Reptiles in East Africa
Below is a searchable list of reptiles found in the East African countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, courtesy of Stephen Spawls, Kim Howell, Robert Drewes and Sanda Ashe.
To search by scientific or English common name, click Control-F. If you have difficulty viewing the list, adjust the viewing size of your browser’s text.
Detailed information about most of these reptiles can be found in “A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa,” Stephen Spawls, Kim Howell, Robert Drewes and James Ashe, Academic Press, London, 2002, ISBN 0-12-656470-1. Named for James Ashe, Naja ashei is not included in this book; Wolfgang Wüster confirmed it as a separate species in 2007.
An adapted “Pocket Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of East Africa“by Robert C. Drewes, Kim Howell, Stephen Spawls is available from A&C Black Publishers, London. Stephen Spawls’ books are also available from Amazon.com.
| GENUS AND SPECIES | ENGLISH COMMON NAME | |
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| Atractaspis aterrimaAcanthocercus annectansAcanthocercus atricollis
Acanthocercus cyanogaster Acontias percivali Adenorhinos barbouri Adolfus africanus Adolfus alleni Adolfus jacksoni Adolfus vauereselli Agama agama Agama armata Agama caudospinosa Agama finchii Agama montana Agama mossambica Agama mwanzae Agama persimilis Agama rueppelli Aldabrachelys elephantina Amblyodipsas dimidiata Amblyodipsas katengensis Amblyodipsas polylepis Amblyodipsas teitana Amblyodipsas unicolor Ancylocranium barkeri Ancylocranium ionidesi Aparallactus capensis Aparallactus guentheri Aparallactus jacksonii Aparallactus lunulatus Aparallactus modestus Aparallactus turneri Aparallactus werneri Atheris acuminata Atheris ceratophorus Atheris desaixi Atheris hispida Atheris nitschei Atheris rungweensis Atheris squamiger Atractaspis bibronii Atractaspis engdahli Atractaspis fallax Atractaspis irregularis Bitis arietans Bitis gabonica Bitis nasicornis Bitis worthingtoni Boiga blandingii Boiga pulverulenta Bothrophthalmus lineatus Boulengerina annulata Buhoma depressiceps Buhoma procterae Buhoma vauerocegae Caretta caretta Causus bilineatus Causus defilippi Causus lichtensteinii Causus maculatus Causus resimus Causus rhombeatus Chalcides ocellatus Chamaeleo anchietae Chamaeleo bitaeniatus Chamaeleo deremensis Chamaeleo dilepis Chamaeleo ellioti Chamaeleo fuelleborni Chamaeleo goetzei Chamaeleo gracilis Chamaeleo hoehnelii Chamaeleo incornutus Chamaeleo ituriensis Chamaeleo jacksonii Chamaeleo johnstoni Chamaeleo laevigatus Chamaeleo laterispinis Chamaeleo marsabitensis Chamaeleo melleri Chamaeleo narraioca Chamaeleo ntunte Chamaeleo rudis Chamaeleo schubotzi Chamaeleo tempeli Chamaeleo tremperi Chamaeleo werneri Chamaelycus fasciatus Chamaesaura anguina Chamaesaura macrolepis Chelonia mydas Chilorhinopus butleri Chilorhinopus gerardi Chirindia ewerbecki Chirindia mpwapwaensis Chirindia rondoensis Chirindia swynnertoni Chondrodactylus turneri Cnemaspis africana Cnemaspis barbouri Cnemaspis dickersonae Cnemaspis elgonensis Cnemaspis quattuorseriatus Cnemaspis uzungwae Cordylus berraduccii Cordylus tropidosternum Cordylus ukingensis Crocodylus cataphractus Crocodylus niloticus Crotaphopeltis braestrupi Crotaphopeltis degeni Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia Crotaphopeltis tornieri Cryptoblepharis boutonii Cycloderma frenatum Dasypeltis atra Dasypeltis confusa Dasypeltis fasciata Dasypeltis medici Dasypeltis scabra Dendroaspis angusticeps Dendroaspis jamesoni Dendroaspis polylepis Dermochelys coriacea Dipsadoboa aulica Dipsadoboa flavida Dipsadoboa shrevei Dipsadoboa unicolor Dipsadoboa viridis Dipsadoboa weileri Dipsadoboa werneri Dispholidus typus Dromophis lineatus Duberria lutrix Ebenavia inunguis Echis pyramidum Elapsoidea boulengeri Elapsoidea laticincta Elapsoidea loveridgei Elapsoidea nigra Elasmodactylus tetensis Elasmodactylus tuberculosus Eretmochelys imbricata Eryx colubrinus Eumecia anchietae Feylinia currori Furcifer oustaleti Gastropholis prasina Gastropholis vittata Geocalamus acutus Geocalamus modestus Gerrhosaurus flavigularis Gerrhosaurus major Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus Gonionotophis brussauxi Grayia smythii Grayia tholloni Hapsidophrys lineata Hapsidophrys smaragdina Heliobolis neumanni Heliobolis spekii Hemidactylus barbouri Hemidactylus bavazzanoi Hemidactylus brooki Hemidactylus frenatus Hemidactylus funaiolii Hemidactylus isolepis Hemidactylus mabouia Hemidactylus macropholis Hemidactylus modestus Hemidactylus platycephalus Hemidactylus richardsoni Hemidactylus robustus Hemidactylus ruspolii Hemidactylus squamulatus Hemidactylus tanganicus Hemidactylus tropidolepis Hemirrhagerrhis hildebrandtii Hemirrhagerrhis kelleri Hemirrhagerrhis nototaenia Holaspis guentheri Holodactylus africanus Homopholis fasciata Hormonotus modestus Ichnotropis bivittata Ichnotropis squamulosa Ichnotropis tanganicana Kinixys belliana Kinixys erosa Kinixys spekii Kinyongia adolfifriderici Kinyongia carpenteri Kinyongia excubitor Kinyongia fischeri Kinyongia oxyrhinum Kinyongia tavetanum Kinyongia tenue Kinyongia uthmoelleri Kinyongia xenorhinum Lamprophis fuliginosus Lamprophis olivaceus Latastia johnsoni Latastia longicaudata Lepidochelys olivacea Leptosiaphos aloysiisabaudiae Leptosiaphos blochmanni Leptosiaphos graueri Leptosiaphos hackarsi Leptosiaphos kilimensis Leptosiaphos meleagris Leptosiaphos rhomboidalis Leptotyphlops boulengeri Leptotyphlops braccianii Leptotyphlops drewesi Leptotyphlops emini Leptotyphlops howelli Leptotyphlops ionidesi Leptotyphlops keniensis Leptotyphlops latirostris Leptotyphlops macrops Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus Leptotyphlops mbanjensis Leptotyphlops monticolus Leptotyphlops nigroterminus Leptotyphlops pembae Leptotyphlops scutifrons Leptotyphlops tanae Letheobia ataeniata Letheobia gracilis Letheobia graueri Letheobia lumbriciformis Letheobia pallida Letheobia pembana Letheobia swahilica Letheobia uluguruensis Letheobia unitaeniata Loveridgea ionidesi Loveridgea phylofiniens Lycodonomorphus bicolor Lycodonomorphus whytii Lycophidion acutirostre Lycophidion capense Lycophidion depressirostre Lycophidion laterale Lycophidion meleagre Lycophidion ornatum Lycophidion pembanum Lycophidion taylori Lycophidion uzungwense Lygodactylus angolensis Lygodactylus angularis Lygodactylus broadleyi Lygodactylus capensis Lygodactylus conradti Lygodactylus grandisoni Lygodactylus gravis Lygodactylus grzimeki Lygodactylus gutturalis Lygodactylus inexpectatus Lygodactylus keniensis Lygodactylus laterimaculatus Lygodactylus luteopicturatus Lygodactylus manni Lygodactylus picturatus Lygodactylus scheffleri Lygodactylus scortecci Lygodactylus somalicus Lygodactylus uluguruensis Lygodactylus viscatus Lygodactylus williamsi Lygodacylus kimhowelli Lygosoma afrum Lygosoma fernandii Lygosoma mabuiiformis Lygosoma mafianum Lygosoma pembanum Lygosoma somalicum Lygosoma sundevalli Lygosoma tanae Malacochersus tornieri Mehelya capensis Mehelya nyassae Mehelya poensis Mehelya stenophthalmus Meizodon krameri Meizodon plumbiceps Meizodon regularis Meizodon semiornatus Melanoseps ater Melanoseps emmrichi Melanoseps longicauda Melanoseps loveridgei Melanoseps pygmaeus Melanoseps rondoensis Melanoseps uzungwensis Micrelaps bicoloratus Micrelaps vaillanti Montatheris hindii Naja ashei Naja haje Naja melanloleuca Naja mossambica Naja nigricollis Naja pallida Natriciteres olivacea Natriciteres pembana Natriciteres sylvatica Nucras boulengeri Nucras taeniolata Osteolaemus tetraspis Panaspis megalurus Panaspis wahlbergii Pelamis platura Pelomedusa subrufa Pelusios adansoni Pelusios broadleyi Pelusios castanoides Pelusios chapini Pelusios gabonensis Pelusios rhodesianus Pelusios sinuatus Pelusios subniger Pelusios williamsi Phelsuma abboti Phelsuma dubia Philochortus rudolfensis Philothamnus angolensis Philothamnus battersbyi Philothamnus bequaerti Philothamnus carinatus Philothamnus heterodermus Philothamnus heterolepidotus Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus hughesi Philothamnus macrops Philothamnus nitidus (loveridgei) Philothamnus ornatus Philothamnus punctatus Philothamnus ruandae Philothamnus semivariegatus Platcyeps brevis (smithi) Platyceps florulentus Platysaurus maculatus Polemon christyi Polemon collaris Polemon fulvicollis Polemon gabonensis Polemon graueri Pristurus crucifer Proatheris superciliaris Proscelotes eggeli Prosymna ambigua Prosymna meleagris Prosymna ornatissima Prosymna pitmani Prosymna ruspolii Prosymna semifasciata Prsoymna stuhlmanni Psammophis angolensis Psammophis biseriatus Psammophis mossambicus Psammophis orientalis Psammophis pulcher Psammophis punctulatus Psammophis rukwae Psammophis sudanensis Psammophis tanganicus Psammophylax multisquamis Psammophylax tritaeniatus Psammophylax variabilis Pseudaspis cana Pseuderemias smithii Pseuderemias striata Pseudohaje goldii Python natalensis Python regius Python sebae Ramphotyphlops braminus Rhamnophis aethiopissa Rhamphiophis acutus Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus Rhamphiophis rostratus Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus Rhampholeon acuminatus Rhampholeon beraduccii Rhampholeon boulengeri Rhampholeon moyeri Rhampholeon nchisiensis Rhampholeon spinosus Rhampholeon temporalis Rhampholeon uluguruensis Rhampholeon viridis Rhinotyphlops brevis Rhinotyphlops mucroso Rieppeleon brachyurus Rieppeleon brevicaudatus Rieppeleon kerstenii Scaphiophis albopunctatus Scaphiophis raffreyi Scelotes uluguruensis Scolecoseps acontias Scolecoseps litipoensis Spesina tetradactyla Stenodactylus sthenodactylus Stigmochelys pardalis Telescopus dhara Telescopus semiannulatus Tetradactylus ellenbergeri Tetradactylus udzungwensis Thelotornis kirtlandii Thelotornis mossambicanus Thelotornis usambaricus Thrasops jacksoni Trachylepis bayonii Trachylepis boulengeri Trachylepis brauni Trachylepis brevicollis Trachylepis dichroma Trachylepis irregularis Trachylepis maculilabris Trachylepis margaritifer Trachylepis megalura Trachylepis planifrons Trachylepis quinquetaeniata Trachylepis striata Trachylepis varia Trionyx triunguis Typhlacontias kataviensis Typhlops angolensis Typhlops congestus Typhlops cunierostris Typhlops gierrae Typhlops lineolatus Typhlops platyrhynchus Typhlops punctatus Typhlops rondoensis Typhlops tanganicus Typhlops usambaricus Urocotyledon rasmusseni Urocotyledon wolterstorffi Varanus albigularis Varanus exanthematicus Varanus niloticus Varanus ornatus Xyelodontophis uluguruensis |
Slender burrowing aspEritrean rock agamaBlue-headed tree agama
Black-necked tree agama Percival’s legless skink Udzungwa viper Multi-scaled forest lizard Alpine-meadow lizard Jackson’s forest lizard Sparse-scaled forest lizard Red-headed rock agama Tropical spiny agama Elmenteita rock agama Finch’s agama Montane rock agama Mozambique agama Mwanza flat-headed agama Somali painted agama Ruppell’s agama Aldabran tortoise Mpwapwa purple-glossed snake Ionides’ purple-glossed snake Common purple-glossed snake Taita Hills purple-glossed snake Western purple-glossed snake Barker’s sharp-snouted worm lizard Ionides’ sharp-snouted worm lizard Cape centipede-eater Black centipede-eater Jackson’s centipede-eater Plumbeous centipede-eater Western forest centipede eater Malindi centipde-eater Usambara centipede-eater Acuminate bush viper Usambara bush viper/horned bush viper Mt Kenya bush viper Rough-scaled bush viper Great Lakes bush viper Mt Rungwe bush viper Green bush viper Bibron’s burrowing asp Engdahl’s burrowing asp Kenya small-scaled burrowing asp Variable burrowing asp Puff Adder Gaboon Viper Rhinoceros Viper / nose-horned viper Kenya Horned Viper Blanding’s tree snake Powdered tree snake Red and black striped snake Banded water cobra Pale-headed forest snake Uluguru forest snake Usambara forest snake Loggerhead turtle Two-striped night adder Snouted night adder Forest night adder West African night adder Velvety-green Night Adder Rhombic Night Adder Ocellated skink Angola chameleon Side-striped chameleon Usambara three-horned chameleon Flap-necked chameleon Montane side-striped chameleon Poroto three-horned chameleon Goetz’s chameleon Slender chameleon Von Hoehnel’s chameleon Ukinga hornless chameleon Ituri forest chameleon Jackson’s chameleon Ruwenzori three-horned chameleon Smooth chameleon Spiny-flanked chameleon Mount Marsabit chameleon Giant one-horned chameleon Mt Kulal Chameleon Mt Nyiru Chameleon Ruwenzori side-striped chameleon Mt Kenya side-striped chameleon Tubercle-nosed chameleon Eldama Ravine chameleon Werner’s three-horned chameleon Ituri banded snake Highland grass lizard Zambian grass lizard Green turtle Butler’s black and yellow burrowing snake Gerard’s black and yellow burrowing snake Ewerbeck’s round-headed worm lizard Mpwapwa round-headed worm lizard Rondo round-headed worm lizard Swynnerton’s round-headed worm lizard Turner’s thick-toed gecko Usambara forest gecko Uluguru Forest Gecko Dickerson’s forest gecko Elgon forest gecko Four-lined forest gecko Udzungwa forest gecko Masai girdled lizard Tropical girdled lizard Ukinga girdled lizard Slender-snouted crocodile Nile crocodile Tana Herald snake Yellow-flanked snake White lip Tornier’s cat snake Coral-rag skink Zambezi flap-shelled turtle Montane egg-eater Linked egg-eater Western forest egg eater Rufous egg-eater Common egg-eater Green mamba Jameson’s mamba Black mamba Leatherback turtle Marbled tree snake Cross-barred tree snake Shreve’s tree snake Gunther’s green tree snake Laurent’s green tree snake Black-tailed green tree snake Werner’s tree snake Boomslang Striped olympic snake Slug eater Madagascan clawless gecko North-east African carpet viper Boulenger’s garter snake Central African garter snake East African garter snake Usambara garter snake Tete thick-toed gecko Tuberculate thick-toed gecko Hawksbill turtle Kenya sand boa Western serpentiform skink Western forest limbless skink Malagasy giant chameleon Green kelled-bellied lizard Striped keel-bellied lizard Voi wedge-snouted worm lizard Mpwapwa wedge-snouted worm lizard Yellow-throated plated lizard Great plated lizard Black-lined plated lizard Mocquard’s lesser file snake Smith’s water snake Thollon’s water snake Black-lined green snake Emerald snake Neumann’s sand lizard Speke’s sand lizard Barbour’s gecko Somali banded gecko Brook’s gecko Pacific gecko Archer’s post gecko Uniform-scaled gecko Tropical house gecko Boulenger’s gecko Tana River gecko Tree gecko Richardson’s forest gecko Somali Plain gecko Prince Ruspoli’s gecko Nyika gecko Dutumi gecko Ogaden gecko Northern bark snake Striped bark snake Southern bark snake Blue-tailed gliding lizard Somali-Masai clawed gecko Banded velvet gecko Yellow forest snake Angolan rough-scaled lizard Mozambique rough-scaled lizard Tanzanian rough-scaled lizard Bell’s hinged tortoise Forest hinged tortoise Speke’s hinged tortoise Ituri chameleon Carpenter’s chameleon Mt Kenya hornless chameleon Usambara two-horned chameleon Uluguru one-horned chameleon Mt Kilimanjaro two-horned chameleon Usambara soft-horned chameleon Hanang hornless chameleon Strange-horned chameleon Brown house snake Olive house snake Johnston’s long-tailed lizard Southern long-tailed lizard Olive Ridley turtle Uganda five-toed skink Kivu three-toed skink Rwanda five-toed skink Virunga four-toed skink Kilimanjaro five-toed skink Ruwenzori four-toed skink Udzungwa five-toed skink Lamu worm snake Bracciani’s worm snake Drewes’ worm snake Emin Pasha’s worm snake Howell’s worm snake Ionides’ worm snake Mt Kenya worm snake Uvira worm snake Large-eyed/goggle-eyed worm snake Hook-snouted worm snake Mbanja worm snake Virunga worm snake Black-tip worm snake Pemba worm snake Peters’ worm snake Tana River worm snake Somali blind snake Gracile wormlike blind snake Lake Tanganyika wormlike blind snake Zanzibar wormlike blind snake Pallid wormlike blind snake Pemba wormlike blind snake Swahili wormlike blind snake Uluguru blind snake Yellow-striped blind snake Liwale round-snouted worm lizard Ujiji round-snouted worm lizard Lake Tanganyika water snake Whyte’s water snake Mozambique wolf snake Cape wolf snake Flat-snouted wolf snake Western forest wolf snake Speckled wolf snake Forest wolf snake Pemba wolf snake Taylor’s wolf snake Red-snouted wolf snake Angolan dwraf gecko Angulate dwarf gecko Broadley’s dwarf gecko Cape dwarf gecko Conradt’s dwarf gecko Bunty’s dwarf gecko Usambara dwarf gecko Grzimek’s dwarf gecko Forest dwarf gecko Dar Es Salaam dwarf gecko Kenya dwarf gecko Side-spotted dwarf gecko Yellow-headed dwarf gecko Mann’s dwarf gecko White-headed dwarf gecko Scheffler’s dwarf gecko Scortecci’s dwarf gecko Somali dwarf gecko Uluguru dwarf gecko Copal dwarf gecko Turquoise dwarf gecko Kim Howell’s dwarf gecko Peters’ writhing skink Red-flanked skink Mabuya-like writhing skink Mafia writhing skink Pemba Island writhing skink Somali writhing skink Sundevall’s writhing skink Tana River writhing skink Pancake Tortoise Cape file snake Black file snake Forest file snake Small-eyed file snake Tana Delta smooth snake Black-headed smooth snake Eastern crowned snake Semi-ornate snake Black limbless skink Uluguru limbless skink Long-tailed limbless skink Loveridge’s limbless skink Pygmy limbless skink Rondo limbless skink Udzungwa Mountains limbless skink Two-coloured snake Desert black-headed snake Kenya Montane Viper Ashe’s Spitting Cobra Egyptian cobra Forest cobra Mozambique spitting cobra Black-necked spitting cobra Red Spitting Cobra Olive marsh snake Pemba marsh snake Forest marsh snake Boulenger’s scrub lizard Ornate scrub lizard Dwarf crocodile Blue-tailed snake-eyed skink Wahlberg’s snake-eyed skink Yellow-bellied sea snake Helmeted terrapin Adanson’s hinged terrrapin Lake Turkana hinged terrapin Yellow-bellied hinged terrapin Congo hinged terrapin Forest hinged terrapin Zambian hinged terrapin Serrated hinged terapin Pan hinged terrapin William’s hinged terrapin Pemba day gecko Dull-green day gecko Turkana shield-backed ground lizard Angolan green-snake Battersby’s green snake Uganda green snake Thirteen-scaled green snake Forest green-snake Slender green-snake South-eastern green-snake Hughes’ green-snake Usambara ghreen-snake Loveridge’s green-snake Stripe-backed gren-snake Speckled green-snake Rwanda forest green snake Spotted bush snake Smith’s racer Flowered racer Spotted flat lizard Christy’s snake-eater Fawn-headed snake-eater Yellow-necked snake-eater Gabon snake-eater Pale-collared snake-eater Cross-marked sand gecko Floodplain viper Usambara five-toed fossorial skink Angolan shovel-snout Speckled shovel snout Ornate shovel-snout Pitman’s shovel-snout Prince Ruspoli’s shovel-snout Banded shovel-snout East African shovel snout Dwarf sand snake Link-marked sand snake Olive sand snake Eastern stripe-bellied sand snake Beautiful sand snake Speckled sand snake Lake Rukwa sand snake Northern stripe-bellied sand snake Tanganyika sand snake Kenyan striped skaapsteker Southern striped skaapsteker Grey-bellied skaapsteker Mole snake Smith’s sand lizard Peters’ sand lizard Gold’s Tree Cobra Southern African rock python Royal python Central African rock python Flower-pot blind snake Large-eyed green tree snake Striped beaked snake Western beaked snake Rufous beaked snake Red-spotted beaked snake Nguru pygmy chameleon Beraducci’s pygmy chameleon Boulenger’s pygmy chameleon Moyer’s pygmy chameleon Pitless pygmy chameleon Rosette-nosed pygmy chameleon Usambara pitted pygmy chameleon Uluguru pygmy chameleon Green pygmy chameleon Angle-snouted blind snake Zambezi blind snake Beardless pygmy chameleon Bearded pygmy chameleon Kenya pygmy chameleon Hook-nosed snake Ethiopian hook-nosed snake Uluguru fossorial skink Legless sand skink Litipo sand skink Four-toed fossorial skink Elegant gecko Leopard tortoise Large-eyed snake Tiger snake Ellenberger’s long-tailed seps Udzungwa long-tailed seps Forest vine snake Eastern vine snake Usambara vine snake Jackson’s tree snake Bayon’s skink Boulenger’s skink Ukinga mountain skink Short-necked skink Two-coloured skink Alpine-meadow skink Speckle-lipped skink Rainbow skink Grass-top skink Tree skink Five-lined skink Striped skink Variable skink Nile soft-shelled turtle Katavi limbless skink Angola blind snake Blotched blind snake Wedge-snouted blind snake Gierra’s blind snake Lineolate blind snake Tanga blind snake Spotted blind snake Rondo Plateau blind snake Tanganyika blind snake Usambara blind snake Rasmussen’s tail-pad gecko Uluguru tail-pad gecko White-throated savanna monitor Western savanna monitor Nile monitor Forest monitor Dagger tooth snake |
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© James Ashe Antivenom Trust, 2007-2012. All rights reserved. No portion of this page may be copied or reproduced in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of the author.