Shovel-nosed frogs belong to the genus Hemisus, the only genus in the family Hemisotidae. They are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa, and three species occur in South Africa. These are among the most peculiar looking of all frogs.
Two Museum staff members are currently participating in the Birdlasser South African #Lockdown Challenge. The competition which started on 27 Mar 2020 (00:00) is currently underway and will end on 16 Apr 2020 (23:59).
Largest lizard described from Southern Africa in 82 years
Dr Michael Bates of the Herpetology Department and co-author Dr Edward Stanley of the Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville, USA) have just published a taxonomic revision of the rock-dwelling, south-eastern dragon lizards of South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. The article was published in the high-impact international journal PeerJ, and includes the description of a new species, the Swazi Dragon Lizard (Smaug swazicus), found in Eswatini (previously ‘Swaziland’) and adjacent parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces. This article was published in ‘open view’ and is therefore available for free viewing or downloading at https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8526.
Abstract
As part of a collaborative long-term biodiversity monitoring programme initiated by Kolomela mine (Kumba Iron Ore) with the National Museum (Bloemfontein) and the University of the Free State (Bloemfontein) a plant species list was compiled for Kolomela mine’s property on the Ghaap Plateau. This is the first comprehensive plant species list for this part of the Ghaap Plateau. Kolomela mine is situated west of Postmasburg in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 573 plant species, representing 81 families and 311 genera, were recorded. Four pteridophyte (ferns) taxa, 164 monocotyledons and 438 dicotyledons were collected.
This year the National Museum in Bloemfontein celebrated the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities with two key activities: on 22 November 2019 they held a Special Day of Awareness, Sensitivity Training, and Motivation, and on 3 December 2019 (the formal International Day of Persons with Disabilities), they provided guides and free access for persons with disabilities and accompanying persons.