Kolekanos plumicaudus is a gecko endemic to the Namib Desert in south-western Angola. It is distantly related to all other geckos in the region, except for its one congener, K. spinicaudus. There have been no scientific accounts on the social behaviours or the vocal repertoire of this species, nor of any species within the broader gekkonid clade in which it has been placed. We recorded and describe what appears to be an aggressive, territorial call for K. plumicaudus. The call consists of two distinct phases, each with a different progression in terms of rhythm and volume. We characterise the call using a taxonomic bioacoustic framework and a descriptive musical framework. The sister-species is also vocal, but recordings have not yet been obtained.

Abstract Barking geckos, Ptenopus Gray, 1866 are burrowing geckos that occur across the xeric regions of southern Africa. They possess unique vocal abilities, with males producing loud advertisement calls to attract females. The taxonomy of the genus has remained stable for six decades, with three recognised species: Ptenopus garrulus (Smith, 1849), P. kochi Haacke, 1964, and P. carpi Brain, 1962. Within P. garrulus, two subspecies have been recognised since 1935: the nominotypical form (P. g. garrulus) and P. g. maculatus Gray, 1866. A recent phylogenetic analysis of the genus found that it contains eight to ten putative species. We used an integrated taxonomic approach to delimit a total of nine species, including evidence from phylogenetics, ecology, calls, and morphology. Ptenopus g. maculatus is elevated to full species, thereby restricting the geographic range of P. garrulus sensu stricto to the greater Kalahari. Additionally, four new species are named which were previously included in ‘P. g. maculatus’: Ptenopus adamanteus sp. nov. from the southern Namib Desert, P. circumsyrticus sp. nov. from the central Namib Desert, P. kenkenses sp. nov. from the northern Nama Karoo, and P. australis sp. nov. from southern Nama Karoo. As a result, the range of P. maculatus sensu stricto is restricted to the central northern Namib Desert. Furthermore, one new species previously included in P. carpi is named P. sceletus sp. nov. from the Skeleton Coast (northern coastal Namib Desert), thereby restricting the range of P. carpi sensu stricto to a small strip of coastal Namib Desert between the Swakop and Kuiseb rivers. The Namib Desert is the centre of diversity for the genus Ptenopus, containing seven of the nine species including the oldest divergent lineages. Two species-level keys are provided: a morphological key and a unique bioacoustic key to the advertisement calls.

Barking geckos (genus Ptenopus) are terrestrial, burrowing lizards endemic to southern Africa, currently with three recognised species. Two species are range-restricted (P. kochi and P. carpi) and display clear differences in substrate preference (soft sand vs. hard gravel). The third and most widespread species, P. garrulus, occurs on a variety of substrates of differing hardness, across potential geographic barriers, and over a steep climatic gradient. Variations in morphology and advertisement calls indicates that P. garrulus may be a species complex. Two subspecies of P. garrulus are currently recognised: P. g. maculatus and P. g. garrulus. To investigate species boundaries, we produced the first comprehensive phylogeny for the genus. We used a novel application of multiple regression on matrices models to assess multiple environmental drivers of diversification, as contrasted to isolation by distance. We show that P. kochi, P. carpi, and P. g. garrulus are valid species, but that P. g. maculatus is a paraphyletic complex of five previously unrecognised taxa. Specialisation onto different substrates was likely the main driver of divergence, with parapatric occurrence of two to four clades occurring at each of the three substrate transition zones identified a priori. The region encompasses diverse bioclimatic regions and potential geographic barriers, and these likely played a role in some divergence events.

Despite a relatively broad distribution in Africa, the Spotted Rubber Frog, Phrynomantis affinis, is extremely rarely encountered. Only 18 specimens from 12 localities have been collected with a few additional observations recorded. Virtually nothing of the species' natural history is known. We report or summarise new localities and range extensions of P. affinis in Namibia and Zambia and describe the call for the first time. We also compare its call to that of the sister species, P. bifasciatus, describing this call for the first time and noting a considerable range extension. The calls show several key differences, with P. affinis calls generally having a lower dominant frequency, pulse repetition rate, and number of pulses than P. bifasciatus. The calls of Namibian and Zambian P. affinis also show marked differences. These descriptions add valuable natural history information for both species and will considerably improve the field detection of the enigmatic P. affinis.

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 Poyntonophrynus hoeschi (AHL, 1934). According to our results including comparisons to other congeners, we elevate both taxa to full species as Poyntonophrynus grindleyi (POYNTON, 1963) and Poyntonophrynus jordani (PARKER, 1936). Our new P. grindleyi record is the first record of the species for Mozambique.

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 Afroedura from southwestern Africa. The new Namibian material is recovered as a sister species to A. donveae, from which it differs mostly by the colour of the iris (copper versus black) and dorsal colouration. Material from the first elevational gradient of the escarpment in Benguela Province, Angola was found to be more closely related to A. bogerti than A. wulfhaackei. The differences between these two species are more subtle, although the new species exhibits higher mid-body scale rows (79.5 versus 74.8), different dorsal colouration and supranasal scales always in contact (versus 57% in contact).

Speciation by polyploidization has been documented to have independently occurred in 12 families of anuran amphibians. Tomopterna tandyi was described as a South African allotetraploid species of sand frogs in the family Pyxicephalidae. Recent taxonomic revisions and new species descriptions in the genus present problems with respect to the evolution of this tetraploid species. Chromosomes, mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, isozymes, and male mating calls were examined for T. tandyi and for diploid species of Tomopterna. Mitochondrial sequences confirmed the diploid species, T. adiastola, to be the maternal ancestor that gave rise to the tetraploid about 5 mya. Nuclear sequences and isozymes reveal a complex reticulation of paternal ancestry that may be explained by occasional hybridization of T. tandyi with diploid species of Tompoterna at various times in sympatric populations. Interspecific diploid to tetraploid gene introgression is suspected to have also occurred in Australian and North American tetraploid species of frogs. Diploid to tetraploid introgression is facilitated through triploid hybrids that are more viable than diploid hybrids and produce unreduced triploid eggs.

Despite its aridity, Namibia contains a surprisingly species-rich biota with high levels of endemism and an unprecedented land portion of intact wilderness. However, as a developing country, the expanding human population is increasing pressure on the country’s rich, but severely understudied ecosystems. An efficient flow of baseline biodiversity data is key for facilitating biosystematics and biogeographic research, which inform conservation planning and sustainable development. The National Museum of Nambia (NMNW) is the custodian of important specimen collections representing Namibian biodiversity, with holdings of about 500 000 specimens from a broad range of vertebrate and invertebrate groups. The NMNW is increasing its drive to make these data available to the necessary stakeholders to facilitate research and conservation assessments, based on digitised specimen collections. The first digitisation initiatives , in the 1980s and 1990s, used software such as FileMaker Pro. These collection-specific database development projects were not aligned with each other or standardised, and resulted in separately developed, heterogeneous databases. Recent changes in research priorities, standards (e.g., Darwin Core Darwin Core Task Group 2009), and data-types (e.g. multimedia files, genomic samples and DNA sequences) now necessitate the use of the latest technologies to revolutionise collection management and data management, facilitate workflows and integrate data into a single platform. We describe plans to implement Specify software (Specify Collections Consortium 2022) for collections / biodiversity data management at NMNW. We will form a small team to execute the required data cleansing and migration operations in-house, to develop a Specify database to manage the herpetology collection, in the first instance. Proper management of genomic and image metadata, and the longevity of database management in a staff-constrained environment, will require special database design considerations. Of particular importance is the representation of both individual organisms and the specimen-lots containing them, and we describe the capability of Specify software to handle such data. We also describe the approach that will be followed in introducing new users to a conceptually complex database schema and application. This will draw from previous experience in developing Specify databases for, and undertaking training courses with, several natural history museums in South Africa.

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 taxonomic groups, including reptiles, to collect baseline distribution data from across the proposed shale gas extraction area to inform impact assessments. Over the course of 3 y, we conducted reptile surveys at 36 targeted sites and collected data in the form of voucher specimens, observations, photographs and/or DNA samples. During these surveys, we collected records from nine of the species we found that lead to adjustments to their distribution maps. Despite South Africa being the most comprehensively sampled country in Africa for reptiles, our findings highlight the insufficiencies in baseline distribution data for reptiles and the need for comprehensive biodiversity sampling.

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 amphibians and 70 reptiles, 40 of these recorded for the first time in Iona National Park. These species comprise ~80% of the reptile diversity of Namibe Province. Therefore, this work recognises Iona National Park as the most reptile-diverse protected area in Angola and is potentially one of the richest in southern Africa. Consequently, this work enhances the importance of specific conservation plans in the area and the need for further investigation into the hidden biodiversity of this region.

Detecting occupied sites of rare species, and estimating the probability that all occupied sites are known within a given area, are desired outcomes for many ecological or conservation projects. Examples include managing all occupied sites of a threatened species or eradicating an emerging invader. Occupied sites may remain undetected because (1) sites where the species potentially occurs had not been searched, and (2) the species could have been overlooked in the searched sites. For rare species, available data are typically scant, making it difficult to predict sites where the species probably occurs or to estimate detection probability in the searched sites. Using the critically endangered Rose's mountain toadlet ( Capensibufo rosei ), known from only two localities, we outline an iterative process aimed at estimating the probability that any unknown occupied sites remain and maximizing the chance of finding them. This includes fitting a species distribution model to guide sampling effort, testing model accuracy and sampling efficacy using the occurrence of more common proxy species, and estimating detection probability using sites of known presence. The final estimate of the probability that all occupied sites were found incorporates the uncertainties of uneven distribution, relative area searched, and detection probability. Our results show that very few occupied sites of C. rosei are likely to remain undetected. We also show that the probability of an undetected occupied site remaining will always be high for large unsearched areas of potential occurrence, but can be low for smaller areas intended for targeted management interventions. Our approach is especially useful for assessing uncertainty in species occurrences, planning the required search effort needed to reduce probability of unknown occurrence to desired levels, and identifying priority areas for further searches or management interventions.

Rose's dwarf mountain toadlet, Capensibufo rosei (Hewitt, 1926), is endemic to fire dependent, montane fynbos vegetation on South Africa’s Cape peninsula. The area undergoes natural fire-cycles that are disrupted due to increasing urban pressure from the City of Cape Town. In this natural history observation, we report on C. rosei microhabitats used and their distribution immediately after a fire that swept through the area in March 2015. We found that a substantial quantity of adult toadlets had survived the fire, and that they were located within 160 m of a known breeding site. Animals were consistently found within burrows, presumed to have been excavated by small rodents. Our observations have important consequences on the conservation of this IUCN Critically Endangered species, especially with relation to compaction of areas in the immediate vicinity of breeding sites. We emphasise the importance of making natural history observations following extreme events, such as fire, to provide important insights into conservation of cryptic threatened species.

Abstract With global elephant populations in decline, a grave consideration is the loss of their ecological engineering effects that benefit other species, such as the maintenance of extensive trails through tropical forests. Anthropogenic roads can serve as surrogates for elephant trails despite exposing users to higher risk from bushmeat harvest. We explored the use of forest management roads by Weyns's duiker (Cephalophus weynsi) in Kibale Forest, Uganda. Faecal latrines were located on the road, clustered, and frequently revisited and replaced, with no latrines found in the surrounding forest or trails. Latrines occurred most frequently at road/trail intersections, at the road center, and where canopy and ground vegetation cover were lowest. Latrine decay in the forest was significantly higher than on the road and an exclusion treatment indicated coprophagous beetles as the primary agents of dung removal. Our findings demonstrate the dependence of a forest ungulate on roads for social signaling through dung, which is a behavior common to cryptic forest mammals that coevolved with trail‐forging megaherbivores. While logging roads pose multiple threats to forest biodiversity, the catastrophic decline of elephant populations means that forest managers must consider weighing these costs against the benefits of conserving at least some roads as surrogates for elephant trails.

Deckert described a Tomopterna as Arthroleptella ahli from South Africa in 1938. We demonstrate that the type of Tomopterna ahli (Deckert, 1938) was actually collected in Namibia, and that this nomen is a senior synonym of Tomopterna damarensis Dawood Channing, 2002. We designate a neotype for Tomopterna ahli (Deckert, 1938).

The cave squeaker Arthroleptis troglodytes Poynton, 1963 was first collected in 1961/62, and not observed again for 54 years despite several attempts to locate it. We rediscovered this species near the type locality in the Chimanimani mountain range in eastern Zimbabwe. We describe for the first time the call and colour in life, and highlight several morphological and habitat features not previously recorded for this species.

Age-specific survival and reproduction are closely linked to fitness and therefore subject to strong selection that typically limits their variability within species. Furthermore, adult survival rate in vertebrate populations is typically less variable over time than other life-history traits, such as fecundity or recruitment. Hence, adult survival is often conserved within a population over time, compared to the variation in survival found across taxa. In stark contrast to this general pattern, we report evidence of extreme short-term variation of adult survival in Rose's mountain toadlet (Capensibufo rosei), which is apparently climate induced. Over 7 years, annual survival rate varied between 0.04 and 0.92, and 94% of this variation was explained by variation in breeding-season rainfall. Preliminary results suggest that this variation reflects adaptive life-history plasticity to a degree thus far unrecorded for any vertebrate, rather than direct rainfall-induced mortality. In wet years, these toads appeared to achieve increased reproduction at the expense of their own survival, whereas in dry years, their survival increased at the expense of reproduction. Such environmentally induced plasticity may reflect a diversity of life-history strategies not previously appreciated among vertebrates.