Meet the Lab Members

Kurt van Wyk (2026) PhD. "Model-based approaches to estimating savanna reptile abundance"

Thilo Beck (2025) PhD. "Studying the thermal biology and activity patterns of cape cobras Naja nivea at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve" (co-supervisor: G.J. Alexander (Wits))

Shane Ngwenya (2025) BSc Honours. "Niche partitioning in Namaqualand geckos"

Janelle Isaacs (2024) BSc Honours. "Quantifying and characterising seasonal variation in snake activity patterns using community science data"

Ongezwa Volofu (2024) BSc Honours. "Do snakes show synchronicity in activity patterns?"

Ukhanyo Sinandile (2024) BSc Honours. "Identifying reptile species of conservation concern not listed by the IUCN, using the bii4Africa dataset"

Emma Buckley (2023) MSc. "Reptile community responses to an avian ecosystem engineer"

Aqeel Booley (2023) BSc Honours. "Impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of the Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)"

Ahmed Arendse (2023) BSc Honours. "Impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of the Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)"

Ashton Mizen (2023) BSc Honours. "Impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of the Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera)"

Samkelo Mbovane (2023) BSc Honours. "Impact of climate change on the geographic distribution of Bibron’s Stiletto Snake (Atractaspis bibronii)"

Jody Barends (2022) PhD. "Autecology of the rhombic egg-eater, Dasypeltis scabra"

Ielhaam Bassier (2022) MSc. "The diet and feeding ecology of the brown house snake, Boaedon capensis"

Bryan Cloete (2022) MSc. "Snake community structure in a heterogeneous fynbos ecosystem"

Kim Scholtz (2022) MSc. "Using faecal DNA to investigate the diet of the snakes, Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus" (co-supervisors: M. Keyster (UWC) & R.A. Maritz (UWC))

Ryan van Huyssteen (2022) MA. "Reptiles of the Soutpansberg: Biogeography, distribution and communities" (co-supervisor: M. Carolissen (UWC))

Chandler Patel (2022) BSc Honours. "The effect of drought on the body condition of Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax rhombeatus"

Claire Parenzee (2022) BSc Honours. "Investigating the occupancy and abundance of angulate tortoises with woody encroachment in Koeberg Nature Reserve"

Dahraan du Toit (2022) BSc Honours. "Diet of the African garter snakes (Elapsoidea)"

Zenzé George (2022) BSc Honours. "A systematic survey of the colour pattern distribution of the mole snake, Pseudaspis cana, in southern Africa"

Silindokuhle Tokota (2021) MSc. "Quantifying competition in two co-occurring southern African Psammophiinae snakes Psammophis crucifer and Psammophylax r. rhombeatus"

Emma Buckley (2021) BSc Honours. "Diet evolution in lamprophiid snakes"

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"

Perfect Dhlamini (2020) Research Assistant. 2020 & 2021

Janine Greuel (2019) MSc. "Foraging ecology of Naja nivea and Dispholidus typus"

Jody Barends (2019) MSc. "Predicting reptile species distributions and biogeographic patterns within Kruger National Park"

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" (co-supervisor: J. Day (UCT))

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"

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" (co-supervisor: R.A. Maritz (UWC))

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)"