About Afrofauna

Searching an escarpment slope during dawn, Saudi Arabia
Winter frogging, Western Cape, South Africa
Old farmlands, Namaqualand, South Africa
Herping, Saudi Arabia

Afrofauna provides scientific based ecological services to local and international companies. We specialise in herpetological surveys with expertise in African and Arabian herpetofauna. In addition to field based work we provide a suite of desktop support services, including: desktop faunal surveys, GIS based analyses, distribution modelling, and scientific reporting, including site sensitivity verification and terrestrial animal species compliance statements.

Afrofauna is led by Melissa Petford and Ryan van Huyssteen, bringing together a shared passion for science, biodiversity, natural history, conservation, and herpetology. Together, Melissa and Ryan combine academic rigor with practical field expertise, offering unique insights into biodiversity conservation through Afrofauna.

Scroll below to read more about us, our Citizen Science, Partnerships and Clients.

Who we are

Melissa Petford is a conservation biologist and ecologist with a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand (2019) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in 2023. Melissa has developed expertise in herpetology and community ecology. She has authored several peer-reviewed publications and presented her research internationally. Additionally, Melissa is an associate editor for African Journal of Herpetology and African Zoology. Melissa’s field experience spans tropical, savanna, and desert ecosystems, with work taking her across the Caribbean, Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Her current academic projects focus on the impact of human activities on reptile distribution and ecology.

View Melissa’s publications and follow Melissa on Research Gate.

Melissa Petford observing wild King Cobra’s mating, Singapore

Melissa Petford, field work, Saudi Arabia

Melissa Petford, observing Macrovipera lebetinus, Greece

Ryan van Huyssteen is a herpetology consultant specialising in herpetofaunal surveys. He holds a Masters degree in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of the Western Cape (2023), where he completed his thesis, “Reptiles of the Soutpansberg: Biogeography, Distribution, and Communities”. Ryan’s extensive fieldwork has taken him across Southern, Eastern, Central, and Western Africa, as well as the Arabian Peninsula, United Kingdom, Greece, and Southeast Asia. Ryan has contributed his herpetological expertise to various organisations, including Ecotone Freshwater Consultants in Tanzania and Zambia, Sungazer Faunal Surveys in Cape Town and surrounding regions, and Flora Fauna & Man in several African countries and Saudi Arabia.

Currently, he is compiling species inventories from his global surveys, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity and reptile ecology.

View Ryan’s publications and follow Ryan on ResearchGate and iNaturalist.

Ryan van Huyssteen trap checking, Saudi Arabia

Ryan van Huyssteen active searching, Cederberg, South Africa

Citizen Science

Afrofauna is passionate about contributing to citizen science. Where possible, we strive to make all our biodiversity data freely available on the iNaturalist platform, where they are accessible to researchers, enthusiasts, and the broader public. Our photos have been used in a variety of contexts—from scientific publications to online encyclopedias.

For a glimpse into our biodiversity explorations and contributions, explore our observations on iNaturalist.org

Browse our 2024 iNaturalist year in review.

Partnerships & clients

Both Ryan and Melissa are Associate Consultants with FLORA FAUNA & MAN, Ecological Services Ltd., where they provide desktop and field support for diverse international projects.

Ryan has contributed his herpetological expertise to various organizations, including Ecotone Freshwater Consultants in Tanzania, Sungazer Faunal Surveys in Cape Town and surrounding regions, and Environmental Conservation Consultancy in Saudi Arabia.

Mountain scene, Western Cape, South Africa

Desert scene, Saudi Arabia

A view from the stratosphere

Oak forest, Greece

Rainforest stream, Sarawak, Malaysia