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Dusky-bellied Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus laevissimus) Family: Lamprophiidae. Length: 70-120cm. Description: This snake has an olive to brown-black body with a cream underbelly. The upper lip is usually spotted and the snake has small eyes with round pupils. Distribution: Endemic to South Africa. It occurs in the Eastern cape where its range extends up through Kwazulu Natal and into Mpumulanaga and Swaziland. Habitat: Closely associated with water sources such as dams, streams and rivers where it is often… Read More
Recently Luke and I ventured to Northern Cape in search of some of South Africa’s most insane reptiles. This is video two of four, created to show you, the best parts of our trip. In this video we show off the reptiles and frogs that we found in Augrabies. We also detail our trip to Port Nolloth and the funny things that happened along the way.
Recently I visited Durban, and more specifically Westville to see my cousins after a long year of work. While I was excited to see my cousins, and catch up, I was also excited to see some new ‘herps’ in Kwazulu Natal, one of the provinces with the highest diversity of reptiles and amphibians in South Africa. What I didn’t expect was just how much I would see. Westville Whilst there I spent… Read More
Umhlanga, Kwazulu Natal Midlands, Kwazulu Natal
This red-lipped herald (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia) was found in the process of eating a guttural toad (Amietophrynus gutturalis) last night (9 december 2016) in Westville, Kwazulu Natal. The toad was still alive when the snake started eating it but died during the process of consumption. The snake took over an hour to consume the entire toad.
Toad Call
Red-lipped herald (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia) Family: Colubridae. Length: 60-75cm. Description: The snakes has an olive body with white flecks. The snake is most easily recognized by its red lip which is absent from some individuals. It has large eyes and vertical pupils. Distribution: The species is present in every province except the Northern cape where it is only found along the outskirts of the province. Habitat:Found in damp areas where it can be found… Read More
This list contains all the water snakes that can be found in and around water in the Grahamstown area. As the names suggest, this means that these snakes are usually found in close proximity to water because of their diets that mostly consist of frogs, tadpoles and fish. Although not as closely related to water as the other snakes on this list, the red-lipped herald has been listed at the end because it is closely associated with… Read More
Once again I found myself in Hogsback, and this time I was determined to catch and photograph (properly) the Amatola Flat Gecko (Afroedura amatolica). This trip to Hogsback was however not intended for herping or adventure but rather as a farewell for the Rhodes Zoology Honours class of 2016 who were staying on a nearby Hogsback farm for the weekend. Unlike my classmates who sought to study in the spare time between… Read More
