table of contents ircf reptiles & amphibians • … · 2016. 3. 22. · (2015) reported that...

IRCFREPTILES&AMPHIBIANS•23(1):51–61•APR2016

Texas Tech University Students Take On Zimbabwe

Kaitlin Danis, Ashley Hogan, and Kirsten Smith

TexasTechUniversity,Lubbock,Texas79409([email protected])

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IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • VOL15, NO 4 • DEC 2008 189TABLE OF CONTENTS

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

F E A T U R E A R T I C L E S

Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190

The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198

R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E S

The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in Florida

.............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212

C O N S E R V A T I O N A L E R T

World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225

H U S B A N D R Y

Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon ....................................................................................................... Shannon Plummer 226

P R O F I L E

Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234

C O M M E N T A R Y

The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238

B O O K R E V I E W

Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, R. Berridge, P. Ramani, and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. Robert Powell 243

CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 NEWBRIEFS ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 248 EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 FOCUS ON CONSERVATION: A Project You Can Support ............................................................................................... 252

Front Cover. Shannon Plummer.Totat et velleseque audant mo estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos accullabo.

Back Cover. Michael KernTotat et velleseque audant mo

estibus inveliquo velique rerchil erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus

aut dolor apicto invere pe dolum fugiatis maionsequat eumque

moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia-tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as

IRC

F

REPTILES & AMPHIBIANSC O N S E R V AT I O N A N D N AT U R A L H I S T O R Y

Copyright©2016.KaitlinDanis.Allrightsreserved.

WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNAL

OnthenightofWednesday,14May2014,27TexasTech students tossed and turned in their beds, desper-

ate for sleep, imagining what the next three weeks would bring.Mostofushadspentmonthspreparingforthetripby learning about the country, raising money, and filling out travelpaperwork.Forgetstudyingforfinals,weweremoreconcerned with packing! Leaving something behind was sim-ply not an option, but getting everything to fit into a single suitcasewascertainlyachallenge.Herpetologywasnotthefocus for this trip, but we were excited about all the wildlife weweregoingtosee.Wepreparedourselveswithaseriesoffieldguides.AlthoughonefrogguidespecifictoZimbabwe(Lambiris1989)wastootechnicalforourpurposes,wegen-erallyfoundtheSouthAfricansnake(Marais2004)andfrogguides(duPreezandCarruthers2009),whichhaveindi-vidual records and maps for all species, more useful than the “reptile”guideforlizards,turtles,andcrocodilians(AlexanderandMarais2007).Consequently,wewereunableinmanyinstancestoidentifythereptilesweencounteredtospecies. After considerable preparation, we finally were ready to embarkononeofthegreatestadventuresofourlives.Afterthree airports, one lengthy layover, and roughly two days of travel, we were excited to be on solid ground again — and our

three-weekjourneyacrossSouthAfricaandZimbabwebegan(Fig.1).AswewaitedintheSouthAfricancustomsline,mostof us tried to get on our phones to connect with friends and family,buttonoavail.Wecertainlyweren’tinTexasanymore.

South Africa: Kenjara Lodge(http://www.kenjara.co.za/)

AbriefcartripfromtheJohannesburg airport delivered us to theKenjaraLodge in theGautengProvinceofSouthAfrica.Alongtheway,wecouldn’thelpbutnoticesimilari-tiesbetweentheclimateofSouthAfricaandLubbock,Texas.The highly anticipated acacia trees and wild animals were nowheretobefound.Instead,thelandwasscatteredwithimpoverished neighborhoods, eucalyptus trees, and tall-grass prairie. Our first stopwas theCradleofHumankindWorldHeritage Site in Maropeng, where we learned about our humanancestorsandtheevolutionofotherspecies(Fig.2).We also explored the Sterkfontein caves, where we viewed currentarchaeologicaldigsitesandthesitewhere“Mrs.Ples”(Australopithecus africanus)wasfound.Theviewsurroundingthe caves still might be very close to what some of our earliest ancestorsexperiencedwhentheyroamedthearea(Fig.3).

Fig. 1.TheentiregroupatHwangeNationalPark,Zimbabwe.Four-wheeldrivevehiclesareessentialforvisitingmanyplacesinAfrica.PhotographbyGadPerry.

T R A V E L O G U E

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Our trip was during theNorth American summer,whichmeantitwaswinterinSouthAfrica.Wehadhopedtoseesomechameleons(eightgeneraandover160speciesareknownfromAfrica;AlexanderandMarais2007);theyarecommonintheregionandverydifferentfromtheliz-ardswithwhichwearefamiliar.Althoughweweretoldaboutthem wherever we went and saw images of chameleons in localart(Fig.4),wesawnotoneindividualduringthistrip. We departed Kenjara Lodge early the next day and spent a memorable eight hours first passing through South African customs in order to leave the country and then waiting in another long line until we were finally granted permission to enterZimbabwe(we suggest taking a plane into Bulawayo for amuchfasterandsmootherentry).Afterourexhaustingdayattheborder,anadditionaldrivetookustoLimpopo.Thedelicious dinner served by the Nottingham Fishing Retreat staff and a night spent admiring the stars were the perfect endingtoourfifteen-hoursoftraveling.

Limpopo, Zimbabwe: The Nottingham Fishing Retreat(http://nottinghamadventures.co.za/)

The Nottingham Fishing Retreat sits on the Limpopo River, theborderbetweenSouthAfricaandZimbabwe.Ourfirstmorning at the lodge afforded us the opportunity to view thelargedaminfrontofthecomfortablecottages.Thedamisavaluableassettothelodgeforfishingandrecreation.Itsupportsagricultureandholdsadiverseman-madeaquaticecosystem.Wespentoneafternoonwithourguidestakingatour of the river, where we had the opportunity to view Nile Crocodiles(Crocodylus niloticus)upclose.Manycrocodilesspend the days basking in the sun, often with gaping mouths (Fig.5).Crocodilesdomostoftheirhuntingatnight,rely-ing on the warm water to keep their body temperatures from droppingtoolow.Thisisoneofthelargestandmostdanger-ous species of crocodile, and a warning by the lake reminds gueststobecareful(Fig.6).NationalGeographicMagazine(2015)reportedthatNileCrocodileskillupto200peopleannually,sowemadesuretoheedthewarnings.Weweretold that fish poachers have disappeared in these waters, pre-sumablypreytosomeofthelargercrocs.Wealsoobserved

IRCFREPTILES&AMPHIBIANS•23(1):51–61•APR2016DANISETAL.

Fig. 2.TheentrancetotheCradleofHumankindMuseumatMaropeng.The many interactive displays include a boat ride that takes visitors back in time.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 3.ComingoutoftheSterkfonteincavesatMaropeng.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 5.OneoftheNileCrocodiles(Crocodylus niloticus)seensunningitselfbythelakeattheNottinghamFishingRetreatbytheLimpopoRiver.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 6. This wooden crocodile, placed near the boathouse at the Nottingham Fishing Retreat, reminds guests that the innocent-seeming lakewatercanbedeadly.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 4.Theonlychameleonswesawduringthetrip…ArtworkbyMr.Johnson,NgamoVillagenearHwange.PhotographbyGadPerry.

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DANISETAL. IRCFREPTILES&AMPHIBIANS•23(1):51–61•APR2016

NileMonitorLizards(Varanus niloticus;Fig.7),severalterra-pins(Pelusiossp.;Fig.8),andAfricanFishEagles(Haliaeetus vocifer;Fig.9).

OurlaterdaysinLimpopowerespentvisitingFlyCamp,a viewing spot above a baited feeding area where African Elephants(Loxodonta africana;Fig.10)andotheranimalsfeedonexcessagriculturalproduction.Inadditiontotheup-

Fig. 11.OneofthemanyYellowBaboons(Papio cynocephalus)seenatFlyCamp.Movinginnoisytroops,thesesocialanimalscanbequiteaggres-sive.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 10.AfricanElephants(Loxodonta africana)eatingorangepulpatFlyCamp.Largenumbersofelephantstroopineverydaytoenjoyleftoveragriculturalproduce.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 9.AnAfricanFishEagle(Haliaeetus vocifer)looksforfoodonthelake.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 8.Africaishometoseveralspeciesofside-neckedterrapins.Thisadultwassunningitselfonadeadtreeleftfrombeforethelakewascreated.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 7.AjuvenileNileMonitor(Varanus niloticus)atlake’sedge.Wesawanumberoftheselargelizards,rangingfromjuvenilestofull-sizedadults,duringourtwo-hourboatride.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 12.FlatlizardsaremembersoftheuniqueAfricanfamilyCordylidae.ThefemaleSekukhuneFlatLizard(Platysaurus orientalis;left)ismuchlesscolorfulthanthemale(right).PhotographsbyGadPerry.

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close wildlife sightings, Fly Camp also provided a breathtak-ing view of the African plains and opportunities to see plenty ofotheranimals,suchasYellowBaboons(Papio cynocepha-lus;Fig11).FlyCamp’sintricaterockoutcroppingsprovideprimehabitatforavarietyofherps.Withinminutesofset-tlingin,apairofSekukhuneFlatLizards(Platysaurus orienta-lis;Fig.12)cameouttobaskinthesun.Later,severalskinks(genusTrachylepis) joinedtheaction(Fig.13).Although

our snake encounters on this trip were rather limited, two occurredhere.First,wesawmultipletracksofwhatourlocalguidesconfirmedwerefromMozambiqueSpittingCobras(Naja mossambica).Althoughweneversawthesnakes,wedidencounterasmallviperid,mostlikelyaHornedAdder(Bitis caudalis;Fig.14). One afternoon while driving through the commu-nal lands of Limpopo, we spotted a pride of African Lions (Panthera leo;Fig.15).Sadly,oneofthecatshadbeentrappedinasnare,althoughwewereunawareofthatatthetime.Thewhole pride was still there when we drove back that evening, triggeringalarm.Helpeventuallyarrived,butnotfastenoughtosavethelion.Whilesnaringwildlifeisillegal,theinstance

Fig. 15. A lioness spotted in the communal lands in Limpopo; one of a smallpridethatwaslikelymovingthroughthearea.Becauseofhumanpersecution, fewAfricanLions (Panthera leo) remain inZimbabwe.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 14.Adisplay at theNaturalHistoryMuseumofZimbabwe inBulawayoshowsaHornedAdder(Bitis caudalis).Againstthereddishsoilcommonintheregion,thissnakecanbeveryhardtosee.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 13. Skinks of the genus Trachylepis(formerlyassignedtothegenusMabuya)wereseeninmanysettings,someofthemveryclosetohumanhabitation.PhotographsbyGadPerry.

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we observed exemplified the tension between conservation andeconomicdevelopment.Althoughthepresenceoflionsencourages tourism and brings in desperately needed funds, the immediate needs of the locals to feed their families or sell a hideformoneyprevailoverconservationofthesemajesticcats.TheconservationsuccessesinAfrica,includingZimbabwe,havereliedonfindingsolutionsthatbenefitthecommunity. Onanotherexcursion,ourguide spottedaSouthernAfricanPython(Python natalensis;Fig.16)windingitswayupatree.FormerlyknownastheRockPython,this is the largestsnakeinsouthernAfrica,reachinglengthsto6m(20ft).Uponcloserinspection,thesnakeprovedtobeafemalebaskinginthemiddaysun.Wewerefortunatetospotthemajesticcreature,despiteherimpressivecamouflage.

Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe: The Farmhouse Matopos(http://www.farmhousematopos.com/)

OurnextfewdayswerespentjustoutsideMatoboNationalPark.LocatedthirtyminutesfromBulawayo,thelodgeisnes-tled near one of the enormous granite structures of the park (Fig.17).AUNESCOWorldHeritageSite,theMatobo

Hills are revered by anthropologists and archaeologists for theirextensivevarietyofrockart(Fig.18).WhileinMatobo,we saw a number of geckos, many of them around night-lights.ThefirstofthesewasalargeArnold’sVelvetGecko(Homopholis arnoldi;Fig.19). Wildlife is abundant throughout Matobo National Park, which is known to have one of the largest Leopard

Fig. 19.AnArnold’sVelvetGecko(Homopholis arnoldi)foundatanight-light(inset)atthecamp.ThistaxonwasonlyrecentlyresurrectedandrecognizedasaspeciesdistinctfromH. wahlbergii.PhotographsbyGadPerry.

Fig. 18.Restinginacave,theclassadmiresrockart.Spanninghundredsof years and several cultures, these and other artifacts can tell us a lot about thehumansandanimalsthatlivedintheregionbeforeEuropeansarrived.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 17. Matobo National Park is world-famous for its beautiful rock out-croppingsandwildlandscapes.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 16.This largeSouthernAfricanPython (Python natalensis)wasencounteredwhileonsafari.Wewatcheditslitherupthetree,butitwastoofierceforourguidetotryandcapture.PhotographbyEricFernandes.

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(Panthera pardus) populationsinAfrica.Uponourarrivalatthe Farmhouse, we were informed that a leopard had been sighted on the property, and on several occasions, we were fortunate to view the nocturnal and well-camouflaged preda-

toratadistanceofamere16m(50ft;Fig.20).TheparkalsosupportsthehighestconcentrationsofbothBlack(Diceros bicornis)andWhiteRhinoceros(Ceratotherium simum;Fig.21)inZimbabwe.Sadly,bothspeciesaredecliningbecauseofwell-organizedandfundedpoaching.Inanefforttocombatthepoachingproblems,ChairmanJohnBurton,GiveTrip,and other stakeholders created the Matobo Rhino Protection InitiativeinAugust2012.TheWhoviGameFenceProject’sgoal is to build a fence around the park to improve its security andbetterprotecttheMatoborhinopopulations.Aportionof the initiative has already been completed, but more remains tobeaccomplished(RhodesMatoposNationalPark).TheextremelyhighleveloftrainingrequiredofguidessuchasMr.Burton means that lucky tourists get to walk in rhino ter-ritory, approaching them on foot — an experience none of uswillsoonforget.Inadditiontorhinoceros,theparkandThe Farmhouse are home for many other wildlife species such asGiraffes(Giraffa camelopardalis;Fig.22),GreaterKudu(Tragelaphus strepsiceros),BlueWildebeest(Connochaetes tau-rinus),andPlainsZebra(Equus quagga). WhileinMatobo,wevisitedanotherUNESCOWorldHeritageSite,theKhamiRuinsNationalMonument(Figs.23&24).Located22km(roughly13.5mi)fromBulawayo,

Fig. 20.ThisLeopard(Panthera pardus)ateoneoftheostrichesatTheFarmhouseandhungaroundforseveraldays.Leopardsdonotnormallystaythisclosetohumanhabitationforlong.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 21.MaleWhiteRhinoceros(Ceratotherium simum)spottedonourrhinowalkinMatopos.Armedguardsprotecttherhinosfrompoachers.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 22. AGiraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) family observed at TheFarmhousenearMatoboNationalPark.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

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the ruins of Khami are believed to have been built during the 15thCentury.OneoftheoldestwalledcitiesinAfrica,itisthesecondlargeststonebuildingmonumentinZimbabwe.Thesizeofthesiteandtheattentiontodetailwereindicativeof a much more sophisticated culture at that time than any of ushadsuspected.WerecommendstoppingbytheBulawayo

NaturalHistoryMuseum.Inadditiontoanextensiveexhibitfeaturing the cultural history of the Khami Ruins, it also pro-vides a look into the history of the city and the Ndebele cul-ture.Asectionalsoisdevotedtolocalreptilesandamphibians(Fig.25),andthemuseumishometoDr.DonBroadley,oneoftheforemostexpertsonAfricanherpetology.Althoughold-fashioned, the displays show many of the more notewor-thy local species, including some live snakes that are used in periodicpublic-educationefforts.

Hwange, Zimbabwe: Camelthorn Lodge(http://www.imvelosafarilodges.com/

camelthorn-lodge.html)Hwange National Park was the final educational stop on ourtour.ThisparkhasrecentlybeenininternationalnewsbecauseCeciltheLionwaskilledjustoutsideitsboundaries.MarkButcher,ImveloSafariLodges’co-owner,waswaitingtowelcomeustoCamelthornLodgejustoutsidethepark’sgates(Fig.26).HwangeNationalParkisthelargestreserveinZimbabweandhasthehighestwildlifepopulationdensityandbiodiversityofalloftheplacesthatwevisited.Inthe

Fig. 23. Part of the Khami Ruins, a terraced walled city that served ancient rulersnearmodernBulawayo,Zimbabwe.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 27.ACommonHippopotamus(Hippopotamus amphibious) inatemporarypondatHwangeNationalPark.Hipposcanbequitedanger-ous.Theyfeedatnightonland,wheretheycanmovesurprisinglyfast.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 26. Mark Butcher, whose tourism ventures at Hwange National Park helpsupportthisschoolandprovideotherbenefitstothecommunity.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 25.OneofthedisplaysintheBroadleyGalleryattheNaturalHistoryMuseuminBulawayo.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 24. A close-up view of some of the intricate stonework at the Khami Ruins.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

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five days we spent in Hwange, we saw the gamut of African species,includingCommonHippopotamus(Hippopotamus amphibious;Fig.27),AfricanBuffalo(Syncerus caffer),GreyHornbill (Tockus nasutus), Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas),thesnake-eatingSecretaryBird(Sagittarius ser-pentarius;Fig.28),Black-facedImpala(Aepyceros melampus),andzebra.Cheetahs(Acinonyx jubatus)alsooccurinthearea,butwesawnoneduringourtrip. Easiest of the species to find is the icon of Hwange NationalPark,theAfricanElephant(Loxodonta africana;Fig.29).Astaggering40,000oftheminhabitthe14,651-km2 park (5,700sqmi),exceedingthecarryingcapacitybysome25,000.Intheearly1930’s,oneoftheparkstaffbeganbuildingwaterpumps in Hwange with hopes of increasing the wildlife popu-lation.Bythen,developmentinsurroundingareashadpre-vented the traditional migration of elephants away from the park, which lacks permanent water sources during the dry season.Withtheadditionofthepumps,theelephantpopula-

tion skyrocketed, detrimentally impacting the flora and other fauna.Theplantlife,includingtheAcaciaTrees,isseverelyovergrazed,andthelandsurroundingwaterholescavesinwardbeneaththeimmenseweightoftheelephantherds.Otherspe-cies are unable to access the limited water sources when ele-phants are present, and eventually disappear as they are unable tocompete.Thesmallerspeciesarenottheonlyonessuffer-ing, however; whenever periodic droughts occur, elephants die inlargenumbers.Sometimes,theelephantscrossthepark’sborder fences and consume entire fields of crops grown by localresidents.Thisdirectlyincreasesthelocals’propensitytopoachanddisregardtheelephants’roleasaprimarysourceoftourismandindirectsourceofincome. We discussed several methods that could help restore Hwangetoitsnaturalcarryingcapacity.However,noneofthem seem to be socially acceptable, physically possible, or economicallyfeasible.Cullingtheelephantsisunacceptabletoawesternsocietythatbelieveselephantsareendangered(asmanypopulationsare).Removingthewatersourceswillleadtotheslowandhorrendousdeathofmanyanimals.Localbudgets for park maintenance are minimal, and trade in ivory, which could fund much management, is banned by interna-tionaltreaty(CITES,theConventionontheInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies).Finally,theoptionofrelocat-ingelephantswouldrequireanelephant-freeareaaslargeandrichinbiodiversityasHwange,whichissimplynotavailable.ThisleavesZimbabwewithtourismandagricultureasitstwoprimary legs for development, and few options for managing theover-populatedelephantherd. As part of our service learning, we helped start some of the water pumps that Camelthorn maintains on behalf of the Park Service.Thepumpsareturnedoffduringthewettermonthsandareononlywhenothersourcesofwaterdryup.Thewater is collected in troughs, and within minutes of its arrival inthedustyconcretereservoirs,smallfrogs(Fig.30)emergedfromthecrackedsoilatthebottomofthewatertank.

Fig. 30.TheMottledShovel-nosedFrog(Hemisus marmoratus)spendsmuch of its life underground and emergeswhen rainwets the soil.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 29.AfamilyofAfricanElephants(Loxodonta africana)slingingmudonthemselvesasawaytokeepcool.ThelargenumberofelephantsatHwangehasresultedinalossofvegetationinlargeareasofthepark.PhotographbyKaitlinDanis.

Fig. 28.TheSecretaryBird(Sagittarius serpentarius)spendsmostofitstimewalkinginthegrasssavannah.Itcanfeedoneventhemostvenomousofsnakes.PhotographbyGadPerry.

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WeencounteredDwarfGeckos(genusLygodactylus)inmanyplacesduringourtrip,usuallynearhumanhabitation.Unlikemostgeckos,thesesmalllizardsarediurnallyactive,and like the day geckos of Madagascar and South America, theyhaveroundpupils.Theonlyoneweencounteredinnaturalhabitat(Fig.31)wasseenduringasafaridriveinthecourseofourourstayinHwange.Wealsoencounteredliz-ardsoftwootherfamiliesintheHwangearea.Webrieflysawaplatedlizard(Gerrhosauridae;Fig.32)duringahike,butitquicklyretreatedintoaholeinastumpandwasneverseenagain.MorecommonwerelizardsinthefamilyAgamidae,which we saw on rocky outcroppings in some of the towns nearthepark(Fig.33). Forthebetterhalfofaday inHwange,Mr.Butcherinstructedasmallgroupofusonpropertrackingtechniques.Using animal tracks, wind direction, and a variety of other clues, we followed and successfully located a herd of African Buffalo.Trackingisanessentialtoolwhenworkinginwildlifebiology, so this was an invaluable opportunity to learn this techniquefromanesteemedwildlifeguide. Another experience provided by Imvelo Lodges for their guests is the opportunity to visit the communal lands found nearby.WespenthalfadayinteractingwiththeNdebelepeo-ple, learning how the men herd cattle and plow crops while thewomengatherfirewoodandpreparefood.Additionally,

Fig. 31.DiurnallyactiveDwarfGeckos(genusLygodactylus)haveroundpupils and are commonly encountered on houses, fence-posts, and trees inZimbabwe.ThisindividualwasencounteredduringasafaridriveatHwangeNationalPark.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 34.Night-lightsattheGorgesLodgeofferhuntingopportunitiesforseveralspeciesofgeckos,sometimesathighdensities.PhotographsbyGadPerry.

Fig. 33.Amaleagama(familyAgamidae)andaskink(probablygenusTrachylepis)witharegeneratingtailshareasunnyrockinatownnearHwangeNationalPark.PhotographbyGadPerry.

Fig. 32. Plated Lizards are assigned to the uniquely African fam-ilyGerrhosauridae.Thismodel isat theNaturalHistoryMuseuminBulawayo.PhotographbyGadPerry.

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we were invited to the local school where our group was dividedamongthethreesubjectsbeingtaught(science,math,andEnglish)andsatinontheirclasses.Exchangingstoriesand ideas with the students was a valuable learning experi-enceforusall.Afterclassesconcluded,wespenttheafter-noon teaching them some our favorite American pastimes, includingplayingcatchwithaFrisbeeandplayingtee-ball.Inreturn,theytrouncedusatsoccer.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: Gorges Lodge(http://www.imvelosafarilodges.com/gorges-lodge.html)

WeconcludedourtripwithtwodaysatGorgesLodgebyVictoriaFalls inthenorthwesterntipofZimbabwe.Oneof the seven natural wonders of the world and the third UNESCOWorldHeritage Site visited during this trip,VictoriaFalls,whichformstheborderbetweenZambiaandZimbabwe(ZambiaTourism2015),stretchesnearly1,700m(approximately5,500ft)inwidthand108m(approximately350ft)inheight.KnownasMosi-oa-Tunya,“TheSmokethatThunders,”VictoriaFallsisapopulartouristattraction,bringinginvisitorsfromallovertheworld. The streets around the falls are lined with vendors and their shops, stocked with hand-carved wooden animals, jew-elry,andrainponchos.However,oneofthehottesttourismitemsarethedemonetizedZimbabweandollarbills,includingthe100trillion-dollarbill,soldbymenwanderingthestreetswiththehopeofmakingafewUSdollars.Althoughthebill’sbright colors and high values make them an excellent souve-

nir,theyalsoprovideaglimpseintoZimbabwe’sturbulenteconomicpast.ZimbabwenowusestheUSdollarasitsoffi-cial currency, and tourists are advised to bring lots of one- and five-dollar bills, as change from higher denominations may be difficulttoobtain. Located about a thirty-minute drive from the falls, GorgesLodgeisnestledrightupagainsttheZimbabweansideoftheBakotaGorge,whichoverlooksthemightyZambeziRiver.Thiswastheperfectlocationtorelaxandunwindafterthreeverybusy,fulfilling,andeducationalweeks.Inadditionto the incredible scenery, we got to see the final additions to our herpetological checklist; several species of geckos that took advantage of the night-light niche made available by the resort(Fig.34). Prior to beginning this trip, everyone told us that studyingabroadwouldchangeour lives forever.LeavingZimbabwe,weclearlywerenotthesameTexasTechstudentswhohadarrivedthreeweeksearlier.Althoughtheimmedi-ate changes were not obvious to everyone, we can now look backandrecognizejusthowmuchthistripandthebeautifulcountryofZimbabweimpactedourlives(Fig.35).

AcknowledgmentsWe thank our professors, Drs. TamraWalter,MichaelFarmer,andGadPerry.Forlogisticalarrangements,weareindebtedtoDebbyGracy,BrentHolbert,andAlistairBurtonfromGiveTrip(www.givetrip.org),andtheownersandstaffofallofthelocationswevisited.

Fig. 35.Thiselephant,oneofdozensweencounteredatHwangeNationalPark,posedforasunsetphotographnearoneoftheseasonalwaterholes.Thiswasagreatwaytoendtheday,andagreatimagewithwhichtorememberZimbabwe.PhotographsbyGadPerry.

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ReferencesAlexander,G.andJ.Marais.2007.A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa.Struik

Nature,CapeTown,SouthAfrica.

DuPreez,L.andV.Carruthers.2009.A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa.StruikNature,CapeTown,SouthAfrica.

Lambiris,A.J.L.1989.The Frogs of Zimbabwe.MuseoRegionalediScienzeNaturali,Torino,Italy.

Marais,J.2004.A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa.2nded.StruikNature,CapeTown,SouthAfrica.

WebsitesKhamiRuinsNationalMonument.<http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365>.

NationalGeographic.NileCrocodiles,NileCrocodilePictures,NileCrocodileFacts.<http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/nile-crocodile/>.

RhodesMatoposNationalPark.<http://www.rhodesmatopos.com/>.

ZambiaTourism.TheVictoriaFalls.<http://www.zambiatourism.com/destinations/ waterfalls/victoria-falls>.

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