Gecko
Pedioplanis burchelli - Burchel's Sand Lizard
Philothamnus semivarigatus - Spotted Bush Snake
Phrynobatrachus natalensis - Snoring Puddle Frog
Ptychadena oxyrhynchus - Sharp Nosed Gras Frog
Pyxicephalus edulis - Edible Bull Frog
Sclerophrys garmani - Eastern Olive Toad
Sclerophrys gutturalis - Guttural Toad
Strongylopus grayii - Clicking Stream Frog
Tomopterna cryptotis - Knocking and Frog
Tomopterna natalensis - Natal Sand Frog
Trachylepis depressa - Eastern Costal Skink
Vandijkophrynus gariepensis - Karoo Toad
Xenocalamus transvaalensis -Transvaal Quill Snout

Philothamnus semivarigatus - Spotted Bush Snake




Phrynobatrachus natalensis - Snoring Puddle Frog


Sclerophrys gutturalis - Guttural Toad




Lamprophis guttatus -Spotted Rock Snake




Cacosternum nanum - Bronze Dainty Frog


Hyperolius tuberinlinguis - Tinker Reed Frog


Spotted Bush Snake Feeding on Tropical Hosue Gecko.


Leptopelis natalensis - Natal Forest Tree Frog




Tomopterna natalensis - Natal Sand Frog




Arthroleptis stenodactylus - Shovel-Footed Squeaker



Chamaeleo dilepis - Flapneck Chameleon




Dasypeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater


Lygodactylus capensis - Cape Dwarf Gecko




Hyperolius tuberinlinguis - Tinker Reed Frog


Coastal Dune Forest Habitat


Sclerophrys garmani - Eastern Olive Toad




Sclerophrys gutturalis - Guttural Toad


Dasypeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater


Trachylepis depressa - Eastern Costal Skink




Vandijkophrynus gariepensis - Karoo Toad




Road finds:


Meroles squamulosus - Common Rough Lizard




Xenocalamus transvaalensis -Transvaal Quill Snout




Another specimen




Bradypodion setaroi - Setaro's Dwarf Chameleon




Sclerophrys gutturalis - Guttural Toad




Road Finds


Dasypeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eater


Kinixys zombensis - Eastern Hinged Tortoise




Leptopelis natalensis - Natal Forest Tree Frog. Plain green variation.




Looking for frogs isn't all glamorous.


Ptychadena oxyrhynchus - Sharp Nosed Gras Frog


Pyxicephalus edulis - Edible Bull Frog




A few unfortunate finds along the way:
Olive Snake:


Scrub Hare:


Brown Water Snake:


Rhombic Egg Eater:
https://scontent.fjnb4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5920C52A

East African Egg Eater:


Green Water Snake:


Southern Vine Snake:


Rhombic Egg Eater:


Brown House Snake:


De Coster's Garter Snake:


Road finds:


Amietia delalandii - Common River Frog


Chamaesaura aenea - Coppery Grass Lizard



Catching lizards isn't easy.


Afroedura nivaria - Drakensberg Flat Gecko




Dasypeltis scabra - Rhombic Egg Eaters.






In process of consuming an egg.




Kassina senegalensis -Bubbling Kassina


Pachydactylus vansoni - Van Sons Gecko






Pedioplanis burchelli - Burchel's Sand Lizard
Male



Female




Vandijkophrynus gariepensis - Karoo Toad




Tomopterna natalensis - Natal Sand Frog




Strongylopus grayii - Clicking Stream Frog



Thanks for looking, more on http://www.tyroneping.co.za

- Tyrone

[achillesbeast]

Great stuff, Tyrone. Really like those snake eater and Philothamnus shotos.

[mariquensis]

Great stuff, Tyrone. Really like those snake eater and Philothamnus photos.

Cheers thanks for the comment and taking the time to check out the thread.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Nice! Also liked that you included the egg shell remains.

[mariquensis]

Nice! Also liked that you included the egg shell remains.

Cheers thanks Jeroen.

[Evgeny Kotelevsky]

Cool photos!

Does that lizard bite painfully?

[mariquensis]

Cool photos!

Does that lizard bite painfully?

Thanks! Not at all they're small so it's more of a pinch.

[NACairns]

Great post as per usual, the frog diversity is great to see. I really feel we missed out when it came to naming our amphibians in North America.
Thanks for sharing,
Nick

[Jeremy Wright]

I don't know what it is but those photos where you are holding something in the middle of a road do something for me! Awesome finds and superb photography.

[mariquensis]

Great post as per usual, the frog diversity is great to see. I really feel we missed out when it came to naming our amphibians in North America.
Thanks for sharing,
Nick

Cheers Nick Thanks for the comment. Taxonomy and common names around the world sure are interesting.

[mariquensis]

I don't know what it is but those photos where you are holding something in the middle of a road do something for me! Awesome finds and superb photography.

Cheers thanks Jeremy, something a little different always goes down a treat in my opinion.

[Badgerberling]

Great photos. Especially thankful for the habitat and landscape backgrounds. Great to see a country I'll probably never get to. Thanks.

[mariquensis]

Great photos. Especially thankful for the habitat and landscape backgrounds. Great to see a country I'll probably never get to. Thanks.

Cheers thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the post.

[Bert Willaert]

Seems like a nice trip! Lovely species and good photos.

[mariquensis]

Seems like a nice trip! Lovely species and good photos.

Cheers, Thanks Bert!

[chris_mcmartin]

Awesome photos.

Interesting to see the mites in the skin folds of the sand lizards.