African Wildlife and Environment Issue 67

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

Moving further north… Northern KwaZulu-Natal (often referred to as Zululand) has to bemy favourite part of theworld. It is so incredibly diverse and unique, with a mixture of different habitats. There are of course many, many wonderful protected areas which one can visit too. The hot and humid climate means it’s a hotspot for reptiles, including chameleons. The first Zululand species which I saw was the Umlalazi dwarf chameleon Bradypodion caeruleogula . This endangered species is found in three forest patches in southern Zululand, namely the Ongoye, Dlinza and Entumeni Forests. These small, restricted forests are home to many rare or endangered species, as well as some endemic species. Take Ongoye Forest for example: it is the only forest in Southern Africa in which the Green barbet occurs. It even has its own squirrel species, the Ongoye Red squirrel. I was lucky enough to see these species, plus two endangered species of frogs on my visit to Ongoye. We managed to locate and photograph the chameleon too! Sadly, the reserve is deteriorating in condition. Cows are trampling through the pristine grassland surrounding the forest, and are indeed marching through the forest itself. The birders’ cabin seems to be no more, which is a real pity. It’s a real gem, and should not be allowed to go to waste. Despite these threats, it’s well worth a day visit, especially with a local bird guide. In the area in which our president lives, another dwarf chameleon species can be found. The Qudeni or Zululand dwarf chameleon Bradypodion nemorale , endemic to the Qudeni and Nkandla forests. Due to its small range, it is listed as Near Threatened. My friends and I went out in search of this rarely seen species. Unfortunately the weather was pretty miserable, cold and rainy. In the afternoon though, we were treated to sightings of African goshawk, Olive woodpecker, and Narina trogon. Before it was fully dark, we had already found our first chameleon! We were bracing ourselves for a challenging search, but we found a good number within the first hour of searching. A thick mist rolled in, obscuring our vision. We decided to leave. As we were driving out of the forest, we noticed a frog sitting on the road. To our great surprise, it was a Plain stream frog Strongylopus wageri ! This was a very good find. The Plain stream frog is listed as Near Threatened, and is rarely seen. This was a major bonus for us! Up in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, amongst all of its other rare creatures, is an endangered chameleon species, the Setaro’s dwarf chameleon Bradypodion setaroi . This little reptile is found throughout this massive park, and its distribution just stretches over into Mozambique. It lives in the beautiful coastal forests, and it is a fairly regular sight here. We usually find a few on just about every visit to this natural heritage site. We look for chameleons at night time, when they’re asleep. Driving around St Lucia town at night is quite something! I’ve enjoyed many close-up encounters with

wandering hippos, sneaky crocs, and noisy bushbabies. Mammal-wise, themost memorable sighting was that of a leopard! We spotted it cross the road near the St Lucia Crocodile Centre, and it went and lay down in the open grassland, before being chased off by a hippo. Magic! But that wasn’t my most memorable sighting in the area; that goes to a very special, very rarely seen snake. The Gaboon adder! My fiancé, Joelle, and I have been lucky enough to see two crossing the roads. They are absolutely spectacular animals! Their gorgeous colours and patterns allow them to hide away superbly in the leaf-litter on the forest floor. It is highly venomous, so should you be lucky enough to see one, don’t get too close! The last chameleon that we needed to tick off was the Ngome dwarf chameleon Bradypodion ngomense , found in a forest near Nongoma, north-west of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve. Few people had seen and photographed this chameleon. The forest is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and it doesn’t seem to attract many visitors, perhaps for that reason. It does not lack beauty and has an array of plant life. A wind had picked up, which is never good when you’re trying to find chameleons (or just about any other animal). We were a little nervous that we wouldn’t find this chameleon. But our nerves soon settled when we found one, after taking a little while. All of a sudden, we spotted another, then another, and another! We were doing well! We were fortunate enough to not find any which looked exactly the same. One beautiful male had shades of blue on his body and a dark patch on his mid-body, which showed a bit of red. Most of the specimens had this dark patch on the body, making it quite a distinctive chameleon. I was fascinated by its colours and patterns, and I felt so pleased and privileged to have had the opportunity of seeing it.

Nick Evans KwaZulu-Natal Amphibian and Reptile Conservation www.kznamphibianreptileconservation.com

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