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The Chairman's Report for the Herpetological Association of Africa (HAA) from 2022-2023 highlights the new members of the Executive Committee and their roles. The report mentions various accomplishments during this period, including the inclusion of different languages on the HAA website, finalizing tax clearances and international payment methods, and successfully hosting an in-person conference. The committee also approved new policies related to research ethics and publishing. The report discusses the establishment of minimum standards for each committee portfolio and the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures for various HAA processes. The HAA is now a registered non-profit organization with a Board of Directors. The report also mentions changes in portfolio names and the consideration of providing free membership to qualifying seniors. The committee is exploring initiatives such as setting up a publishing office and holding an Annual General Meeting online. The report acknowledges the challenges of increasing participation and membership and discusses efforts to address these challenges, including involving Early Career Researchers and Herpetologists in auxiliary panels and portfolios. The report mentions an unexpected expense related to publishing charges from the journal publisher. The report concludes with the announcement of an online election for a new committee and the Chairman's farewell, expressing confidence in the next generation of African herpetologists. [Extracted from the article]

The Common Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus capensis) is a widespread species, ranging across most of southern Africa. In South Africa, its native range is in the mesic northeast. The presence of L. capensis in areas outside of its native range was noted in the early 1980s in the Free State and Eastern Cape provinces, but since has been recorded in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces. Humans are implicated as the agent responsible for the inadvertent translocation of L. capensis to areas outside its native range; however, it is unclear whether those populations originate from a single introduction event and subsequent spread or multiple introduction events. Furthermore, the presence of L. capensis near the edge of its natural range (e.g. at particular localities within the Free State and Northern Cape provinces) could be due to either human-mediated dispersal or be part of a range expansion. We conducted a phylogenetic assessment of the species using broad geographic sampling to better understand the origins of L. capensis across South Africa. The 16S mitochondrial marker was sequenced for 36 individuals from eight sites outside its natural range, and eight sites within its natural range. The two Eastern Cape sites showed two unique 16S haplotypes, and the four Cape Town sites had a total of nine different haplotypes. The nucleotide diversity of the invaded sites and the natural range was similar (approx. 0.01), suggesting that the invaded sites are not the result of single colonisations followed by range expansions. Instead, it appears that there were either multiple invasion events in these areas or multiple different individuals introduced during the same event. There was no significant difference (analysis of molecular variance) between any of the invaded sites and the natural range, although the Cape Town sites were significantly different than the Eastern Cape sites (FST = 0.19, p< 0.05) further supporting a multiple introduction hypothesis. The sites near to the natural range edge showed a haplotype that appears to be common across most of the natural and invaded range, making it impossible to distinguish between an introduction or a natural range expansion. These results provide new information about the invasion history of the Common Dwarf Gecko and points to the fact that L. capensis introductions into the Western and Eastern Cape are ongoing. This is not surprising given that gekkonids are some of the most successful reptile invaders. To date, very little is known about the impact of these invasive geckos on the native ecology of the invaded sites, but considering their rapid spread and ability to persist in these sites, further studies investigating their potential influence are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Angolan Adder, Bitis heraldica (Bocage, 1889), endemic to the Angolan central plateau is one of the most poorly known and rarely observed species of African snakes. The phylogenetic placement of B. heraldica within the four subgenera of the genus Bitis (Bitis, Macrocerastes, Calechidna, Keniabitis) remains highly problematic. The few recent taxonomic and phylogenetic revisions dealing with African viperids and the genus Bitis have faced a complete lack of molecular data on it, and all recent authors followed the morphology-based opinion that considered B. heraldica as member of the subgenus Calechidna, due to its diminute size and similar morphology. During a survey to Huambo Province, central Angola, we collected the first specimens of this species in the last 65 years, allowing us to test its phylogenetic affinities. We generated sequence data for the species from two mitochondrial (16S, ND2) and one nuclear (PRLR) marker. To place B. heraldica in a phylogenetic context, Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were run. Additional data were downloaded from GenBank for individuals from all species of Bitis, with the exception of B. harenna for which no genetic data are available. Contrary to what was expected, our results unambiguously place B. heraldica among other members of the subgenus Macrocerastes, constituted by the largest members of the genus. The placement of B. heraldica within Macrocerastes raises interesting questions about body-size evolution in viperids, as well as contributes to a better understanding of the biogeographic patterns of Southwestern Africa, and especially to the increasingly known faunal-turnover in Angola. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African reptiles are under threat primarily due to habitat loss as a result of agriculture, resource extraction, and urbanisation. Extinction risk of South African reptiles was assessed as of 2018 using IUCN criteria and we 'backcast' these assessments to infer extinction risk circa 1990. A Red List Index (RLI: a measure of the extinction risk for a group of species) for 1990 and 2018 was estimated, and the protection level afforded to South African reptiles was investigated by intersecting reptile distributions with the network of protected areas. Furthermore, phylogenetic diversity of South African reptiles was mapped and intersected with national land cover for 1990 and 2013 to identify areas of high phylogenetic richness that may be impacted by habitat transformation. Level of extinction risk for South African reptiles (ca. 5.4%) is lower than the global average, and most currently threatened species would have already been at risk by 1990. The RLI is slightly lower in 2018 than it was in 1990, and the decrease is more prominent for endemic reptiles than for all reptiles combined. Most South African reptiles fall into the Well Protected category, implying that the protected area network has substantial conservation impact. However, most threatened reptile species are Poorly Protected or Not Protected. The current extent of the protected area network therefore, does not adequately mitigate extinction risk for reptiles. Notably, two South African reptiles are Critically Endangered and in protected areas, two others are already classified as Extinct, and rough estimates of extinction rates are similar to values estimated for other vertebrates. Phylogenetic diversity mapping showed that the greatest historical impacts to phylogenetic richness for reptiles are in the northeast (Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Gauteng provinces), southwest (Western Cape Province) and the coastal margin of KwaZulu-Natal. By considering additional metrics that are directly guided by our in-depth knowledge of the species, their distributions and the threats, we demonstrate that South African reptiles are under pressure, that risk of extinction is tangible for several species and that phylogenetic richness of reptiles in certain areas of South Africa is imperilled by loss of habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homoroselaps lacteus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a species of polymorphic, ornately-coloured lamprophiid snakes from southern Africa. Herpetologists have long recognised that the three colour morphs are largely geographically predictable, with barred individuals occurring in the south-western Cape, blotched individuals occurring in the Eastern Cape Province, and striped individuals occurring across the north eastern parts of the geographic distribution. Several workers have speculated that the colour patterns represent different species--an idea corroborated by a recent publication that showed significant genetic divergence between a small number of samples. Here we draw on meristic data from the examination of 148 specimens, geo-referenced digital images of 131 animals, phylogenetic maximum likelihood analysis of molecular sequence data (16S, cyt-b, RAG-1) from 23 individuals, and species distribution modelling approaches to examine the evidence for species-level differentiation within the group. Additionally, we present a thorough summary of the diet of H. lacteus as revealed by examination of museum specimen gut contents and observations drawn from a social media platform used to gather dietary data for southern African herpetofauna. Our results reveal that, in general, the three colour morphs occupy three parapatric geographical ranges which correspond broadly with three well resolved phylogenetic clades. However, not all specimens could be unambiguously assigned to one of the three colour patterns or phylogenetic clades suggesting additional evolutionary complexity within the clade. Our meristic data revealed a subtle increase in the number of ventral scales and subcaudal scales of the barred colour morph relative to the two other forms, however our dietary data suggested that diet is largely conserved across the clade, being restricted to the consumption of elongate squamate reptiles. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for the systematics of H. lacteus, and highlight the value of integration of morphological, molecular, and ecological data in understanding the evolutionary origins of snakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a message from the editors of the "African Journal of Herpetology (AJH)" about the periodical.

The Karoo boasts a wide variety of unique flora and fauna yet the region is still currently poorly surveyed for biodiversity. This lack of knowledge is true for all taxonomic groups, but none more so than reptiles. For example, only 3.5% of South Africa's reptile records have been obtained from the Karoo despite the region making up more than 30% of the country's total land mass and offering exceptional habitat for many of our reptile species. The Karoo has also been identified as an important development area for South Africa. Large scale international development projects such as shale gas drilling, uranium mining and the Square Kilometre Array, in conjunction with renewable energy infrastructure and continued farming will require responsible and informed planning. Here we present a detailed account of the herpetological surveys conducted by SANBI as part of the Karoo Biogaps Project made possible by a grant from the Foundational Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP), and offer preliminary investigations into the herpetological diversity of this unique region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic monitoring is a useful tool for tracking the status and trends of threatened species; and, as such, can be valuable toward their effective management and conservation. Because threatened species are often made up of small, fragmented populations, they are at increased risk of reduced genetic diversity, which can lower their ability to adapt to a changing environment, and hence increase their extinction risk. Within South Africa, specific amphibian species have been targeted for long-term genetic monitoring studies due to their short generation times, their threat status, and the availability of temporally varied tissue samples. One of these species is the Endangered Western Leopard Toad (Sclerophrys pantherina). This species is endemic to the south-western Western Cape of South Africa and exists as two disjunct populations approximately 100 km apart - the City of Cape Town (CoCT) population and the Overstrand Municipality population. The predominant threats are increased urbanisation and agricultural expansion that modify their habitat and fragment their populations. Using samples collected from roadkills in 2008 and 2018, we looked for changes in genetic diversity in the CoCT population by genotyping 78 individuals across 12 microsatellite loci. Of the seven genetic diversity metrics investigated, one (FIS: inbreeding coefficient) showed significant differences between sampling periods, with 2018 showing increased levels of relatedness (i.e. inbreeding) compared to 2008 (FIS-2008: -0.039; FIS-2018: 0.124). A trend toward higher levels of inbreeding over time might be expected for populations in demographic decline, whereby population sizes are decreasing. Indeed, the Western Leopard Toad is thought to be heavily impacted through roadkills, and this could cause a population decline. These results will form the baseline for future monitoring to better understand the genetic status and trends of diversity within this Endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 50% of South African reptile species are endemic, with at least 35% of these species found in the semi-arid Karoo region. The research attraction of the Karoo however, has been eclipsed by megadiverse areas within South Arica, resulting in a lack of baseline biodiversity data for the region. Shale gas development (fracking) in the Karoo has been proposed as a benefit for South Africa in terms of economy, job creation and the current energy crisis. However, the potential impacts on biodiversity could be substantial. Without sufficient biodiversity data, decisions relating to infrastructure development will be poorly informed, and monitoring future impacts on species diversity and ecosystem function will not be possible. Here we discuss the outcomes of the Karoo BioGaps Project, with particular interest in the contributions to reptiles in the region. From 2016-2018, 36 sites were surveyed in the Karoo, where over 2,000 new records were collected for 84 reptile species. Our surveys have doubled the number of individual records from the region. At some survey sites, we validated the presence of a large percentage of expected species, but we also found a number of unexpected species at several sites. DNA barcoding was an integral part of the project, and results suggests that some taxa are in need of revision. These findings demonstrate that biodiversity patterns can shift and change given improved survey data. Poor data therefore, can result in poor land use management decisions and emphasis should be placed on improving data in data deficient areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trachylepis is a morphologically conservative, species rich genus of African skinks. Recent genetic analyses within Trachylepis have identified several cryptic lineages as distinct species; however, phenotypic conservatism makes it difficult to rely only on morphology for distinguishing species, especially in the field. In the T. striata group, there are a number of species that are commonly misidentified in the field, for example T. punctatissima and T. spilogaster. Previous phylogenetic work reveals clear genetic divergence between the two species, yet their morphological similarity makes them difficult to distinguish particularly where they are in sympatry, such as in the North West Province, South Africa. Thus, the area of sympatry may either be genuine or the result of misidentification. We examined these alternatives by sequencing individuals from the potential overlap zone and evaluated them within a phylogenetic framework. A preliminary phylogeny using one mitochondrial marker (16S) was constructed using the Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. There is evidence of a narrow zone of geographic overlap between the two species, although the area of sympatry appears to be smaller than previously thought. Given that the phylogeny showed a number of misidentified individuals in the presumed area of sympatry, the current species distributions are probably overestimated as a result of historical misidentifications. Furthermore, the phylogeny showed that misidentification is a common problem throughout the entire T. striata group with a number of other species being misidentified. For T. punctatissima and T. spilogaster, sympatry exacerbates the likelihood of misidentification and should be considered when the species is studied in the North West Province. Additionally, genetic identification should be used to confirm morphological identification when working on the T. striata group because many samples were found to be incorrectly identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians are presumed to be heavily affected by human activities and habitat transformation is causing declines in an estimated 40% of species globally. In South Africa, the proportion of amphibian species of conservation concern has increased by over 12% in the last decade, largely due to habitat transformation and degradation. The Table Mountain Ghost Frog (Heleophryne rosei) is a Critically Endangered amphibian restricted to just six perennial streams on Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa. The species has a naturally small distribution (7.87 km2), and is entirely within Table Mountain National Park and the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens estate. Despite its distribution fully occurring within a Protected Area, the recent National Biodiversity Assessment classifies the species as "Not Protected". It has disappeared from two streams that have been directly impacted by alien vegetation encroachment and habitat degradation due to heavy foot traffic from popular hiking paths. Ghost frogs are extremely well adapted to the unique freshwater ecosystems found in the Afromontane forested gorges and valleys of Table Mountain, and act as early indicators of environmental change within the ecosystem. Their disappearance from several streams emphasizes the impact that human activity has had on ecosystem function and integrity. Through a new project, we make use of Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) markers and detailed presence/absence monitoring data within an occupancy modelling framework to understand the species habitat requirements, as well as acoustic data to estimate population size. Gaining insights into the species habitat requirements is crucial to accurately address the impacts they face and rehabilitate their habitat, safeguarding not only the species, but the broader freshwater ecosystem, into the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex social structure is a life history trait previously thought to only be present in groups such as birds and mammals. Research on reptiles over the past several decades, however, has revealed evidence of complex social structure in more than 100 species of squamate reptiles. In lizards, social structure has been reported in five families, including the Cordylidae. Although there have been anecdotal reports of family structure in several species of cordylids, there has been no substantiated evidence confirming this using behavioural or genetic studies. In this study, we investigated the social structure of the Sungazer (Smaug giganteus) using 21 speciesspecific microsatellite markers. Tissue samples and demographic data were collected from 149 Sungazers across 10 colonies to assess relatedness of lizards using the same burrows, lizards from neighbouring burrows, and between lizards from different colonies. The average pairwise relatedness within Sungazer colonies was significantly higher than overall pairwise relatedness for population-wide relatedness. The majority of Sungazers sharing burrows did so with first-degree relatives (49% - parents, offspring, full siblings), and second-degree relatives (28% - cousins, aunts, uncles, halfsiblings). The majority of Sungazers in neighbouring burrows within a colony were second-degree relatives, regardless of distance between burrows. Almost all juvenile Sungazers share burrows with their mother/father and siblings, with the remainder living with second-degree relatives. This gregarious sociality may have evolved as a result of Sungazers inhabiting flat grasslands where burrows are the only form of safe refuge, and are thus shared by close relatives and this could potentially improve juvenile survival rates. Although these findings elucidate details on the complexity of sociality in African lizards, future studies on this species and other cordylids should combine genetic techniques with long-term population demographic studies for a more comprehensive understanding of these systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chamaeleo is a pan-African genus of chameleons that also extends into southern Europe, southern Asia, and the Middle East, with much geographic overlap and confusing phenotypic variation between its taxa. It is thought to have substantial cryptic diversity and has long been in need of a taxonomic revision informed by a phylogenetic framework. Accordingly, the aims of the present study were to carry out a comprehensive phylogeny of the genus, accompanied by species delimitation methods. Additionally, we sought to investigate whether the Chamaeleo genus originated in southern Africa, given that C. namaquensis has a sister taxa relationship with the rest of the genus and is currently confined to the arid southwest African coast. Two mitochondrial (ND4 and 16S) and two nuclear (RAG1 and PRLR) markers were sequenced for representative individuals of every known species in the genus, spanning their natural ranges where possible. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were carried out and species delimitation was investigated using the Bayesian General Mixed Yule-Coalescent model, distance-based DNA barcoding, and the Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography programme. An ancestral area reconstruction was carried out in RASP. The analyses suggested the presence of 18 species within Chamaeleo, splitting C. dilepis and C. gracilis into three candidate species each, and C. anchietae into two candidate species. Additionally, the results suggest that C. necasi should be synonymised with one of the candidate species within the C. gracilis complex. The origin of the genus Chamaeleo dates to the Eocene, most likely in the Zambezian region. Chamaeleo probably exploited mesic corridors that opened up during forest contractions of the Oligocene and Miocene to move into North Africa and Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crotaphopeltis is one of Africa's most widespread snake genera. Of the six species, the Herald Snake, C. hotamboeia, has the widest distribution across nearly all Afrotropical biomes, except rainforest and hyper-arid regions. Its extensive range, relative abundance, and presumed high dispersal ability suggest that gene flow may be adequate to prevent species-level diversification between populations. Yet, it is possible that ecological and geographical barriers throughout the heterogeneous landscape of sub-Saharan Africa may have promoted allopatric speciation within C. hotamboeia. In contrast, the habitat discontinuity of specialist conspecifics (e.g., the Afromontane C. tornieri) might have induced allopatric speciation, and thus strong genetic structure is especially expected for the habitat specialists in the genus. Therefore, we assessed phylogenetic species boundaries within four of the six Crotaphopeltis species using five genetic markers (16S, cyt b, ND4, c-mos, and RAG1), coupled with a phylogeographical study of the wide-ranging C. hotamboeia. The species-delimitation approach included genetic barcoding in combination with two coalescent-based methods. Results indicated Crotaphopeltis barotseensis, C. degeni, and C. hotamboeia are valid species, whereas C. tornieri comprised two candidate species. Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia did not show cryptic speciation, although strong phylogeographic structure was detected, which appears to correspond with the spatio-temporal pattern of the African savanna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pachydactylus mariquensis species complex is comprised of four species, namely P. mariquensis, P. latirostris, P. macrolepis, and P. amoenus that occur in Northern, Western Cape and Free State provinces of South Africa. Pachydactylus mariquensis and P. latirostris are both widespread, while P. macrolepis and P. amoenus have small distributions. The former two species have a substantial geographic overlap zone in the Great Karoo, while the latter two probably have overlapping geographic ranges in the northwest, but locality data are sparse making it difficult to understand their ranges. Recent phylogenetic work shows all these species to be genetically well differentiated, with some specimens having been misidentified, calling into question the validity of the geographic overlap zones and the distribution of these species. We examined the extent of these species distributions and associated overlap zones by combining phylogenetic, taxonomic and species distribution modelling (SDM) approaches using comprehensive geographic sampling. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses were run using two mitochondrial markers (16S and ND2) for 37 samples. The SDMs were run in MaxEnt using a dataset of 132 locality records for P. mariquensis and P. latirostris. The phylogenetic analysis highlighted several misidentifications between P. latirostris, P. mariquensis and P. macrolepis. The large overlap zone previously shown on distribution maps for P. mariquensis and P. latirostris in the Great Karoo was not as apparent once the phylogenetic analysis was used to assign individuals. Indeed, the distributions of the two species overlap in a very narrow region below the Great Escarpment. Moreover, the distribution of P. macrolepis extends farther south along the west coast, possibly overlapping with P. mariquensis. Thus, our previous understanding of the distributions and overlap within this species complex is likely due to misidentifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the high genetic diversity and isolation of dwarf mountain toads, under the genus Capensibufo Grandison, found in South Africa. Information is given on the taxonomic and geographic boundaries of the species and bioclimatic and physical barriers to gene flow. It notes that the genus showed a high genetic diversity with distinct lineages confined to isolated mountains, as well as very low vagility and inadequate taxonomic boundaries.