Publications

Peer-reviewed Articles

Published

Pauwels, O. S. G., Aguilar-Gómez, C. M., Burger, M., Cockar, Z. S., Henderson, B., Paradis, A.-H., Ruizendaal, A. E., Sánchez, I. A., & van Huyssteen, R. (2025). Miscellanea Herpetologica Gabonica XX. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society. 60(5):57-65.

Mottram, P., van Huyssteen, R., Okoue, E.A., Petford, M., and Gaugris, J. (2025). Mammal Diversity in Southern Gabon: Grid-Based vs. Semi-Random Camera Trapping. African Journal of Wildlife Research 55 (1), 258-265.

Petford M., Mottram P., Alowaifeer A.M., Alzahrani A. & Gaugris J. (2024). Natural History Notes: Uromastyx aegyptia (Egyptian Spiny-tailed Lizard). Predation. Herpetological Review, 55(1):266-267.

Barends J., Petford M.A. & Tolley K.A. (2024). Comparing perch availability and perch use between African dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion) ecomorphs. Current Zoology, zoae076. https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoae076.

Cowen O., Conradie W., Keates C., Telford N.S., Petford M.A., Egan V. & Tolley K.A. (2024). Lost Lizards: the importance of targeted surveys in filling knowledge gaps for reptile conservation in South Africa. Journal of Nature Conservation, 126790. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126790.

van Huyssteen R., Petford M.A, Burger M., Šmid J., Alzahrani A., Alowaifeer A.M., Mottram P. & Gaugris J. (2024). Reptiles of the King AbdulAziz Royal Reserve, east-central Saudi Arabia: insights and conservation implications. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, 18: 91–106.

Petford M.A., Herrel A., Alexander G. & Tolley K.A. (2023). Differences between urban and natural populations of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion damaranum): a case of urban warfare?. Urban Ecosystems 27: 577-589. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-023-01474-1.

Nicolau GK, Evans N & van Huyssteen R. (2022). Afroedura pondolia (Pondo Flat Gecko) and Afroedura pienaari (Pienaar’s Flat Gecko). Predation. Herpetological Review 53: 675-676.

van Huyssteen R., Hundermark C. & Petford M.A. (2022). Geographical Distribution Note – Psammophis trigrammus (Günther, 1865). African Herp News 79: 55-56.

Maritz B, Rawoot A & van Huyssteen R. (2021). Testing dogmatic assertions of dietary specialisation: a case study of the diet of Aparallactus capensis. African Journal of Herpetology 70: 61-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2021.1886185.

Nicolau G.K., Petford M.A., Edwards S., Busschau T., Lynch K., Kemp L., Balmer J., Keates C., Hundermark C.R., Weeber J. & Conradie W. (2021). New insights into the geographical distribution, ecology and conservation status of South Africa’s endemic Coastal Leaf-toed Gecko, Cryptactites peringueyi (Boulenger, 1910). Herpetology Notes 14: 439-450.

Petford M.A. & Alexander G. (2021). Diel activity patterns of two syntopic range-restricted geckos suggest idiosyncratic responses to climate change. African Zoology 56: 202-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2021.1975560.

Petford M.A. & Alexander G. (2021). Potential range shifts and climatic refugia of rupicolous reptiles in a biodiversity hotspot of South Africa. Environmental Conservation 48: 264-273. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892921000370.

van Huyssteen R. & Jordaan P.l. (2021). Geographical Distributions: Prosymna lineata (PETERS, 1871). African Herp News 76: 38-41.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2021) Geographic Distribution Note - Gekkonidae, Afroedura namaquensis (Fitzsimons 1938). African Herp News 76: 36-37.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2021). Geographical Distribution Note - Typhlosaurus lomiae (Haacke, 1986). African Herp News 77: 42-43.

van Huyssteen R., Petford M.A. & Engelbrecht I. (2021). First record of Heligmomerus species (Mygalomorphae, Idiopidae) courtship in the wild. The Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society 151: 8-10.

Ihlow F., van Huyssteen R., Vamberger M., Cory-Toussaint D., Hofmeyer M.D. & Fritz U. (2020). Geographic range extension for the Lobatse Hinge-back Tortoise Kinixys lobatsiana (Power, 1927) with first records from the Soutpansberg region. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 14: 132-139.

Nicolau G.K., van Huyssteen R. & Jackson E. (2020). Breviceps adspersus adspersus (Bushved Rain Frog), Diet. Herpetological Review 51: 97.

Petford M.A. & Alexander G. (2020). Microhabitat selection and partitioning in two syntopic geckos. Austral Ecology 45: 319-328. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.12857

Petford M.A., van Huyssteen R. & Alexander G. (2019). Influences of ecology and climate on the distribution of restricted, rupicolous reptiles in a biodiverse hotspot. African Journal of Herpetology 68: 118-133. https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1681524.

Stander R., van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2020). Geographical distributions: Naja subfulva LAURENT, 1955. African Herp News 74: 92−94.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2019). Natural History Notes: Prosymna stuhlmani (Pfeffer, 1893), East-African Shovel-snout, Foraging Strategy. African Herp News 70: 28−30.

Petford M.A. & van Huyssteen R. (2018). Natural History Notes: Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia (Günther, 1864), Eastern Bark Snake Hunting Strategy. African Herp News 67: 35-36.

Petford M.A., van Huyssteen R. & Nicolau G.K. (2018). Natural History Notes: Bitis arietans arietans (Merrem, 1820), Puff Adder, Foraging Strategy. African Herp News 68: 41-43.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2018). Natural History Notes: Lamprophis guttatus (A. Smith 1844), Spotted House Snake, Diet. African Herp News 67: 26-27.

Petford M.A. & van Huyssteen R. (2017) Geographic Distribution Note - Gekkonidae, Homopholis mulleri (Visser 1987). African Herp News 65: 38-39.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2017). Geographic Distribution Note - Lamprophiidae, Aparallactus lunulatus lunulatus (Peters 1854). African Herp News 65: 37-38.

Submitted (in review)

Petford M.A., Herrel A. & Tolley K.A. The evolution of ecomorphological convergence in Dwarf Chameleons (Bradypodion). American Naturalist.

Lindberg, C., Gaugris, J. Y., van Huyssteen, R., Drescher, K., Alrefae, A. S., Alowaifeer, A. M., Chedad, A., Petford, M., & Niemand, L. Avifaunal overview of King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse.

van Huyssteen R., Petford M.A., Burger M., Rödel M., Ngoulou J., Bamba I., Okoue E.A. & Gaugris J. Call Description and Extended Range of Phrynobatrachus mayokoensis in Gabon. African Journal of Herpetology.

Smid, J., Velenská, D., Pola, L., Tamar, K., Busais, S., Shobrak, M., Almutairi, M., Salim, A. F. A., Alsubaie, S. D., AlGethami, R. H. M., AlGethami, A. R., Alanazi, A. S. K., Alshammari, A. M., Egan, D. M., Ramalho, R. O., Olson, D., Smithson, J., Chirio, L., Burger, M., Petford, M., van Huyssteen, R., & Carranza, S. Phylogeny and systematics of Arabian lacertids from the Mesalina guttulata species complex (Squamata, Lacertidae), with the description of a new species. BMC Zoology.

Conference Proceedings

Petford M.A. & Maritz B. (2024). Trends, biases and future directions in life-history data to assess climatic vulnerability in African vipers. World Congress of Herpetology, 10th Congress, Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, 5th-9th August 2024.

van Huyssteen R., Petford M.A., Burger M., Šmid J., Alzahrani A., Alowaifeer A.M., Mottram P. & Gaugris J. (2024). Reptiles of the King AbdulAziz Royal Reserve, east-central Saudi Arabia: insights and conservation implications. World Congress of Herpetology, 10th Congress, Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, 5th-9th August 2024.

Petford M.A., Herrel A. & Tolley K.A. (2023). Convergent evolution and ecological diversification in Dwarf Chameleons (Bradypodion). Herpetological Association of Africa, 15th Conference, Hoedspruit, South Africa, 16th-19th January 2023.

van Huyssteen R. & Maritz B. (2023). Habitat heterogeneity and its impact on reptile communities and diversity in the Soutpansberg. Herpetological Association of Africa, 15th Conference, Hoedspruit, South Africa, 16th-19th January 2023.

Petford M.A., Herrel A., Alexander G.J. & Tolley K.A. (2022). Marks of urban life: differences in Bradypodion damaranum scarring between urban and natural populations. Herpetological Association of Africa, 1st Virtual Mini-Symposium, May 2022.

van Huyssteen R. & Maritz B. (2022). How many reptile communities in South Africa are adequately sampled? Herpetological Association of Africa, 1st Virtual Mini-Symposium, May 2022.

Petford M.A. & Alexander G.J. (2019). Assessing the vulnerability of endemic, rupicolous reptiles to the effects of climate change in the Soutpansberg Mountains, South Africa. Herpetological Association of Africa, 14th Conference, Cape St Francis, South Africa, 9th-13th September 2019.

van Huyssteen R. & Petford M.A. (2019). Soutpansberg: Reptile hotspot for endemism and diversity. Herpetological Association of Africa, 14th Conference, Cape St Francis, South Africa, 9th-13th September 2019.

Theses

Petford M.A. (2019). Ecology and Conservation of Restricted Reptiles. Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

van Huyssteen R. (2023). Reptiles of the Soutpansberg: Biogeography, distribution and communities. Unpublished Masters Thesis. University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.

Find and request full texts on our ResearchGate profiles:

M.A. Petford and R. van Huyssteen