Northern Zululand Winter.

Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby Fooble » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:06 am

Spent a weekend in the rather cool Northern Zululand Recently not much to speak of but a few herps none the less.

Kinixys belliana - Bells Hinged Back Tortoise
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Homopholis wahlbergii - Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko.
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Psammophis mossambicus - Olive Grass Snake.
This snake doesn't look anything out of the ordinary it was just over shy of 1.7m! Largest i've ever seen and apparently they are often attain that size in the area.
Image

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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby sillybilly » Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:14 am

Your posts are always top notch man. I like the lil velvet gecko there. Haven't seen those in ages actually. Would mind my asking where about you were staying? But anyway keep up the good work and keep the posts coming.
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby GCol » Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:22 pm

Great stuff Fooble. Was the Olive just shy of 1.7m WITH the missing tail? I get some big guys here by me to, awesome snakes.
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby TonyK » Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:42 pm

Well spotted on the tail GCol.I have seen many P mossambicus with the end of the tail missing does anybody have any ideas as to why its so common with this species.Sure its from predation of some sort but what?
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby Smeegle » Mon Aug 13, 2012 2:57 pm

Great pics, lover the ones of the gecko! Looks like the new camera is working for you:)
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby Sfourie » Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:07 pm

Great images as usual.
A Shangaan legend states that any man resting or sleeping in the shade of a baobab will become eccentric and forever be enslaved by Africa and its wilderness, guess it's too late for me.
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby Fooble » Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:01 pm

Thanks for the comments guys!

As for the tail truncation good observation :) this one only had about 100mm of tail!
Well when ever you tail these snakes they spin and roll often if you grab them right by the tip causing the top piece to break off.
I would assume when juveniles being preyed upon by birds its a rather good defence almost like that of a gecko.
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby nvlooi » Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:07 pm

Great images! Those guys can pack a nasty punch, was bitten many years ago by a similar sized animal!! NOT NICE!!!!


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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby TonyK » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:20 pm

Fooble wrote:Well when ever you tail these snakes they spin and roll often if you grab them right by the tip causing the top piece to break off.

Thanks I never knew they do that .
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby Fooble » Mon Aug 13, 2012 7:29 pm

TonyK must like allot of the Philothamnus species do it to i once had it happen to me as a kid a large Western Natal green snake went into a "death roll" and i was left with a 5cm piece of tail for my efforts!
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Re: Northern Zululand Winter.

Postby TonyK » Mon Aug 13, 2012 8:06 pm

Haha most of the snakes I grabed as a kid just bit me.The death roll did freak me out a few times though I can`t say I ever ended up with a piece of tail in my hand.
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