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1. The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africas major land uses.

Author

Clements, Hayley, Do Linh San, Emmanuel, Hempson, Gareth, Linden, Birthe, Maritz, Bryan, Monadjem, Ara, Reynolds, Chevonne, Siebert, Frances, Stevens, Nicola, Biggs, Reinette, De Vos, Alta, Blanchard, Ryan, Child, Matthew, Esler, Karen, Hamann, Maike, Loft, Ty, Reyers, Belinda, Selomane, Odirilwe, Skowno, Andrew, Tshoke, Tshegofatso, Abdoulaye, Diarrassouba, Aebischer, Thierry, Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Jesús, Alexander, Graham, Ali, Abdullahi, Allan, David, Amoako, Esther, Angedakin, Samuel, Aruna, Edward, Avenant, Nico, Badjedjea, Gabriel, Bakayoko, Adama, Bamba-Kaya, Abraham, Bates, Michael, Bates, Paul, Belmain, Steven, Bennitt, Emily, Bradley, James, Brewster, Chris, Brown, Michael, Bryja, Josef, Butynski, Thomas, Carvalho, Filipe, Channing, Alan, Chapman, Colin, Cohen, Callan, Cords, Marina, Cramer, Jennifer, Cronk, Nadine, Cunneyworth, Pamela, Dalerum, Fredrik, Danquah, Emmanuel, Davies-Mostert, Harriet, de Blocq, Andrew, De Jong, Yvonne, Demos, Terrence, Denys, Christiane, Djagoun, Chabi, Doherty-Bone, Thomas, Drouilly, Marine, du Toit, Johan, Ehlers Smith, David, Ehlers Smith, Yvette, Eiseb, Seth, Fashing, Peter, Ferguson, Adam, Fernández-García, José, Finckh, Manfred, Fischer, Claude, Gandiwa, Edson, Gaubert, Philippe, Gaugris, Jerome, Gibbs, Dalton, Gilchrist, Jason, Gil-Sánchez, Jose, Githitho, Anthony, Goodman, Peter, Granjon, Laurent, Grobler, J, Gumbi, Bonginkosi, Gvozdik, Vaclav, Harvey, James, Hauptfleisch, Morgan, Hayder, Firas, Hema, Emmanuel, Herbst, Marna, Houngbédji, Mariano, Huntley, Brian, Hutterer, Rainer, Ivande, Samuel, Jackson, Kate, Jongsma, Gregory, Juste, Javier, Kadjo, Blaise, Kaleme, Prince, Kamugisha, Edwin, Kaplin, Beth, Kato, Humphrey, Kiffner, Christian, and Kimuyu, Duncan

Subjects
Animals, Humans, Ecosystem, Conservation of Natural Resources, Biodiversity, Vertebrates, Mammals
Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate intactness scores: the remaining proportion of an intact reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the regions major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems.

Published
2024

5. Application of a trait‐based climate change vulnerability assessment to determine management priorities at protected area scale

Author

Harper, Jack R. M., primary, van Wilgen, Nicola J., additional, Turner, Andrew A., additional, Tolley, Krystal A., additional, Maritz, Bryan, additional, Clusella‐Trullas, Susana, additional, da Silva, Jessica M., additional, Cunningham, Susan J., additional, Cheney, Chad, additional, de Villiers, Atherton L., additional, Measey, John, additional, and Foden, Wendy, additional

Published
2022
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13. Excessive red tape is strangling biodiversity research in South Africa

Author

Alexander, Graham J., primary, Tolley, Krystal A., additional, Maritz, Bryan, additional, McKechnie, Andrew, additional, Manger, Paul, additional, Thomson, Robert L., additional, Schradin, Carsten, additional, Fuller, Andrea, additional, Meyer, Leith, additional, Hetem, Robyn S., additional, Cherry, Michael, additional, Conradie, Werner, additional, Bauer, Aaron M., additional, Maphisa, David, additional, O'Riain, Justin, additional, Parker, Daniel M., additional, Mlambo, Musa C., additional, Bronner, Gary, additional, Madikiza, Kim, additional, Engelbrecht, Adriaan, additional, Lee, Alan T.K., additional, Jansen van Vuuren, Bettine, additional, Mandiwana-Neudani, Tshifhiwa G., additional, Pietersen, Darren, additional, Venter, Jan A., additional, Somers, Michael J., additional, Slotow, Rob, additional, Strauss, W. Maartin, additional, Humphries, Marc S., additional, Ryan, Peter G., additional, and Kerley, Graham I.H., additional

Published
2021
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16. Stable climate corridors promote gene flow in the Cape sand snake species complex (Psammophiidae).

Author

Taft, Jody M., Maritz, Bryan, and Tolley, Krystal A.

Subjects
*GENE flow, *QUATERNARY Period, *GENETIC variation, *INTERGLACIALS, *SPECIES distribution
Abstract

Climate shifts during the Quaternary Period have driven changes in regional range dynamics for many species, influencing population structure of species and in some cases promoting speciation. Within southern Africa, the psammophine snakes Psammophis trinasalis and P. namibensis were historically considered subspecies of P. leightoni but were elevated to species rank based on ecological differences. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggested intraspecific, not interspecific genetic variation between these taxa, but this finding was based on very limited data and could not be confirmed. To assess the level of genetic differentiation within the P. leightoni species complex, we explored the evolutionary history of these snakes by combining phylogenetic analyses, species distribution modelling and an examination of morphology. We generated a comprehensive, multi‐gene phylogeny for Psammophis that included wider geographic sampling of the three species in the complex. Using this phylogeny, Bayesian and distance‐based species delimitation analyses showed intraspecific, not interspecific divergences between taxa in the complex, suggesting that they collectively represent a single taxon. Furthermore, non‐metric multidimensional scaling analysis of scalation characters showed no differences between the species. Moreover, palaeo‐modelling at three time periods since the last interglacial period suggest that there have been varying levels of connectivity between these taxa, which has likely facilitated gene flow between them. Given the evidence, we propose that the P. leightoni complex represents a single species and therefore formally synonymise the three species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2022
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17. Challenges and Opportunities in the Study of Snake Diets.

Author

MARITZ, BRYAN, HOFMANN, ERICH P., MARITZ, ROBIN A., GREENE, HARRY W., GRUNDLER, MICHAEL C., and DURSO, ANDREW M.

Subjects
*COLUBRIDAE, *SNAKEBITES, *SNAKES, *PREDATION, *COMPARATIVE biology, *POISONOUS snakes, *DIET
Abstract

The article focuses on Challenges and Opportunities in the Study of Snake Diets. Topics discussed include the importance of feeding in the evolution and ecology of snakes is difficult to overstate; and feeding and diet have had profound influences on phylogenetic diversification (Greene 1983), promoted morphological and behavioral diversification (Greene and Burghardt 1978; Hoso et al. 2007; Glaudas and Alexander 2017), and have driven the evolution of extreme physiology.

Published
2021

21. Testing assertions of dietary specialisation: a case study of the diet of Aparallactus capensis.

Author

Maritz, Bryan, Rawoot, Aadam, and van Huyssteen, Ryan

Subjects
*GASTROINTESTINAL contents, *ANIMAL nutrition, *CENTIPEDES, *NATURAL history, *CITIZEN science
Abstract

The lack of detailed natural history information required to precisely characterise the diets of many organisms often results in the use of generalised descriptions of those diets. These descriptions can become dogmatic, and should be challenged with novel observational data when those data become available. We tested the characterisation of cape centipede eaters (Aparallactus capensis) as centipede-eating specialists that consume centipedes to the exclusion of other prey types. We dissected 62 preserved A. capensis specimens and identified stomach contents. Fifteen specimens contained a total of 16 prey items, all of which were identifiable as centipedes. Taking a simulation approach, we calculate the probability of all known wild prey items (n = 21) being centipedes under a range of different simulated diets. We show that if cape centipede eaters do eat non-centipede prey, they do so very infrequently. Although all reported prey items for A. capensis are from the order Scolopendromorpha, a survey of 453 citizen science records of South African centipedes suggests that members of this order account for two thirds of all observations. These data do not allow us to reject the hypothesis that cape centipede eaters consume different centipede prey proportionally to what the encounter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2021
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24. No safe haven: Protection levels show imperilled South African reptiles not sufficiently safe-guarded despite low average extinction risk

Author

Tolley, Krystal A., primary, Weeber, Joshua, additional, Maritz, Bryan, additional, Verburgt, Luke, additional, Bates, Michael F., additional, Conradie, Werner, additional, Hofmeyr, Margaretha D., additional, Turner, Andrew A., additional, da Silva, Jessica M., additional, and Alexander, Graham J., additional

Published
2019
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27. Diet and feeding in the Cape Cobra, Naja nivea

Author

Inshaaf Layloo, Smith, Caitlin, and Maritz, Bryan

Abstract

It is widely reported that African cobras (genus Naja) are generalist predators, but examination of formal literature yields relatively little evidence of this for most species. Here, we review the diet of cape cobras (Naja nivea) based on examination of museum specimens, an extensive literature review, and social media reported natural history observations. We quantify dietary niche breadth and test the hypothesis that cape cobras are generalist predators. Additionally, we test the hypotheses that diet varies significantly (1) across biomes, and (2) across winter, summer and year-round rainfall regions. We gathered 101 feeding records for cape cobras and based on family-level prey frequencies calculated Levins’ measure of niche breadth as B = 6.57, which we standardised to BA = 0.29. We found no association between prey classes and biomes or rainfall region. Our data indicate that cape cobras consume a wide range of vertebrate prey from all four tetrapod classes, including a large number and diversity of snakes. Our findings suggest that cape cobras may be involved in several important ecological processes. Moreover, our study demonstrates the utility and value of collating natural history observations reported on social media platforms.

Published
2017
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28. To run or hide?: escape behaviour in a cryptic African snake

Author

Maritz, Bryan

Subjects
Bitis schneideri, Namaqua dwarf adder, Succulent Karoo, ecology, Animal Science and Zoology
Abstract

Optimal escape theory predicts that escape behaviour of an organism is best understood in terms of costs and benefits of escaping relative to risk of predation. However, risk of predation facing an organism is dependent on various biotic and abiotic factors. In order to better understand escape behaviour of an African snake, the Namaqua dwarf adder (Bitis schneideri), I simulated predatory attacks on 51 free-ranging snakes, quantifying whether or not they fled. Additionally I measured body size, sex, body condition, and the surface temperature of the location of each snake, as well as the situation (buried or active on the surface) of the snake. I used generalized logistic regression to assess which variables predicted whether the snake fled during/following the simulated attack or not. Surface temperature was significantly associated with a flight-response, with warmer snakes more likely to flee than cooler snakes. Buried snakes were less likely to flee than snakes that were active on the surface. These findings generally support optimal escape theory in that both factors are strongly linked to risk of predation: temperature is likely to influence sprint performance, while situation is likely to influence the detectability of the snake to predators.Key words: Bitis schneideri, Namaqua dwarf adder, Succulent Karoo, ecology.

Published
2012

31. Identifying global priorities for the conservation of vipers

Author

Maritz, Bryan, primary, Penner, Johannes, additional, Martins, Marcio, additional, Crnobrnja-Isailović, Jelka, additional, Spear, Stephen, additional, Alencar, Laura R.V., additional, Sigala-Rodriguez, Jesús, additional, Messenger, Kevin, additional, Clark, Rulon W., additional, Soorae, Pritpal, additional, Luiselli, Luca, additional, Jenkins, Chris, additional, and Greene, Harry W., additional

Published
2016
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37. The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

Author

Böhm, Monika, primary, Collen, Ben, additional, Baillie, Jonathan E.M., additional, Bowles, Philip, additional, Chanson, Janice, additional, Cox, Neil, additional, Hammerson, Geoffrey, additional, Hoffmann, Michael, additional, Livingstone, Suzanne R., additional, Ram, Mala, additional, Rhodin, Anders G.J., additional, Stuart, Simon N., additional, van Dijk, Peter Paul, additional, Young, Bruce E., additional, Afuang, Leticia E., additional, Aghasyan, Aram, additional, García, Andrés, additional, Aguilar, César, additional, Ajtic, Rastko, additional, Akarsu, Ferdi, additional, Alencar, Laura R.V., additional, Allison, Allen, additional, Ananjeva, Natalia, additional, Anderson, Steve, additional, Andrén, Claes, additional, Ariano-Sánchez, Daniel, additional, Arredondo, Juan Camilo, additional, Auliya, Mark, additional, Austin, Christopher C., additional, Avci, Aziz, additional, Baker, Patrick J., additional, Barreto-Lima, André F., additional, Barrio-Amorós, César L., additional, Basu, Dhruvayothi, additional, Bates, Michael F., additional, Batistella, Alexandre, additional, Bauer, Aaron, additional, Bennett, Daniel, additional, Böhme, Wolfgang, additional, Broadley, Don, additional, Brown, Rafe, additional, Burgess, Joseph, additional, Captain, Ashok, additional, Carreira, Santiago, additional, Castañeda, Maria del Rosario, additional, Castro, Fernando, additional, Catenazzi, Alessandro, additional, Cedeño-Vázquez, José R., additional, Chapple, David G., additional, Cheylan, Marc, additional, Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F., additional, Cogalniceanu, Dan, additional, Cogger, Hal, additional, Corti, Claudia, additional, Costa, Gabriel C., additional, Couper, Patrick J., additional, Courtney, Tony, additional, Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Jelka, additional, Crochet, Pierre-André, additional, Crother, Brian, additional, Cruz, Felix, additional, Daltry, Jennifer C., additional, Daniels, R.J. Ranjit, additional, Das, Indraneil, additional, de Silva, Anslem, additional, Diesmos, Arvin C., additional, Dirksen, Lutz, additional, Doan, Tiffany M., additional, Dodd, C. Kenneth, additional, Doody, J. Sean, additional, Dorcas, Michael E., additional, Duarte de Barros Filho, Jose, additional, Egan, Vincent T., additional, El Mouden, El Hassan, additional, Embert, Dirk, additional, Espinoza, Robert E., additional, Fallabrino, Alejandro, additional, Feng, Xie, additional, Feng, Zhao-Jun, additional, Fitzgerald, Lee, additional, Flores-Villela, Oscar, additional, França, Frederico G.R., additional, Frost, Darrell, additional, Gadsden, Hector, additional, Gamble, Tony, additional, Ganesh, S.R., additional, Garcia, Miguel A., additional, García-Pérez, Juan E., additional, Gatus, Joey, additional, Gaulke, Maren, additional, Geniez, Philippe, additional, Georges, Arthur, additional, Gerlach, Justin, additional, Goldberg, Stephen, additional, Gonzalez, Juan-Carlos T., additional, Gower, David J., additional, Grant, Tandora, additional, Greenbaum, Eli, additional, Grieco, Cristina, additional, Guo, Peng, additional, Hamilton, Alison M., additional, Hare, Kelly, additional, Hedges, S. Blair, additional, Heideman, Neil, additional, Hilton-Taylor, Craig, additional, Hitchmough, Rod, additional, Hollingsworth, Bradford, additional, Hutchinson, Mark, additional, Ineich, Ivan, additional, Iverson, John, additional, Jaksic, Fabian M., additional, Jenkins, Richard, additional, Joger, Ulrich, additional, Jose, Reizl, additional, Kaska, Yakup, additional, Kaya, Uğur, additional, Keogh, J. Scott, additional, Köhler, Gunther, additional, Kuchling, Gerald, additional, Kumlutaş, Yusuf, additional, Kwet, Axel, additional, La Marca, Enrique, additional, Lamar, William, additional, Lane, Amanda, additional, Lardner, Bjorn, additional, Latta, Craig, additional, Latta, Gabrielle, additional, Lau, Michael, additional, Lavin, Pablo, additional, Lawson, Dwight, additional, LeBreton, Matthew, additional, Lehr, Edgar, additional, Limpus, Duncan, additional, Lipczynski, Nicola, additional, Lobo, Aaron S., additional, López-Luna, Marco A., additional, Luiselli, Luca, additional, Lukoschek, Vimoksalehi, additional, Lundberg, Mikael, additional, Lymberakis, Petros, additional, Macey, Robert, additional, Magnusson, William E., additional, Mahler, D. Luke, additional, Malhotra, Anita, additional, Mariaux, Jean, additional, Maritz, Bryan, additional, Marques, Otavio A.V., additional, Márquez, Rafael, additional, Martins, Marcio, additional, Masterson, Gavin, additional, Mateo, José A., additional, Mathew, Rosamma, additional, Mathews, Nixon, additional, Mayer, Gregory, additional, McCranie, James R., additional, Measey, G. John, additional, Mendoza-Quijano, Fernando, additional, Menegon, Michele, additional, Métrailler, Sébastien, additional, Milton, David A., additional, Montgomery, Chad, additional, Morato, Sérgio A.A., additional, Mott, Tami, additional, Muñoz-Alonso, Antonio, additional, Murphy, John, additional, Nguyen, Truong Q., additional, Nilson, Göran, additional, Nogueira, Cristiano, additional, Núñez, Herman, additional, Orlov, Nikolai, additional, Ota, Hidetoshi, additional, Ottenwalder, José, additional, Papenfuss, Theodore, additional, Pasachnik, Stesha, additional, Passos, Paulo, additional, Pauwels, Olivier S.G., additional, Pérez-Buitrago, Néstor, additional, Pérez-Mellado, Valentín, additional, Pianka, Eric R., additional, Pleguezuelos, Juan, additional, Pollock, Caroline, additional, Ponce-Campos, Paulino, additional, Powell, Robert, additional, Pupin, Fabio, additional, Quintero Díaz, Gustavo E., additional, Radder, Raju, additional, Ramer, Jan, additional, Rasmussen, Arne R., additional, Raxworthy, Chris, additional, Reynolds, Robert, additional, Richman, Nadia, additional, Rico, Edmund L., additional, Riservato, Elisa, additional, Rivas, Gilson, additional, da Rocha, Pedro L.B., additional, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, additional, Rodríguez Schettino, Lourdes, additional, Roosenburg, Willem M., additional, Ross, James P., additional, Sadek, Riyad, additional, Sanders, Kate, additional, Santos-Barrera, Georgina, additional, Schleich, Hermann H., additional, Schmidt, Benedikt R., additional, Schmitz, Andreas, additional, Sharifi, Mozafar, additional, Shea, Glenn, additional, Shi, Hai-Tao, additional, Shine, Richard, additional, Sindaco, Roberto, additional, Slimani, Tahar, additional, Somaweera, Ruchira, additional, Spawls, Steve, additional, Stafford, Peter, additional, Stuebing, Rob, additional, Sweet, Sam, additional, Sy, Emerson, additional, Temple, Helen J., additional, Tognelli, Marcelo F., additional, Tolley, Krystal, additional, Tolson, Peter J., additional, Tuniyev, Boris, additional, Tuniyev, Sako, additional, Üzüm, Nazan, additional, van Buurt, Gerard, additional, Van Sluys, Monique, additional, Velasco, Alvaro, additional, Vences, Miguel, additional, Veselý, Milan, additional, Vinke, Sabine, additional, Vinke, Thomas, additional, Vogel, Gernot, additional, Vogrin, Milan, additional, Vogt, Richard C., additional, Wearn, Oliver R., additional, Werner, Yehudah L., additional, Whiting, Martin J., additional, Wiewandt, Thomas, additional, Wilkinson, John, additional, Wilson, Byron, additional, Wren, Sally, additional, Zamin, Tara, additional, Zhou, Kaiya, additional, and Zug, George, additional

Published
2013
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38. Scale-dependent Orientation in Movement Paths: A Case Study of an African Viper.

Author

Maritz, Bryan, Alexander, Graham J., and Tregenza, T.

Subjects
*HEAT radiation & absorption, *CONTENT analysis, *PROBABILITY theory, *TIME series analysis, *FINANCIAL economics
Abstract

Decisions relating to the orientation of movement by animals and how this translates into movement patterns can occur at multiple spatial scales simultaneously, but this interaction is poorly understood for many groups of animals. Using the tracks left by moving snakes in their sandy habitat, we studied the movement paths of the African snake Bitis schneideri (Namaqua dwarf adder) for evidence of broad-scale directional persistence and short-range avoidance of exposure. Although snakes clearly displayed directional persistence, they preferentially moved to nearby shrubs, thereby minimizing exposure to solar and thermal radiation and/or predation. Thus, snakes made decisions relating to orientation at a minimum of two scales, the interaction of which resulted in snakes moving ≈17% (mean straightness index = 0.85) further than the simple broad-scale straight-line distance. We assert that the actual path chosen by moving snakes represents a trade-off of various costs and risks that include risk of predation, exposure to the elements, time and energy expenditure. Our study highlights the need for cognizance of the possibility of the scale dependence of orientation and movement in studies of snake movement, and adds to a growing literature demonstrating previously unrecognized behavioural complexity in snakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2016
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46. Namaqua Dwarf Adders are generalist predators.

Author

Maritz, Bryan and Alexander, Graham J.

Subjects
*VIPERIDAE, *ANIMAL ecology, *SNAKES -- Food, *NUTRITION, *PREY availability, *BEHAVIOR
Abstract

Prey items vary greatly in the total amount of energy they provide and the costs associated with their location, capture, consumption and assimilation. As a result not all prey types are of equal value, and the relative frequency with which different prey types are consumed can strongly influence an organism's fitness. In order to understand foraging behaviour of an organism adequately, one needs to know not only what constitutes suitable prey, but also the relative frequency with which different prey types are encountered by a foraging individual. In this article we investigate the foraging ecology of the Namaqua Dwarf Adder,Bitis schneideri. We use field observations of feeding snakes and records of stomach contents to describe the diet of the species at our study site and compare these measures to measures of prey abundance, collected using passive trapping, to assess whether the species is a selective or generalist feeder. We recorded four species of lizard and one species of frog in the diet of our study population. Our data show that Namaqua Dwarf Adders are generalist predators, feeding year-round, and feeding on prey in proportion to the frequency at which they are encountered. Moreover, we show that large Namaqua Dwarf Adders do not exclude small prey items from their diet. The capacity for Namaqua Dwarf Adders to feed on a wide variety of prey species in proportion to the rate at which they are encountered suggests that future changes in prey species composition are unlikely to influence rates of energy uptake by foraging snakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2014
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