Table 2: Herptiles identified from South Africa’s urban traditional medicine markets by visual confirmation and DNA barcoding.
Classification Identification method
Reptiles
Acanthocercus atricollis (Agamidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN
Bitis arietans (Viperidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN + DNA GP, KZN
Chamaeleo dilepis (Chamaeleonidae) 1 DNAKZN
Crocodylus niloticus (Cordylidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN, LP + DNAGP
Dendroaspis angusticeps (Elapidae) 1 DNAGP, KZN
Hemachatus haemachatus (Elapidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN + DNAGP
Naja melanoleuca (Elapidae) 1 DNAKZN
Naja annulifera (Elapidae) 1 DNAGP
Naja mossambica (Elapidae) 1 DNAGP, KZN
Philothamnus semivariegatus DNAGP
Psammophis sp. (Psammophiidae) Visual KZN + DNAGP
Pseudaspis cana (Pseudaspididae) 1 Visual KZN + DNAGP
Python natalensis (Pythonidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN, LP + DNAGP
Stigmochelys pardalis (Testudinidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN
Varanus albigularis (Varanidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN + DNAGP, KZN
Varanus niloticus (Varanidae) 1 Visual GP, KZN + DNA GP, KZN
Visual = Identified using visual confirmation during surveys of traditional medicine markets /shops (identification based on morphology). DNA = Molecular identification using DNA barcoding. 1 Recorded in published literature. GP Visually confirmed and/or sampled from Gauteng traditional medicine markets/shops. KZN Visually confirmed and/or sampled from KwaZulu-Natal traditional medicine markets/shops. LP Visually confirmed from Limpopo’s Indigenous medicine market. Visual = Identified using visual confirmation during surveys of traditional medicine markets /shops (identification based on morphology). DNA = Molecular identification using DNA barcoding. 1 Recorded in published literature. GP Visually confirmed and/or sampled from Gauteng traditional medicine markets/shops. KZN Visually confirmed and/or sampled from KwaZulu-Natal traditional medicine markets/shops. LP Visually confirmed from Limpopo’s Indigenous medicine market.