PI Aaron Bauer examining a living specimen of the gecko Chondrodactylus angulifer. Dr. Bauer has studied the reptiles of Namibia for nearly thirty years and was recently an editor for the JRS-sponsored Reptile Atlas and Red Data Book of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. (Photo Credit: M. Heinicke)

The Namib Desert in Namibia is an important center of reptile diversity in southern Africa. This picture was taken near Gobabeb, where we will host a training session in biodiversity informatics for Angolan and Namibian colleagues during this project. Namibia. (Photo Credit: M. Heinicke)

Political upheaval before independence as well as nearly thirty years of civil war have led to the biodiversity of Angola (nearly twice the size of Texas) being much less well known than in neighboring countries. Angola. (Photo Credit: E. Stanley)

While dry, the Namibian Desert still contains abundant and interesting biodiversity in its varied landscapes and habitats. Among the most famous elements of the Angolan and Namibian deserts are the giant welwitschia plants that dot the landscape. The mountains of Angola may harbor important undescribed diversity for amphibians and reptiles. Angola. (Photo Credit: E. Stanley)

While most geckos are noctural, some like this Namib day gecko can be found out on rocks during the day. (Photo Credit: L. Ceríaco)

Field team involved in studies documenting the diversity and distribution of Namibian amphibians and reptiles along the Skeleton Coast. Namibia. (Photo Credit: A. Bauer)