Dr Bryan Maritz
Principal Investigator, Senior Lecturer
Dr Robin Maritz
Research Fellow
Analysing the trophic interactions of southern African snakes
Jody Barends
PhD student
Examining the behaviour, ecology, and natural history of the rhombic egg-eater (Dasypeltis scabra)
Thilo Beck
PhD student (Wits)
co-supervised with Graham Alexander
Studying the thermal biology and activity patterns of cape cobras Naja nivea at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Riaaz Mohamed
PhD student
Assessing the impacts of global change on reptile populations in southern Africa
Kim Scholtz
PhD student
Ecology of the cape cobra (Naja nivea) at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Matthew Arendse
MSc student
Investigating the demographics of mole snake (Pseudsaspis cana) populations in the greater Cape Town area
Emma Buckley
MSc student
Reptile community responses to an avian ecosystem engineer
Bryan Cloete
MSc student
Exploring the impact of snake predator and prey abundance and diversity on snake community structure at Koeberg Nature Reserve
Ryan van Huyssteen
MA student
Investigating the community structure and biogeography of reptiles in the Soutpansberg region, Northern Limpopo
Kurt van Wyk
MSc student
Reptile community responses to historical land transformation in south-eastern Zimbabwe
Dahraan Du Toit
Honours student
Diets of the enigmatic African garter snakes (Elapsoidea)
Chandler Patel
Honours student
The effect of drought on the body condition of Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus
Lab Alumni and Submitted Theses:
Kim Scholtz (2022) MSc. “Using faecal DNA to investigate the diet of the snakes, Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus.”
Ielhaam Bassier (2022) MSc. “The diet and feeding ecology of the brown house snake, Boaedon capensis.”
Emma Buckley (2021) BSc Honours. “Diet evolution in lamprophiid snakes.”
Perfect Dhlamini (2020 & 2021). Research Assistant.
Silindokuhle Tokota (2021) MSc. “Quantifying competition in two co-occurring southern African Psammophiinae snakes Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax r. rhombeatus.”
Janine Greuel (2020) MSc. “Foraging ecology of Naja nivea and Dispholidus typus.”
Ayesha Jones (2020) BSc Honours. “The effect of drought on the body condition of Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus.”
Byron Smith (2020) BSc Honours. “Movement patterns of boomslang (Dispholidus typus) in the Kalahari.”
Aadam Rawoot (2019) BSc Honours. “Consumption of centipedes (Arthropoda: Chilopoda) by snakes: A review and case study of the black-headed centipede-eater (Aparallactus capensis).”
Ayesha Hargey (2019) BSc Honours. “A camera-trap survey investigating the use of pools by terrestrial mammals in the non-perennial Prins River system.”
Jody Barends (2019) MSc. “Predicting reptile species distributions and biogeographic patterns within Kruger National Park.”
Matthew Arendse (2018) BSc Honours. “Exploring patterns of latitudinal body size variation: Do vipers exhibit evidence for Bergmann’s Rule?”
Adnaan Emandien (2018) BSc Honours. “Evolution and diversification of dietary preferences within the Viperidae.”
Luvuyo Kani (2018) BSc Honours. “A biogeographical analysis of the distribution of snakes in southern Africa.”
Kim Scholtz (2018) BSc Honours. “Developing a molecular method to quantify the diet of the cross- marked whip snake, Psammophis crucifer.”
Juan-Jacques Forgus (2018) MSc. “Functional diversity and redundancy in a terrestrial tetrapod community.”
Jody Taft (2018) MSc. “Species delineation in the cape whip snake (Psammophis leightoni) group.”
Bryan Cloete (2017) BSc Honours. “The role of vegetation cover on the density and diversity of small mammals in the fynbos biome.”
Zhanelle Moosajie (2017) BSc Honours. “Are feeding guilds conserved in South African snake assemblages?”
Silindokuhle Tokota (2017) BSc Honours. “Does localised extinction change functional diversity of a snake community?”
Jannie Jacobs (2016) BSc Honours. “A comparison between pitfall trapping and artificial cover objects for herpetofaunal sampling efficacy.”
Inshaaf Layloo (2016) BSc Honours. “Diet and feeding in the cape cobra (Naja nivea).”
Caitlin Smith (2016) BSc Honours. “Quantifying the foraging ecology of the boomslang (Dispholidus typus).”
The Maritz Lab 