Herpetofauna of the nature reserves and national parks of the Free State province of South Africa

Abstract

BATES, M.F. 1997. Herpetofauna of the nature reserves and national parks of the Free State province of South Africa. Afr. J. Herpetol. 46(1): 13–29. Although fairly intensive surveys of amphibian and reptile distribution have been conducted in the Free State province of South Africa, very little collecting has been concentrated in protected areas. Checklists are presented for the amphibians and reptiles recorded from, and expected to occur in, each of the 16 major national parks, provincial nature reserves and other protected areas in the province. Species/subspecies richness for amphibians and reptiles in these areas was evaluated, indicating that only one protected area has been thoroughly surveyed. At Willem Pretorius Game Reserve, 50 % of the expected 14 amphibian and 79 % of the expected 39 reptile taxa (species and subspecies) have been collected. The only other area that has been fairly well surveyed is Golden Gate Highlands National Park, where 56% of the expected 25 amphibian and 44% of the expected 50 reptile taxa have been recorded. Despite this, 21 (81%) of the 26 amphibian taxa, and 67 (69%) of the 97 reptile taxa known to occur in the Free State have been recorded from at least one protected area. Two areas of particular importance to conservation were identified: the Golden Gate—Qwa-Qwa—Sterkfontein Dam conservation area in the mountainous north-eastern Free State, where as many as 27 amphibian and 51 reptile taxa, including four Red Data Book species, are expected; and the extensive Gariep Dam—Tussen-die-Riviere conservation area in the Karoo biome of the southern Free State, where 10 amphibian and 56 reptile taxa are expected to occur, including two Red Data Book species. The study showed that in order to prepare satisfactory inventories of the herpetofauna of the region's protected areas, more collecting is necessary in most reserves. It is suggested that conservation authorities encourage their staff to actively conduct surveys and collect small samples of each species present.