Reptiles in Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Families, genera, and species are presented in alphabetical order.

A number of pictures, depicting unidentified species, are also shown here. If you are able to identify any of these animals, or if you find any errors, I would be grateful to receive an email. You may use the address at the bottom of this page.

I have used the former name Zaire for the country today officially known as The Democratic Republic of Congo, as I find that name somewhat laborious. Furthermore, you can hardly place the term ‘democratic’ on a country that, for decades, has been pervaded by a chaos of violence.

 

 

 

The generic name is probably of West African origin, but apparently it was a name used for chameleons.

 

It is widespread from southern Zaire and southern kenya southwards to South Africa.

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘armed’, like the common name alluding to numerous tiny spines on the body of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was named in honour of British physician, naturalist, and Governor General of Zanzibar, Sir John Kirk (1832-1922), who collected many plants and animals in eastern Africa and published numerous papers. Many species are named after him, including this agama. He was also the leading figure in ending the slave trade in Zanzibar, with the aid of his political assistant, Ali bin Saleh bin Nasser Al-Shaibani.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek leios (‘smooth’) and noton (‘back’).

 

 

 

 

 

It was named after the type locality, the town of Mwanza in north-western Tanzania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin planus (‘flat’) and –ceps (‘-headed’).

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek oura (‘tail’) and mastix (‘whip’), alluding to the spikes on the tail of these lizards.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek akantha (‘thorn’) and oura (‘tail’), like the generic name alluding to the spiny tail of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

The eyes of these animals move independently, and they are able to analyze two different images simultaneously when hunting for prey. When a suitable prey has been spotted, the chameleon projects its very long, sticky, folded-up tongue at a tremendous speed at the prey, often from quite a distance. The poor victim sticks to the tongue, which is then folded up and retracted into the mouth, prey and all.

Chameleons are also able to change colour very fast, which mostly happens when they get excited. An example is shown below under Chamaeleo dilepis.

The family name is derived from the Greek khamai (‘on the ground’) and leon (‘lion’), thus ‘earth-lion’, undoubtedly alluding to the hunting method and voracious appetite of these animals.

Several species are popular pets, and some places they have escaped (or have been released) to form feral populations, which are often a threat to the local insect fauna – and thereby indirectly to insectvorous birds, and plants which are dependent on insects for pollunation. This is seen in Hawaii and other places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some stage, it was brought from Egypt to Peloponnese, Greece, which today has a small population of about 350 individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name honours Portuguese explorer and naturalist José Alberto de Oliveira Anchieta (1832-1897), who travelled extensively in Portuguese Angola between 1866 and 1897, where he collected a large number of animals and plants. He died in Angola, presumably of malaria.

 

 

 

 

 

It is a large species, up to 35 cm long, including the tail. It may be green, yellowish, or brownish, but there is usually pale stripes on the flanks and underside.

The specific name is Ancient Greek, meaning ‘with double scales’, which may refer to the pattern on the gular sac, where rows of green double-scales alternate with rufous bands (see picture below).

The common name alludes to two flaps on the hind neck, similar to those of the African chameleon (above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the exception of K. adolfifriderici and K. tavetana, these animals are restricted to mountains in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and far eastern Zaire, and almost all have a very small range.

The generic name is the Kiswahili name of these chameleons.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘with many warts’, presumably alluding to the knobby horns of this species.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek tri (‘three’) and keras (‘horn’), alluding to the fact that some (but far from all) members of the genus have 3 horn-like protruberances on the forehead and nose.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin bi– (‘occurring twice’), and from Ancient Greek tainia (‘ribbon’), referring to two lines along the side of the body.

 

 

 

 

 

According to Chapin, the general colour of the male is dark grey, with a few blackish bars, and a faint tinge of rufous in the light areas of the body. These characters are clearly seen in the photo below.

The species was described as late as 1964 by Belgian herpetologist Gaston François de Witte (1897-1980), who named it in honour of American ornithologist James Paul Chapin (1889-1964), co-leader of the Lang-Chapin expedition.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is the word for chameleon in the Pokot language. This animal was first described from the Pokot tribal area in the Cherangani Hills.

 

 

 

 

 

The seventh species is the huge leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which forms a separate family, Dermochelyidae. It has no scutes, but a leathery skin that covers 5 or 7 longitudinal ribs along the back.

Although sea turtles spend about 98% of their life in the oceans, the females must get ashore, when they are about to lay eggs. With a great effort, they crawl ashore on a sandy beach, where they use their hind flippers to dig a hole above the high tide line.

When a female has finished digging, she lays a number of white eggs, often between 80 and 100. They resemble table tennis balls, but are soft, so as not to break when they fall into the hole. When the egg-laying is over, the female covers the eggs, throwing sand about with her flippers to camouflage the spot. Then she returns to the sea.

Some sea turtle species lay eggs several times in a season, in some cases up to 11 clutches. It sounds incredible, but the female often returns to the beach where it hatched many years before. How she is able to do that remains a mystery. One theory is that the animals are imprinted by the physical and chemical composition of the beach, and that they are able to use the Earth magnetism to navigate from.

Earlier, adult sea turtles didn’t have many enemies. Tidligere havde voksne havskildpadder ikke mange fjender. Large sharks and orcas (Orcinus orca) may take some, although it is a rather bony mouthful. However, with the spreading of humans to the entire planet, the situation is quite different, and all eight species are declining drastically. The eggs are dug up and eaten by poor settlers, or eaten as a delicacy in restaurants, or because they are regarded as an aphrodisiac. Many adult turtles are also eaten by people.

The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is persecuted due to its beatiful carapace, from which jewelery, combs, and other items are carved. Numerous carapaces are imported by the Japanese. Even entire, varnished carapaces are sold as souvenirs, among other places in Indonesia.

Tens of thousands of sea turtles drown in fishing nets or become damaged by the propellors of boat engines. Young turtles die from eating waste oil and lumps of tar, floating on the surface. Many leatherbacks eat plastic, which resembles their main food, jellyfish. The plastic cannot be digested and gets stuck in the intestines, causing the animal to die from starvation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been much persecuted due to its delicious meat, and is now listed as endangered by the IUCN.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khelone (‘tortoise’), whereas the specific name is from the Greek mydos (‘humidity’), referring to its aquatic habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek eretmon (‘oar’) and chelys (‘tortoise’, ‘turtle’), alluding to the oarlike limbs of this species. The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘overlapping’, referring to the overlapping scutes on the carapace of juveniles and immatures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dasys, which, strictly speaking, means ‘hairy’, but may also mean ‘shaggy’ or ‘dense’, and pelte (‘a small shield’), alluding to the rough scales.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek philos (‘loving’) and thamnos (‘bush’), thus ‘prefers to live in shrubland’.

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek hoplon (‘weapon’) and gaster (‘belly’). What it refers to is not clear. Maybe the scales on the underside are sharp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Males of these lizards are brilliantly coloured, whereas females are brownish or greyish with white or yellow longitudinal stripes.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek platys (‘wide’) and saurus (‘lizard’), alluding to the broad, flat back of these animals.

 

It was named in honour of African herpetologist Donald George Broadley (1932-2016), who described no less than 8 genera and subgenera, and 115 species and subspecies of reptiles, new to science.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘having small eyes’, referring to the white spots on the body of the male.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from krokodeilos, the Ancient Greek term for these animals.

 

The largest specimens occasionally turn into dangerous man-eaters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These snakes live in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with terrestrial forms in Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas, and marine forms in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They vary greatly in size, from the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), which may sometimes grow almost 6 m long, to the white-lipped snake (Drysdalia coronoides), which is a mere 18-20 cm long.

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek dendron (‘tree’) and asp (‘venomous snake’).

 

During field work in 1989 in Tanzanian coastal forests, my companions and I encountered green mambas on several occasions, as they lay draped over thin branches in the trees. However, they were not at all aggressive, and we could admire their beautiful colour from a distance.

The specific name is derived from the Latin angustus (‘narrow’) and –ceps (‘-headed’).

 

 

 

 

 

The black mamba lives in various habitats, including savanna, woodland, rocky slopes, and sometimes forest. It is the fastest snake in the world, over short distances able to attain a speed up to 16 km/h.

During field work in 1990 in Rondo Forest, southern Tanzania, we observed a black mamba on the forest floor. When we approached to have a closer look at it, it regurgitated an elephant shrew (Macroscelididae), whereupon it disappeared at a tremendous speed.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek polys (‘many’) and lepis (‘scale’).

 

 

 

 

 

The name gecko stems from the call of the Southeast Asian tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), rendered as geck-oo or tuc-too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek khondros (‘grain’) and daktylos (‘finger’), thus ‘having feet with a granular structure’.

 

It was named in honour of British entomologist and merchant James Aspinall Turner (1797-1867).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The genus was named in honour of Dutch physician Murk van Phelsum (1732-1779).

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘doubtful’. Presumably, German zoologist Oskar Böttger (1844-1910), who named this animal in 1881, was in doubt whether it was a valid species or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from the Ndebele word matobo, meaning ‘bald head’, referring to the Matobo Hills in southern Zimbabwe, which are characterized by rather smooth granite hills. This area is prime habitat for plated lizards.

 

The specific name is Latin, meaning ‘powerful’ or ‘strong’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek akantha (‘thorn’) and daktylos (‘finger’).

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin scutra (‘tray’, ‘dish’, ‘platter’) and the diminutive suffix la, thus ‘with small plates’, referring to the scales.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek ikhnos (‘track’, ‘footprint’) and tropis (‘the keel of a ship’).

 

The specific name refers to the Cape region of South Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

These turtles are omnivorous, mainly eating invertebrates, including insects, mollusks, and worms. However, in South Africa one species has been observed to grab and drown doves that came to a waterhole to drink. They may also feed on carrion.

 

The generic name is derived from the Latin pelo- (‘in mud’) and medusa. In Greek mythology, three sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, were Gorgons – winged monsters with living venomous snakes on the head instead of hair. It was said that if you happened to look at any of them, you would be turned into stone.

Thus the name means ‘Medusa, living in mud’. Well, these animals often live in muddy waters, but the connection to Medusa is hard to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek psammos (‘sand’) and phis (‘snake’), thus ‘sand-loving snakes’.

 

The specific name refers to numerous black dots along the side of the body.

 

 

 

 

 

The family and common names are adapted from the Ancient Syriac word for these animals, sqinqur.

 

Members of the genus were formerly included in the genera Mabuya and Euprepis.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek trakhys (‘rough’) and lepis (‘scale’), alluding to 3 or more slight longitudinal keels on the dorsal scales.

 

Adult males and females are very different in colouration. Females have a dark back with 3 longitudinal white stripes and a bright blue tail, whereas males are greyish or brownish with a reddish head and tail.

It was formerly considered a subspecies of the five-lined mabuya (below), but was elevated to a separate species in 1998.

The specific name is derived from the Latin margarita (‘pearl’) and‎ fer (‘bearing’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is widely distributed, found from northern Africa southwards to Zaire and Tanzania.

The specific name is derived from the Latin quinque (‘five’) and taeniatus (‘banded’).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name was applied in honour of Swedish naturalist and explorer Johan August Wahlberg (1810-1856), who travelled in southern Africa between 1838 and 1856, sending thousands of specimens back to Sweden. He was exploring the Okavango area in Botswana, when he was killed by a wounded elephant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is composed of Aldabra, and the Ancient Greek word for tortoise, khelys.

In historic times, giant tortoises were found on many of the western Indian Ocean islands, as well as in Madagascar, and fossil records indicate that giant tortoises once occurred on all continents, except Australia and Antarctica. Many of the Indian Ocean species were driven to extinction by European sailors, for whom they were a source of food, and they seemed to be all extinct by 1840, except the Aldabra giant tortoise.

 

 

 

 

 

The generic name is a classical Greek word for tortoise, whereas the specific name refers to the shape of the throat shield, which is used when males fight during mating season, attempting to overturn each other.

 

 

 

 

 

The popular name refers to a band of flexible tissue, forming a hinge in the rear part of the shield of these tortoises, which, when closed, protects the rear legs and tail from predators.

 

The specific and common names were given in honour of English naturalist and dental surgeon Thomas Hornsey Bell (1792-1880), who became professor of zoology at King’s College in 1834.

When the famous English naturalist Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) returned to England after participating in an expedition around the world on board the HMS Beagle 1831-1836, Bell was given the task of describing the reptiles and crustacean, which had been collected during the voyage.

His works include:

A Monograph of the Testudinata, 1832-1836, which summarizes all the world’s turtles, living and extinct.

A History of British Quadrupeds, 1836.

A History of the British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, 1844-1853.

 

 

 

 

 

The specific and common names were given in honour of English officer and explorer John Hanning Speke (1827-1864), who explored eastern Africa on three expeditions. He attempted to find the source of the Nile, and was the first European to reach Lake Victoria.

 

 

 

 

 

It is widely distributed in eastern and southern Africa, found from southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Zaire southwards to South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland). Its prime habitats are savanna and shrublands.

The generic name is derived from Ancient Greek stigma (‘spot’) and chelys (‘tortoise’), the specific name from the Greek pardus (‘mottled’), both names alluding to the densely spotted shield. The common name also refers to the pattern on the shield, which, with a bit of imagination, resembles the pattern on a leopard’s coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They range in length from 7 to 35 cm, weighing between 0.7 and 7 kilos.

The generic name is the classical Latin word for tortoises, derived from testa (‘shell’ or ‘covering’).

 

The specific name was given in honour of French banker and naturalist Edouard Kleinmann (1832-1901), who collected the type specimen in 1875.

I encountered this species in Egypt in 1999, when my late friend Uffe Gjøl Sørensen and I visited the renowned herpetologist Sherif Baha el Din (born 1960) in Cairo. He took us to the Zaranik Protected Area, where he had marked several Egyptian tortoises with chips for radio-tracking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is of Semitic origin, meaning ‘dragon’ or ‘lizard beast’. The English name is explained in various ways. Some say it has its origin due to the occasional habit of these animals to stand on their two hind legs, seemingly ‘monitoring’ something. Others say that it arose from an old superstitious belief that they would warn people of the approach of venomous animals.

My experience with the famous Komodo dragon (V. komodoensis) is related on the page Travel episodes – Indonesia 1985: Difficult journey to Komodo.

Previously, the earless monitor lizard (Lanthanotus borneensis) was placed in this family, but has since been moved to a separate family, Lanthanotidae.

 

The specific name is derived from the Latin albus (‘white’) and gula (‘throat’).

 

 

 

 

 

The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek exanthema, from ex-, which forms the genitive, anthos (‘flower’), and –ticus, a suffix forming adjectives, thus ‘flower-like’, presumably alluding to the pattern on the body.

 

 

 

 

 

In some areas, it has become extinct locally due to over-exploitation for the skin industry.

A feral population has been established at several locations in Florida, formed from escaped or released pets. It poses a threat to the local fauna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The family name is the classical Latin word for vipers. The Latin name of the pit vipers, Crotalinae, is derived from Ancient Greek krotalon (‘castanet’), alluding to the rattle on a rattlesnake’s tail. This subfamily is found in Asia and the Americas. The members, which include rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and Asian pit vipers, are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ, located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head.

 

 

The specific and common names refer to Gabon, an area in Equatorial West Africa, named Gabão by the Portuguese, which was originally much larger than the present-day country of Gabon.