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Picking a tree: habitat use by the tree agama, Acanthocercus atricollis atricollis, in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Leeann T. Reaney --- Communication and Behaviour Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Martin J. Whiting --- Communication and Behaviour Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaWe studied tree agama (Acanthocercus a. atricollis) habitat use in the Magaliesberg mountain range in northern South Africa using sightings of marked individuals, and in a few cases, radio-telemetry. Acanthocercus a. atricollis preferentially selected thorn trees (46%; Acacia karroo), followed... -
Activity of the greater padloper, Homopus femoralis (Testudinidae), in relation to rainfall
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Victor J.T. Loehr --- Homopus Research Foundation, NetherlandsThe greater padloper, Homopus femoralis, is largely endemic to South Africa. Its ecology remains unstudied, yet the efficient planning of field research is complicated by lack of data on its activity patterns. I studied a population in spring, summer and... -
Helminths of four species of gekkonid lizards from southern Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Stephen R. Goldberg --- Department of Biology, U.S.A. Charles R. Bursey --- Department of Biology, U.S.A.One hundred and seven specimens of four species of gekkonid lizards from southern Africa, Chondrodactylus angulifer, Pachydactylus bibronii, Pachydactylus capensis and Ptenopus garrulus, were examined for helminths. One species of cestode, Oochoristica ubelakeri, an undetermined cyclophyllid metacestode, six species of... -
Costs associated with tail autotomy in an ambush foraging lizard, Cordylus melanotus melanotus
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Suzanne McConnachie --- Communication and Behaviour Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South Africa Martin J. Whiting --- Communication and Behaviour Research Group, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, South AfricaTail autotomy is a widespread method of escape among lizards and can be costly. Most studies on the effects of tail loss have focused on active foraging lizards, but few data exist for ambush foraging lizards. We investigated potential costsassociated... -
Characterisation of microsatellite markers in the Spotted Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata) shows low levels of inbreeding and moderate genetic diversity on a small spatial scale
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Krystal A. Tolley --- , , South Africa Ryan J. Daniels --- , , South Africa Kevin A. Feldheim --- , , USAPopulation genetic methods can be useful for understanding spatial genetic patterns, gene flow and diversity. While genetic markers such as gene sequences are useful for understanding broad scale phylogeographic patterns, microsatellite markers allow for inferences within species and on smaller... -
Cryptic diversity in the common flap-necked chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis in South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Devon C Main --- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, South Africa Bettine Jansen van Vuuren --- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, South Africa Krystal A Tolley --- Centre for Ecological Genomics and Wildlife Conservation, South AfricaThe spatial genetic structure of a species, and whether distinct genetic lineages are present, is strongly influenced by their biology and habitat requirements. Given habitat specificity and low vagility, many herpetofaunal species are reservoirs for high levels of cryptic diversity;... -
A phylogeny and genus-level revision of the African file snakes Gonionotophis Boulenger (Squamata: Lamprophiidae)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Donald G. Broadley --- , Zimbabwe Krystal A. Tolley --- , South Africa Werner Conradie --- , South Africa Sarah Wishart --- , South Africa Jean-François Trape --- , Senegal Marius Burger --- , , South Africa Chifundera Kusamba --- , , République Démocratique du Congo Ange-Ghislain Zassi-Boulou --- , République du Congo Eli Greenbaum --- , , USAThe sub-Saharan African file snake genus Gonionotophis is currently comprised of 15 species. However, the concept of this genus has been confounded by morphological and genetic differences between the constituent taxa. Due to the dearth of DNA samples, a taxonomic... -
End of an era for African Herpetology—An obituary for a remarkable man: Donald George Broadley (29 May 1932 – 10 March 2016)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Michael F. Bates --- , , South Africa William R. Branch --- , , South AfricaEnglish-born Donald George Broadley spent most of his adult life working as a herpetologist at two museums in Zimbabwe. His many taxonomic reviews and other publications made him one of the most respected experts on African reptiles and amphibians worldwide... -
A contribution to the phylogeny and taxonomy of the Pachydactylus weberi group (Squamata: Gekkonidae): a case of intraspecific colour polymorphism confounding taxonomy
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Jiří Šmíd --- , , South Africa Hanlie Engelbrecht --- , , South Africa Jody M. Taft --- , , South Africa Nicolas S. Telford --- , , South Africa Buyisile G. Makhubo --- , , South Africa Aaron M. Bauer --- , , USA Krystal A. Tolley --- , , South AfricaPachydactylus is the most species-rich reptile genus in southern Africa. Most species are habitat specialists adapted to hyper-arid conditions of the Namibian and north-western South African xeric regions. Although a fair number of phylogenetic studies and taxonomic revisions have been... -
Hot and bothered: alterations in faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations of the sungazer lizard, Smaug giganteus, in response to an increase in environmental temperature
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: J Scheun --- , South Africa R Campbell --- , South Africa A Ganswindt --- , South Africa T McIntyre --- , South AfricaDespite the commonly held belief that reptiles are immune to extreme temperatures, global warming is predicted to result in the loss of 40% of all reptile species by 2080. In order to understand the effects of elevated temperature on African... -
A comparison of calcium and phosphorus in components of fertile and size-matched unbanded Nile crocodile eggs
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: GJ Brown --- University of Pretoria, South Africa PBC Forbes --- University of Pretoria, South Africa JG Myburgh --- University of Pretoria, South Africa JO Nöthling --- University of Pretoria, South AfricaResearch in other species suggests that the source of embryonic calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) for Crocodylus niloticus is likely yolk and shell. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), the Ca and P concentration and content of 30... -
New distributional data and genetic variation of Panaspis breviceps (Squamata: Scincidae) indicate a biogeographic connection across the Congo Basin
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Albert L Lokasola --- , Democratic Republic of the Congo Cédric Botshuna Lotana --- , Democratic Republic of the Congo Guy-Crispin Gembu Tungaluna --- , Democratic Republic of the Congo Benjamin Dudu Akaibe --- , Democratic Republic of the Congo Miloslav Jirků --- , Czech Republic Václav Gvoždík --- , Czech RepublicIn the central Congolian lowland forests we discovered for the first time Panaspis breviceps, a rarely found scincid lizard from the Central African riparian forests. Given that the Central African forests exhibit heterogeneity in the distribution of environmental characteristics and... -
Convergence and vicariance: speciation of chameleons in the Cape Fold Mountains, South Africa, and the description of three new species of Bradypodion Fitzinger, 1843
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Krystal A Tolley --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa Colin R Tilbury --- University of Stellenbosch, South Africa Marius Burger --- North-West University, South AfricaThe mechanisms that underpin ecological speciation, morphological convergence and the evolution of ecological morphotypes (ecomorphs) in squamates have allowed for a better appreciation of the speciation process in chameleons. In particular, attention has been drawn to several populations of chameleons... -
Mistaken identity: challenges with specimen identification for morphologically conservative skinks (Trachylepis) leads to taxonomic error
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Kirstin Stephens --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South Africa Graham J Alexander --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Buyisile G Makhubo --- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa Nicolas S Telford --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South Africa Krystal A Tolley --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South AfricaIt is commonly recognised that natural history datasets contain locality errors that can compromise the utility of those datasets. However, another source of error in these datasets is taxonomic misidentifications, and this type of error is potentially common, particularly with... -
Thermal physiology of Tropical House Geckos (Hemidactylus mabouia) in a cool temperate region of South Africa.
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: S Welman --- Nelson Mandela University, South Africa I Ibarzabal --- Nelson Mandela University, South AfricaTemperature profoundly influences the functioning of ectotherms and understanding the thermal biology of invasive species affords valuable insights regarding the suitability of different habitats. Yet, this remains an understudied aspect in the field of invasion biology. Here, we investigated the... -
Conservation status of herpetofauna endemic to Kwazulu‐Natal
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: AdrianJ. Armstrong --- KwaZulu‐Natal Nature Conservation Service, South AfricaThe KwaZulu‐Natal Nature Conservation Service is undertaking a long‐term project to determine the value of untransformed land for biodiversity conservation, to map these areas in accordance with their relative values, and to identify and prioritise irreplaceable areas. Existing distribution data... -
The reptiles of southeast Katanga, an overlooked ‘hot spot’
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: DonaldG. Broadley --- Research Associate, Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, F.P.D. Cotterill --- University of Stellenbosch, South AfricaA review of the reptiles recorded from southeast Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, employing the evolutionary species concept, indicates that there are at least 119 species in the area (7 chelonians, 37 lizards, 4 amphisbaenians, 69 snakes... -
Feeding behaviour of the Madagascar leaf‐nosed snake, Langaha madagascariensis (Serpentes: Colubridae: Pseudoxyrhophiinae), with an alternative hypothesis for its bizarre head structure
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: KennethL. Krysko --- University of Florida, USAFeeding behaviour of the Madagascar leaf‐nosed snake (Langaha madagascariensis) is described and an alternative use for its unusual nasal appendage is hypothesized. Langaha madagascariensis employs a sit‐and‐wait foraging strategy and stalking prey is initiated once a snake is conscious of... -
Biogeography of the reptiles of the central African republic
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Laurent Chirio --- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, France Ivan Ineich --- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, FranceA large number of reptiles from the Central African Republic (CAR) were collected during recent surveys conducted over six years (October 1990 to June 1996) and deposited at the Paris Natural History Museum (MNHN). This large collection of 4873 specimens... -
Diet of amphibians and reptiles from the Engare Ondare river region of central Kenya, during the dry season
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: LaurenceM. Hardy --- Louisiana State University in Shreveport, USA AmandaC. Crnkovic --- Louisiana State University in Shreveport, USAIn seasonally arid environments many species undergo some form of dormancy, such as aestivation. The dietary habits of those species during the period of seasonal aridity are poorly known. Little is known of the seasonal variation in the diet of... -
Differences in resting metabolic rates of two southern African tortoises: Psammobates oculiferus and Geochelone pardalis
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: Michael Scantlebury --- University of Pretoria, South Africa Peter Minting --- Ayrshire Rivers Trust, UKEnergy metabolism varies considerably between different groups of endotherms, yet there is little or no reported variation among extant groups of reptiles. We measured lower resting metabolic rates (RMRs) in Kalahari tent tortoises (Psammobates oculiferus) than in sympatric Leopard tortoises... -
Biodiversity and conservation of the reptiles of the mount Cameroon area
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: The Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa • Authors: N. L. Gonwouo --- University of Yaoundé I Faculty of Science, Cameroon M. LeBreton --- Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society, Cameroon L. Chirio --- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, France I. Ineich --- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, France N. M. Tchamba --- WWF Cameroon Program Office, Cameroon P. Ngassam --- University of Yaoundé I Faculty of Science, Cameroon G. Dzikouk --- University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon J. L. Diffo --- CRESAR, CameroonA survey of reptiles was undertaken in the Mt. Cameroon region. We recorded 74 species of reptiles from 49 genera and 14 families. An additional 12 species have been found in the area but were not detected during our research... -
Potential effects of predicted climate change on the endemic South African Dwarf Chameleons, Bradypodion
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: DarrenT. Houniet --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa Wilfried Thuiller --- Université J. Fourier, France KrystalA. Tolley --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South AfricaThe niche concept implies that a relationship exists between a species and its environment, while macro‐ecological theory suggests that an important attribute of a species’ environment is climate. Thus, changes in climate could affect individual species, but also communities. Here,... -
The impacts of past cultivation on the reptiles in a South African grassland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Gavin P. R. Masterson --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Bryan Maritz --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Darian Mackay --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa GrahamJ. Alexander --- University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaHabitat transfonnation is the primary anthropogenic threat to global biodiversity. Fragmentation of reptile populations following habitat transfonnation within a landscape can lead to the extirpation of species. We investigated the effects of land-use on the species richness and abundance of... -
Small and sensitive to drought: consequences of aridifiation to the conservation of Homopus signatus signatus
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Victor J. T. Loehr --- University of the Western Cape, South Africa MargarethaD. Hofmeyr --- University of the Western Cape, South Africa BrianT. Henen --- University of the Western Cape, South AfricaSeveral climate models predict that the western Succulent Karoo in South Africa will aridi-fy. This region includes the range of the smallest tortoise, Homopus signatus signatus. Although the effects of rainfall on the physiology and ecology of H. s. signatus... -
The biogeographical influence of the Tankwa Karoo Basin on reptile distribution in south-western South Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Anita Meyer --- Stellenbosch University, South Africa P. le FrasN. Mouton --- Stellenbosch University, South Africa Laco Mucina --- Stellenbosch University, South AfricaPoint distribution data were used to evaluate the biogeographical influence of the arid Tankwa Karoo Basin on the distribution of reptiles in the south-western districts of South Africa. Under-representation of the Tankwa Karoo in the dataset required an additional field... -
Multiple paternity and sperm storage in the Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Krystal A. Tolley --- , , South Africa Lucas F. Chauke --- , , South Africa Jennifer C. Jackson --- , , South Africa Kevin A. Feldheim --- , , USAAlthough multiple paternity and sperm storage are common in squamates, neither has been conclusively demonstrated in the chameleons (Chamaeleonidae). To examine whether these traits are present in chameleons, the Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum) was investigated. This viviparous species inhabits... -
Is it like night and day? Nocturnal versus diurnal perch use by dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion pumilum)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: Treading a Delicate Tightrope: A principal balancing between education and political change during turbulent times • Authors: Krystal A Tolley --- , South AfricaArboreal chameleons must navigate a complex, three-dimensional landscape consisting of trees, bushes and/or grasses of various sizes. This complexity equates to the microhabitat of chameleons, that is, the branches upon which they perch and through which they move. Therefore, chameleons... -
A targeted survey for the Durban Dwarf Burrowing Skink Scelotes inornatus (Smith 1849) at Bluff Nature Reserve and Treasure Beach in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with notes on sympatric herpetofauna
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: AJ Armstrong --- Biodiversity Research & Assessment, South Africa PR Jordaan --- African Ecological Conservation Projects, South AfricaA survey for the Critically Endangered Durban Dwarf Burrowing Skink Scelotes inornatus (Smith 1849) was conducted in two protected areas in Durban, South Africa, in August and September 2021. Twelve sites, each encompassing a combination of vegetation type, elevation, slope... -
Burrow site selection in the Sungazer (Smaug giganteus): a threatened South African endemic lizard
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Wade K Stanton-Jones --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Daniel JD Natusch --- Macquarie University, Australia Graham J Alexander --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaElucidating factors that drive microhabitat selection in a species is important for informing the conservation management of the species. For species that use microhabitats as long-term refuge sites, selection pressures are likely to be strong because the microhabitat must fulfil... -
Susceptibility of dwarf chameleons to climate and land use change: a vulnerability framework for conservation planning
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Tyron K Clark --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Graham J Alexander --- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Krystal A Tolley --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, South AfricaClimate and land use changes are eroding biodiversity globally, and reptiles are highlighted as being particularly susceptible. In South Africa, global changes threaten the persistence of an assemblage of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) located in a biodiversity hotspot. We used ecological... -
Two new species of Hemidactylus Goldfuss, 1820 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the coastal areas of northern Somaliland
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Tomáš Mazuch --- Mendel University, Czech Republic Vojtěch Janák --- Charles University, Czech Republic Doubravka Velenská --- Charles University, Czech Republic Annamaria Nistri --- Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Univesità degli Studi di Firenze, Italy Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi --- Charles University, Czech Republic Jiří Šmíd --- Charles University, Czech RepublicThe taxonomy of many Hemidactylus geckos from the Horn of Africa has recently been evaluated. However, the lack of fresh material for some species and also regions has led to the misidentification of some taxa and an underestimation of the... -
Big cities, big bodies: urbanisation correlates with large body sizes and enhanced body condition in African dwarf chameleons (Genus: Bradypodion)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Zoology • Authors: Jody M Barends --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South Africa Krystal A Tolley --- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South AfricaUrbanisation is a major driver of habitat transformation that alters the environmental conditions and selective regimes of the habitats where it occurs. For species inhabiting urban habitats, such alterations can facilitate adaptive responses in their phenotypes, including their morphology. Quantifying... -
Filling the gaps: herpetological checklist of Mayombe National Park and Cabinda Province (Angola) shed light on one of the most unexplored corners of tropical Central Africa
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Javier Lobón-Rovira --- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Asociado, Universidade do Porto, Portugal Ninda L Baptista --- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Asociado, Universidade do Porto, Portugal Tyron Clark --- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Luke Verburgt --- University of Pretoria, South Africa Gregory FM Jongsma --- New Brunswick Museum, Canada Werner Conradie --- Port Elizabeth Museum, South Africa Luis Veríssimo --- Fundação Kissama, Angola Pedro Vaz Pinto --- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Asociado, Universidade do Porto, PortugalThe global environmental crisis has reinforced the importance of improving the documentation of the geographical distributions of extant species. With this aim, species inventories of specific locations or regions are a high priority, especially so in poorly explored areas. Cabinda... -
Exported illegally, threatened locally: South Africa in the global reptile pet trade
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Sian Willoughby --- University of Pretoria, South Africa SA Jeanetta Selier --- South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa Zwelakhe Zondi --- South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa Grant Hall --- University of Pretoria, South AfricaThe global illegal exotic pet trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss, particularly affecting reptile species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II. CITES is an international agreement... -
A comprehensive phylogeny of night adders (Causus)
Item type: Journal Article • Journal: African Journal of Herpetology • Authors: Krystal A Tolley --- University of Johannesburg, South Africa Jody M Barends --- University of Johannesburg, South Africa Eli Greenbaum --- University of Texas at El Paso, USA Werner Conradie --- Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld), South AfricaAfrican night adders (Causus) are an enigmatic group of viperid snakes in the subfamily Viperinae. These snakes have a suite of unusual characters atypical of other species of vipers (e.g., oviparous reproduction, round pupils) but are firmly placed within the...