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THE "OUVOLK”
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AN ENDANGERED SPECIES
THE G iant Girdled Lizard, (C o rd y lu s gigan- te u s ), better know n in the Free S tate as the “ o u v o lk ” , is now adays apparently o fte n c o n fused w ith the pangolin or “ ieterm agog” (see article in this issue). The pangolin is presum ably ex tin ct in our part o f the cou n try, bu t the rather queer name under w hich this peculiar mamm al is know n has survived. The little super ficial resem blance b etw een the pangolin and ou v o lk , i.e. their scaly covering, m ight possibly be the reason for this illogical co n fu sio n . The o u volk is a typical exam ple o f an armoured lizard, and is a reptile. It was first named and described by the fam ous naturalist Dr A ndrew Sm ith in 1844 as occurring in “ the interior d is tricts o f Southern A frica” . A fter this, the o u volk practically rem ained forgotten until 1913 w hen the w ell-k now n Dr R obert Broom o b ta in ed an adult fem ale w hich he to o k w ith him to England. This fem ale gave birth to tw o little ones during the course o f the boat trip. Dr Broom was so happy ab ou t this that he to o k the little lizard fam ily w ith him to attend a
m eeting o f the Z oological S o ciety o f L ondon. H e afterwards donated these lizards to the L on don Z oo w here they lived for years.
As the nam e g ig a n teu s im plies, the lizard is the largest m em ber o f the group o f som e 3 0 species o f girdled lizards, reaching a length o f 3 8 cm . Apart from those on the belly nearly all scales are sharp-pointed, and the lizard forcefully re sists any attem p t to tum it o n to its back. It seem s to be w ell aware o f the vulnerability o f the softer parts o f its b od y.
T he ou volk is a burrow ing sp ecies, d oes n ot fre quen t rock y hills and koppies, and lives in c o lo nies. Its distribution is restricted to the open highveld o f the north-eastern Orange Free State and the adjoining southern Transvaal.
T hey are fond o f sitting with the head p ointed tow ards the sun, h ence the other com m on nam e o f “so n k y k er” . T hey sw iftly pursue their prey w hich con sists m ainly o f insects.
T he ou volk , like m any other reptiles, is ovovivi- parous, i.e. the eggs are incubated w ithin the fem ale and the yo u n g are b o m alive. Tw o yo u n g m easuring ap p roxim ately 15 cm are bom each year.
The recently co m p leted reptile survey o f the O .F .S . con d u cted by staff m em bers o f this M u seum b etw een 1 9 7 2 and 19 7 4 has sh ow n that the ou volk is probably an endangered species. T he main reason for its d eclin e being the d e stru ction o f its habitat. T hese animals occur on ly on arable land and the ploughing o f farm lands, as w ell as industry and road-m aking have already taken a heavy toll o f their num bers. In the vicinity o f the Free S tate G old field s h u n dreds are annually killed by m otorcars w hen crossing highw ays.
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T y p ic a l h a b ita t o f th e o u v o lk o r G ia n t G ird le d L iza rd C ordylus gigantens.
In overseas countries there is a dem and for these animals as p ets. A lthou gh p rotected by law in both the Transvaal and Orange Free S tate num bers are still b ein g ex p o rted illegally. A ccording to literature the ou volk occurred in the B lo em fo n tein and B o sh o f d istricts som e six ty years ago. H ow ever, during a recent reptile survey, no species could be ob tain ed from these areas and since Winburg is the nearest locality to B lo em fo n tein w here these lizards are still to be fo u n d , it is evident that the range o f this species has b een reduced w ith more than six ty m iles. Several farmers w ithin the range o f its d istribution testified to the fact that these lizards were form erly abundant b ut are now rare or c o m p letely absent in certain areas. A lthou gh still q uite num erous in certain lo ca li ties the case o f the o u volk is on e that merits special a tten tio n and further m easures should be taken tim eou sly to preserve these interesting creatures for posterity.
BRIE WE w at gerig is aan D ie B estu u rd er, B lo e m fo n te in s e M u se u m o f andersinds ond u id e- lik geadresseer is, w ord gew o o n lik deur die Pos- kantoor aan die N asionale M useum gestuur. Hier w ord dit oopgem aak en afgehandel indien dit w el vir die N asionale M useum b ed oel was. Heel dikw els egter h et die skryw er een van die
V ie vien ntuteuHU
DIE FVB-
SENTRUM
Bly in pas
ander M useum s in die stad in gedagte gehad toe hy geskryf h et en m oet dit dan verder verwys w ord.
D it mag dus van nut w ees om kortliks iets om - trent elk van die vier M useum s te vertel en elk- een se korrekte adres te verskaf.
1. Die N asionale M useum gelee in die sentrale stad te A liw alstraat 3 6 , regoor die H ertzog- p lein. In sy versam elings, uitstallings en na- vorsingsprogram me w ord die hele natuur- en kultuurhistoriese velde gedek. Die M useum h et o o k ’n perm anente kunsversameling w at eersdaags saam m et die van die B lo em fo n teinse M unisipaliteit in die A . C. White-kuns- galery in die stadskouburg ten to o n g estel sal w ord. In die kunssaal van die N asionale M u seum word o o k gereelde w isselende ten to o n - stellings aangebied. Hierdie M useum is ’n Staatsm useum w at bykans al sy fondse ont- vang van die D epartem ent van N asionale Op- voeding. Die Provinsiale Adm inistrasie en die M unisipaliteit dra nie to t die fondse van die N asionale M useum by nie.
D irekteur: Mnr. J . J . O berholzer. Posadres: Die D irekteur, N asionale M useum , Posbus 2 6 6 , B lo em fo n tein , 9 3 0 0 . T e le fo o n : 7 9 6 0 9 . 2 . Die O orlogsm useum van die Boererepu-
blieke is gelee by die V rou em on u m en t in die suidelike ged eelte van die stad. H ierdie m u seum beeld die V ryheidstryd van die boer
uit vanaf die Eerste V ryh eid soorlog to t en m et die R eb ellie. N et so o s die N asionale M u seum is dit ook ’n Staatsm useum en ontvang o o k sy lop en d e fondse van die D epartem ent van N asionale O pvoeding.
Direkteur: Mnr. K. J . Pienaar. Posadres: Die D irekteur, O orlogsm useum van die Boerere- p u b lieke, Posbus 7 0 4 , B lo em fo n tein , 9 3 0 0 . T e le fo o n : 7 3 4 4 7 .
3. Die N asionale A frikaanse Letterkundige M u seum en N avorsingsentrum gevestig in die ou G oew erm en tsgeb ou aan die w estelik e punt van M aitlandstraat (agter die standbeeld van President Brand). H ierdie M useum le hom u itsluitlik toe op die Afrikaanse L etterkun- de in al sy fasette en om slu it o o k ’n T on eel- m useum en ’n M usiekm useum . Die N .A .L .N . word deur die_Provinsiale A dm inistrasie van die O .V .S . be:'1 ter en gefinansier.
D irekteur: Prof. P. J . N ienaber. Posadres: D ie D irekteur, N .A .L .N ., Posbus 5 1 7 , B lo em fo n tein , 9 3 0 0 . T e le fo o n : 7 0 5 1 1 , uit- breiding 2 1 2 .
4 . D ie M ilitere M useum F ort B lo em fo n tein is gevestig in die ou Fort (o o k as Q ueens Fort b ekend) wat by die Basoetoe-m onu- m en t in Kerkstraat gelee is. Hierdie m useum in w ording le hom uitslu itlik to e op die m i litere geskiedenis van die O .V .S.
D it w ord deur die D ep artem en t van V erde- diging beheer en gefinansier en vorm deel van die Direktoraat van M ilitere m usea van daardie D ep artem en t.
S tafoffisier: Luitenant-kom m andeur B. P. van Coller. Posadres: Privaatsak X 2 0 5 9 9 , B lo e m fo n te in ,9 3 0 0 . T elefoon c 7 5 4 7 8 .
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