Chad Keates Archives
In 2015, I completed my first project as a Zoology student, and I am proud to say it is currently being peer reviewed for inclusion in the Biocontrol Science and Technology journal. It has been submitted as a short communication (a shortened version of a scientific paper). In addition to being submitted for peer review, it was also presented at a Scientific Conference earlier in 2016 by my supervisor, Dr Philip Weyl. The abstract… Read More
Unlike last year which saw me producing one project in pursuit of my zoological degree, this year is quite different. This year I am expected to produce two projects. Both fall within the field of herpetology but that’s about all they have in common. My other project which ventures to unravel the secrets of spotted skaapsteker distribution patterns’ is a genetics project. The project that I will explain now is a biological… Read More
Yesterday I accompanied Gareth Nuttall_Smith on a trip to a local game reserve, to setup his Masters project. The project which involves both vegetation transects and camera traps, aims to determine the effect of elephant presence on thickets throughout the Eastern Cape. We set off for Lalibela Game Reserve, one of the 11 reserves, on the Monday afternoon and managed to set up all three camera traps that same day. Whilst it… Read More
In an attempt to revive a bygone era of mystery and exploration, Luke and I ventured into the unknown in search of the elusive yet locally abundant berg adder Bitis atropos in Barberton (Mpumulanga). Barberton, a hop, a skip and a jump away from civilisation, is one of a few locations famous for berg adders. The trip began on the 13th of July 2016 and was marked by many a sighting. Whilst… Read More
I have loved snakes for as long I can remember. They fascinate and inspire me to read more and more. They very well may be the thing I choose to base my life’s work on one day, and it’s this love that has steered me towards my latest Zoological endeavour: the study of spotted skaapstekers and their distribution In South Africa Unlike my first project which saw me growing buckets upon buckets of… Read More
In the animal kingdom, the ability to reproduce is one of the most critical abilities in an animal’s arsenal because it ensures the survival of the species. There are however three different types of reproduction namely viviparous, ovoviviparous and oviparous reproduction. Viviparity is the ability to produce live young, oviparity is the ability to produce eggs that hatch outside of the uterus and ovoviviparous reproduction is the retention of the egg within… Read More
Chad Keates 