Welcome to CBGES.
Let us tell you more about us and what we believe...
Southern Africa is blessed with an extraordinarily diverse and rich reptile fauna that compares favourably with other parts of Africa of equivalent size. Many more species, including new species of Tent Tortoise, Dwarf Chameleon, Sand Lizard, Flat Lizard, Flat Gecko and other geckos, are currently being studied.
It is likely that many more novelties await discovery and that the real species number for South Africa will easily exceed the number recorded in books. In total, 370 reptiles and amphibians occur in the region, of which 21 are threatened. Six of these are endangered. This richness in reptiles is greater than that of the entire USA and is a largely unappreciated and undervalued part of South Africa’s natural heritage. CBGES, believes that our reptiles are amongst the most beautiful and phenomenal species in the world.
Over the last decade, herpetology has become a focus at several universities in South Africa, CBGES has offered educational talks to schools and constantly sending information to the schools about the information about South African species. Herpetology has had a surge in international collaborations in reptile research, Southern Africa illustrates that the region’s herpetological richness is becoming more widely recognized and appreciated.
Sadly, reptiles have been neglected by most conservation plans and are generally ignored in conservation management in South Africa that is why people like CBGES has stepped in place to make sure that the species never reach critical levels.
The most recent red data book evaluating the conservation status of South Africa’s reptiles was published more than 19 years ago. It is now largely obsolete, and does not comply with the latest internationally accepted IUCN (The World Conservation Union) criteria for the red listing of threatened species. CBGES has realised this information and has been trying to create IUCN standards, yet has been unsuccessful with all the restrictions imposed on conservationists like CBGES from the South African Herpetology sector.
New and exciting developments are on the horizon which CBGES is busy implementing in order to achieve a new South Africa where our wildlife and endangered wildlife can be researched, bred through breeding programs and with the help of the South African Herpetology sector, be re-introduced back into the environment. |
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We also have extended our business to include other divisions where we may also achieve recognition through our attempts at a better South Africa through our wildlife.
In this way, we will all be able to contribute directly to the conservation of Southern African reptiles.