Darren Houniet

MSc student

Contact Details:
houniet@sanbi.org

Background

I began my studies in the biological field by doing a B.Sc. at the University of the Western Cape with botany and zoology majors. My interests have always leaned more towards the zoological side of things though. I then went on to complete an honours degree at the same university, but this time focusing more on zoological subjects. For my honour's thesis I worked on Barking Geckos up in the Richtersveld using an experimental technique of high resolution, aerial photography.

I then took on the present Masters project at the SANBI under the supervision of Dr. Krystal Tolley, and co-supervision of Prof. Les Underhill at the University of Cape Town at which I am currently registered. The project is also in collaboration with Wilfried Thuiller in France and Dr. Guy Midgley at SANBI.

The project involves mapping, via a GIS framework, the current and potential future, and past, distributions of the Dwarf Chameleons ( Bradypodion ) of South Africa. It entails the construction of climatic envelopes and thereby predicted distributions of all Bradypodion species in South Africa, with the focus being on Bradypodion pumilum (the Cape Dwarf Chameleon). Future potential distributions will be constructed via the use of various climate change scenarios for the years 2050 and 2080, while the projections of past distributions will be done using past climatic data.