Priority Species : Theraphosidae - Threatened giants of the spider world

Known in other parts of the world as tarantulas, the South African baboon spider got its local name due to the fact that the last two leg segments resemble the finger of a baboon. These giants of the spider world were first described in South African literature in 1702 and 42 of the 900 species documented worldwide can be found in South Africa.




Baboon spiders grow very large, with body sizes ranging from 13-90mm and a leg span reaching 20cm, and although many have very docile natures, most people will be forgiven for avoiding these arachnids like the plague! Their hairy bodies, with colours varying from brown, black, grey, black or yellow, just add to their nightmare image; yet it is their size, colouring and often docile nature that makes them ideal pets for many collectors and handlers.


Due to this demand for baboon spiders as pets, they are classified as Commercially Threatened in terms of the IUCN protocols, and this restriction prevents baboon spiders from being collected, transported or kept without a permit. Three genera within South Africa are also classified as Protected Invertebrate Animals. They are also desirable as pets as they can live up to 25 years!  However, many baboon spiders in captivity die farely quickly from dehydration, the stress of handling and sheer neglect.


Theraphosidae can deliver a painful bite, although these bites are not fatal. Their fangs are by far their most dramatic feature, and can extend up to 6mm in length! Much of the pain results from the large fangs piercing the skin, although a neurotoxic venom is also present in one specie from the Western Cape. The Harpactira Lightfooti, which is found predominantly in Cape Town and the Paarl region, has been known to deliver a bite which may result in local burning at the bite site and after 2 hours the person may experience headaches, nausea, vomiting, signs of shock, as well as dizziness and difficulty walking. This specific specie has been known to be fairly aggressive and a number of people have suffered a bite. In general, however, baboon spiders are rarely aggressive and will only bite when provoked. In fact, in most cases the venom is not considered medically relevant, and historically these spiders were enjoyed as a delicacy by the bushmen of Southern Africa, who would roast them over an open fire.

Baboon spiders are hunters, and catch prey largely by ambush techniques. Their strong, powerful bodies and large fangs allow them to attack and overpower their prey, and their long, thick legs allow them to move fast and catch their food with relative ease.

Love them or hate them, these spiders are fascinating creatures and deserve our protection!

Press Release - Pioneering Study in South Africa on Great White Sharks

SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE - SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE - SAPA PR WIRE SERVICE

SAPA PR -- PIONEERING STUDY IN SOUTH AFRICA ON GREAT WHITE SHARKS

Issued by: Dyer Island Conservation Trust

PIONEERING STUDY IN SOUTH AFRICA ON GREAT WHITE SHARKS

Gansbaai, Western Cape, South Africa - The global population of great white sharks - generally estimated at 3000-5000 - may have been significantly overestimated. As a result the great white shark - already listed as a species "vulnerable to extinction in the wild" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - may be in greater danger than has been previously recognised."

This is the implication of a pioneering study conducted by marine biologists from the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) working with the shark cage diving company Marine Dynamics shark tours, in the world's densest population of great white sharks at Gansbaai, near the southern tip of Africa. The study is published in PLOS ONE today (http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0066035)

The Trust's marine biologists conducted a non-invasive study by collecting more than 20,000 photographs of great white shark dorsal fins between 2007-2012 from Marine Dynamics shark tours vessel, Slashfin. As each dorsal fin is unique to each shark, the researchers adapted a computerised fin recognition programme previously used on dolphins to accurately identify individual sharks. This analysis took more than three years to complete.

Only 532 individual sharks were identified over the five year collection period. As individual great white sharks are not resident in Gansbaai, DICT marine biologists used open population statistics to extrapolate their findings to estimate the number of great white sharks in this densely populated area is most likely less than 1000 individuals.

"These results came as a surprise to everyone as previously unpublished but widely accepted estimates based on non-computerised photographic studies predicted the population was twice this number," a member of the team, Alison Towner, commented.

As global population estimates of the great white shark have been calculated without accurate data provided by such a dorsal fin recognition programme, the DICT's results are very worrying as they suggest that current estimates of great white sharks numbers may be significantly exaggerated.

The species is already classified as "vulnerable" in the Red List issued by the IUCN, but now the Trust believes that South Africa could - and should - take the lead in urgent, scientific re-evaluation of the threat to the great white shark.

The founder and chair of the Trustees of the DICT, Wilfred Chivell said: "Since 1991 when South Africa became the first country to protect Great White sharks, South Africa has been at the forefront of the study and conservation of the species. Now, for the first time, we have scientific evidence that the threat is greater than was previously perceived. At the Trust, we are contributing to the research urgently needed to allow effective, evidence-based conservation policies and interventions. This requires the active support of government at home - who are mandated to protect this species - and form them to urgently develop their leadership in international conservation forums. It is time for South Africa to take the initiative, because time is clearly not on the side of the great white shark."

The Trust is continuing to collect data which is being contributed to the national white shark dorsal fin database being analyzed by NMMU Ph.D. student, Rabi'a Ryklief. This project will be the first national estimate of white sharks based on dorsal fin identification. Additionally, the Trust is sending their results to international conservation organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund through WWF SA and the IUCN and CITES in order to inform their efforts to protect white sharks globally.

The study is published in PLOS ONE (eISSN-1932-6203) an international, rigorously peer-reviewed, open-access, online science publication read by researchers worldwide.

"Gauging the threat: The first population estimate for white sharks in South Africa using photo identification and automated software"

http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066035

For the interactive infographic:

You can download an embed code for our interactive infographic of our study here:

http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/projects/great-white-shark-population/ If you would like to print this inforgraphic in your medium, please email MichelleSharkWatchSA.com for the hi-res jpeg.

Comparative population sizes of other threatened species (International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN Red Data List)

http://www.iucnredlist.org/

White rhino 20170

Cheetah 10000

Snow Leopard 4080-6500

Black rhino 4800

Tiger 3000

Great White Shark Not known (Frequently quoted estimates 3000-5000)

About the Dyer Island Conservation Trust: www.dict.org.za

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) was founded in 2006 by Wilfred Chivell. The Trust delivers unique conservation and research programmes in the fragile and critically important marine eco-system at the southern-most tip of Africa. It strives to protect the largest surviving colonies of the endangered African Penguin whose numbers are at an all-time low; the globally important breeding and calving grounds of the Southern Right Whale; and, the world's densest populations of the vulnerable Great White Shark.

About Marine Dynamics shark tours: www.sharkwatchsa.com

Marine Dynamics shark tours is a Fair Trade accredited conservation orientated 5-star shark cage diving experience based in Gansbaai, South Africa. Every client that joins Marine Dynamics for a dive directly contributed to the Great White shark research programme of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Marine Dynamics guarantees an accredited marine biologist guide on every trip.

Contact details: Dyer Island Conservation Trust

Michelle Wcisel

MichelleSharkWatchSA.com

+27(0)79-102-1845

Wilfred Chivell

officeDICT.org.za

+27(0)82-906-0101

Priority Species : Encephalartos - The real extinction crisis that South Africa faces

Cycads are the oldest seed plants on earth, and fossils that have been collected indicate that they have survived since before the time of the dinosaurs. During the Jurassic era, these plants flourished in large numbers and varied habitats across the globe, but their modern day counterparts are not faring as well. Due to widespread harvesting and poaching, some cycad species are represented by just a few remaining plants in the wild, and South Africa faces the very real danger of their imminent extinction, despite being one of the world centres for cycad diversity.

In South Africa, the cycad is also known as a broodboom (bread tree) because settlers noticed that the local tribes used the pith of the stem to make bread. The scientific name Encephalartos, echoes this as it is derived from the Greek words 'en' meaning within, 'cephali' meaning head, and 'artos' which means bread.

During the 2010 assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, cycads were declared the most threatened group of organisms, despite having survived at least three mass extinction events in the earth's history. South Africa is home to three of the four cycad species classified as extinct in the wild, two of which became extinct between 2003 and 2010.

The theft of these plants in South Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with poachers breaking into botanical gardens, restricted areas and nature reserves to secure specimens for local and international buyers. A large specimen of a rare species can sell for up to US$10 000.

Many botanical gardens and reserves have put extreme security measures in place to protect these "living fossils" of the plant world, but it seems that not even fences, locked gates or patrolling guards can deter determined thieves.

The Encephalartos genus of this plant is endemic to Africa. Despite some of the strictest regulations in the world when it comes to cycad trade, South Africa has a disproportionately large amount of species classified as endangered and critically endangered. To own or transport a cycad within the country, one needs a permit per plant. International trade in wild specimens and large artificially propagated cycads from South Africa is prohibited, as all of the South African cycads fall under CITES Appendix 1, and local trade in cycad plant material from the wild is banned, while the trade in cultivated plants is very strictly regulated.

The cycad was selected as one of the priority species for the Barcode of Wildlife Project in South Africa as illegal trade by collectors and the harvesting for traditional medicinal uses are two of the biggest problems faced in the fight to protect theses plants. For traditional medicines, only parts and derivatives are traded, which makes the identification almost impossible without the use of DNA analysis. When entire plants are removed from the wild, they are often stripped of their leaves which also results in obstacles when speedy identification is needed. Poachers and traders, when caught, often attempt to pass off endangered cycad species as less endangered ones.

The University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), who are active role-players in BoWP-SA, have been involved in various projects to protect the cycads.

In 2010, UJ launched a DNA barcoding project that aimed to create a DNA database of cycad species to aid law enforcement and customs officials to identify species being poached and smuggled across the country's borders. SANBI, working with the Department of Environmental Affairs, has developed a management plan for the Albany cycad, one of the species with fewer than 100 plants left in the wild.

DNA from a confiscated cycad is being collected by scientists from the University of Johannesburg.

Priority Species : Haliotismidae - A Closer Look at Abalone

Abalone (from the Spanish Abulon, meaning ear shell) are a group of shellfish in the family Haliotidae and the Haliotis genus. These mollusks were once abundant along the coast of Southern Africa, but due to commercial and sport harvesting and poaching, their numbers have declined rapidly over the years. 

Known colloquially in South Africa as perlemoen, they are still found along two thirds of the country's coastline. For many years, abalone diving was a recreational activity, but due to large amounts of illegal harvesting, permits are now required for anyone who wishes to harvest, whether for commercial or personal reasons. In the past couple of years, however, the government has not issued any permits, and the collection, exportation and trade in these mollusks remains heavily controlled. 

The government announced in 2007 that abalone was an endangered species according to Appendix III of the CITES list. While this listing was removed in 2010 an export permit is still required, and the sale of perlemoen meat in South Africa is prohibited in an attempt to curb poaching. Despite these precautions, large quantities of South African abalone still finds its way into the Asian market. 

According to sources, the going rate for 1 kg of abalone meat was US$40 in 2008, and the shells could fetch a rate of approximately US$1400 per metric ton. Abalone flesh is considered a delicacy both locally and internationally. There is still an active trade in shells, which are highly sought after by collectors and often used in decorations, jewelry and smudging ceremonies by the Native Americans in the US and Canada. 

There are also speculations that local criminal gangs use abalone to barter with Chinese nationals in exchange for   the chemicals needed for the manufacturing of drugs. This practice is said to eliminate the necessity of money exchanging hands, and thus reduces the need for money laundering and avoids the associated problems. This places the trade in abalone in the category of organised crime. 

Abalone is easily identifiable when still in the shell, but is often traded or transported as parts or derivatives. The flesh is dried into discs, which may hinder swift and accurate identification. The shells are sometimes ground up and can therefore only be identified by means of DNA analysis. 

It is estimated that an average of 1000 ton of abalone is removed every year, despite the ban on commercial or sport harvesting.

Familiarise youself with BoWP Priority Species

As promised, we will be posting some interesting facts about the species that have been selected as priority species for Barcode of Wildlife Project - South Africa.

From abalone to cycads, baboon spiders and cranes, vultures and adders; if it is on our list, we want you to know about it! 

Feel free to send us a message if you have a specific request or interest in a certain species, or else just sit back, relax and enjoy. 

Species Priority List

The list of approxiamtely 200 priority species for The Barcode of Life Project- South Africa was decided on last week at a meeting attended by various role players from UJ, SANBI and CBOL.

Plants represent the largest section of species of to be barcoded, with invertebrates and marine species coming in second. The remaining species on the list consist of representatives from fish, reptile, birds and mammals.

The selection was roughly based on the TOPS list, but further narrowed down during meetings by only selecting species that are threatened by trade, and not by other factors such as habitat destruction.

The list also focused specifically on species that are traded as parts and derivatives, which may be difficult to identify. For instance, a leopard pelt is easily and readily identifiable. However, certain species of beetles are not so easy to identify as adults, and then we have not even started looking at them in their larvae stage. Also certain plants, such as cycads, are stripped of their leaves during transport which makes identification much more of a challenge.

Animal and plant derivatives or powders, as are often found in South African traditional medicines, or muthi, also present an obstacle for taxonomists and can only be identified by DNA analysis.

Although not exhaustive, this list can be added to or revised at a later date as resources increase. For now, approximately 200 priority species have been selected for immediate DNA barcoding to assist in trials and prosecution of wildlife crimes in a court of law.

Workshop on Legal Standards for DNA evidence from wildlife in South Africa

Officials from all spheres of conservation, legislation, prosecution, science and law enforcement gathered today at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens to attend the Workshop on Legal Standards for use of DNA evidence from Wildlife in South Africa.

The BoWP aims to demonstrate the value of DNA barcoding in the investigation and prosecution of wildlife, conservation and biodiversity crime. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together the various partners  and role players together to establish and understanding of the project's goals and structure;  reviewing the procedures for establishing the admissibility of new types of scientific data as evidence in South African courts and the standards for such evidence; and agreeing on a plan of action and a timetable for establishing the admissibility of DNA barcode evidence.

The welcome and introduction of various participants was facilitated by Michelle Hamer of SANBI, after which David Schindel of CBOL gave a brief overview of DNA barcoding, as well as the components involved in the legal standard for admissibility. Discussion was encouraged about a variety of topics relating to this, including the underlying scientific credibility of DNA barcoding and method validation studies, characteristics of the reference sequence database and reference specimens, procedures used in the construction of the database, the collection and handling of evidence, laboratory procedures used on evidence, data analysis using the reference sequence database, the accreditation, certification and training of laboratory staff and expert witnesses and the importance of geographical and population data in investigation and prosecution.

The interest in and importance of the project was evident during a brief coffee break, where participants continued to engage in discussions and debates, ranging from scientific discussions about taxonomy, zoology and botany to current issues such as rhino poaching, conservation policies and legislation and ivory trade.

One of the main topics of discussion when the workshop resumed was the necessity of the chain of custody and evidence collection and handling. One of the points that was clearly made was that lawyers and scientists think differently! As Dania Bruwer from the National Prosecuting Authority stated when discussing the chain of evidence, it is rarely the scientific data that is attacked in court, but rather the human process of collection and possible contamination during analysis that is a weak spot for defense. This process should not only include the suspect sample collected on the crime scene, but may also need to include the sample specimens collected for the reference database. The main obstacle seems to be collaborating the methods and expectations and finding a middle ground between the scientific standards and the legal standards. The need for secure storage and separating academic and forensic laboratories was emphasises as a procedural difference that needs to be addressed.  

The workshop was a massive success, with many key points identified that will need to be addressed as the project progresses in the future.