Wild Coast Lizard

There aren't any crocodiles on the Wild Coast, but I did see one of their small cousins though

I checked a Boomslang

Spending the weekend in St Francis a couple of weeks ago I was looking out a window after breakfast when I saw something drop from the tree down onto the paving.  I quickly stepped right up to the window for a closer look and spotted a boomslang slither along the wall.  I quickly grabbed my camera and ran outside just in tome to see him disappear into the shrubs in the flower bed.  I got the long lens onto the camera (yes my new camera) and snapped this pic of him through the garden.  By then a couple of other guests had joined me with cameras and he even had a GoPro on a stick stuck in there for a bit of video.

We could see he was getting anxious so we gave him some space to get out of the corner and he quickly made his way up the tree on the other side of the paving.  There he disappeared and only after a while did somebody spot him right at the top of the tree where I got the two photos above and below.  What an awesome sighting!!!

The average adult Boomslang (or tree snake) - Dispholidus typus - is around 100 – 160 cm in length but can exceed 183 cm (6 feet).  Males are light green with black or blue scale edges (like this one) while the adult females may be brown.  The Boomslang has a highly potent venom (hemotoxic) that gets delivered through large fangs that are located in the back of the jaw. They are able to open their jaws up to 170 degrees when biting.  It is generally a timid snake and bites generally occur only when people attempt to handle, catch or kill the animal so it is unlikely to be a significant source of human fatalities.

Hibernating snails

One of the beauties of travelling is exploring and discovering new places and things.  I dropped my mom off in Despatch after a visit and swung through town to pick up a Geocache I hadn't ticked off my list.  I parked next to a couple of Coral Trees (Lucky Bean Trees as some people know them) and on my way back to the car noticed a whole bunch of snails on one of the trees.  And when I say a whole bunch I don't mean like 10 or 20.  There were literally hundreds.  On closer inspection I saw them on all the trees along the road but I selected the one with the most and grabbed my camera.

 

I've been sitting with these pics for a while now and posted one of them on my Facebook Page.  The pic got a lot of reaction and somebody asked why they do that.  Going back to the day I saw this, I noticed that non of them were moving.  It was as if they were dead.  A snail cemetery perhaps.  Pulling one or two of them off they had a film across the hole of the shell and the snail was still inside.  Peculiar.  So this morning I decided to consult my good friend Google.  It took some time but finally I found out that some snails go into hibernation, specially during colder months and very dry periods.  Not sure which one of the two was the cause of this mass hibernation as it was a dry winter.  Both perhaps but regardless, always nice to discover and learn something new.

I got the following information off Snail World:

Some snails Hibernate.
Some species of snails actually hibernate during the colder months of the year. They cover their bodies with a thin layer of mucus, which prevents them from drying out. Sometimes snails are also able to hibernate in the summer to survive if they are faced with a severe drought. They live off of the stored up fat during this time of year. This process is one of the many reasons why they have been able to survive for million years.

Blue head lizard

Spending the weekend at Ann's Villa just north of the Zuurberg Mountains in the southern Karoo, I discovered this little dude enjoying the afternoon sun.  He allowed me to take out my camera and snap a couple of pictures of him, even lifting up his head for a better pose.  Now I'm not a lizard expert but I'm sure it's a Agama.  Whether it's a Southern rock agama or a Blue headed tree agama I'm not too sure.  Going by pictures I have found on the net I'm going to assume (and it's always dangerous to assume) that it is the former.

 

The Southern rock agama (Agama atra) is a species of lizard from the Agamidae family and occurs in South Africa.  They normally live in small colonies on rocky outcrops with the males having bright blue heads.  The females and young are a more uniform greyish-brown and are much more shy.  They can grow up to about 25 cm and has a thin dorsal crest that runs the length of its body.  The Agama's natural predators in the wild include the fiscal shrike and various snakes.

Ranger's Toad

The Ranger's Toad, also known as the Raucous Toad (Amietophrynus rangeri), is one of our most common toad found in South Africa.  If you live close to a pond, dam or stream and hear a loud, incessant duck-like quacking at night then you now know what makes the sound.  As toads go its fairly aquatic and will be found close to water just about anywhere in South Africa.  Interestingly if injured it will exude whitish spots of venom on the parotoid glands which means they can be hazardous to domestic dogs if they are bitten. 

Puffadder

A quick trip out on the Elandsrivier road outside Port Elizabeth meant that I had to do a little bit of dirt road that morning.  On the way back I noticed something on the road which looked like a stick and I have it a wide berth not wanting to damage a tyre. As I flew by I noticed the stick wasn't a stick at all but a puffadder crossing the road.

The puffadder (Bitis arietans)  is probably one of if not the most common snake in South Africa.  They are most often associated with rocky grasslands and the bush but not found in true deserts, rain forests, and (tropical) alpine habitats.  Puffadders are responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake.  This is due to a combination of factors, including its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom that is produced in large amounts, long fangs, their habit of basking by footpaths and sitting quietly when approached.  The venom has cytotoxic effects and is one of the most toxic of any vipers.   About 100 mg is thought to be enough to kill a healthy adult human male, with death occurring after 25 hours.  Now that's hectic.  Thus I stayed in the car and took the pictures from there.  For more info on puffadders visit Wikipedia.

Die padda wou gaan opsit....

Een van die heel eerste fotos wat ek geneem het toe ek my eerste digitale kamera gekoop het was 'n padda in 'n poel onder 'n waterval in die Tsitsikamma-nasionalepark.  Elke keer as die na die foto kyk dan hoor ek die kinderliedjie van die padda wat wou gaan opsit.  So sommer net vir snaaks wees plaas ek die liedjie se woorde.

Die padda wou gaan opsit by sy nooi in die vlei aham,
die padda wou gaan opsit by sy nooi in die vlei aham,
die padda wou gaan opsit by sy nooi in die vlei,
maar ‘n opsitkers kon hy nêrens kry
aham aham aham

Hy vra toe ‘n vuurvlieg om lig uit te huur aham,
hy vra toe ‘n vuurvlieg om lig uit te huur aham,
hy vra toe ‘n vuurvlieg om lig uit te huur ,
die vuurvlieg sê toe ja teen ‘n sent ‘n uur
aham aham aham

Die twee loop toe af na die nooi se huis aham,
die twee loop toe af na die nooi se huis aham,
die twee loop toe af na die nooi se huis ,
die huis in die vlei van mejuffou muis
aham aham aham

Toe padda die vuurvlieg se lampie wou leen aham,
toe padda die vuurvlieg se lampie wou leen aham,
toe padda die vuurvlieg se lampie wou leen,
het hy hierdie onstellende nuus verneem
aham aham aham

Vuurvlieg se lamp is aan sy stert vasgeswys aham,
vuurvlieg se lamp is aan sy stert vasgeswys aham,
vuurvlieg se lamp is aan sy stert vasgeswys,
hy sou moes opsit saam met padda en sy muis
aham aham aham

Die padda het die vuurvleig maar huistoe gestuur aham,
die padda het die vuurvlieg maar huistoe gestuur aham,
want ‘n opsit lig teen ‘n sent ‘n uur
en 'n luistervink daarby is gans te duur
aham aham aham

Verkleurmannetjies

Is dit net ek of sien mens nie meer so baie verkleurmannetjies soos in die verlede nie?  Ek onthou hoe gereeld ons verkleurmannetjies in ons tuin gehad het toe ek 'n kind was, maar ek kan nie dink dat ek al een gesien het in die sewe jaar wat ek in my huidige huis bly nie.  Hier onder is twee wat ek oor die laaste paar jaar teegekom het.  Verskoon asseblief as die name nie perfek is nie.
 

Suidelike Dwergverkleurmannetjie gesien in Kragga Kamma Wildpark in Port Elizabeth

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'n Knysna Dwergverkleurmannetjie wat ek in die Tsitsikamma raakgesien het

Painted Reed Frog

Admiring the little spekboom trees in one of the local plant nurseries the other day, a slight movement caught my eye.  A little Painted Reed Frog was sitting on one of the branches and tried his best to be invisible when I brought the camera closer. 

Painted Reed Frogs are found from Swaziland in the north to as far south as Port Elizabeth.  While those in the north are striped, the painted reed frogs in the Eastern Cape are spotted.  They normally have pink limbs with adhesive discs on their toes.  Usually found in reed beds close to water, they have a short, loud, piercing whistle.

Baby Lizard

We have quite a few lizards (mostly Tropical House Geckos) who live around the house and although the Damselfly isn't always too comfortable with them coming in the house, we know that they catch unwelcome insects like mozzies. I found this baby gecko the other day and unlike his adult relatives, he sat still for me to get a photo.

Skin patterns

It is amazing how beautiful some animals are. The tiger, leopard, cheetah, giraffe and a couple of others must heave been in the front of the row when God created the animals and were dishing out the skins. Poor warthog must have been standing close to the back. Here are a couple of close-ups of animal skins. All of these animals were (and hopefully still are) alive when I took the pics.

Cheetah



Crocodile


Giraffe

Little frog

I found this little guy sitting on the side of a rock in a small pool while rock hopping up the gorge at Sleepy Hollow just outside Port Elizabeth. He blended in quite well into his surroundings and I probably would have stepped on him if I didn't look down at the last second. I checked my books but aren't sure what type he is though.

The chicken came into the library and said: "Book". The librarian gave her a book, but minutes later she was back and said: "Book, book". The librarian took the one and gave her two others. Minutes later she was back again and after the librarian gave her another book, decided to follow the chicken. The chicken went out the door and around the corner there was a frog waiting. The chicken put the book down in front of the frog and the frog said: "Read it, read it".

Knysna Dwarf Chameleon

When we were small we used to find chameleons in the garden all the time, but that was then and this is now. These days I don't get to see them anywhere as much as I would like to, so it was a big surprise to find this little guy on the stoep of the Protea Hotel Tsitsikamma Village in Storms River the other day. I was really scared that somebody would step on him, so I picked him up and moved him to the garden. According to The Wildlife of Southern Africa, my nature bible, it is a Knysna Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion damaranum).

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I've been away for a week and has also just about run out of bandwidth for the month, so if you haven't heard from me for a while, don't worry. I'll be back commenting by Thursday.

Lick the eye

Walking on the beach the other day I found this little dead fish that had washed up on the beach. There were a couple of these "Plough Shells" all over it, but this one caught my eye. It was busy licking the fish's eye.

Cape Rock Scorpion

On a recent camping trip one of the folk in the group encountered this little guy behind the tents. I have never had the opportunity to take a picture of a scorpion, so I was on him like a rash. It is a Cape Rock Scorpion from the family Liochelidae.

It belongs to the group commonly referred to as the thin-tail scorpions. These scorpions and are not venomous to people and a sting from one of them should, at worst, be no more than a bee sting. Did I know that when I was takin the pictures? No, but I wasn't gonna let the opportunity slip by.

Mud prawn

Mud prawns are abundant in estuaries around the low tide level where burrows are easily visible. They are filter feeders who feed from their U-shaped burrows. Mud prawns are very popular for bait fishermen are often seen on sandbanks with prawn pumps collecting them. I have to admit that they are ugly buggers and I wasn't too keen picking one up the first time I was given one, but it wasn't that bad.

Lizard

Standing at one of the view points when I visited the Valley of Desolation near Graaff Reinet recently, I found this little guy sunning himself on the rocks. As I got closer he ran down the side of the rock to hide. Literally seconds later he was back and as I got myself comfortable and in a position to take a photo, off he went again. But again seconds later he was back. Either he was really enjoying his spot in the late afternoon sun, or he was keen (but a bit shy) to be photographed.

Croc study

This Nile Crocodile was one of the characters we encountered at Bayworld last weekend. Or would it sound cooler if I started with: On my last expedition down the mighty Zambezi River we encountered this croc next to our camp just after sunrise. We barely escaped with our lives... but not before I snapped the following pics. Yeah, the last one sound much cooler.

Strike a pose (cool bit: He appeared stealthily out of the water...)

I can see you (cool bit: ... beady eye fixed on his intended prey - that's me...)

My Granma, what big teeth you've got (cool bit: ...teeth glistening in the morning sun...)

Open wide (cool bit: moments later he snapped... missing me by inches)

Snakes at Reptile World

We decided to take the Rugrats to Reptile World at The Boma today to experience some slithering serpents. Well, guess who had a legen... wait for it... dary time and who was hiding at the door.

The visit starts with a guided tour showing you all the different snakes. This guy is the most common snake we find in this area. Its called a Puffadder and is a distant cousin of the Rattlesnake. It is responsible for a lot of snake bites as it tends to lie in footpaths sunning itself and people would stumble over them there.

This green snake is a Green Mamba. It is very poisonous and is found more to the north east of here. It doesn't grow as big as its cousin the Black Mamba, but is still one to avoid in the bush.

The best part of the visit starts when the guide takes out the non-venomous snakes. Then the fun starts. Here he is holding a baby boa constrictor.

I did find time to give up my camera in exchange for a snake... actually a couple of times... whenever they offered. I was in my element. I loved it. What an experience. I've never held a snake and here I am standing with the biggest snake in Africa. An African Rock Python.

For more picture of the family interacting with the snakes, pop into Firefly's Personal (B)log, Supplemental.

Plough Shells

Karin posted a pic of her son holding one of those snails that live in the tidal zone on Picture this! by Karin yesterday and I went scratching for my Plough Shells pics.

A little while ago we went camping at Cape St Francis. While taking a walk on the beach we found literally hundreds of these snails. They live under the sand within the tidal zone. After a wave washes over them they come out of the sand to find food and when the water pulls back they dig under the sand again.

We found a dead jellyfish on the dry sand which I picked up with a stick and dropped on the wet sand. They were all over him in such a flash you won't believe it. It seems that they use what looks like a tentacle or tongue to eat with. The green on the shells is algae.

A little way down we found another dead jellyfish and they were climbing over each other to get to its sides and underside where they can get to the meat more easily. The top of the jellyfish seems to be to thick for them to eat from. The kids were totally in awe but at the same time a bit freaked out when they realised that they were actually under their feet in the sand.