Dream Landscapes: Goegap Nature Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa

Aloe dichotoma, a symbolic Namakwaland species. Photo Melissa Petford.

In January 2016 I visited the Northern Cape for the first time. One of the places I visited was Goegap near Springbok, spending about three days in the area. I was impressed by the landscapes and biodiversity of the region. I was given another opportunity to visit Goegap during the last week of September 2017, this time for a week. Our objective was to help wildlife film makers, Henk Ekermans and Barend van der Watt, find and shoot some of the smaller animals of this biodiversity rich ecosystem.

Mountain scene with granite boulders at Goegap. Photo Melissa Petford.

Hot arid gravel plain. At night these come alive with geckos and scorpions.

A lone Aloe dichotoma growing on slope.

After a long trip from the Soutpansberg in Northern Limpopo Province, we drove to Springbok and enjoyed the transition from Savannah to Highveld to Kalahari to Nama Karoo, once again reminded me of the vastness of South Africa and all the wide open spaces left.

Many-horned Adder (Bitis cornuta) we were lucky enough to see. A definite reptilian highlight of the trip.

Some colour. Western Sandveld Lizard (Nucras tessellata) found foraging among the plants.

We were lucky enough to have access to many inaccessible areas of the reserve and given permission to travel freely even at night. This allowed us, despite the cold dry weather, to find many interesting reptiles, arachnids and centipedes while being immersed in dream like landscapes. A big attraction to the area this time of year is the Namaqualand flowering period. Unfortunately the rains did not arrive this year so the flowers were few and far between, still we saw some amazing plants.

Interesting quartz outcrop.

Quartz outcrop among granite hills.

We were quite lucky with our reptiles and wracked up a nice species tally with a few we had never seen before. Our totals in the end were 32 reptiles; with seven snakes, 23 lizards, 2 tortoises (shells only). The list is as follows:

Snakes

Beetz’s Tiger Snake (Telescopus beetzii)

Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis)

Mole Snake (Pseudoaspis cana) – DOR 

Karoo Sand Snake (Psammophis notostictus)

Fork-marked Sand Snake (Psammophis trinasalis) – DOR

Delandes Beaked Blindsnake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei)

Many-horned Adder (Bitis cornuta)

Lizards

Geckos

Weber’s Gecko (Pachydactylus weberi)

Barnard’s Gecko (Pachydactylus barnardi)

Quartz Gecko (Pachydactylus latirostris)

Large-scaled Gecko (Pachydactylus macrolepis)

Namaqua Gecko(Pachydactylus namaquensis)

Giant Ground Gecko (Chondrodactylus  angulifer angulifer)

Bibron’s Gecko (Chondrodactylus bibronii)

Spotted Barking Gecko (Ptenopus garrulous maculatus)

Namaqua Pygmy Gecko (Goggia rupicola)

Namaqua Flat Gecko (Afroedura africana namaquensis)

Lacertids

Spotted Desert Lizard (Meroles suborbitalis)

Plain Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis inornata)

Namaqua Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis namaquensis)

Western Sandveld Lizard (Nucras tessellata)

Cordylids

Karoo Girdled Lizard (Karusasaurus polyzonus)

Cape Flat Lizard (Platysaurus capensis)

Gerrhosaurs

Dwarf Plated Lizard (Cordylosaurus subtessellatus)

Skinks

Cape Skink (Trachylepis capensis)

Western Three Striped Skink (Trachylepis occidentalis)

Western Rock Skink (Trachylepis sulcata)

Varigated Skink (Trachylepis variegata)

Striped Dwarf Legless Skink (Acontias lineatus)

Agamid

Southern Rock Agama (Agama atra)

Tortoises

Angulate Tortoise (Chersina angulate)

Speckled Padlooper (Homopus signatus)

Our first snake, Beetz's Tiger Snake, Telescopus beetzii. Beautiful and colourful.

The Namakwa form of the Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis). Bug-eyed and very pale. Was really hoping to see one.

Detail of above Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis). Look at those eyes!

Second Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis). This female was large and more beautiful than the first.

Delandes Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei). Detail of the business end. Photo Melissa Petford.

Saw several of these Karoo Sand Snakes (Psammophis notostictus). Graceful and difficult to detect.

Karoo Sand Snakes (Psammophis notostictus) full body shot.

Detail of the head of Many-horned Adder (Bitis cornuta).

Many-horned Adder (Bitis cornuta) a master of camouflage in it's complex environment.

Namaqua Gecko (Pachydactylus namaquensis). Common gecko in massive granite outcrops.

A juvenile Pachydactylus barnardi. Amazing little animal.

Large-scaled Gecko (Pachydactylus macrolepis), one of our most exciting gecko finds.

Dorsal view of Large-scaled Gecko (Pachydactylus macrolepis) showing banding.

Spotted Barking Gecko (Ptenopus garrulous maculatus). Common as muck, but very difficult to capture.

Weber’s Gecko (Pachydactylus weberi). Fast little geckos found on rocky outcrops.

Quartz Gecko (Pachydactylus latirostris). The most abundant reptile of Goegap. At night their soft calls filled the air.

Namaqua Pygmy Gecko (Goggia rupicola). Tiny psychedelic geckos.

Detail of Western Sandveld Lizard (Nucras tessellata) displaying powerful claws and jaws.

Western Sandveld Lizard (Nucras tessellata). Exquisite!

Namaqua Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis namaquensis). We found this guy at night.

Cape Flat Lizard (Platysaurus capensis). These guys are stunning!

Very common in the area, here is a light Karoo Girdled Lizard (Karusasaurus polyzonus).

Karoo Girdled Lizard (Karusasaurus polyzonus), dark form.

Bronzy male Western Rock Skink (Trachylepis sulcata).

A little Varigated Skink (Trachylepis variegata). These delightful little lizards are everywhere.

Another reptilian H\highlight. Striped Dwarf Legless Skink (Acontias lineatus).

Southern Rock Agama (Agama atra). The specimens in the Northern Cape are really massive compared to other populations.

Scorpions

Besides the reptiles, which were good, the Northern Cape region is also an arachnid hotspot. Anyone that knows me knows I love scorps and here are a few of the amazing scorpions and centipeds we found along the way.

Uroplectes gracilor
Parabuthus capensis

Parbuthus shlechteri

Parabuthus granulatus

Opistophthalmus granifrons

Opistophthalmus peringueyi
Opistophthalmus pallipes

Hadogenes phylodes

Parabuthus granulatus

Parbuthus shlechteri

Opistophthalmus granifrons.

Opistophthalmus peringueyi

Centipedes
A nightmare to identify! But we try: Ethmostigmus sp and Scolonependera mortisans

The most beautiful Scolonependera mortisans I have seen.

A large and scary Ethmostigmus

Harpactira namaquensis. A beautiful Baboon Spider.

Overall we had an amazing week, we saw and experienced so much biodiversity. Working and living close to another river system (Limpopo) on the opposite side of the continent, experiencing the !Garib system and all it’s different animals, plants, climatic conditions is such a privilege. Many thanks to Barend and Henk for the opportunity and making our stay extra comfortable.

Louse Fly biting!

Creature Feature: Northern Cape 2016

First reptile of the trip, Flap-necked Chameleon - Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis, near Kuruman

First live Cape Coral Snake, Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus, for the trip, near Spektakal Pass.

Giant Desert Lizard, Meroles ctenodactylus, Port Nolloth.

Desert Mountain Adder, Bitis xeropaga, one of the highlights of the trip.

Augrabies Flat Lizards, Platysaurus broadleyi.

January 2016 I had the opportunity to travel to the Northern Cape for three weeks. Having never visited the area before I had no idea what to expect. I knew it was going to be arid and hot, I knew I was going to experience wide open spaces and unique biodiversity but nothing could prepare me for the unique fauna and flora and the immensity of the spaces.

A round trip of 4448 kilometers, starting in Johannesburg and vaguely aiming west to reach the Atlantic Ocean, took us through some very interesting environments and biomes.

Desert scene - Witsand Nature Reserve (photo: Melissa Petford).

The first stop was in the Kalahari, a site called Witsand. Witsand is famous for its roaring dunes called die brulsand. When it is hot and windy and conditions are just right, the sand is said to hum while moving. During our stay the conditions were quite wet, so we never experienced the phenomena. But we did experience rain in the Kalahari which was unforgettable. My highlight for Witsand was just walking around the dunes and enjoying the exotic desert landscape.

Western Striped Skink, Trachylepis sulcata sulcata, male, Witsand.

Western Striped Skink, Trachylepis sulcata sulcata, female, Witsand.

Variegated Skink - Trachylepis varigata, Witsand

Kalahari Tree Skink - Trachylepis spilogaster, Witsand.

Spotted Sandveld Lizard - Nucras intertexta, found dead at night in the veld.

Opistophthalmus wahlbergii, Witsand.

Giant Ground Gecko - Chondrodactylus angulifer angulifer - Witsand.

Opistophthalmus carinatus, Witsand.

Cape Wolf Snake - Lycophidion capense capens, Witsand.

Parabuthus raudus, Witsand.

Hottentotta arenaceus, Witsand.

Southern Ground Agama, Agama armata, Witsand.

Leopard Tortoise - Stigmochelys pardalis, Witsand.

After Witsand we continued our westward trajectory and drove towards Augrabies National Park. This is a scenic park in a very arid environment and it is famous for its waterfall were the mighty !Garib (aka Orange River) is forced through a gap and cascades 56 metres into the gorge below. The power of the water moving is incredible and it seems to make the surrounding rocks and cliffs tremble.

Augrabies Flat Lizard, Platysaurus broadleyi, Augrabies Falls National Park.

Desert Scene Augrabies Falls National Park (photo Melissa Petford).

Baboons at night, Augrabies Falls National Park.

Augrabies Gecko, Pachydactylus atorquatus, a beautiful Augrabies endemic.

Western Ground Agama, Agama aculeata aculeata, Augrabies Falls National Park.

Western Thread Snake, Namibiana occidentalis, Augrabies Falls National Park.

Haake's Gecko - Pachydactylus haakei. Augrabies Falls National Park.

Purcell's Gecko - Pachydactylus purcelli,  Augrabies Falls National Park.

Namaqua Mountain Gecko -Pachydactylus montanus,  Augrabies Falls National Park.

Desert Scene, Augrabies Falls National Park.

Black Spitting Cobra raiding bird nest, Naja nigricincta woodi, Augrabies.

Springbok, Augrabies Falls National Park (photo Melissa Petford).

Nile Monitor,  Varanus niloticus, Augrabies Falls National Park (photo Melissa Petford).

Spotted Barking Gecko, Ptenopus garrulus maculatus, Augrabies(photo Melissa Petford)..

Western Three-striped Skink, Trachylepis occidentalis,  Augrabies Falls National Park.

Plain Sand Lizard - Pedioplanis inornata. Augrabies Falls National Park.

Dwarf Plated Lizard, Cordylosaurus subtessellatus, Augrabies Falls Nationa; Park.

Augrabies Falls - the mighty !Garib channeling through a crack (photo: Melissa Petford).

Augrabies has some interesting biodiversity – the gorge and surrounding areas are home to two very interesting lizards – the Augrabies Flat Lizard and the Augrabies Gecko. The density of the Flat Lizards is astounding. There are just so many. Augrabies has some interesting walks  on top of the gorges. We did a few night walks and experienced what must have been hundreds of thousands of bats emerging in the early evening to feast on the mosquitoes, flies and midges abundant around the river.

Night Scene: Goegap Nature Reserve, Springbok Region.

Western Sandvel Lizard, Nucras tessellata, Goegap.

Arid Namaqua Highland Scene, Goegap Nature Reserve.

The next destination after Augrabies was Springbok and more specifically the Goegap Nature Reserve outside the town. The area is an important for it’s unique floral diversity and is part of the Namaqua Highlands. The nights in the region were cold but we managed to get out and photograph some interesting animals. Including Brant’s Whistling Rat, Western Sandveld Lizard and Opistophthalmus peringueyi, one of the burrowing scorpions. The Springbok area was one of my favourite places on the trip, I will not hesitate to visit again.

Gemsbok, Goegap (photo: Melissa Petford).

Opistophthalmus pallipes, Goegap.

Parabuthus schlechteri, Goegap.

Bright Blue Southern Rock Agama, Agama atra, Goegap.

Quartz Gecko, Pachydactylus latirostris, Goegap.

Namaqua Gecko, Pachydactylus namaquensi, Goegap.

After Springbok our destination was the Atlantic and we drove to Port Nolloth. In former times this must have been one of the most beautiful regions in Southern Africa. The area is arid and the plant life consists predominantly of small succulents and small hardy shrubs. Plants and animals in the area derive most of their water from the fog that comes off the cold Atlantic Ocean. The unique fauna and flora and the area’s natural beauty has been severely damaged due to the mining of diamonds in the dunes and on the shore. Large tracts of pristine dunes have been churned up in the search of these little rocks. Paradoxically there is one advantage to the natural environment that the mining has brought and that is the protection of land through strictly controlled restricted access. For some species like the Namaqua Dwarf Adder (smallest adder in the world) this may contribute to its protection as the snake is over harvested by poachers. To me it is absurd to take a little reptile like that out of its natural environment and put into a small plastic container to live out the rest of its life. 

Sandveld scene: Port Nolloth (Photo: Melissa Petford).

Angulate Tortoise, Chersina angulata, Port Nolloth.

Cape Skink, Trachylepis capensis, Port Nolloth.

  Striped Pygmy Gecko - Goggia lineata, Port Nolloth.

Giant Desert Lizard, Meroles ctenodactylus, Port Nolloth.

Knox's Desert Lizard, Meroles knoxii, Port Nolloth.

Despite all the signs of exploitation, Port Nolloth was an interesting place. We got to walk around in the dunes and caught up with some interesting lizards, the highlights being the Giant Desert Lizards.  

Desert Scene, Richtersveld National Park.

Tenebrionidae feeding on a flower, Richtersveld National Park.

Having reached our journey’s western limit the next step was to drive north into the desert and visit the Richtersveld National Park. This region exhibits the most remote and rugged  landscapes I have ever encountered. 

Richtersveld Gecko, Pachydactylus carinatus, Richtersveld National Park.

Monica's Gecko, Pachydactylus monicae, Richtersveld National Park.

Uroplectes schlechteri, Richtersveld National Park.

Richtersveld Gecko, Pachydactylus carinatus, Richtersveld National Park.

The desert is brutal and unforgiving. The only respite from the brutality of the heat and rocks was being able to swim in the !Garib and walk at night. The natural beauty of this rocky and mountainous desert landscape was humbling and we were lucky enough to catch up with some beautiful animals. Including the rarely seen burrowing scorpion – Opistophthalmus haakei. I will never forget the power of the desert at the Richtertsveld. The region is completely inhospitable and  this is what makes it such a remote wilderness.

Parabuthus schlechter, Richtersveld National Park.

Opistophthalmus haacke, Richtersveld National Park.

Desert Scene: view down drainage line, Richtersveld National Park..

Dassie Rat, Richtersveld National Park.

Our next and final destination was Aggenys via Springbok. The plan was to drive at night and sleep in the car on the way in search of nocturnal animals and what a successful night we had. We encountered some very interesting and charismatic reptiles (two live Coral Snakes and a Tiger Snake) as well as a few scorpions including: Opistophthalmus granicauda; Opistophthalmus peringueyi; Parabuthus granulatus. At about two in the morning we called it a day and found a nice little granite quarry to rest in.

Parabuthus capensis, near Spektakal Pass.

Opistophthalmus granicauda, near Spektakal Pass.

Opistophthalmus peringueyi, near Spektakal Pass.

Parabuthus granulatus, Springbok area.

Second live Cape Coral Snake, Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus,  in a night. Near Springbok.

Beetz's Tiger Snake, Telescopus beetzii, near Springbok.

Giant Ground Gecko, Chondrodactylus angulifer angulifer, Springbok.

Karoo Toad, Vandijkophrynus gariepensis, near Spektakal Pass.

Waking up after a night sleeping in the car it was off to the final destination, Aggenys in the hope of seeing some interesting scorpions and reptiles. And what a treat there was in store for us. Hoping to see the giant scorpion, Opistophthalmus gigas we were rewarded with what most people would call an infestation of scorpions. This huge species was everywhere.

Namakwaland scene, near Aggenys.

Opistophthalmus gigas, near Aggenys.

Opistophthalmus gigas infestation: Exhibit one.

Opistophthalmus gigas infestation: Exhibit two.

Delalande's Beaked Blind Snake, Rhinotyphlops lalandei, near Aggenys.

Southwestern Shovel-snout, Prosymna frontalis, near Aggenys.

Common Egg-eater, Dasypeltis scabra, near Aggenys.

Parabuthus granulatus, near Aggenys.

Good's Gecko, Pachydactylus goodi, near Aggenys (photo: Melissa Petford).

Western Three-striped Skink, Trachylepis occidentalis, near Aggenys.

Hoodia in bloom, near Aggenys.

Hadogenes zumpti, near Aggenys.

Juvenile Delalande's Beaked Blind Snake, Rhinotyphlops lalandei, near Aggenys.

Aggenys was a nice wind down after our busy trip. We took night walks every night and just enjoyed the scenery, unique flora and the atmosphere of the region. Some reptilian highlights were seeing Good’s Gecko and also a South-Western Shovel Snout.

We saw so much beautiful and unique biodiversity. The amount of birds, mammals, reptiles and scorpions we encountered and the spaces we drove through and stayed in made this trip one of the most memorable I have ever had the privilege of doing.

Lists

Richtersveld Gecko, Pachydactylus carinatus, Richtersveld National Park.

DOR Cape Cobra, Naja nivea, near Stienkopf.

Reptiles 49

Chersina angulata

Stigmochelys pardalis

Chondrodactylus angulifer angulifer

Chondrodactylus bibronii

Chondrodactylus turneri

Goggia lineata

Pachydactylus atorquatus

Pachydactylus carinatus

Pachydactylus goodi

Pachydactylus haackei

Pachydactylus latirostris

Pachydactylus montanus

Pachydactylus monicae

Pachydactylus namaquensis

Pachydactylus purcelli

Ptenopus garrulus maculatus

Meroles ctenodactylus

Meroles knoxii

Nucras intertexta

Nucras tessellata

Pedioplanis inornata

Pedioplanis lineoocellata pulchella

Pedioplanis namaquensis

Karusasaurus polyzonus

Platysaurus broadleyi

Cordylosaurus subtessellatus

Trachylepis capensis

Trachylepis occidentalis

Trachylepis punctatissima

Trachylepis spilogaster

Trachylepis sulcata sulcata

Trachylepis variegata

Varanus albigularis albigularis 

Varanus niloticus

Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis

Agama aculeata aculeata

Agama atra

Agama hispida

Rhinotyphlops lalandei

Namibiana occidentalis

Bitis xeropaga

Lycophidion capense capense

Prosymna frontalis

Aspidelaps lubricus lubricus

Naja nigricincta woodi

Naja nivea

Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia

Dasypeltis scabra

Telescopus beetzii

  Monica's Gecko, Pachydactylus monicae, Richtersveld National Park.

Opistophthalmus carinatus, Witsand.

Parabuthus schlechteri, Richtersveld National Park.

Scorpions 18

Uroplectes schlechteri

Uroplectes sp. (De Hoop 1)

Uroplectes sp. (De Hoop 2)

Parabuthus capensis

Parabuthus granulatus

Parabuthus laevifrons

Parabuthus raudus

Parabuthus schlechteri

Parabuthus sp. (Aggenys)

Hottentotta arenaceus

Opistophthalmus carinatus

Opistophthalmus gigas

Opistophthalmus granicauda

Opistophthalmus haackei

Opistophthalmus lornae
Opistophthalmus pallipes

Opistophthalmus peringueyi

Opistophthalmus wahlbergii

Hadogenes zumpti

Giant Eagle Owl, Witsand (Photo: Melissa Petford).

Birds 129

Helmeted Guineafowl

White Faced Duck

Egyptian Goose

Spurwing Gose

Golden Tailed Woodpecker

Ground Woodpecker

Crested Barbet

Acacia Pied Barbet

African Hoopoe

Green Wood-Hoopoe

Common Scimitarbill

Giant Kingfisher

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

European Bee-eater

White-backed Mousebird

Red-faced Mousebird

Black Cuckoo

Jacobin Cuckoo

Burchells Coucal

Alpine Swift

White-rumped Swift

Little Swift

Palm Swift

Common Swift

Giant Eagle Owl

Spotted Eagle Owl

Cape Eagle Owl

Rufous Cheeked Nightjar

Speckled Pigeon

Laughing Dove

Cape Turtle Dove

Namaqua Dove

Rock Dove

Northern Black Korhaan

Namaqua Sandgrouse

Double Banded Sandgrouse

African Black Oystercatcher

Spotted Thick-knee

Three-banded Plover

White-fronted Plover

Blacksmith Lapwing

Crowned Lapwing

Double-banded Courser

Kelp Gull

Hartlubs Gull

Black Shouldered Kite

African Fish Eagle

Lappet-faced Vulture

Black-chested Snake-eagle

Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk

Jackal Buzzard

Steppe Buzzard

Verreauxs Eagle

Martial Eagle

Rock Kestrel

Greater Kestrel

Amur Falcon

Lanner Falcon

White-breasted Comorant

Cape Comorant

African Darter

Cattle Egret

Black Headed Heron

Hadeda Ibis

Glossy Ibis

African Sacred Ibis

African Spoonbill

Lesser Flamingo

Greater Flamingo

Brubru

Crimson Breasted Shrike

Bokmakierie

Pririt Batis

Cape Crow

Pied Crow

Common Fiscal

Ashy Tit

Rock Martin

Barn Swallow

Lesser Striped Swallow

White-throated Swallow

Red-breasted Swallow

African Red-eyed Bulbul

Long-billed Crombec

Rufous-eared Warbler

Chesnut-vented Tit-babbler

Orange River White-eye

Black-chested Prinia

Rufous -eared Warbler

Rufous Naped Lark

Karoo Long-billed Lark

Cape Long-billed Lark

Barlows Lark

Karoo Thrush

Marico Flycatcher

Fiscal Flycatcher

Fairy Flycatcher

Karoo Scrub-Robin

Kalahari Scrub-Robin

African Stonechat

Familiar Chat

Mountain Wheatear

Ant-eating Chat

Pale-winged Starling

Cape Glossy Starling

European Starling

Common Myna

Southern Double Collared Sunbird

Dusky Sunbird

Sociable Weaver

White-browed Sparrow-Weaver

Scaly-feathered Finch

Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Red Bishop

Yellow Crowned Bishop

Long-tailed Widowbird

Common Waxbill

Pin-tailed Whydah

House Sparrow

Great Sparrow

Cape Sparrow

Southern Grey-Headed Sparrow

African Pied Wagtail

Cape Wagtail

Long-Billed Pipit

Yellow Canary

White-throated Canary

Cape Bunting

Yellow Mongoose, Witsand (Photo: Melissa Petford).

Meercats or suricats, Klienzee (Photo: Melissa Petford).

Mammals 28

Vervet Monkey

Chacma Baboon

Lesser Bushbaby

Scrub Hare

Rock Rabbit

Spring Hare

Ground Squirrel

Brant’s Whistling Rat

Dassie Rat

Porcupineå

Bat-eared Fox

Black-backed Jackal

Cape Clawless Otter

Striped Polecat

Meercat

Slender Mongoose

Yellow Mongoose

Small Grey Mongoose

Small Spotted Genet

Aardwolf

African Wild Cat

Aardvark

Rock Dassie

Giraffe

Gemsbok

Springbok

Klipspringer

Steenbok

African Wild Cat, near Goop (Photo: Melissa Petford).