Africam Reptiles-Frogs-Insects-Spiders-Fish Database

Africam database

Clicking on the names in the lists will take you directly to the specific category"

Reptiles

Frogs

Lower invertebrates

Insects

Spiders & arachnids

Fish

REPTILES

1. Boomslang
2. Cape Dwarf Gecko
3. Leopard Tortoise
   
4. Serrated Hinged Terrapin
5. Striped Skink
6. Tree Agama
   
7. Rock Monitor
   
8. Water Monitor

Boomslang ~ Dispholidus typus ~

pictures taken from  Elephant Plains cam.

• diurnal
• Coloration is variable
  
• Hunts small vertebrates, particularly chameleons and small birds
• Potent venom may cause death from internal bleeding in 1-3 days
  

Cape Dwarf Gecko ~ Lygodactylus capensis ~

pictures taken from Nkorho  cam.

• Active by day
  
• Feeds on ants and termites.

Leopard Tortoise ~ Geogchelone pardalis ~

pictures taken from Elephant Plains  cam.

• do not hibernate
  
• herbivorous
• 2nd largest tortoise in Africa

Serrated Hinged Terrapin ~ Pelusios sinuatus ~

pictures taken from Nkorho and Elephant Plains cam.

• Often seen basking on floating logs.
• Seen at large rivers and pans.
• Hinged terrapins derive their name from the hinged mechanism at the front of the plastron, that closes the shell, protecting the head and front limbs

Striped Skink ~ Mabuya striata ~

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

• Hunts for insects including beetles, termites, ants and spiders
• This species is widespread in Southern Africa.
• Size  up to 200 mm.
  

Rock Monitor ~ Varanus albigularis ~

pictures taken from Tembe Cam.

• Tail as long as the body.
• Lays 20-40 eggs in a hole in spring.
• when treatened it will bit or use its tail as a whip.
• 90-130 cm.

Tree Agama ~ Acanthocerus atricollis ~

pictures taken from Tembe Cam.

• Body plump, covered in spiny scales
• Breeding male develops bright ultramarine head
• Feeds on insects
  
• Lays 4-14 eggs in hole in ground in summer

Water Monitor ~ Varanus niloticus ~

pictures taken from Nkorho and Elephant Plains cam.

• Largest African lizard.
• Forages along rivers and pans in search of crabs, frogs etc..
• They retreat to burrows and abandoned termite mounds at night but in warm weather they may remain outside, sleeping on branches of half submerged in water.
• This monitor is able to swim and dive.

FROGS

1. Foam Nest Frog or Grey Tree Frog
2. Raucous Toad

Foam Nest Frog or

Grey Tree Frog - Chiromantis xerampelina -

picture taken from Nkorho cam

• Lays nest in foam nest, the nests are attached to branches near water, and are produced during the rains
  
• The females secretes a substance which she and attendant males beat into foam

Raucous Toad ~ Bufo rangeri ~

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Also known as Ranger's toad
• Breeds in rivers, streams, dams and ponds but spends most of its time away from water.
• Calls can be heard mostly at night .
• Adult frogs attain a body lenght of approx. 115 mm.

LOWER INVERTEBRATES

1. African Giant Millipede
2. Keeled Millipede
   

African Giant Millipede ~ Archispirostreptus gigas ~

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Also known as Shongololo.
• Millipedes do not move rapidly but they are able to force their way through soil and similar loose material
• Rolls into a ball when threatened.
• Up to 120 pairs of legs.
  

Keeled Millipede

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Order Polydesmoidea.
• About 20 segments.

INSECTS

1. Blue Pansy
2. Common Termite
3. Common Diadem
   
4. Darkling Beetle
5. Hippo Fly
6. House Fly
7. Lily Weevil
8. Slender Grey Blister Beetle
9. Spider Hunting Wasp
   
10. White-cloaked Skipper
    

Blue Pansy - Junonia oenone -

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Often settles on ground with wings flat, making identification easy.
• Male defends territory against other males.
• Seen in woodland and bushland.
  

Common Diadem - Hypolimnas misippus -

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

• on the first picture you see the female.
• The females resembles the African Monarch, it's a typical example of Batesian mimicry.
  
• Second picture is the male
  

Common Termite - Family Termitidae -

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

• There are about 2600 taxonomically known species of these soft-bodied social insects worldwide.
• the prominent mounds you see in Southern Africa are made by termites, not ants.
  
• Termites are sometimes also called "white ants"
  
• Colonies include reproductives, a queen, workers and soldiers.

Darkling Beetle - Family Tenebrionidae

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

• Very varied family.
• The well known Toktokkies refers to those species that use their bodies to make a Tok-tok knocking sound on the ground, by drumming their abdomens agains soil and rocks to attract mates.
• Toktokkies do not possess wings, thus they cannot fly around in search of mate. Each species taps with differing frequency, thus attrackting only females of the same species.
• Adults are omnivorous, larvae feed on roots of small plants.
  

Hippo Fly - Tabanus biggutatus -

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Very large, wingspan 46 mm
• One of the regions biggest and best known horse flies.
• Attacks larger mammals such as cattle and hippos,obliging hippo to spend most of the day underwater.
  

House Fly - Family Muscidae -

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

• Grey to black
• Often rubs front legs together in grooming action
• Common throughout the world.

Lily Weevil - Family: Curculionoidea

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Order Coleoptera -  family: Curculionidae:Brachycerinae
• Ground dwelling.
• Typically feigns death if touched or attacked.
  
• They have fused wing cases and can't fly.
  
• Adults feed on foliage of various plants.
  

Slender Grey Blister Beetle - Family Meloidae -

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Feeds on flowers.
• Secretes cantharidin which can blister the skin.

Spider Hunting Wasp - Family pompilidae -

• medium to large insect
• preys on spiders, they imobilise their prey with a paralysing sting
• females are generally larger than males
  

White-cloaked Skipper - Leucochitonea levubu -

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Males engage in "hilltopping" during the heat of the day

SPIDERS & ARACHNIDS

1. Baboon Spider
2. Jumping Spider
3. Scorpion Uroplectes vitatus
   

Baboon Spider - Family Theraphosidae

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Belongs to the family Theraphosidae, a very diverse family.
• Ground living animals,they construct silk-lined burrows or retreats under stones and rocks.
• Uses its fangs, chelicerae and pedipalps to excavate the burrows.
• Preys on insects, ants, beetles, cicadas, spiders, scorpions, millipedes, reptiles, frogs and lizards.
• Body size varying from 13-90 mm. Very hairy and colour varies between brown, grey, yellow to black.

Jumping Spider - Family Salticidae

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Many species with varied colouring, often hairy.
• Leaps on prey after securing a silk line to substrate.
  

Scorpion - Uroplectes vittatus 

pictures taken from Nkorho cam.

FISH

1. African Sharptooth Catfish

African Sharptooth Catfish - Clarias gariepinus -

picture taken from Nkorho cam.

• Can move overland, crawling on extended pectoral spines.
• It can tolerate water conditions of low clarity, low oxygen and even pollution.
• Can grow very large, with rate depending of food availability and water temperature.
• Lifespan is estimated at around 8 to 10 years.