Bibliography of the reptiles of South Africa / RepFocus

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Bibliography of the reptiles of
South Africa

Note: In order to limit redundancy, relevant literature indexed in the related bibliographies in the left column may not have been included in this page. For a comprehensive search of literature, these bibliographies should therefore also be consulted.

Anonymous. 1966. Some South African snakes. African Wild Life 20: 41-48.

Anonymous. 1986. Rare reptiles of the Transvaal. Fauna and Flora (Pretoria) 44: 32.

Archer, W.H. 1960. South African tortoises. African Wild Life 14: 139-141.

Baard, E.H.W. 1992. Is legal protection of reptiles and amphibians in the Cape Province contributing to their conservation? Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 41: 4-8.

Baard, E.H.W. 1994. Cape tortoises. Their identification and care. Cape Nature Conservation, Cape Town. 68 pp.

Backer, G. 1961. Tortoises of the Cape. Field & Tide 3(7): 14.

Barnes, K. 2016. Animals of Kruger National Park. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. 176 pp.

Bates, M.F. 1991. New distribution records for amphibians and reptiles from the Cape Province, South Africa. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 39: 14-18.

Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R.; Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M.; Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J.; Villiers, M. de (eds.). 2014. Atlas and red list of the reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. University of Cape Town, Cape Town. 504 pp.

Bauer, A.M. 1991. New reptile records for the Little Karoo. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 39: 18.

Bauer, A.M. 2000. Comments on the types and type localities of South African reptiles collected by Heinrich Bergius and Ludwig Krebs. African Journal of Herpetology 49(1): 53-60.

Bauer, A.M.; Branch, W.R. 1997. Family Gekkonidae genus Phyllodactylus. pp. 24-28. In: Wyk, J.H. van (ed.). Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium (South African lizards: 50 years of progress) and Third H.A.A. Symposium on African herpetology: held at the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11-15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Matieland. 227 pp.

Boettger, O. 1887. Zweiter Beitrag zur Herpetologie Südwest- und Süd-Afrikas. Bericht über die Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft (Frankfurt) 1886/1887: 135-173.

Boettger, O. 1888. Zweiter Beitrag zur Herpetologie Südwest- und Süd-Afrikas. Batrachier. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft (Frankfurt) 1888: 13-108.

Boettger, O. 1889. Herpetologische Miscellen. 5. Transvaal. 6. Pondoland. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft (Frankfurt) 1889: 286-295.

Boulenger, G.A. 1887. A synopsis of the snakes of South Africa. The Zoologist (London) 3(11): 171-182.

Boulenger, G.A. 1888. On new or little known South African reptiles. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 6) 2: 136-141.

Boulenger, G.A. 1892. Naturalist in the Transvaal. London. pp. 174-176.

Boulenger, G.A. 1892. Reptilia and Batrachia. pp. 174-176. In: Distant, W.L. (ed.). A naturalist in the Transvaal. London.

Boulenger, G.A. 1903. On a Collection of Batrachians and reptiles from the Interior of Cape Colony. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 7) (London) 12: 215-217.

Boulenger, G.A. 1905. On a Collection of Batrachians and reptiles made in South Africa by Mr. C.H.B. Grant, and presented to the British Museum by Mr. C.D. Rudd. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1905: 248-255.

Boulenger, G.A. 1907. Second report on the batrachians and reptiles collected in South Africa by Mr. C.H.B. Grant, and presented to the British Museum by Mr. C.D. Rudd. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1907(3): 478-487.

Boulenger, G.A. 1910. A revised list of the South African reptiles and Batrachians, with synoptic tables, special reference to the specimens in the South African Museum, and descriptions of new species. Annals of the South African Museum (Cape Town) 5: 455-538.

Boycott, R.C.; Bourquin, O. 2000. The South African tortoise book: a guide to Southern African tortoises, terrapins and turtles. Revised expanded edition. O. Bourquin, P.O. Box 1083, Hilton 3245, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 228 pp.

Boycott, R.C.; Ortwin, B. 1988. The South African tortoise book. A guide to South African tortoises, terrapins and turtles. Southern Book Publishers, Johannesburg: 1-148.

Braack, H.H. 1981. Lower vertebrates of the Bontebok National Park. Koedoe 24: 67-77.

Branch, W.R. (ed.) 1988. South African Red Data Book - reptiles and amphibians: a report of the Committee for Nature Conservation, National Programme for Ecosystem Research. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 151: 1-241.

Branch, W.R. 1981. An annotated checklist of the lizards of the Cape Province, South Africa. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums Natural History 13(11): 141-167.

Branch, W.R. 1981. 'Foul and loathsome creatures' - Cape lizards: an introduction. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 25(1): 17-19.

Branch, W.R. 1984. Cape lizards. 6. Songs in the night. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 28(1): 3-11.

Branch, W.R. 1984. Cape lizards. 7. Plated and girdled lizards. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 28(2): 21-27.

Branch, W.R. 1985. Cape lizards. 8 Girdled lizards and their relatives. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 29(3): 10-18.

Branch, W.R. 1988. Terrestrial reptiles and amphibians. pp. 251-264. In: Lubke, R.A.; Gess, F.W. & Bruton, M.N. A field guide to the eastern Cape coast. Grahamstown Centre of the Wildlife Society of Southern Africa, Grahamstown. 520 pp.

Branch, W.R. 1989. Endangered reptiles and amphibians in South Africa. African Wild Life 43(4): 195, 197-201.

Branch, W.R. 1989. The herpetofauna of the Cape Province, South Africa: new distribution records and zoogeography. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 37(1): 17-44.

Branch, W.R. 1990. The revised South African Red Data Book - reptiles and amphibians. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 38: 32-41.

Branch, W.R. 1991. The herpetofauna of the offshore islands of South Africa and Namibia. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums Natural History 18(10): 205-225.

Branch, W.R. 1997. Biogeography of South African lizards. pp. 94-98. In: Wyk, J.H. van (ed.). Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium (South African lizards: 50 years of progress) and Third H.A.A. Symposium on African herpetology: held at the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11-15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Matieland. 227 pp.

Branch, W.R. 1998. Field guide to snakes and other reptiles of southern Africa. 3rd revised edition. Struik, Cape Town. 399 pp.

Branch, W.R.; Braack, H.H. 1989. Reptiles and amphibians of the Karoo National Park: a surprising diversity. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 36: 26-35.

Branch, W.R.; Haagner, G.V. 1992. New reptile records from three southern national parks. Koedoe 35(2): 59-60.

Branch, W.R.; Hanekom, N. 1987. The herpetofauna of the Tsitsikamma Coastal and Forest National Parks. Koedoe 30: 49-60.

Busack, S.D.; Maxson, L.R. 1987. Molecular relationships among Iberian, Moroccan, and South African lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Amphibia-Reptilia 8(4): 383-392.

Christensen, P.A. 1961. Snakes and snakebite in South Africa. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 16(1): 9-13.

Coombs, G. 2016. Quantifying predation pressure and the protective role of sheltered basking sites for small snakes in South Africa. Phyllomedusa 15(2): 155-162.

Crayé, G. 1979. Note on fynbos diversity. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 21: 3-4.

Day, J.H. 1974. A guide to the marine life on South African shores. A.A. Balkema, Cape Town & Rotterdam. 300 pp.

D'Ewes, D.R. 1959. Chameleons in Cape Province [letter]. African Wild Life 13(1): 79.

Dobiey, M. 2008. Herpetologische Beobachtungen im Namaqualand (II). DATZ (Die Aquarien- und Terrarien-Zeitschrift) 61(12): 74-77.

Essex, R. 1925. Descriptions of two new species of the genus Acontias and notes on some other lizards found in the Cape Province. Records of the Albany Museum (Grahamstown) 3(4): 332-342.

FitzSimons, V. 1935. Scientific results of the Vernay-Lang Kalahari Expedition, March to September, 1930, Reptilia and Amphibia. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 16(2): 295-397.

FitzSimons, V. 1937. Notes on the reptiles and amphibians collected and described from South Africa by Andrew Smith. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 17: 259-274.

FitzSimons, V. 1943. The lizards of South Africa. Transvaal Museum Memoirs no. 1, Pretoria. 528 pp.

FitzSimons, V. 1946. An account of the reptiles and amphibians collected on an expedition to the Cape Province, October to December, 1940. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 20(4): 351-377.

FitzSimons, V. 1948. Notes on some reptiles and amphibians from the Drakensberg, together with a description of a new Platysaurus from northern Natal. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 21(1): 73-80.

FitzSimons, V. 1956. Reptilia (Serpentes and Sauria). pp. 385-405. In: Hanström, B.; Brinck, P. & Rudbeck, G. (eds.): South African Animal Life. 4. Results of the Lund University Expedition in 1950-1951. Almquist & Wiskell, Stockholm.

Gilchrist, J.D.F. 1911. South African Zoology. Cape Town. 323 pp.

Gough, L.H. 1908. Catalogue of the South African snakes in the collections of the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, and the State Museum, Bloemfoutein. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 1: 17-45.

Gough, L.H. 1909. The South African species of Agama. Lacertilia. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 1(part 1): 183-194.

Greig, J.C. 1975. Patterns in the distribution of southern African terrestrial tortoises (Chelonia: Cryptodira: Testudinidae). Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 14(1): 9.

Harrison, J.A. 2006. The Southern African Reptile Conservation Assessment and its virtual museum. African Herp News 39: 5-7.

Hewitt, J. 1910. A Key to the South African Species of Geckonidae, Scincidae, Gerrhosauridae, and Lacertidae, together with some Notes on the Specific Characters and a Brief Summary of the Known Facts of their Distribution. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 2(3): 77-115.

Hewitt, J. 1911. A brief outline of the facts concerning the composition of the snake fauna of South Africa and its relationship to the Madagascar fauna. South African Journal of Science 7: 306-314.

Hewitt, J. 1911. Records of South African Lacertilia and Amphibia, Addenda and Corrigenda. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 3(1): 42-55.

Hewitt, J. 1912. Notes on the specific characters and distribution of some South African Ophidia and Batrachia. Rec. Albany Mus. 2: 264-281.

Hewitt, J. 1914. Notes on the distribution and characters of reptiles and amphibians in South Africa, considered in relation to the problem of discontinuity between closely allied species. South African Journal of Science 10(9): 238-253.

Hewitt, J. 1923. Remarks on the distribution of animals in South Africa. South African Journal of Science 22: 96-123.

Hewitt, J. 1926. Some new or little known reptiles and batrachians from South Africa. Annals of the South African Museum 20: 473-490.

Hewitt, J. 1927. On longitudinal growth amongst animals in South Africa, considered from the distribution standpoint. South African Journal of Science 24: 452-456.

Hewitt, J. 1929. On some Scincidae from South Africa, Madagascar and Ceylon. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 13: 1-8.

Hewitt, J. 1935. Some new forms of batrachians and reptiles from South Africa. Records of the Albany Museum (Grahamstown) 4: 283-357.

Hewitt, J. 1937. A guide to the vertebrate fauna of the eastern Cape Province, South Africa. 2. Reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fishes [freshwater fishes by J.L.B. Smith]. Albany Museum, Grahamstown. 141 pp. (Reptiles: pp. 1-78).

Hewitt, J. 1937. A note on the relationships of the Cape genera of land tortoises. South African Journal of Science 33: 788-796.

Hewitt, J.; Power, J.H. 1913. A List of South African Lacertilia, Ophidia, and Batrachia in the McGregor Museum, Kimberley, with Field Notes on various Species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 3: 147-176.

Hughes, G. 1993. Thirty years of Sea Turtle conservation in South Africa: 1963-1992. Marine Turtle Newsletter 61: 1.

Hughes, G.R. 2009. Coastal development in South Africa implications for Sea Turtle conservation. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 9: 14-17.

Isemonger, R.M. 1938. Snake collecting and snake bite. Cape Naturalist 1(5): 165-170.

Jacobsen, N. 1984. The lesser creatures. Fauna and Flora (Pretoria) 41: 25-27.

Jacobsen, N.H.G. 1978. Transvaal tortoises and terrapins. Fauna and Flora (Pretoria) 33: 19-20.

Jacobsen, N.H.G. 1980. Rare and unusual reptiles of the Transvaal. Fauna and Flora (Pretoria) 38: 8-9.

Jacobsen, N.H.G. 1984. The distribution and status of crocodile populations in the Transvaal outside the Kruger National Park. Biological Conservation 29(3): 191-200.

Jacobsen, N.H.G. 1990. The herpetofauna and other creatures. Fauna and Flora (Pretoria) 47: 22-26.

Jacobsen, N.H.G.; Pienaar, U. de V. 1984. New reptile records from the Kruger National Park. Koedoe 26: 135-144.

Jaeger, M. de 2001. Experiences with tortoises in South Africa. Reptile & Amphibian Hobbyist 6(9): 18-23.

Kano, R. 1969. Venomous snakes of South Africa and Kenya. The Snake 1: 35-44.

Kirchhof, S. 2011. [In search of lacertids in South Africa: results of an expedition to the northeast of the country]. (In German). Die Eidechse 22(3): 71-82.

Kober, I. 2018. Heia Safari – Echsen am Wegesrand auf einer Reise durch Südafrika, Simbabwe und Botswana. Reptilia (D) 131: ?

Lehtova, Y. 1994. [The South African Kruger National Park, the kingdom of lizards and crocodiles]. Akvarium Terarium 37(1): 42-44.

Lombard, A.T.; Nicholls, A.O.; August, P.V. 1995. Where should nature reserves be located in South Africa? A snake's perspective. Conservation Biology 9(2): 363-372.

Lombard, A.T.; Nicholls, A.O.; August, P.V. 1997. A reserve system for snakes in South Africa. pp. 191-199. In: Wyk, J.H. van (ed.). Proceedings of the FitzSimons Commemorative Symposium (South African lizards: 50 years of progress) and Third H.A.A. Symposium on African herpetology: held at the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, South Africa, 11-15 October 1993. Herpetological Association of Africa, Matieland. 227 pp.

Loubser, G.J.J.; Mouton, R. le F.N.; Nel, J.A.J. 2001. The ecotourism potential of herpetofauna in the Namaqua National Park, South Africa. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 31(1-2): 13-23.

Masters, P.R. 1969. The farmer's friend. Redwing 1968: 6.

Matschie, P. 1890. Über eine kleine Sammlung von Reptilien und Amphibien aus Süd-Afrika. Zoologische Jahrbücher (Syst.) 5: 605-611.

McKinnell, J. 1993. Hogsback - the current state of the environment. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 37(2): 14-20.

McLachlan, G.R. 1978. South African red data book - reptiles and amphibians. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 23: 1-53.

Meyer, A.; Mouton, R. le F.N.; Mucina, L. 2010. The biogeographical influence of the Tankwa Karoo Basin on reptile distribution in south-western South Africa. African Journal of Herpetology 59(1): 53-64.

Milewski, A.V. 1981. A comparison of reptile communities in relation to soil fertility in the Mediterranean and adjacent arid parts of Australia and southern Africa. Journal of Biogeography 8(6): 493-503.

Mountain, A.; Hes, L. 1998. Wild South Africa. Random House Struik, Cape Town. 208 pp.

Mouton, P. le F.N.; Oelofsen, B.W.; Mostert, D.P. 1987. New data on threatened lizard species in the south-western Cape, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 83(1): 48-52.

Oudemans, J.T. 1895. Einige Bemerkungen über zwei Südafrikanische Schildkröten. Zoologischer Anzeiger 18: 321-324.

Peters, W.C.H. 1870. Zur Kenntniss der herpetologischen Fauna von Suudafrika. Monatsberichte der Königlich Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1870(February): 110-115.

Pienaar, U. de V. 1978. The reptile fauna of the Kruger National Park. National Parks Board of South Africa. 222 pp.

Poulton, E.B.; Longstaff, G.B. 1907. A few notes on South African Chamaeleons, etc. Journal of the Linnean Society (Zoology) 30: 45-48.

Power, J.H. 1930. On the South African Species of the Genus Zonurus. Annals of the Transvaal Museum 14(1): 11-19.

Power, J.H. 1934. Some South African Herpetological Problems. South African Journal of Science 31: 98-116.

Rose, W. 1929. Veld and Vlei. An account of South African frogs, toads, lizards, snakes and tortoises. Wynberg (Speciality Press of South Africa), Cape Town. 240 pp.

Rose, W. 1955. Snakes - mainly South African. Maskew Miller, Cape Town. 213 pp.

Roux, J. 1907. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Fauna von Süd-Afrika. Ergebnisse einer Reise von Prof. Max Weber im Jahre 1894. VIII. Ophidia (Schlangen). Zoologische Jahrbücher (Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere) (Jena) 25: 732-742.

Schmidt, A.D. 2002. The herpetofauna of the Langjan Nature Reserve (Limpopo Province, Republic of South Africa). (Amphibia, Reptilia). Herpetozoa 15(3-4): 121-135.

Schmidt, W. 2014. Update on reptile taxonomy post-publication of the Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. African Herp News 61: 8-10.

Sclater, W.L. 1898. List of the reptiles and batrachians of South Africa with descriptions of new species. Annals of the South African Museum (Cape Town) 1: 95-111.

Siebenrock, F. 1910. Schildkröten aus Süd- und Südwestafrika, gesammelt von Dr. R. Poch und J. Brunnthaler. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 119: 709-736.

Siegfried, W.R. 1962. Introduced vertebrates in the Cape Province. Rep. Dep. Nat. Conserv. (Cape Town) 19: 80-87.

Siegfried, W.R. 1965. A survey of wild life mortality on roads in the Cape Province. Rep. Dep. Nature Conserv. Un. S. Afr. 6: 5-13.

Simelane, T.S.; Kerley, G.I.H. 1997. Recognition of reptiles by Xhosa and Zulu communities in South Africa, with notes on traditional beliefs and uses. African Journal of Herpetology 46(1): 49-53.

Smith, A. 1829. Contributions to the natural history of South Africa. Zoologische Jahrbücher 4: 433-444.

Smith, A. 1838. Contributions to the South African Zoology. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (London) 2: 30-33, 92-94.

Smith, A. 1849[1838-1849]. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa. Consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa, in the years 1834, 1835, and 1836. Smith, Elder & Co., London. (This series was published in 28 parts; see Waterhouse 1880 (Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1880: 489-491), and Jentink 1893 (Notes Leyden Mus. 15: 182), for publication dates and contents).

Smyth, M. 1971. Pearson Island expedition 1969. - 5. Reptiles. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa 95: 147-148.

Stevenson-Hamilton, J. 1929. The low veld, its wildlife and people. Cassel & Co. London.

Stevenson-Hamilton, J. 1947. Wildlife in South Africa. Cassel & Co. London. 364 pp.

Stuart, C.T. 1983. Skull of massive crocodile, and what became of Cape crocodiles. Naturalist (Port Elizabeth) 27(2): 20-21.

Trimen, R. 1893. The South African vertebrate fauna. reptiles and batrachians. pp. 78-88. In: Noble, J. Illustrated Official Handbook of the Cape and South Africa. London.

Ulber, T. 1993. Herpetologische Beobachtungen an einem Felsen in der nordwestlichen Kap-Provinz, Südafrika. Aquarium (Bornheim) 293: 22-26.

Verwey, J. 1971. South African conservation programme for marine turtles. Biological Conservation 3: 235-236.

Visser, J. 1981. Additional records and corrections for the Cape Province. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 25: 6-8.

Visser, J.D. 1966. Two lizard collecting trips in the Cape Province. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 2: 17-20.

Visser, J.D. 1967. Collecting in Little Namaqualand, North-Western and Central Cape Province, August 23-30, 1966. Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 3(1): 5-8.

Visser, J.D. 1979. Common snakes of South Africa. Purnell, Cape Town, Johannesburg & London: I-Xxvi, 82 Pp.

Visser, J.D. 1979. New and reconfirmed records for the Cape Province with notes on some rare species (Sauria, Serpentes and Anura). Journal of the Herpetological Association of Africa 21: 40-50.

Werner, F. 1898. Reptilien und Batrachier aus Süd-Afrika. Jahrberichte und Abhandlungen aus dem Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein in Magdeburg 1896-98 [1898]: 139-148.

Werner, F. 1898. Über Reptilien aus Syrien und Südafrika. Jahrberichte und Abhandlungen aus dem Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein in Magdeburg 1896-1898 [1898]: 127-148.

Werner, F. 1913. Ergebnisse einer botanischen Forschungsreise von Josef Brunthaler nach Deutsch-Ostafrika und Südafrika (Kapland, Natal und Rhodesien). 1. Reptilien und Amphibien. Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Math.-Natw. Kl. 88: 714-719.

Winemiller, K.O.; Pianka, E.R. 1990. Organization in natural assemblages of desert lizards and tropical fishes. Ecological Monographs 60(1): 27-55.