By Nasiha Khan
Herpetologist, researcher, author and adventure enthusiast, Tyrone Ping, is unveiling the mysteries and misunderstandings of our local herpetofauna, bringing us one step closer to understanding the fascinating reptiles in our midst.
In his recently released book, titled ‘A Field Guide To The Snakes Other Reptiles Of KwaZulu-Natal’ which took three years to complete, the Durban North resident takes note of KZN being one of the most reptile diverse provinces in the country. He said there have been many books written on Southern Africa’s reptiles but these are never detailed enough, especially on a provincial level.
“One of the biggest challenges to writing the book was trying to source photographs of some of the rarely seen and newly discovered species. Some species where only represented by one or two photographs. I had to travel to the most remote corners of northern KZN to try and find a relatively species of gecko. One harrowing incident we had was travelling through the sand dunes of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and being so remote if we had gotten stuck that would have been a serious problem with a little chance of being rescued out of the sand.”
Ping said his love and fascination for the subject stems from having ample opportunities to find reptiles and amphibians in his parent’s backyard as a child. “I’ve been enamoured with reptiles and amphibians for the last 25 years, with 15 of those dedicated to research, writing scientific papers and now recently a book,” said Ping.
Travelling across the country to new places from forests, deserts and mountaintops, Ping has been asked by numerous fans of his social media stills to share videos of his adventures. This prompted the herpetologist to start his very own YouTube channel around one year ago.
“The channel isn’t just based on the animals, I take the viewer along on the experience of travelling across the country to new places. The major focus is always going to be showcasing the animals in a calm educational way without the sensationalism and fear mongering that unfortunately is very prevalent in most snake and wildlife enthusiasts.”
A fierce lover of photography, Ping said that one of his all time favourite creatures is the chameleon. Their secretive and cryptic nature making them some of the most challenging, and rewarding, subjects to capture. He also notes that the chameleon, is currently one of the most threatened species of reptile in the region.
“These animals such as the KwaZulu Dwarf Chameleon and the Natal Midlands Dwarf Chameleon are under threat from habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation, where more natural forest and vegetation being cleared for building homes and shopping centres. People need to realise the importance of keeping indigenous vegetation in their gardens. Reptiles play an important part in the ecosystem not only on feeding on insects like flies, mosquitos and other pests. There are also snakes which feed on rats and mice. Reptiles also form a vital part of many species of birds and smaller mammals diets – the knock on effect of a reduced reptile population can affect the larger predators.”
He added that reptiles have always been feared by people through the decades it’s largely due to a misunderstanding and lack of exposure and suggests to people to try visiting a local reptile park to learn about their importance and of course see some of the beautiful local species.
“Not all snakes and reptiles are big and scary!” he said.
To follow Pings adventures visit his YouTube channel, TyronePingHerpingSouthAfrica, or visit his website at https://www.tyroneping.co.za.
