Reptiles of Namibia, by Alfred Schleicher

Reptiles of Namibia, by Alfred Schleicher. Kuiseb Publishers. Windhoek, Namibia 2020. ISBN 9789994576708 / ISBN 978-99945-76-70-8

Reptiles of Namibia, by Alfred Schleicher. Foreword by Prof. Dr David G. Senn:

Alfred Schleicher  

It was 1970 when, as a young researcher in Ulm, I gave a public lecture on the fauna of Florida and did not know that under the approximately 300 attendees there was a 14-year-old reptile enthusiast. He was fascinated by the fauna of Florida which is dominated by reptiles. It took another 40 years before Alfred Schleicher and I met again, only because the chair of the Basle Tortoise Society was of the opinion that we 'had' to meet. Even in his time in Ulm, Alfred often travelled to Africa accompanied by his wife Monika; always on the road with a Land Rover, which enabled him to get to the most scenic and rich in wildlife areas, even if they were hard to get to. It was the two things which made him happy: on the one hand the ambience of Africa with its unique fauna and on the other the group of reptiles, especially the tortoises. Alfred Schleicher visited many African countries such as Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and the Congo. Finally the family, which had grown by two daughters, settled in Namibia. This country is blessed with a rich reptile fauna. Especially the group of tortoises is represented in good numbers. On the one hand, there are unique tortoises such as the padloper (Chersobius Homopus), hinged tortoise (Kinixys) and angulate tortoise (Chersina), on the other, there are terrapins in the waters of Namibia. Especially diverse is the group of scaled reptiles (Squamata), lizards and snakes. Amongst the lizards, the colourful agamas are most easily noticed. With a characteristic bobbing of the head, they mark their territories. At dusk and in the night, one can see geckos that hunt for insects on cliffs and walls. The smoothly scaled skinks live on the ground. Snakes are numerous, such as the non-venomous sandsnakes and rock python. However, there are also many venomous ones, such as the puffadder, the black mamba and several cobra species. It is fortuitous that Alfred Schleicher as an expert on the reptiles of southern Africa has published a book on these fascinating animals. The book is formulated comprehensibly and well laid out. It is always rewarding to get to know Namibia's rich fauna. Technical literature can help with the identification of the animals and learning about their habits. There are many books on mammals and birds but until now a book on the reptiles of Namibia was missing. This gap has now been filled by Alfred Schleicher with Reptiles of Namibia. The Guide to Reptiles of Namibia is aimed at readers that are generally interested in nature and also at specialised herpetologists who want to read about the biology of a specific species in depth.

Bites by venomous snakes and how to avoid them

In the entire southern Africa bites by venomous snakes that are dangerous to humans are rare. However, they may happen with sometimes serious consequences for the victim. Notwithstanding the fact that envenomation may be dangerous to humans it must be emphasised that the venom is not a primary defensive mechanism; it is primarily used to obtain food. Neurotoxins cause a rapid immobilisation of the prey and cytotoxins cause pre-digestion of the prey even before it is ingested. This process is also called the first measure extra-intestinal digestion. Prevention of bites should be in first place. Only 10% of the snakes occurring in Namibia are really dangerous to humans. Snakes often live a reclusive life and lie in wait for their prey there but this never includes people. [...]

This is an excerpt from Reptiles of Namibia, by Alfred Schleicher.

Title: Reptiles of Namibia
Author: Alfred Schleicher
Publisher: Kuiseb Publishers
Windhoek, Namibia 2020
ISBN 9789994576708 / ISBN 978-99945-76-70-8
Softcover, 16 x 24 cm, 272 pages, 480 colour photos