Scientific and Non-commercial Projects and Involvement

A selection of previous and current non-commercial projects and activities are provided below:

  • Co-authored seven reptile family accounts and twenty-four genus accounts in ‘Bates, M.F., Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M., Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G.J. & de Villiers, M. (eds.). 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
  • Member of the South African Amphibian Assessment Group: worked with other amphibian experts under the auspices of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), to perform assessment of the conservation statuses (as defined by the IUCN) of all South African Frogs (species profiles available on www.iucn.org).
  • Participated in workshop and follow-up work, contributing to Measey, G.J. (Ed) 2011. Ensuring a future for South Africa’s frogs: a strategy for conservation research. SANBI Biodiversity Series 19. SANBI, Pretoria.
    • Co-authored the following chapters: Channing, A, G.J. Measey, L. Minter & J. Harvey - Understanding and documenting species diversity, Measey, G.J., C. Weldon, D. Morgan, A. Channing, J. Harvey & A. Turner - Conservation and ecological studies, Tolley, K., L. Minter, J. Harvey, J. Tarrant & G.J. Measey - Education, awareness and capacity-building, View Publication here
  • Contributed to the South African Reptile Conservation Assessment (SARCA), through: contribution of personal specimen records, team member of an intensive reptile field survey in the Lebombo mountains, north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, editing of sections, contribution to and review of species accounts
  • Regional expert for Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, contributing to the IUCN-sanctioned Eastern Afromontane Amphibian Conservation Assessment and Workshop, Trento, Italy
  • Contributor and assessor for revision of the Red List of mammals of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland
  • Collaborator on projects assessing the taxonomy and phylogeography of Hinged Tortoises Kinixys and Hinged Terrapins Pelusios
    • Paper: Kindler, C., W. Branch, M. Hofmeyr, J. Maran, P. Siroky, M. Vences, J. Harvey, S. Hauswaldt, A. Schleicher, H. Stukas & U. Fritz. 2012. Molecular phylogeny of African hinge-back tortoises (Kinixys Bell, 1827): implications for phylogeography and taxonomy (Testudines: Testudinidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 50(3): 192-201. View paper here
    • Paper: Fritz, U., W. R. Branch, P.-S. Gehring, J. Harvey, C. Kindler, L. Meyer, L. Du Preez, P. Siroki, D. R. Vieites, M. Vences 2012: Weak divergence among African, Malagasy and Seychellois hinged terrapins (Pelusios castanoides, P. subniger) and evidence for human-mediated oversea dispersal. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 13(2): 215-224.
      View paper here
  • Collaborator on a project assessing the taxonomy and phylogeography of the Bush Squeaker frog Arthroleptis wahlbergii and biogeography of eastern South African forests
  • Collaborator on a project to assess the pan-African phylogeography of the Mascarene Grass Frog Ptychadena mascareniensis-complex
  • Formed part of a research team, performing an intensive field survey of the reptiles and amphibians of the Mt Mulanje Massif, Malawi
    • Paper: Conradie, W., J.W. Harvey, A. Kotze, D.L. Dalton & M.C. Cunningham. 2011. Confirmed Amphibian Chytrid in Mount Mulanje Area, Malawi. Herpetological Review. View paper here
  • Team leader of a herpetofaunal survey to attempt to relocate the Cave Squeaker frog Arthroleptis troglodytes, a species confined to the Chimanimani Mountains, eastern Zimbabwe, and not recorded since 1962. Survey formed part of the 'Lost Amphibians' programme, funded and coordinated by Conservation International
  • Contributed to 'du Preez, L. & Carruthers, V. 2009. A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa. Struik Nature, Cape Town'
  • Participated as a member of amphibian expert panel in an Amphibian Ark-facilitated Southern African Amphibian Species Conservation Prioritisation Workshop and an Amphibian Husbandry Workshop, held at Johannesburg Zoo, South Africa
  • Participated as a member of an amphibian expert panel in an ex situ project for the Critically Endangered Pickersgill's Reed Frog Hyperolius pickersgilli, and presented at the workshop: 'Pickersgill’s Reed Frog: Status, conservation and ex-situ plans.'
  • Formed part of an international research team, performing taxonomic, behavioral and emerging disease surveys on frogs, in the Adasibe-Mantadia region of Madagascar
    • Paper: Wollenberg, K. & J. Harvey. 2010. First assessment of the male territorial vocal behavior of a Malagasy leaf litter frog (Gephyromantis thelenae). Herpetological Notes 3: 141-150. View paper here
  • Masters thesis: 'Distribution and Global Population Size Estimation of the Critically Endangered Mistbelt Chirping Frog Anhydrophryne ngongoniensis, and the Development of Guidelines for the Management of its Habitat'

Conference Presentations

  • Harvey, J. The Mistbelt Moss Frog Arthroleptella ngongoniensis: Distribution, adult population size and conservation of a highly threatened South African endemic. Presented at the 8th Herpetological Association of Africa Symposium, Potchefstroom, South Africa, 2006.
  • Harvey, J. Threatened Frogs in KwaZulu-Natal: Recent findings and contributions to their conservation. Presented at the 14th African Amphibian Working Group meeting, Cape Town, South Africa, 2010, and at the 2010 KwaZulu-Natal Conservation Symposium, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 2010.
  • Harvey, J. Coetze, A., Conradie, W., Dalton, D., & M. Cunningham. Confirmation of the presence of amphibian chytrid on the Mulanje Massif, Malawi. Presented at the 10th Herpetological Association of Africa Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, 2011.
  • Harvey, J. A survey of the amphibian fauna of southern coastal Kenya. Presented at 15th African Amphibian Working Group meeting, Trento, Italy, 2012.
  • Harvey, J. New herpetofaunal records for Mali, including the rediscovery of two lizards not seen since pre-1940. Presented at the 10th Herpetological Association of Africa Symposium, Cape Town, South Africa, 2012.
  • Tolley, K., Harvey, J. Blackburn, D., Dreyer, S., J. Measey. Little frogs and big surprises: phylogenetics of the widespread species Arthroleptis wahlbergii Presented at 16th African Amphibian Working Group meeting, Bwindi, Uganda, 2014.