Werner Conradie

Port Elizabeth Museum · Herpetology

The global environmental crisis has reinforced the importance of improving the documentation of the geographical distributions of extant species. To this aim, species inventories of specific locations or regions are a high priority, especially so in poorly explored areas. Cabinda Province, an Angolan enclave located between the Republic of Congo an...

Lygodactylus geckos represent a well-documented radiation of miniaturized lizards with diverse life-history traits that are widely distributed in Africa, Madagascar, and South America. The group has diversified into numerous species with high levels of morphological similarity. The evolutionary processes underlying such diversification remain enigm...

African skinks of the genus Trachylepis is one of the most diverse genera of lizards in Africa. Although, many species have not been validated phylogenetically in recent years. In this study we evaluate the phylogenetic status of the Cameroon Volcanic Line endemic montane skink, Trachylepis mekuana. We recover this species as part of the larger Tra...

The structural and environmental heterogeneity within southern Africa has given rise to many morphological forms of Psammophylax rhombeatus distributed throughout the country, with previous studies neglecting the associated molecular significance of these forms. The species’ widespread, generalist ecology coupled with the substantial phylogenetic s...

Within the genus Cacosternum, the species C. capense and C. namaquense form a clade defined by their robust morphology, large size, and distinct dorsolateral glands. In this study, we describe a third member of the group endemic to the Cederberg region of South Africa. Specimens from this area have historically been assigned to C. karooicum, but he...

The Kruger National Park is the largest protected area in South Africa and one of the most extensively surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientific studies, passive sampling from rangers and citizen science records have resulted in comprehensive faunal species lists spanning the entire park. Albeit, numerous frog records from different sources exist,...

Recent biological surveys of ancient inselbergs in southern Malawi and northern Mozambique have led to the discovery and description of many species new to science, and overlapping centres of endemism across multiple taxa. Combining these endemic taxa with data on geology and climate, we propose the ‘South East Africa Montane Archipelago’ (SEAMA) a...

Grayia Gunther, 1858 is a genus of relatively large (1.2–2.5 m) aquatic Afrotropical snakes. Recent molecular phylogenies recovered Grayia in its own distinct subfamily (Grayiinae), which was supported as the sister group to Colubrinae. Tropical African snakes are generally understudied, so the relationships within Grayia are poorly known. High deg...

The amphibians of the highlands and escarpments of Angola and Namibia are a diverse group containing fifteen highland endemic or associated species. Both species richness and endemism are highest in the central and northern highlands of Angola, corresponding with higher rainfall. The Angolan highlands contain seven highland endemics, while the arid...

Nine species of African flat geckos (Afroedura) are known to be associated with the highlands and escarpments of Angola and Namibia (HEAN). Among these, the Afroedura bogerti group is the most speciose (with seven species) and endemic to the HEAN. Phylogenetically, it constitutes a young species group that speciated during the early Pleistocene (~1...

Lygodactylus is the most speciose gekkonid group in Africa, with several additional, candidate species already identified from previous studies. However, in mainland Africa, several groups remain only partially resolved, and there are several taxonomic inconsistencies. Lygodactylus gutturalis was described from Guinea-Bissau in the 1870s and since...

This article is the third and final installment of the herpetofaunal results obtained from a series of rapid biodiversity surveys of the upper Cuito, Cubango, Cuando, Zambezi, and Kwanza River basins in Angola. The amphibian survey results are presented along with an updated checklist of the historical and current records of amphibians from the sou...

We use mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences and morphology to re-evaluate the taxonomy of Bufo verte bralis grindleyi Poynton, 1963, currently a junior synonym of Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti (Hewitt & Methuen, 1912); and morphology and advertisement calls to re-evaluate the status of Bufo jordani Parker, 1936, currently a junior synonym of Poynt...

Given the potential impact of climate change on amphibians, there is a need to establish baseline phenological data for vulnerable species and to investigate their responses to changing climatic conditions. We recorded vocalisations of Hewitt’s ghost frog Heleophryne hewitti in the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site, South Africa, to investigate its...

Cladogenic diversification is often explained by referring to climatic oscillations and geomorphic shifts that cause allopatric speciation. In this regard, southern Africa retains a high level of landscape heterogeneity in vegetation, geology, and rainfall patterns. The legless skink subfamily Acontinae occurs broadly across the southern African su...

Allotetraploid genomes have two distinct genomic components called subgenomes that are derived from separate diploid ancestral species. Many genomic characteristics such as gene function, expression, recombination and transposable element mobility may differ significantly between subgenomes. To explore the possibility that subgenome population stru...

This work is the second report of the results obtained from a series of rapid biodiversity surveys of the upper Cuito, Cubango, Cuando, Zambezi, and Kwanza River basins in Angola, which were conducted between 2015 and 2019 in conjunction with the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. The herpetofauna of this region are poorly documented...

Newly collected material from northern Namibia’s Otjihipa Mountains and west-central Angola allowed us to revisit the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group. The employment of additional gene markers, including nuclear markers, allowed us to identify two new species in the group and infer species boundaries and potential speciation events in Afroe...

We here describe a new species of feather-tailed leaf-toed gecko, Kolekanos, from southern Benguela Province, Angola, based on morphological and osteological evidence, supported by phylogenetic analy- sis of mitochondrial data. The new species adds to the rapidly growing and newly-recognised endemic biodiversity of Angola, doubling the number of Ko...

African Shovel-snout snakes ( Prosymna Gray, 1849) are small, semi-fossorial snakes with a unique compressed and beak-like snout. Prosymna occur mainly in the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 16 currently recognised species, four occur in Angola: Prosymna ambigua Bocage, 1873, P. angolensis Boulenger, 1915, P. frontalis (Peters, 1867), and P....

Protected areas must be managed effectively if they are to contribute to reducing biodiversity loss, and one of the components of effective management is the development of biodiversity inventories. We conducted herpetofaunal surveys of the Mpofu-Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve complex in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South...

The genus Heliobolus comprises four recognized species, all endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Of these, only Heliobolus lugubrisoccurs in southern Africa, its distribution extending from Angola in the west to Mozambique in the east and reaching as far south as parts of northern South Africa. Like many of the reptile species that occur in southern Afri...

The biodiversity of northern Mozambique is likely one of the least known in southern Africa but is expected to harbor rich herpetofaunal diversity due to the high diversity in neighboring countries, the presence of diverse habitats, and its large size. Here, we summarize 19 years of reported observations and collections from the Pemba region in Cab...

Allotetraploid genomes have two distinct genomic compartments called subgenomes that are derived from separate diploid ancestral species. Many genomic characteristics such as gene function, expression, recombination, and transposable element mobility may differ significantly between subgenomes. To explore the possibility that subgenome population s...

Lycodonomorphus is a genus of lamprophiid water snake endemic in Africa. Although widespread, abundant and presumably an important component of many aquatic and semi-aquatic food webs, these snakes are poorly understood taxonomically, particularly from a phylogenetic perspective. With only four of the nine species currently sequenced, this study at...

The Great Karoo is an ecologically fragile, poorly studied arid region in central South Africa. With the discovery of shale gas as a potential resource in the Great Karoo, it is expected that a substantial footprint will be left in this region if gas extraction proceeds. This highlights the need for biodiversity surveys of the Great Karoo of taxono...

We present a molecular phylogeny of African stream frogs (genus Strongylopus), based on 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, the nuclear recombination activating gene 1 (RAG-1) and tyrosinase exon 1 (tyr). Molecular data were supported by advertisement call analysis and morphology. We recognise six valid species: Strongylopus bonaespei (Dubois, 1981) from the south...

Here we provide the first phylogenetic analysis that include Afrogecko ansorgii and a detailed morphological comparison with other species of leaf-toed geckos. For this purpose, we used two mitochondrial (16S, ND2) and four nuclear (RAG1, RAG2, CMOS, PDC) genes to produce a robust phylogenetic reconstruction. This allowed us to show that A. ansorgi...

Angola has experienced an incredible increase of the knowledge of its herpetofauna over the past decade. However, accurate biodiversity inventories remain deficient for certain regions of particular conservation interest. We therefore provide an updated checklist of Iona National Park’s herpetofauna, with 75 recorded species, including five amphibi...

Comparative phylogeographic studies provide important insights into the biogeographic processes shaping regional patterns of diversity. Yet, comparative studies are lacking for southern African herpetofauna, despite their high diversity. We statistically compare phylogeographic structure and divergence-time estimates among five co-distributed fores...

A new species of red toad, from the previously monotypic genus Schismaderma, is described. The new species was found in Malanje Province, and seems endemic to central Angola, occurring approximately 500 km west of the closest known records of Schismaderma carens. Unusual adult colouration and geographical distance to remaining S. carens populations...

The herpetofauna of Angola has been neglected for many years, but recent surveys have revealed previously unknown diversity and a consequent increase in the number of species recorded for the country. Most historical surveys focused on the north-eastern and south-western parts of the country, while mostly neglecting the central and south-eastern pa...

The Great Karoo and Namaqualand of South Africa are home to a species complex of morphologically conserved lizards that occur in allopatry (Karoo: Cordylus aridus, Cordylus cloetei, Cordylus minor; Namaqualand: Cordylus imkeae). However, there are negligible morphological differences and a lack of obvious physical or climatic barriers, particularly...

This work provides an updated distribution for K. plumicaudus within Namibe Province, the known range now spanning ~240 km from north of the city of Moçamedes southwards to the margins of the Cunene River on the Namibian border. Furthermore, using the GeoCAT IUCN tool (following Bachman et al., 2011) we update the EOO to 11,333 km2, which almost tr...

The genus Pedioplanis reaches its northernmost limit in western Angola, where it is represented by three species, Pedioplanis benguelensis, P. haackei and P. huntleyi. The taxonomic status of P. benguelensis remains problematic, mainly due to the vague original escription and the loss of the original type material. Here we provide a revision of the...

The taxonomy of Angolan Hemidactylus has recently been revised. However, the lack of fresh material for some groups and regions, has led to the misidentification of some taxa and an underestimation of actual diversity in others. To shed light on the evolutionary history and systematics of Angolan Hemidactylus, we generated a new phylogenetic hypoth...

Here we provide an updated distribution of Rhamnophis aethiopissa in Angola. These records suggest that the species is likely widespread, and well-adapted to the Congolese Forest Biome across northern Angola, despite the few existing records. We expect that the species might occur in remnant forest blocks along the Angolan western escarpment, where...

We present the results of a herpetofaunal survey of The Island Nature Reserve in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. This study forms part of a series of rapid surveys to improve biodiversity inventory data of protected areas within the province. Visual encounter survey methods and standard Y-shape trap arrays...

The taxonomy of Angolan Hemidactylus has recently been revised. However, the lack of fresh material for some groups and regions, has led to the misidentification of some taxa and an underestimation of actual diversity in others. To shed light on the evolutionary history and systematics of Angolan Hemidactylus , we generated a new phylogenetic hypot...

Our knowledge of the conservation status of reptiles, the most diverse class of terrestrial vertebrates, has improved dramatically over the past decade, but still lags behind that of the other tetrapod groups. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive evaluation (~92% of the world's ~1714 described species) of the conservation 1 Joint senior authors...

Phylogenetic relationships of sub-Saharan African natricine snakes are understudied and poorly understood, which in turn has precluded analyses of the historical biogeography of the Seychelles endemic Lycognathophis seychellensis. We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of Seychelles and mainland sub-Saharan natricines by analysing a multilocus...

Range-restricted species are generally poorly known and at higher risk of extinction than species with wider distributions. In the past, the Coastal Leaf-toed Gecko, Cryptactites peringueyi (Boulenger, 1910) caused much confusion and was once referred to as “one of the herpetological mysteries of the region”. Knowledge on the species has grown subs...

Four new species of flat geckos in the Afroedura bogerti Loveridge, 1944 group are described from south-western and west-central Angola. The description of these new species significantly restricts the distribution range of typical A. bogerti , a morphologically very similar species, from which they differ genetically by 5.9–12% divergence for the...

Kassinula is a monotypic genus of small frog in the family Hyperoliidae, only represented by Kassinula wittei. This species morphologically resembles both Kassina Girard, 1853 and Afrixalus Laurent, 1944, and its taxonomic status has been debated for decades. It has previously been subsumed within Kassina, and is currently placed as a sister genus...

Recent molecular phylogenetic work has found that Breviceps Merrem, 1820 comprises two major clades, one of which, the B. mossambicus group, is widely distributed across southern sub-Saharan Africa. This group is notable for harboring abundant cryptic diversity. Of the four most recently described Breviceps species, three are members of this group,...

New records of the invasive Common dwarf gecko, Lygodactylus capensis in the Makhanda region

The results of a herpetofaunal survey of Ongeluksnek Nature Reserve, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa are presented here. Combination of visual encounter survey methods and standard Y-shape trap arrays were used to conduct the survey. A total of 26 species (eight amphibians and 18 reptiles) were recorded, representing 29 quarter-degree grid cell...

The first herpetological surveys of two mountains in northern Mozambique, Mount Lico and Mount Socone, are presented. A total of 19 species of amphibians (two orders, eight families, and 11 genera) and 21 species of reptiles (two orders, 11 families, and 17 genera) were recorded. Mount Lico is a unique site with representatives of both moist evergr...

We investigate the phylogeographic structure of a fossorial forest‐living snake species, the forest thread snake, Leptotyphlops sylvicolus Broadley & Wallach, 1997 by sampling specimens from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu‐Natal provinces of South Africa. Phylogenetic results, using Bayesian inferences and maximum likelihood, from the combined mitocho...

An integrative taxonomic review of the genus Boaedon in Angola is provided. A molecular phylogeny, based on 99 genetic samples for which the mitochondrial markers 16S rRNA have been sequenced, reveals 23 monophyletic species-level groups in Africa and indicates the presence of nine species in Angola. Based on both phylogenetic and morphological dat...

The African natricine genus Limnophis is represented by two species: Limnophis bicolor Günther, 1865 and Limnophis bangweolicus (Mertens, 1936). They are stout-bodied, semi-aquatic snakes that mostly feed on fish and amphibians, and occur from Botswana and Namibia in the south throughout most of Zambia and Angola to the Democratic Republic of the C...

In this study, we examined the phylogeographical structure of three frog species (Anhydrophryne rattrayi, Arthroleptis wageri and Cacosternum nanum) in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The first two species are forest dwelling and exhibit direct development, whereas the last species is a habitat generalist, breeding in open f...

Recently Oosthuizen (2018) reported the most northern West Coast record of N. livida from just south of Springbok. The unusual dorsal pattern of the specimen leads to the current investigation of the presence of this species along the West Coast of South Africa. Here we review all West Coast material currently assigned to N. livida and compare thei...

The African colubrid snake genus Crotaphopeltis currently comprises six species and occurs throughout sub‐Saharan Africa. The most widespread of these, Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia, inhabits most biomes, aside from rainforest and hyper‐arid regions, and its catholic niche has presumably facilitated substantial gene flow. Despite this, the geographical...

Historically Panaspis wahlbergi (Smith, 1849) has been the only assignable species present in Kenya. Recent studies have shown that it comprises multiple cryptic species and the nominal species is now restricted to southern Africa. Newly collected mitochondrial data (16S rRNA) helped to resolve the status of the Kenyan populations, which revealed t...

A new endemic Sandveld Lizard, genus Nucras, is described from south-western Angola. Morphologically it resembles members of the Nucras tessellata group, but it is genetically separated and is sister to the larger tessellata + lalandii group. Although the genus is generally very conservative morphologically, the new species differs from other conge...

Kinixys spekii has a wide distribution range across sub-Saharan Africa, having been reported from Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, eSwatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Kinixys spekii inhabits savannah and dry bushveld habitats and was previously considered an inl...

Psammophylax (Fitzinger 1843) is a widespread yet poorly studied genus of African grass snakes. A genetic phylogeny of six of the seven species was estimated using multiple phylogenetic and distance‐based methods. To support the genetic analyses, we conducted morphological analyses on the body (traditional morphology) and head (geometric morphometr...

Background: Conservation relies on the strategic use of resources because monies for conservation action are limited, especially in developing countries. South Africa’s Frog Atlas project established a baseline for the country’s amphibian data and threat levels in 2004, and in 2009 a prioritisation exercise developed a strategy for conservation res...

On 14 October 2018, William Roy Branch, or simply Bill as he was known to most, passed away after a short struggle with motor neuron disease. He was not only one of South Africa’s most well-known and respected herpetologists, but also a dedicated husband, a father, a good friend, and a mentor to so many of us. We have taken this opportunity to coll...