"Water Cobra"

Kantalamba, Tanzania

	Left: Zambian southeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika with main locations indicated
	Above: Kantalamba and the small settlement to the north

Location of OBA film 4:3
Lake Tanganyika
(click on maps to enlarge)

Kantalamba is just over the Tanzanian border and we visited the location but windy conditions and rough water made searching for water cobras in the lake difficult. We searched the rushes along the shoreline of a small village to the north and also the rocks bordering the small bay.

Wind, sun-flare and rough water make searching for snakes in the lake difficult.	Rocks along the shoreline north of Kantalamba.
The wind drops slightly and there is more visibility.	Opposite side of the bay is less affected by the wind.
Filming the lake (l-r) Des (camera), Amy (AP), Terry (sound) and Mark (director).

A small settlement north of Kantalamba - chameleons inhabit the long lake shore rushes.

We did find a Flap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis), in the tall riverine rushes fringing the lake shore north of Kantalamba, and Variable skinks (Trachylepis varia) and Eastern giant plated lizards (Gerrhosaurus validus validus) in the rocks fringing the bay. The latter may well be a first record for Tanzania, albeit the extreme southwestern corner.

Variable skink, Trachylepis varia
Flap-necked chameleon, Chamaeleo diliepis
Eastern giant plated lizard, Gerrhosaurus validus validus