Chad Keates

Herpetologist 🦎 Evolutionary Biologist 🧬 Honorary Research Fellow at SAIAB 🇿🇦 - Reptile & Amphibian 📸 Molecular Lab Manager, University of Florida 🔬

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Florida Softshell Turtle (Apalone ferox) — Miami. N. America's largest softshell; breathes through a snorkel snout and supplements respiration through its throat. https://t.co/4Py3DBYJU9 | https://t.co/fu3EGFxY7C @chadkeates #SoftshellTurtle #FloridaWildlife #Herpetology

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) & Squirrel Treefrog (H. squirella) — Florida. Both natives, both preyed on by the invasive Cuban Treefrog. The Squirrel Treefrog is a master of colour variation: green, brown, grey, or mottled. https://t.co/4Py3DBYJU9 #FloridaFrogs #Hylidae

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Micro Frog - Microbatrachella capensis
From Bettys Bay, Western Cape, South Africa

https://t.co/HiX6MMaIp8

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Cape River Frog - Amietia fuscigula
From Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa

https://t.co/5WzMxXdMxq

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Broad-banded Grass Frog - Ptychadena mossambica
From Pafuri, Kruger National Park, Limpopo, South Africa

https://t.co/b6leqIthCQ

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Black racer (Coluber constrictor) spotted in Fort Lauderdale, FL (2025). Sleek, speedy, nonvenomous (3–5 ft), a daytime hunter and helpful garden ally that keeps rodents, frogs, lizards and large insects in check. Usually flees rather than bites. Photo: Chad Keates. #BlackRacer

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Drewes Moss Frog - Artholeptella drewesii
From Fernkloof Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa

https://t.co/1lozn3V3Uf

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Red Toad - Schismaderma carens
from St Lucia, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

https://t.co/DGQhxCjy0y

A medium-sized toad with distinctive reddish-brown coloration, rough, warty skin, and characteristic paired spots on its back.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Cryptic species alert! 🐸🕵️‍♂️

This Tremelo Sand Frog (Tomopterna cf. adiastola) from Bray, Botswana, is a perfect example of why we use genetic tools in the field. Many sand frogs are morphologically identical, making DNA and call analysis essential for a correct ID.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

The Wahlberg’s Kalahari Gecko (Pachydactylus wahlbergii) is a masterclass in desert camouflage. 🦎🌙

Photographed this specimen in Bray, Botswana. These geckos are hardy Kalahari survivors, known for their vocal "clicks" and specialized toe pads for navigating the arid terrain.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

The Giant Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) is not your average backyard hopper. 😤

Photographed this massive male in Bray, Botswana. These apex amphibians are famous for their aggression and their ability to remain encysted underground for years. A true Kalahari survivor.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Form meets function with this East African Shovel-snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni) from Hoedspruit, Limpopo

Their nose is a specialized tool.
🚜 Shovel-nose: For excavating through soil.
🥚 Egg Specialist: They have enlarged, blade-like teeth to slit open reptile eggs!

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Form meets function: The Leolo Flat Gecko (Afroedura leoloensis) from Limpopo

🔹 Structure: Extremely flat body for life in narrow rock crevices.
🔹 Skin: Characteristic soft, velvet-like scales.
🔹 Distribution: A key player in the rocky ecosystems of the Limpopo province.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

The Water Lily Frog (Hyperolius pusillus) from hoedspruit, Limpopo

🟢 Translucent skin (almost like a glass frog).
🪷 Glues its eggs in a single layer between lily pads or submerged leaves.
🔊 Despite their size, their metallic calls dominate the pans after a summer rain.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Meet the Reticulated Centipede-eater (Aparallactus lunulatus)
Imagine your entire diet consisted of venomous, centipedes 🦂❌
🔹 Highly specialized diet
🔹 Opisthoglyphous (rear-fanged) but harmless to us
🔹 Fossorial: Spends most of its time in leaf litter or loose soil.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

A nocturnal gem from Hoedspruit, LIM: The Marbled Tree Snake (Dipsadoboa aulica).
These slender, semi-arboreal snakes are master predators of sleeping amphibians.

👁️ Huge eyes for low-light hunting.
🌲 Perfectly adapted for life in the thickets and riverine forests.

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Southern Foam-nest Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)
These frogs are "communal nesters." Multiple males and females whip up a foam nest overhanging water.

🥚 Eggs stay safe from aquatic predators.
💧 The foam keeps tadpoles moist.
🌊 When ready, they drop straight into the water!

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Robertson Dwarf Chameleon - Bradypodion gutturale
From Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa

https://t.co/rwmpPusb3H

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

The Eastern Shield-nose Snake (Aspidelaps scutatus) from hoedspruit, Limpopo

Don't let the size fool you; these fossorial elapids are full of character.
🛡️ Enlarged rostral scale for burrowing.
🐍 Docile until provoked, then it’s all hoods and hisses.
🎨 Stunning banding pattern

[Chad Keates @chadkeates]

Eastern Ghost Frog - Heleophryne orientalis
From Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa

https://t.co/MbWmGZP6Dg