Reptiles are a class of vertebrates with dry, cornified skin which distinguishes them from the amphibians and fishes, and ectothermic metabolism (body temperature dependent on the temperature of the environment) which distinguishes them from birds and mammals.
Of the four orders of reptiles, three are well represented in southern Africa: the shelled reptiles (chelonians), the scaled reptiles (squamates) and the crocodiles (crocodilians). The fourth order includes the tuataras, which now exist only on a few New Zealand islands. The reptilian orders occurring in the southern African region are so different that they require separate descriptions:
• Chelonians include tortoises (land dwelling), turtles (sea dwelling) and terrapins (freshwater dwelling). They are easily recognisable by their characteristic shell which is a horn-covered bony extension of the rib cage. The carapace (upper shell) is domed and the plastron (lower shell) is flat in females and usually concave in males.
• Squamates (scaled reptiles) include the amphisbaenas, snakes and lizards:
Amphisbaenas (sometimes called worm lizards, but not to be confused with legless lizards) are burrowing animals that are very rarely encountered. Most are pinkish and about 15-30 cm long. Eyes are hidden and the head is protected in some species by a thick shield resembling a fingernail.
Snakes are all legless. They lack eyelids and ears but can detect sound vibrations through the substrate. The lower jaw can be dislocated to enable large prey items to be swallowed whole. The teeth are generally long and in some species they are adapted to inject venom.
Lizards generally have four legs, although in a few species these have become vestigial and they appear to be legless. They have visible ear openings and movable eyelids. The upper and lower jaws are fused. Belly scales are small and this distinguishes the legless lizards from most snakes, which have large ventral scales. Many species of lizards have long tails that can be shed and regenerated.
• Crocodilians are represented by one species, the Nile crocodile.
Southern Africa has the widest diversity of land tortoises in the world. All 14 species are described in this chapter, as well as all the marine turtles that visit southern African shores, including those that do not breed here. All indigenous hard-shelled terrapins are covered in the chapter. Excluded are the soft-shelled terrapins from north and east Africa which have been recorded at the peripheries of the southern African region but are very seldom seen. Also excluded is the American red-eared terrapin which has escaped from captivity. It has a green shell when young, brightly striped head and webbed feet.
Of the 18 southern African amphisbaenians, only a few have not been included as they are very rarely seen and the different species are difficult to identify.
Of the 156 southern African species of snakes, 90 are described. These include all those that are most likely to be encountered. In cases where there is a group of similar-looking, inconspicuous species, such as the blind snakes, a few species have been described as representative of the group as a whole.
The same criteria have been used to select the 103 lizards that are included, out of the nearly 324 southern African species. A large number of lizards are difficult to distinguish from others in a closely related group, therefore the more common species representing these groups have been described.
The Nile crocodile, the only crocodilian in southern Africa, is described.
Reptiles are distributed throughout southern Africa. Like all forms of wildlife, their numbers and diversity increase towards the warmer and wetter northeast. However, this is less marked in reptiles than in most other animals because, more than almost any other group, reptiles have adapted to desert conditions.
Crocodiles were once widespread, but their range has now been reduced to nature reserves and remote areas in the north. The distribution of other reptiles has probably been less affected by humans, although their numbers and conservation status most certainly have. Some tortoises with restricted ranges in the southern Cape have become severely endangered.
The mating season for reptiles is usually spring, and it is at this time that they are most frequently encountered. Fertilisation is internal. Sperm is transferred to the female via a single penis in crocodiles and chelonians, and paired hemipenes in snakes and lizards (although only one hemipenis is used at a time).
The majority of reptiles lay their eggs in warm, moist, secluded sites. Marine turtles come ashore along the northeastern coastline to nest, returning every summer to the same sites. The eggs are laid in holes dug on the beach above the high water mark and then covered and disguised by the female scuffing the sand in a large area around the nest. In April, the young turtles hatch and run a gauntlet of crabs, sea birds and other predators to reach the security of the surf. They remain at sea until sufficiently mature to breed. Other chelonians also bury their eggs in holes which they dig in carefully selected sites.
Crocodiles, too, bury their eggs in sandy banks. At the time of hatching the female - in response to the vocalising babies - re-excavates the nest and carries the hatchlings to the water. She also cracks open unhatched eggs with her teeth to free the hatchlings. For some time thereafter both male and female guard the young crocodiles in the water. A few species of snakes and lizards also protect their eggs and young while they develop.
The sex of young crocodiles and chelonians is determined in the egg by the incubation temperature. Male crocodiles develop in high temperatures and females in low temperatures; the opposite is true for turtles.
A few species of snakes and lizards give birth to live young.
Land tortoises are vegetarian but will occasionally scavenge carrion for calcium. Turtles and terrapins are mainly carnivorous.
Snakes capture and eat live prey. Small prey items such as slugs are simply swallowed. Larger prey is first subdued, either by constriction or by injection of venom.
Lizards are insectivorous except the two monitor species, which take larger prey, including small mammals and nestling birds. They are not venomous and rely on their stealth and agility to hunt and capture prey.
Crocodiles take live prey, mostly fish, under water, as well as animals that come down to drink.
Of the 156 species of snakes in southern Africa, 36 are venomous and 14 are known to have caused human death. Both venomous and non-venomous snakes will strike in defence, and some of the cobras and the rinkhals can spray venom at potential attackers.
Venom can be neurotoxic, causing dizziness, convulsions and respiratory difficulty, or cytotoxic, causing the destruction of tissue and internal bleeding. In general, the mambas and cobras possess neurotoxic venom and adders possess cytotoxic venom, but there are exceptions.
In the event of snakebite, apply a firm, crepe pressure bandage to the full length of the affected limb and obtain professional medical attention as quickly as possible. Other first aid treatment should only be undertaken if medical help is more than several hours away. Identification of the snake is useful but should not be allowed to delay treatment of the victim.
In the case of tortoises, terrapins and turtles, the measurement given with the illustration refers to the length of the carapace with the head and tail retracted. The dimensions of snakes, lizards and crocodiles refer to the full length from the snout to the tip of the tail.
1 MOUNTAIN TORTOISE
Shell heavily blotched or streaked and almost dark grey in large adults. Hatchlings bright yellow, each scute having 1-2 black spots. Upper shell has no small scale above neck. Up to six clutches (each with 6-15 eggs) laid in summer. Throughout the region, but absent from most of highveld, succulent Karoo and Namib Desert.
Chersina angulata
2 ANGULATE TORTOISE
Shell light straw-yellow with dark edges to the scutes. A single scute beneath throat; larger in males and used to overturn opponents. In Western Cape may have bright red bellies. Female lays single, large egg at 4-6 week intervals. Cape coastal regions, extending inland into moist areas.
Psammobates geometricus
3 GEOMETRIC TORTOISE
Shell high and domed with only slightly upturned rear margin and bright scutes with radiating yellow and black rays. Scutes along bridge higher than they are broad. Buttock tubercles absent. Female larger and with smaller tails than males. 2-4 eggs laid in September. Endangered (only 2 000-3 000 remain). Restricted to coastal renosterbosveld in southwestern Cape.
Similar
KAROO TENT TORTOISE P. tentorius
Scutes on bridge broader than high. Karoo and Western Cape.
KALAHARI TENT TORTOISE P. oculiferus
Buttock tubercles present, shell spiny. Kalahari Desert.
Kinixys spekii
4 SPEK’S HINGEBACK
Brown, flattened upper shell with hinge at back. Tail ends in spine. Beak with single cusp. Male has hollow belly. Shelters in rock cracks and hollow logs. Readily eats fungi, snails, millipedes, as well as other plants. 2-4 eggs laid in summer. Northern South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Similar
BELL’S HINGEBACK K. belliana
Shell domed with radiating pattern. Mozambique plain.
NATAL HINGEBACK K. natalensis
Weak hinge. Beak has three cusps. KwaZulu-Natal midlands.
LOBATSE HINGEBACK K. lobatsiana
Shell flat, strong hinge, beak with one cusp. Eastern Botswana and adjacent South Africa.
Homopus areolatus
5 PARROT-BEAKED TORTOISE
Green shell with black margins in females, orange in males. Dorsal scutes with depressed centres. Only four toes on forefeet, and no buttock tubercle. Beak is strongly hooked. Breeding male has bright orange nose. Small and shy. 2-3 small eggs laid in summer. Cape coastal regions.
Similar
GREATER PADLOPER H. femoralis
Shell brown. Four toes. Buttock tubercle present. Karoo and Free State.
SPECKLED PADLOPER H. signatus
Very small. Speckled shell. Five toes. Namaqualand.
KAROO PADLOPER H. boulengeri
Shell uniform brown. Five toes on forefeet.
Nama Padloper H. solus
Shell yellow. Only around Aus, Namibia.
1 SERRATED HINGED TERRAPIN
Neck withdrawn sideways. Shell domed, front hinge on underside, serrated rear edge. Keels along backbone (particularly in juveniles). Black, with yellow, angular-edged blotch in centre of belly. Often seen basking on floating logs. 7-13 soft-shelled eggs laid in spring. Large rivers and pans in northeast.
Similar
PAN TERRAPIN P. subniger
Shell rounded. Yellow centres to belly scutes. Northeast.
VARIABLE HINGED TERRAPIN P. rhodesianus
Carapace black. Plastron black. North and northeast.
YELLOW-BELLIED HINGED TERRAPIN P. castanoides
Carapace yellowish-black. Plastron yellow. Northeast.
OKAVANGO HINGED TERRAPIN P. bechuanicus
Head noticeably large. Carapace black. Plastron black. Okavango and Zambezi rivers.
Pelomedusa subrufa
2 MARSH TERRAPIN
Hard shell very flat with no hinge on belly. Neck withdrawn sideways. Two soft tentacles on chin. Leaves drying pans and digs into soil to await rains. Eats almost anything, including small birds coming to drink. 10-30 soft-shelled eggs laid in sandbank after summer rains. Freshwater pans, vleis and slow-moving rivers throughout southern Africa.
Dermochelys coriacea
3 LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE
Largest sea turtle. Shell pliable, rubbery, with 12 prominent ridges. Long flippers. Young blue-grey. Cannot withdraw head. Specialist feeder on jellyfish. May dive to over 300 m. Female nests at high tide on moonless nights, November to January. Lays 6-9 clutches of 100-120 eggs. Marine; around entire coast, but breeds only in Maputaland (northern KZN).
Caretta caretta
4 LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE
Head has strong jaws. Elongate shell tapers at rear. Scutes smooth (keeled in hatchlings) and non-overlapping. Each limb has two claws. Adults and young brown. Hunts for crabs, molluscs and sea urchins around reefs and rocky estuaries. Nests in summer, laying up to five clutches of 100 eggs at 15 day intervals. Marine; east coast, but breeds only in Maputaland.
Chelonia mydas
5 GREEN SEA TURTLE
Hard shell smooth with non-overlapping scutes, and 12 scutes along edge on each side. Front flipper with single claw. Shell brown with light streaks. Slow-growing; 10-15 years to mature. Enters estuaries to feed on sea grasses. Marine; non-breeding visitor to east and west coasts.
Similar
HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE Eretmochelys imbricata
Shell tear-shaped with overlapping scutes. Beak hooked. East coast.
OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE Lepidochelys olivacea
17 or more scutes, excluding marginals. One claw on each limb.
1 BIBRON’S BLIND SNAKE
Primitive snake. Head blunt. Eye reduced to black spot beneath skin. No teeth in lower jaw. Plain brown with lighter belly. Thick body covered in small, smooth, overlapping scales. Very short tail ends in spine. Burrows. Feeds on ant and termite larvae. Highveld and coastal grassland.
Rhinotyphlops schlegelii
2 SCHLEGEL’S BLIND SNAKE
Large, thick-bodied. Head blunt. Eye reduced to black spot beneath skin. Prominent horizontal edge to snout. Thick body covered in overlapping scales on back and belly. Very short tail ends in spine. Colour varies: blue-grey when first shed, turning to rust-red. May have dark blotches or fine stripes. Burrows. Feeds on ant and termite larvae. Northern savanna.
Similar
DELALANDE’S BLIND SNAKE R. lalandei
Slender. Pink-grey with pale belly. East.
Leptotyphlops scutifrons
3 PETER’S THREAD SNAKE
Minute, very thin grey-black snake. Body covered in small, smooth overlapping scales on back and belly. Eye of blunt head reduced to black spot beneath skin. Longish tail ends in spine. Burrows, feeding on ant and termite larvae. Lays 3-7 small, elongate eggs, joined like string of sausages. Northern areas except Namib Desert.
Similar
WESTERN THREAD SNAKE L. occidentalis
Very thin. Grey-brown to purple-brown. Rocky desert of Namibia.
BLACK THREAD SNAKE L. nigricans
Black; shortish tail. Southern Cape and highveld.
Python natalensis
4 AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON
Africa’s largest snake. Thick, muscular body with very small, smooth scales. Triangular head covered in small scales. Two heat-sensitive pits on upper lip. Body olive with dark blotches. Large, dark spearhead mark on head. Eats mammals, birds. Up to 100 eggs (size of an orange) laid in hollow tree, antbear hole, etc. Female coils around eggs to protect them. Rock outcrops and bush near water in north.
Python anchietae
5 ANCHIETA’S DWARF PYTHON
Muscular body covered in small, tubercular scales. Triangular head covered in small scales. Five heat-sensitive pits on upper lip. Pale, red-brown with small, scattered, black-edged white spots and bands. Eats small birds, rodents. 5-6 large eggs laid in summer. Rocky areas of northern Namibia and Angola.
1 COMMON BROWN WATER SNAKE
Slim with small head. Elliptical pupils. Body plain olive with smooth scales, pale yellow-pink belly. Nocturnal. Catches and constricts small frogs, tadpoles. 6-10 eggs laid in late summer. Moist places from Western Cape to Zimbabwe.
Similar
DUSKY-BELLIED WATER SNAKE L. laevissimus
Dark belly band. Spotted upper lip. Rivers of Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Lamprophis capensis
2 BROWN HOUSE SNAKE
Muscular body with obvious head. Body scales smooth, shiny. Body rust-red with pair of thin yellow stripes on each side of head, pale belly. Terrestrial, nocturnal, constrictor. Eats mice, rats, sometimes lizards. Common around houses, useful in controlling pests. Up to 18 eggs laid in summer. Throughout southern Africa.
Lamprophis inornatus
3 OLIVE HOUSE SNAKE
Muscular body with obvious head. Body scales smooth, shiny. Body plain olive-green with paler belly. Terrestrial, nocturnal, constrictor. Hunts mice, rats, sometimes other snakes. Common around houses, useful in controlling pests. Up to 15 eggs laid in summer. Southern Cape to northeastern escarpment.
Lamprophis aurora
4 AURORA HOUSE SNAKE
Small-headed, gentle snake. Prominent orange dorsal stripe on green body. Vertical pupils. Young speckled yellow. Nocturnal, constrictor. Eats nestling rodents, lizards. 8-12 eggs laid in summer. Western Cape to highveld.
Similar
SPOTTED HOUSE SNAKE L. guttatus
Light brown with dark brown blotches. Karoo, eastern mountains.
Lycophidion capense
5 CAPE WOLF SNAKE
Head flattened, small eyes, vertical pupils. Body uniform grey-black (browner in south), usually with white-tipped scales. Nocturnal. Catches and constricts lizards as they sleep in their retreats. 3-8 eggs laid in summer. Widespread in east.
Similar
VARIEGATED WOLF SNAKE L. variegatum
Slender. White mottling on back. Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Zimbabwe.
NAMIBIAN WOLF SNAKE L. namibensis
Dark brown back, brown belly stripe. Northern Namibia.
1 CAPE FILE SNAKE
Thickset, triangular body with very flat head. Body scales conical, strongly keeled, separated by bare, pink skin. Scales along backbone white, large, keeled. Grey-brown with cream belly and flanks. Constricts lizards and other snakes. 5-13 large eggs laid in summer. Rare, docile, never bites. North.
Similar
BLACK FILE SNAKE M. nyassae
Smaller, body black. Northeast.
Duberria lutrix
2 COMMON SLUGEATER
Stout-bodied, scales smooth, small head indistinct from neck. Body brick-red to pale brown with pale sides. Cream belly. Feeds on slugs, snails. 6-18 young born in summer. Rolls into tight spiral when handled. Damp situations from Western Cape to eastern Zimbabwe.
Similar
VARIEGATED SLUGEATER D. variegata
Larger. Three rows of blackish spots. East coast to Mozambique.
Pseudaspis cana
3 MOLE SNAKE
Body thickset with small head. Slightly hooked snout. Small eyes with round pupils. Colour light brown in deserts, black in south, dark brown elsewhere. Young spotted. Powerful constrictor. Hunts rodents and moles underground. Up to 95 young born in the late summer. Throughout southern Africa.
Amplorhinus multimaculatus
4 MANY-SPOTTED SNAKE
Head small. Round pupils. Tail longish. Body green to olive-brown with dark blotches, sometimes flecked with white and with pale stripe on each side. Hunts frogs at dusk in reedbeds and waterside vegetation. 4-12 young born in late summer. Back-fanged but harmless. Rare. Restricted to cool eastern areas.
Pythonodipsas carinatus
5 WESTERN KEELED SNAKE
Body long, thin. Flattened head covered in small scales, large eyes have vertical pupils. Nostrils swollen and on top of snout. Pastel-coloured with dark-edged blotches that may fuse into zigzag. Feeds at dusk on small lizards, rodents. Lays eggs. Viper-like but harmless. Restricted to rocky Namib Desert.
1 SUNDEVALL’S SHOVEL-SNOUT
Cylindrical body has smooth scales. Short tail ends in spine. Snout flattened, shovel-like, slightly upturned. Body dark brown with paired (south and central) or single (north and east) dark spots. Belly white. Shovels in soft soil for reptile eggs to eat. 3-5 eggs laid in summer. Central areas from Western Cape to Zimbabwe.
Similar
TWO-STRIPED SHOVEL-SNOUT P. bivittata
Prominent dorsal orange stripe. Arid Kalahari savanna.
SOUTH-WESTERN SHOVEL-SNOUT P. frontalis
Slender. Dark brown collar on neck. Namaqualand and Namibia.
Natriciteres variegata
2 FOREST MARSH SNAKE
Pencil-thin body with long tail. Smooth scales. Back dark olive to chestnut, usually with dark dorsal band bordered by white dots. Faint yellow collar may be present. Under dead logs and rotting vegetation. Eats frogs. Lays up to six eggs in summer. Dune forest and swamp in northern KwaZulu-Natal and eastern Zimbabwe.
Limnophis bicolor
3 STRIPED SWAMP SNAKE
Body cylindrical. Small head. Large eyes have round pupils. Scales smooth, shiny. Body olive-brown with 3-4 black-edged stripes. Belly bright yellow to brick-red. Aquatic. Hunts small frogs and fish. Lays a few large eggs. Shy, never bites. Restricted to Okavango Delta and Zambezi valley.
Philothamnus semivariegatus
4 SPOTTED BUSH SNAKE
Slender-bodied with long tail. Belly flat-bottomed with edge on both sides. Body green, merging to bronze on tail, with black blotches on forebody. Excellent, speedy climber. Catches lizards, tree frogs in low bush and rock outcrops. Lays 3-12 eggs in summer. Inflates throat to show blue skin in threatening defence. Bites readily but harmless. Northern savanna and thickets.
Philothamnus natalensis
5 NATAL GREEN SNAKE
Body slender, bright green. Easily mistaken for young green mamba but has flat belly with edge on both sides. Two rows of scales behind the eye. Hunts frogs, sometimes lizards, during day in reedbeds and along river banks. Lays 4-8 elongate eggs in summer. Eastern lowlands northwards into interior.
Similar
GREEN WATER SNAKE P. hoplogaster
Head rounder. Single scale rose behind eye. Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe.
1 RHOMBIC SKAAPSTEKER
Boldly patterned. Slim body. Few scale rows (17). Longish tail. Back yellowish-brown with 3-4 rows of dark-edged blotches (sometimes striped in eastern specimens). Hunts small prey in grassland. Lays up to 30 eggs. Coils around them until they hatch. Not dangerous. Throughout southern Africa but rare in the west.
Similar
STRIPED SKAAPSTEKER P. tritaeniatus
Smaller. Grey body with bold dark stripes. South and east.
Psammophis mossambicus
2 OLIVE GRASS SNAKE
Robust snake. Obvious head. Long tail, large scales. Body olive-brown, paler towards tail, sometimes with scattered black flecks or thin stripes. Cream belly may have black streaks. Active, diurnal hunter. Eats small vertebrates. Lays up to 30 eggs in summer. Shy. Mild venom. Northern savanna.
Similar
SHORT-SNOUTED GRASS SNAKE P. sibilans
Slender. Light band on sides and white “stitch” down backbone. Central grasslands and east coast; also northern Namibia.
Psammophis subtaeniatus
3 STRIPE-BELLIED SAND SNAKE
Body slender. Head lance-shaped with large eyes. Back has broad black-edged dorsal band. Cream and brown stripes on sides. Bright yellow belly, bordered by black-and-white stripes. Eats birds, lizards, mice. Lays 4-10 elongate eggs in summer. Open savanna in north.
Similar
WESTERN SAND SNAKE P. trigrammus
Very slender with reddish lateral stripe. Namibia.
Psammophis notostictus
4 KAROO SAND SNAKE
Slender body. Narrow head, large eyes. Long tail. Body may be plain grey-brown, but usually lightly striped on sides and with thin stripe along backbone. Chases down lizards on sandy flats. Shelters at night in rock cracks or holes. Lays 3-4 elongate eggs in summer. Common in Karoo and adjacent desert.
Similar
NAMIB SAND SNAKE P. leightoni
Boldly striped. Top of head spotted or barred. Western desert regions.
Psammophis crucifer
5 CROSS-MARKED GRASS SNAKE
Small, robust body. Relatively short tail. Body silver-grey with black-edged brown stripes along backbone and on sides. Head with prominent dark-edged light crossbars. Rare variant has no pattern. Hunts in fynbos and mountain grassland for lizards, frogs. Lays 5-13 eggs in midsummer. South coast and highveld grassland.
1 DWARF BEAKED SNAKE
Small, slender body. Short tail. Head has dark V-shaped mark and prominent hooked snout. Colours match sandy habitat. 3-5 rows of dark, sometimes pale-centred, blotches or crossbands on back. Shy, slow-moving. Ambushes small lizards. Lays 2-4 elongate eggs in summer. Coils and hisses in threat, but harmless. Karoo and rocky desert.
Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus
2 RUFOUS BEAKED SNAKE
Large, stout-bodied. Prominent hooked snout. Long tail. Distinctive dark brown eye stripe on head. Body plain yellow-orange to red-brown, sometimes with pale-centred scales. Shelters in burrow. Eats small vertebrates, including snakes. Lays 8-17 large eggs in summer. Northern bushveld.
Hemirhaggheris nototaenia
3 BARK SNAKE
Small, slender. Head distinctly flattened, eyes large with vertical pupils. Back grey with dark dorsal stripe and series of black spots on sides. Secretive, sheltering under loose bark or in hollow trees. Hunts lizards, tree frogs. Shy, never bites. Lays 2-8 elongate eggs in hollow tree. Northern savanna.
Similar
NAMIBIAN BARK SNAKE H. viperinus
Blotches more vivid, forming zigzag. Central Namibia.
Xenocalamus bicolor
4 BICOLOURED QUILL-SNOUTED SNAKE
Thin, elongate. Quill-shaped head, underslung mouth and short, blunt tail. Minute eyes with round pupils. Coloration may be striped, spotted or all-black. Burrows in deep sand hunting worm lizards. Lays 3-4 very elongate eggs in summer. Scattered populations in northern bushveld.
Similar
SLENDER QUILL-SNOUTED SNAKE X. mechowii
Body very long and thin. Two rows of blotches. Caprivi region.
Aparallactus capensis
5 CAPE CENTIPEDE-EATER
Small, slender. Small head, rounded snout, prominent black collar. Body varies from red-brown to grey-buff. Belly cream. Lives underground, particularly in old termitaria. Hunts centipedes. Harmless. Lays 2-4 small eggs in summer. East.
Similar
RETICULATED CENTIPEDE-EATER A. lunulatus
Body dark. Two yellow collars on neck. Zimbabwe and lowveld.
1 PURPLE-GLOSSED SNAKE
Stocky with blunt head. Small eyes. Smooth shiny scales. Scales under tail in two rows. Body and belly black, with purple gloss when freshly shed. Burrows underground. Eats other burrowing reptiles, particularly blind snakes. Breeding habits unknown. Slow, rarely bites. Northeastern savanna.
Macrelaps microlepidotus
2 NATAL BLACK SNAKE
Stocky body, all-black. Blunt head. Easily confused with (1) but lacks purple sheen and has single scales under tail. Lays up to 10 eggs in summer. Eats small vertebrates. Bite may lead to unconsciousness. Restricted to east coast.
Atractaspis bibronii
3 BIBRON’S BURROWING ASP
Thinnish black body (sometimes with white belly). Blunt head. Small eyes. Short tail ends in spine. Shelters in rock piles, old termitaria, etc. Eats other burrowing reptiles. Lays up to seven eggs in summer. Has long fangs and painful venom. Cannot be held safely behind head. North.
Similar
DUERDEN’S BURROWING ASP A. duerdeni
Snout bluntly hooked. Eastern Botswana and central Namibia.
Chilorhinnophis gerardi
4 GERARD’S BURROWING SNAKE
Very slender. Blunt head. Short, rounded tail. Body bright yellow with three black stripes. White belly. Head and tail tip black, easily confused. When threatened, holds tail up as mock head which may even appear to strike. Burrows in loose sand. Eats worm lizards, thread snakes. Lays six eggs in summer. Northern Zimbabwe.
Homoroselaps lacteus
5 SPOTTED HARLEQUIN SNAKE
Brightly coloured. Small, slender with rounded head and short tail. Two colour phases: patterned in black and yellow with bright red dorsal stripe (Western Cape), or black with yellow dot on each scale and yellow dorsal stripe (north). Burrows underground. Eats other snakes, legless lizards. Lays up to six eggs in December. Venom causes pain, but not fatal. Only in South Africa.
Similar
STRIPED HARLEQUIN SNAKE H. dorsalis
Minute. Black with yellow stripe. Highveld and eastern escarpment.
1 MARBLED TREE SNAKE
Body elongate with long tail. Large head. Big eyes with vertical pupils. Head finely marbled white. Back light brown with many light, dark-edged crossbands in juveniles, decreasing in size and number with age. Feeds on geckos and frogs. Lays up to eight small eggs in summer. East coast and lowveld swamplands.
Telescopus semiannulatus
2 EASTERN TIGER SNAKE
Distinctive thin body. Long tail. Large head. Big eyes with vertical pupils. Dull orange body has 22-50 dark blotches that are larger on forebody. Terrestrial but climbs trees and roofs readily in search of small birds, bats, lizards. Lays 6-20 eggs in summer. Bites readily but venom mild. Northern and eastern half of region.
Similar
NAMIB TIGER SNAKE T. beetzi
Sandy-buff colour. 42-59 dark blotches. Karoo and western desert.
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
3 RED-LIPPED SNAKE
Body elongate with long tail. Obvious glossy black head. Large eyes. Distinctive bright red-orange lips. Body olive with white flecks. Nocturnal. Hunts in marshy areas for small frogs. Lays up to 12 eggs in early summer. Flattens head to display lips. Harmless. Eastern half of region and southwest coast.
Dispholidus typus
4 BOOMSLANG
Head blunt. Very large eyes. Body covered with oblique, strongly keeled scales. Colour varies: juvenile twig-coloured but with bright emerald eyes and white throat. Female drab olive. Male may be mottled in black and gold, or uniform bright green, red or powdery blue. Shy. Diurnal. Hunts chameleons, small birds. Lays up to 25 eggs in summer. Inflates throat in threat, may bite readily. Potent venom may cause death from internal bleeding in 1-3 days. Widespread except dry, treeless western areas.
Thelotornis capensis
5 TWIG SNAKE
Body and tail very thin, elongate. Lance-like head has large eyes with keyhole-shaped pupils. Grey-brown with black and pink flecks and series of diagonal pale blotches. Head uniform green or blue-green (northeast), heavily speckled (southeast) or with Y-shaped mark (north). Completely arboreal. Eats lizards, frogs, other snakes. Lays 4-18 elongate eggs in summer. Inflates throat in threat. Potent venom may cause death from internal bleeding. North and east.
1 COMMON EGGEATER
Slender. Blunt head. Long tail. Rough, keeled scales. Dirty grey body with numerous blotches. Prominent V-shaped mark on neck. Feeds on birds’ eggs. Harmless but strikes readily and reveals threatening wide black gape. Also hisses by rubbing keeled scales together. Throughout southern Africa.
Similar
BROWN EGGEATER D. inornatus
Uniform brown colour, longer tail. Eastern coastal areas.
Pelamis platura
2 YELLOW-BELLIED SEASNAKE
Soft-skinned body. Bright yellow and black stripes. Lacks large belly scales. Head flat. Tail oar-like with bold yellow spots. Drifts on surface of sea. Catches small fish. 3-5 young born at sea. Venom may cause paralysis, but no deaths reported. Restricted to Indian Ocean. Uncommon along southern African coast.
Aspidelaps lubricus
3 CORAL SNAKE
Stocky. Bold black and orange bands (faded bands and dark head in northern Namibia). Belly cream with black bands under neck. Head broad with large scale on nose. Hunts lizards, mice. Lays 3-11 eggs in summer. Threatens and puffs with small cobralike hood. Venom mild but can be serious. Arid west.
Aspidelaps scutatus
4 SHIELD-NOSE SNAKE
Short, thickset. Large “bulldozer” scale on nose. Scales rough on rear of body. Body tan, speckled with black. Head, neck black with white throat band. In east has faint dorsal blotches. Burrows in loose sand. Hunts mice and frogs at night. Lays up to 12 eggs in summer. Rears like small cobra with very narrow hood. Venom mild but can be serious. Northern savanna.
Elapsoidea sundevallii
5 SUNDEVALL’S GARTER SNAKE
Stout body. Slightly pointed snout. Short tail. Scales smooth, glossy. Colour varied: juvenile banded cream, brown and white. Bands persist in adults in south but fade elsewhere to plain slate-grey or black body with pink-buff belly. Slow-moving. Nocturnal. Eats mice, lizards, other snakes. Lays up to 10 small eggs. Venom mild, causing dizziness, nasal congestion. Eastern areas and northern Namibia.
Similar
BOULENGER’S GARTER SNAKE E. boulengeri
Smaller, snout rounded, bands black and white. Northern savanna.
1 RINKHALS
Large, stout. Wide head. Keeled body scales. Colour varied: juvenile has about 40 black and tan bands. These may persist in some adults (Western and Eastern Cape, Zimbabwe) or fade in others (central highveld). White throat band present in all. Nocturnal. Hunts toads, mice in damp grassland. Up to 63 young born in autumn. Shams death if threatened. Can rear and spit venom up to 3 m. Toxic venom is potentially fatal. Southern and eastern half of region.
Naja mossambica
2 MOZAMBIQUE SPITTING COBRA
Small. Blunt head. Smooth scales. Body pink-grey to dark olive. Scales black-edged. Belly pinkish, sometimes with black cross-bands or blotches on throat. Nocturnal. Eats mice, lizards, frogs. Lays 10-22 eggs in summer. Rears to spread broad hood. Spits and bites readily, causing swelling and skin loss, but fatalities rare. KwaZulu-Natal northwards to Caprivi.
Similar
WESTERN BARRED SPITTING COBRA N. nigricollis nigricincta
Numerous dark bands on grey-pink body. Northern Namibia.
BLACK SPITTING COBRA N. nigricollis woodi
Large. All-black. Diurnal. Western Cape to southern Namibia.
Naja melanoleuca
3 FOREST COBRA
Very large. Slender body. Glossy scales. Head, forebody yellow-brown, heavily speckled black. Tail shiny blue-black. Active at dusk and early evening, usually near water. Eats small vertebrates, including fish. Lays up to 26 large eggs in summer. Rears and spreads narrow hood. Shy but bites readily if cornered. Venom potent neurotoxin, leading to death from paralysis if untreated. Forests of northern KwaZulu-Natal and eastern Zimbabwe.
Naja nivea
4 CAPE COBRA
Slender. Broad head. Smooth, dull scales. Juvenile dirty yellow, speckled dark brown, has broad black band on throat. Adult colour varied: usually yellow-brown heavily flecked with dark brown, but may be plain yellow (Kalahari) or dark mahogany (Namaqualand). Black throat band fades with age. Hunts by day. Eats small vertebrates, including snakes. Lays 8-20 large eggs in summer. Rears and spreads broad hood, bites readily but does not spit. Karoo and arid west.
Naja annulifera
5 SNOUTED (EGYPTIAN) COBRA
Thick-bodied. Very broad head. Body scales smooth, dull. Row of small scales between eye and lip. Yellowish-brown, becoming blue-black with age, sometimes with 7-9 broad yellow bands. Belly dull yellow with dark blotches. Juvenile has dark throat band. Nocturnal. Eats small vertebrates. Lays 8-33 large eggs in summer. Rears and spreads broad hood. Bites readily but does not spit. May sham death. Venom potent neurotoxin, leading to rapid death from paralysis if untreated. KwaZulu-Natal to Angola.
1 BLACK MAMBA
Very large, muscular. Scales smooth, dull. Head long, flat-sided (coffin-shaped) with black mouth. Body dirty grey, sometimes olive. Black blotches on pale grey-green belly. Diurnal. Terrestrial but will climb trees. Eats small mammals, birds. Lays 12-18 large eggs in summer. Rears forebody, gapes widely, hisses and spreads very narrow hood in defence. Delivers many quick bites. Venom potent neurotoxin, leading to rapid death from paralysis if untreated. Northern half of region and east coast.
Dendroaspis angusticeps
2 GREEN MAMBA
Smaller than black mamba, slender. Scales smooth, dull. Head long, flat-sided (coffin-shaped) with white mouth. Body brilliant green with lighter belly. Arboreal, gliding easily through canopy searching for small mammals, birds. Shy, rarely seen. Lays 7-10 eggs in summer. Bites rarely but venom may cause death from paralysis. Restricted to coastal KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Zimbabwe.
Causus rhombeatus
3 RHOMBIC NIGHT ADDER
Short, muscular body. Rounded head. Soft, almost smooth scales. Large paired scales on top of head. Body grey-pink. Tail has 20-30 dark, pale-edged, squarish blotches (faded in north). Dark V-shape on head. Nocturnal. Hunts in moist areas for frogs. Lays 15-26 eggs in summer. Mild venom causes swelling and pain. Southern Cape coast to Zimbabwe.
Similar
SNOUTED NIGHT ADDER C. defilippii
Snout pointed, upturned. Northeast savanna.
Bitis arietans
4 PUFF ADDER
Large, thick-bodied. Sluggish. Broad head covered in small scales. Tail very short. Body scales rough. Body yellow-brown to light brown with numerous dark, pale-edged chevrons. Belly pale with scattered blotches. Male brighter than female. Ambushes small mammals. Active at dusk. Up to 30 young born in late summer. May give deep warning hiss. Bites readily. Venom causes swelling and pain, occasionally death. Throughout southern Africa.
Bitis gabonica
5 GABOON ADDER
Very heavy-bodied. Large, triangular head covered in small scales. Pair of horn-like scales on snout. Body has geometric pattern of purple, brown and other pastel colours. Pale head has thin, dark line along crown. Lies camouflaged around bushes. Ambushes small mammals. Up to 43 young born in late summer. Docile, rarely bites. Venom causes massive swelling, can cause limb loss and death. Restricted to northeast coast and eastern Zimbabwe.
1 BERG ADDER
Small, stout. Very short tail. Elongate head with small scales, no horns. Body scales small, rough. Boldly patterned in grey and blue-black (browner in central areas). Dark arrow-shape on crown. Ambushes frogs, lizards, mice. Up to 15 young born in autumn. Hisses and bites readily. Venom mild, causing drooping eyelids and loss of taste and smell. In mountainous areas from the southwestern Cape to eastern Zimbabwe.
Similar
DESERT MOUNTAIN ADDER B. xeropaga
Buff-grey back. 16-34 dark and light bars. Lower Orange River.
Bitis cornuta
2 MANY-HORNED ADDER
Small, stout. Very short tail. Elongate head has small scales, large tuft of 2-4 horns above each eye. Dark marks on crown may form arrowhead-shape. Body scales small, rough. Body boldly blotched in grey-black pattern. 4-10 young born in late summer. Eats small mice, lizards. Bites rare. Venom mild, no deaths reported. Shelters in rocky areas along southwestern and west coast.
Similar
PLAIN MOUNTAIN ADDER B. inornata
Dull brown. No horns. Montane grassland in eastern Karoo.
SOUTHERN ADDER B. armata
Small horns. More blotches. Southwestern Cape coast.
ALBANY ADDER B. albanica
Small horns. Short tail. Algoa Bay region.
Bitis caudalis
3 HORNED ADDER
Small, stout. Very short tail. Elongate head has small scales, single large horn above each eye. Dark V-shape or hourglass-shape on head. Body blotched. Colour varies, matching local ground colour (light grey in Etosha; buff or orange-brown in Kalahari; grey-olive to light brown in Karoo and Northern Province). Belly cream-white, unpatterned. Shuffles into sand at bush base and ambushes small lizards. Up to 27 young born in late summer. Venom mild, no deaths reported. Bites rare. Common in arid west.
Bitis peringueyi
4 PERINGUEY’S ADDER
Very small. Very short tail. Elongate head has small scales, no horns. Eyes on top of head. Body pale or reddish-brown with faint dark spots. Tail tip may be black. Lives in sand dunes, shuffling into loose sand, leaving only eyes exposed and ambushing small lizards. Up to 10 young born in autumn. Venom very mild, not dangerous. Restricted to Namib Desert.
Similar
NAMAQUA DWARF ADDER B. schneideri
Very small. Eyes on side of head. Namaqualand and southern Namibia.
Proatheris superciliaris
5 SWAMP VIPER
Medium-sized, robust body. Elongate head. Most head scales small, but large scale above each eye. Body grey-brown with three rows of blackish spots, separated by yellowish bars. Tail yellow-orange below. Hides in rodent burrows, emerging at night to feed on small frogs. Up to eight young born in early summer. Venom causes pain and swelling. Low-lying marshes in Zambezi River floodplain.
1 GIANT LEGLESS SKINK
Very large, thick body without legs and with short tail. Head broad with elongate, steel-grey snout. Eyes small, but with eyelids. Uniform black to dark brown. Burrows in moist leaf litter. Eats worms, insect larvae, even burrowing frogs. From 2-14 young born in late summer. Lowveld and east coast.
Similar
CAPE LEGLESS SKINK A. meleagris
Golden brown. Speckled in west, striped in east. Southern Cape.
STRIPED LEGLESS SKINK A. lineatus
Spade-like edge to snout. Fine yellow and black stripes. Western Cape to Namibia.
Typhlosaurus aurantiacus
2 GOLDEN BLIND LEGLESS SKINK
Pencil-thin body, lacks limbs and has short, blunt tail. Head eyeless with rounded, flattened snout, covered in two strap-like scales. Golden pink in KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique, striped or plain black in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province. Burrows in sandy soils searching for grubs, termites. Gives birth to 1-3 fully formed babies in late summer.
Similar
STRIPED BLIND LEGLESS SKINK T. lineatus
Slender. Yellow with fine black stripes. Kalahari region.
CUVIER’S BLIND LEGLESS SKINK T. caecus
Very slender. Orange to flesh-coloured. Western Cape coastal dunes.
Scelotes gronovii
3 GRONOVI’S DWARF BURROWING SKINK
Body shiny, silver-grey with vague brown band along backbone. Greyish-white belly often heavily speckled. Almost legless; lacking forelimbs, only single toe on spike-like hind limbs. Snout flattened. Tail just shorter than body. Burrows. One or two young born in autumn. Western Cape coastal dunes.
Similar
ALGOA DWARF BURROWING SKINK S. anguinus
Legless. Silvery with dark band along back. Coastal Eastern Cape.
Scelotes capensis
4 WESTERN DWARF BURROWING SKINK
Slender body covered with smooth, shiny scales. Small limbs, each with five toes. Tail long, bright blue. Back olive-brown with coppery sheen; often with lighter stripe on each side. Lives beneath rocks and decaying logs. Restricted to Richtersveld and southern Namibia.
Similar
MONTANE DWARF BURROWING SKINK S. mirum
Feet minute, five-toed. Bluish tail speckled. Mpumalanga mountain grasslands.
Cryptoblepharus boutonii
5 BOUTON’S SKINK
Body small, slender. Thin limbs with five-toed feet. Eyes large, snake-like, without eyelids. Scales smooth. Tail tapers to fine point. Back blackish-bronze with pale spots on sides and legs. Hunts small crustaceans and fish among intertidal rocks. Swims readily. Lays 1-2 eggs in sand in summer. Restricted to Black Rocks, Maputaland.
1 WAHLBERG’S SNAKE-EYED SKINK
Slender body covered with smooth scales. Tiny limbs with five toes. Eyes large, snake-like, without eyelids. Tail tapers to fine point. Body grey-bronze, sometimes with six fine dark lines. Breeding males with pinkish-orange bellies. Scuttles among grass roots and rotting logs. Feeds on termites, small insects. Lays 2-6 eggs in early summer. Eastern savannas. Similar
SPOTTED-NECK SNAKE-EYED SKINK P. maculicollis
Black-and-white spots on neck. Northern savannas.
Lygosoma sundevallii
2 SUNDEVALL’S WRITHING SKINK
Body fat and shiny, merging into fat, spine-tipped tail. Small, five-toed limbs. Snout flattened. Eyes small with movable eyelids. Bronze body speckled with dark spot on each scale. Burrows under rotting logs and into termite nests. Few eggs laid in summer. Common in northern savannas.
Trachylepsis sulcata
3 WESTERN ROCK SKINK
Graceful skink, with flat, shiny body and long, thin tail. Females and juveniles olive-brown with six dirty-gold stripes. Breeding male jet-black, sometimes with dirty-bronze on hind body and tail, and with heavily speckled throat. 3-5 young born in late summer. Common on rock outcrops in Karoo and Namibia.
Similar
RAINBOW SKINK T. quinquitaeniata
Females and juveniles striped with blue tails. Males have green body with orange tail. Rock outcrops in eastern savannas.
Trachylepsis capensis
4 CAPE SKINK
Body fat, almost obese, with shiny scales, stubby legs and long tail. Back light brown with three pale stripes and numerous dark crossbars. Lives in burrows in loose sand beneath rotting logs, etc. Usually gives birth to 5-18 young in late summer, but some females lay eggs. Widespread throughout southern Africa.
Similar
WESTERN THREE-STRIPED SKINK T. occidental
Boldly striped. Earhole with spiny lobes. Karoo and western deserts.
Trachylepsis striata
5 STRIPED SKINK
Thick-bodied, with longish tail. Back dark-brown to black with bold white stripes in the east, and numerous small, pale spots in south and central regions. Breeding male develops a yellow-orange throat. 3-9 young born in summer in south or throughout year in north. Widespread in northern regions, common in towns.
Similar
VARIABLE SKINK T. varia
Bright white, dark-edged stripe on side. Eastern savanna.
VARIEGATED SKINK T. variegata
Back speckled, with pale stripe on side. Karoo and Kalahari.
1 COMMON ROUGH-SCALED LIZARD
Head small. Cylindrical body, covered in small, strongly keeled scales. Tail just longer than body and tapered. Buff-brown with dark crossbands or blotches and rows of pale spots. Short-lived, laying 8-12 eggs at end of first year and then dying. Northern and eastern savannas.
Similar
CAPE ROUGH-SCALED LIZARD I. capensis
Black-and-white stripes on sides. Male has red side stripe and yellow throat. Central areas and north.
Meroles anchietae
2 ANCHIETA’S DESERT LIZARD
Body flattened, with silvery sheen. Black crossbands on tail. Flattened snout with sharp cutting edge. Toes of long hind limbs have conspicuous fringe. Hunts on slipfaces of sand dunes, where it runs quickly and dives into loose sand to hide. Eats insects and plant seeds. Lays 1-2 large eggs in summer. Central and northern Namib dune seas.
Similar
WEDGE-SNOUTED DESERT LIZARD M. cuneirostris
Red-orange body with plain tail. Southern Namib dunes.
Meroles suborbitalis
3 SPOTTED DESERT LIZARD
Body slender. Tail roughly same length as body. Snout rounded. Body scales small, granular. Toes have fringe to aid running on sand. Distinct collar beneath throat. Juveniles boldly striped, but adults match local soil colour, usually mottled pink-grey to slate, sometimes retaining faint stripes. Hunts small insects on flat, semi-arid gravel plains. Lays 3-7 eggs. Karoo to southern Namibia.
Similar
KNOX’S DESERT LIZARD M. knoxii
Body has pale spots and faint stripes. Western Cape to southern Namibia.
Pedioplanis namaquensis
4 NAMAQUA SAND LIZARD
Body slender, with long tail. Granular scales. Distinct collar, faint fold under throat. Juveniles vividly striped, pink-brown tail. Adults cryptically coloured in tans and browns, sometimes with faint stripes, and with orange-brown tail. Very fast, running between bushes on flat, sandy soil. Shelters in burrow dug in loose sand. Lays 3-5 eggs in early summer. Arid western regions, from Karoo to Angola.
Similar
PLAIN SAND LIZARD P. inornata
Plain grey-brown. Lives on rocky flats. Northern Cape and southern Namibia.
Pedioplanis lineoocellata
5 SPOTTED SAND LIZARD
Body slender. Long tail. Distinct collar, faint fold under throat. Black-lined clear “window” in lower eyelid. Juveniles striped. Adults have series of pale blue spots on flanks. Rocky flats, broken ground. Grabs small insects after short dash from shaded cover. Shelters under flat stones. Lays 4-8 eggs in early summer. Throughout southern Africa.
Similar
BURCHELLS SAND LIZARD P. burchelli
Tan and brown, lacks spots on flanks. Cape mountain summits.
1 SOUTHERN ROCK LIZARD
Body sleek. Long tail. Granular scales. Well-developed collar. Back dark olive with rows of small pale spots that are bright orange on sides. Forages on rock faces. Locally common but shy. Lays 5-7 eggs in summer. Western Cape fold mountains.
Similar
NORTHERN ROCK LIZARD A. rupicola
Reddish-brown back, white stripe on side. Soutpansberg.
Tropidosaura montana
2 COMMON MOUNTAIN LIZARD
Head short. Tail relatively long. Scales spiny, overlapping. Body olive with dark streak along backbone, bordered by pale stripe; pale yellow to bright orange spots on sides. Tail blue-green. Common, but hides in thick cover. Lays 4-5 eggs in summer. Southern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal.
Similar
CAPE MOUNTAIN LIZARD T. gularis
Bright green, orange spots on sides. Cape fold mountains.
Heliobolus lugubris
3 BUSHVELD LIZARD
Body cylindrical. Well-developed collar. Scales small, keeled. Back grey-tan to red-brown with vague crossbars and three pale stripes. White spots on hind limbs. Hatchling jet black with three broken yellow-white stripes, sand-coloured tail; mimics distasteful beetles. Lays 4-6 eggs in summer. Northern savanna.
Nucras lalandii
4 DELALANDE’S SANDVELD LIZARD
Body stout. Head blunt. Tail thick and easily shed, almost twice body length and used as a fat store. Back olive-grey with 8-10 rows of white, black-edged spots. Lives in underground burrow, emerging rarely to eat insects and flying termites. Lays 4-9 eggs in summer. Grasslands in Eastern Cape, northwest and north.
Similar
SPOTTED SANDVELD LIZARD N. intertexta
Light brown with white, black-edged spots. Arid central savanna.
Nucras tessellata
5 STRIPED SANDVELD LIZARD
Elegant with very long tail. Bright black-and-white bars on sides, merging to bright red on hind limbs and tail. Four thin dark stripes along backbone. Digs up scorpions, large beetles. Shelters under stones. Lays 3-4 eggs in summer. Succulent Karoo and southern Namibia.
Similar
KAROO SANDVELD LIZARD N. livida
Six lines along backbone. Tail brown. Southern and Little Karoo.
1 DWARF PLATED LIZARD
Small, elegant. Striped body. Long, bright blue tail. Covered in squarish scales. Fold along side. Forages among rocks, hunting small insects. When threatened, wriggles among stones, and readily sheds tail. Lays 2-3 eggs in summer. Succulent Karoo through Namibia to Angola.
Gerrhosaurus skoogi
2 DESERT PLATED LIZARD
Large, with tapering, short tail only slightly longer than body. Spade-like snout. Fold alongside belly. Covered in squarish scales. Adults ivory-coloured with scattered maroon blotches. Juveniles sand-coloured. Chin, throat, lower chest black. Eats windblown insects, dry plant debris. “Swims” into loose sand to sleep and hide. Lays 2-4 large eggs in autumn. Dune seas in northern Namib Desert.
Gerrhosaurus flavigularis
3 YELLOW-THROATED PLATED LIZARD
Large. Body covered in squarish scales. Fold along side. Head small. Tail very long and easily shed. Two bright yellow, dark-edged stripes on sides. Breeding male has bright red throat (sometimes blue). Shelters in burrow at base of bush. Lays 4-6 eggs in summer. Eastern areas from Cape Town to Zambezi River.
Similar
KALAHARI PLATED LIZARD G. multilineatus
Body brown, speckled. Throat, flanks blue. Kalahari sandveld.
Gerrhosaurus validus
4 GIANT PLATED LIZARD
Very large. Body flattened, covered in small, squarish scales. Fold along side. Juveniles black with yellow spots on back and bars on sides, which fade to streaks in adults. Breeding male has pink flush to head. Shy. Lives on koppies. Eats large insects, flowers, soft fruit, leaves. Lays up to five large eggs in summer. North of South Africa into Zimbabwe; also northern Namibia.
Similar
ROUGH-SCALED PLATED LIZARD G. major
Body rounded. Light brown. Scales large, rough. Northeast bushveld.
Tetradactylus tetradactylus
5 COMMON LONG-TAILED SEPS
Body thin, short. Long snake-like tail (three times body length). Only four toes on each of very small limbs. Back olive, dark-brown stripe on each side, black-and-white bars on side of neck. Hunts small insects, grasshoppers, in montane grassland or fynbos. Lays 3-5 eggs in summer. Southern regions to Eastern Cape.
Similar
SHORT-LEGGED SEPS T. seps
Long tail. Small, fully formed limbs. Southern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal.
1 CAPE GIRDLED LIZARD
Body flattened, girdled with rows of spiny scales. Head flat, wide. Tail hard, spiny. Mottled brown, often with pale dorsal stripe. Shelters in rock cracks, using spiny tail to protect head. 1-3 live young born in autumn. Common in southern Cape coastal and escarpment mountains.
Similar
TRANSVAAL GIRDLED LIZARD C. vittifer
Orange-red colour. Elongate scales behind head. Rock outcrops on the highveld.
TROPICAL GIRDLED LIZARD C. tropidosternum
Lichen-coloured. Arboreal. Scales rough. Northern bushveld.
BLUE-SPOTTED GIRDLED LIZARD C. coeruleopunctatus
Body black with blue spots. Fine scales. Southern Cape coast.
Cordylus polyzonus
2 KAROO GIRDLED LIZARD
Head flat, wide. Body has numerous narrow girdles. Tail spiny, hard. Colour varies: tan, dark brown or orange. Juveniles and some adults blotched. Black blotch on side of neck. Lives in cracks in shattered boulders, on which it basks. 2-3 young born in autumn. Karoo and arid western regions.
Cordylus warreni
3 WARREN’S GIRDLED LIZARD
Large. Dark, spiny back spotted and barred in yellow. Tail spiny. Lives in small, scattered groups on rocky mountain slopes. Shy; favours deep cracks in shaded boulders. Hunts insects, snails, even small lizards. 2-6 young born in late summer. Eastern escarpment mountains from Zimbabwe to Swaziland.
Cordylus giganteus
4 GIANT GIRDLED LIZARD
Large. Broad head fringed behind with four large spines. Plump body heavily spined. Tail thorny. Terrestrial, living in long burrows in grassland. Basks on termite nest, facing into sun. Long-lived, but endangered by habitat destruction and illegal collecting. (Also known as Sungazer, Ouvolk.) Southern highveld.
Cordylus cataphractus
5 ARMADILLO GIRDLED LIZARD
Body thickset, flattened. Head broad, armoured. Girdles strongly keeled, often irregular. Tail very spiny. Back golden. Throat, belly usually blotched. Inhabits large cracks in low rock outcrops. When threatened, rolls into ball like hedgehog. Endangered by illegal collecting. Western Karoo and Namaqualand.
1 CAPE GRASS LIZARD
Tan and brown. Body elongate. Limbs minute, spike-like, with only one or two claws. Scales rough. Tail snake-like, 3-4 times body length, easily shed. Hunts grasshoppers, other insects in grassland. Few young born in late summer. Southern Cape and eastern escarpment.
Similar
TRANSVAAL GRASS LIZARD C. aenea
Minute feet each with five toes. Boldly striped. Eastern grassland.
Pseudocordylus capensis
2 GRACEFUL CRAG LIZARD
Body flat. Scales large and squarish on back and belly, but granular on sides. Tail tapering, not spiny. Hind legs long with slender toes. Back grey-black, with pale yellow streaks on head. Shy; runs quickly over vertical rock faces. Eats insects, particularly bees, wasps. Two or three young born in autumn. Summits of Cape fold mountains.
Pseudocordylus microlepidotus
3 CAPE CRAG LIZARD
Heavy body. Large scales on back and belly, but granular on sides. Head broad with strong jaws. Breeding male has brightly barred body (orange in east, yellow inland). Juveniles and females drab with yellow and grey-brown bars. Inhabits large rock cracks, dashing out to catch beetles, grasshoppers. 2-6 young born in late summer. Cape coastal and escarpment mountains.
Similar
DRAKENSBERG CRAG LIZARD P. melanotus
Female green-grey, blotched. Male dark with orange sides. Eastern escarpment.
Platysaurus broadleyi
4 BROADLEY’S FLAT LIZARD
Body very flat, covered in granular scales. Head flat, triangular. Scattered spines on legs. Tail tapered, spiny on sides. Females and juveniles (all species) black with three pale stripes. Breeding male has brilliant colours: back, belly bright blue, limbs sometimes yellow, tail coral-red. Shelters beneath thin rock flakes. Lays two eggs in summer. Forms dense colonies on granite rocks of lower Orange River at Augrabies Falls.
Platysaurus intermedius
5 COMMON FLAT LIZARD
Body very flat, covered in granular scales. Head flat, triangular. Scattered spines on sides of neck and legs. Tail tapered, spiny on sides. Breeding male mainly green with orange tail. Head varies from black to green. Females and juveniles black with three pale stripes. Lays two-egg clutches during summer. Rock koppies of eastern escarpment and Zimbabwe.
Similar
EASTERN FLAT LIZARD P. orientalis
Male dark green, tail red. Northern Drakensberg.
NATAL FLAT LIZARD P. natalensis
Male has green back and throat, orange tail.
Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
LEBOMBO FLAT LIZARD P. lebomboensis
Male black, tail and sides brick-red. Lebombo Mountains, eastern Swaziland.
1 SOUTHERN ROCK AGAMA
Body plump, covered in granules and scattered spines. Head broad with rounded snout, wide mouth, small scales. Tail tapering, cannot be shed. Crest along backbone (larger and extends onto tail in north). Forms small colonies on rock outcrops. Breeding male has bright blue head. Females, juveniles drabber. Lays 7-12 eggs in summer. Western Cape and adjacent regions.
Similar
ANCHIETA’S AGAMA A. anchietae
Smaller. Black-tipped scales on soles. Northern Cape and Namibia.
Agama aculeta
2 GROUND AGAMA
Typical agama body shape. Earhole relatively large. Throat has central network of markings. Regular rows of enlarged spines on back. Body cryptically blotched in browns. Breeding male has bluish head. Terrestrial, basking in low bushes, feeding on ants. Shy, solitary. Lays 10-18 eggs in hole in summer. Widespread in savannas and semi-arid areas.
Agama hispida
3 SPINY AGAMA
Very similar to ground agama. Earhole smaller and throat dark with irregular pale blotches. Cryptic, except breeding male (vivid, metallic yellow-green colour). Terrestrial; male displays from boulder. Shy, runs into burrow when disturbed. Lays 10-15 eggs in summer. Karoo and Namaqualand.
Agama planiceps
4 NAMIBIAN ROCK AGAMA
Graceful, long-tailed. Hind legs long, head small. Juveniles and females grey-olive with pale blotches, bright orange shoulder blotch and paired lemon blotches on dark head. Breeding male has metallic dull blue-purple sheen, orange-red head, neck and throat. Tail olive-yellow at base, coral-red at tip. Lives in colonies on rock outcrops in northern Namibia.
Acanthocerus atricollis
5 TREE AGAMA
Very large. Body plump, covered in spiny scales. Large black spot on shoulder. Females, juveniles lichen-coloured. Breeding male develops bright ultramarine head. Clambers on tree trunks, nodding head in display. Will threaten with open mouth showing bright orange lining. Feeds mainly on insects. Lays 4-14 eggs in hole in ground in summer. Common in eastern bushveld.
1 CAPE DWARF CHAMELEON
Head extends behind into scaly casque. Throat has crest of non-overlapping spines. Prehensile tail longer than body. Body leaf-green, usually with orange-red stripe on side. Long, telescopic tongue used to catch insects. 6-10 live young born in bushes. Southwestern Cape.
Similar
KNYSNA DWARF CHAMELEON B. damaranum
Tail much longer than body. Large, narrow casque. Southern Cape forests.
Bradypodion thamnobates
2 NATAL MIDLANDS DWARF CHAMELEON
Head with large, recurved casque. Throat crest of long, overlapping scaly flaps. Crest extends along backbone onto tail. Body usually mottled, but in display becomes dark blue-green with cream or red-brown lateral patch. Aggressive, threatens other chameleons. Gives birth to up to 30 young in summer. Central KwaZulu-Natal thickets.
Similar
DRAKENSBERG DWARF CHAMELEON B. dracomontanum
Casque large. Throat crest small. Drakensberg kloof forests.
SOUTHERN DWARF CHAMELEON B. ventrale
Throat crest large, scales overlapping. Tail short. Eastern Cape thickets.
Bradypodion setaroi
3 SETARO’S DWARF CHAMELEON
Very small. Head has narrow, well-developed casque. Throat crest reduced to small spines. Prehensile tail longer than body in males, shorter in females. Body light grey-brown. Throat light green with white grooves. Up to seven minute young born in summer. Low coastal dune forest in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Similar
SMITH’S DWARF CHAMELEON B. taeniabronchum
Casque small. Throat grooves black. Eastern Cape fynbos.
Chamaeleo dilepis
4 FLAP-NECKED CHAMELEON
Large chameleon, with large skin flaps behind head. Throat crest of small, white scales extends onto belly. Body varies from green to pale yellow or brown, sometimes speckled. In defence, gapes mouth to reveal orange lining, flattens its body and rocks from side to side. Feeds mainly on insects. Lays up to 57 small eggs in summer that may take nine months to hatch. Northern savannas and bushveld.
Chamaeleo namaquensis
5 NAMAQUA CHAMELEON
Bulky, short-tailed, terrestrial. Head large with powerful jaws. Casque small. Series of 12-14 large knobs along backbone. Eats large numbers of grasshoppers and beetles, even lizards and snakes. Lives in hot deserts and along seashore. Breeds throughout year, laying several clutches of 20 eggs in sand burrow. Arid western regions.
1 KAROO FLAT GECKO
Head flat. Large eyes. Depressed body covered in soft, granular skin. Three pairs of pads beneath each toe. Tail segmented. Golden tan colour, with darker blotches and cream belly. Lays two hard-shelled eggs beneath sun-warmed rock. Communal nest sites may contain hundreds of eggs. Nocturnal, sheltering under rock flakes on large sandstone outcrops in montane grassland of Eastern Cape.
Similar
HAWEQUA FLAT GECKO A. hawequensis
Large. Stout body boldly marked. Southwestern Cape mountains.
TRANSVAAL FLAT GECKO A. transvaalica
Dull brown. Two pairs of pads on each toe. Limpopo valley and eastern Zimbabwe.
Hemidactylus mabouia
2 TROPICAL HOUSE GECKO
Head flat. Large eyes. Flattened body covered in soft, granular skin with 10-18 rows of tubercles on back. Toes large, tips flared with paired pads and large claws. Body pale grey with 4-5 wavy, dark crossbars that fade in light. Lays two hard-shelled eggs. Nocturnal, common around house lights in lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal, expanding to other coastal areas.
Similar
TASMAN’S HOUSE GECKO H. tasmani
Large (15 cm). Bold colour and tubercles. Rock outcrops in central Zimbabwe.
Afrogecko porphyreus
3 MARBLED LEAF-TOED GECKO
Body, head flat. Skin smooth, granular. Tail round, unsegmented. Toe tips flared with single pair of pads. Back marbled grey, sometimes with pale dorsal stripe. Nocturnal, sheltering under bark, in rock cracks or houses. Social, up to 20 may share same retreat. Southern Cape coastal regions.
Similar
STRIPED LEAF-TOED GECKO Goggia lineatus
Tiny. Terrestrial. Grey with dark stripes. Western Cape valleys.
Lygodactylus capensis
4 CAPE DWARF DAY GECKO
Tiny. Rounded body with granular skin. Feet with tiny inner toe; other toes with dilated tips, large claws and paired, oblique pads. Body grey-brown with dark streak from snout to shoulder that may continue as pale lateral stripe. Active by day, feeding on ants, termites. Lays many two-egg clutches; communal egg sites common. Eastern regions.
Ptenopus garrulus
5 COMMON BARKING GECKO
Small. Body round. Tail short and smooth. Short, rounded head with bulging eyes. Stubby, fringed toes lack adhesive pads. Body reddish-brown to greyish-yellow with fine speckles or black crossbars. Breeding male has yellow throat. Digs branched burrows in firm sand at base of a bush. Male calls “ceek, ceek, ceek ...” at burrow entrance at sunset. Arid western regions.
1 GIANT GROUND GECKO
Body stout, cylindrical. Head large, short-snouted, with large eyes. Feet hand-like, short toes lack pads. Tail segmented, with rings of enlarged tubercles. Back pale orange to red-brown, sometimes with pale, dark-edged chevrons. Shelters in burrow, emerging at night to catch insects. When alarmed walks stiff-legged, tail held scorpion-like. Gravel plains and sandy flats of Namib Desert and Karoo.
Pachydactylus rangei
2 WEB-FOOTED GECKO
Body slender, semi-transparent. Head flat, with swollen nostrils, large, jewel-like eyes. Thin feet, webbed toes. Short, unsegmented tail. Back flesh-pink with dark reticulation, white belly. Spends day in tunnel dug in fine sand, emerging at night to feed on crickets, spiders. Clutches of two large, hard-shelled eggs laid November to March. Windblown sands of Namib Desert.
Homopholis wahlbergi
3 WAHLBERG’S VELVET GECKO
Body large, soft-skinned. Robust head and limbs. Toes dilated with 8-12 large, unpaired pads and small claws. Back soft grey colour, males with pair of broad, black stripes on back. Belly dirty cream, sometimes flecked. Nocturnal. Arboreal, sheltering under bark or in hollow logs. Lays pairs of large, white eggs in rock cracks or under bark. Eastern savannas.
Chondrodactylus bibronii
4 BIBRON’S GECKO
Large, stout body. Triangular head with powerful jaws. Skin rough with numerous keeled tubercles. Tail segmented with whorls of spiny scales. Back grey with white spots and 4-5 indistinct dark crossbands (more distinct in juveniles). Nocturnal. Lives mainly among rocks but also enters houses. Forms large colonies. Bite painful but not toxic. Widespread.
Similar
SPOTTED GECKO Pachydactylus maculatus
Small (8-10 cm). Pale grey with black spots. Southern Cape to Swaziland.
MARICO GECKO Pachydactylus mariquensis
Slender, thin-legged. Smooth. Karoo and southern Namibia.
Rhoptropus afer
5 NAMIB DAY GECKO
Small, long-legged. Long toes (tiny inner toe) with flared tips, each with single pad. Back smooth with granular skin. Dappled grey but lower surfaces of legs, tail and throat bright yellow. Territorial, signalling to each other by lifting tail to reveal bright colour. Diurnal, darting between boulders, eating ants, small beetles. Lays two hard-shelled eggs in rock crack. Rocky Namib plains.
Similar
BARNARD’S DAY GECKO R. barnardi
Reddish without yellow underparts. Semi-desert, northern Namibia.
1 ROCK MONITOR
Nose swollen. Tail only as long as body. Head, body covered in small bead-like scales. Mottled in tan and black, but dulled with dust and old skin. Roams rocky semi-desert looking for insects, millipedes, anything edible. 20-40 eggs laid in hole in spring. Will bite, but is not poisonous. Tail used as whip. Found everywhere except Western Cape and Namib Desert.
Varanus niloticus
2 WATER MONITOR
Largest African lizard. Head elongate. Flattened tail longer than body. Head, body covered in small bead-like scales. Blotched in black and yellow; juveniles brighter than adults. Forages along rivers and pans for crabs, frogs, etc. 20-60 eggs laid in termite nest, hatching 4-6 months later. Widespread except Western Cape and most of Namibia.
Zygaspis quadrifrons
3 KALAHARI ROUND-HEADED WORM LIZARD
Body worm-like with rounded head. Uniform purple-brown above, belly lighter. Burrows in sandy scrub and bushveld, feeding on small insects, larvae. Zimbabwe, Botswana and adjacent Namibia.
Similar
VIOLET ROUND-HEADED WORM LIZARD Z. violacea
Dark purple-brown. Southern Mozambique.
Monopelis capensis
4 CAPE SPADE-SNOUTED WORM LIZARD
Body pink, worm-like. Head with “thumb-nail” cutting edge used to dig deep tunnels. 4-6 enlarged, elongate scales on throat. Burrows in deep sand for insect grubs. Seen only during excavations or when floods push it to surface. Up to three young born in late summer. Southern Kalahari, along Limpopo River to Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique.
Similar
ANGOLAN SPADE-SNOUTED WORM LIZARD M. anchietae
Body thick. Purple-brown. Northern Namibia and Botswana.
Crocodylus niloticus
5 NILE CROCODILE
Large (over 2 m). Long tail has two raised keels. Hind feet webbed. Eyes and valved nostrils on top of head. Adult dull-olive with cream belly. Hatchling has black markings and straw-yellow belly. 20-80 eggs laid in hole in sandbank. Parents protect nest and hatchlings. Young eat insects, frogs. Adults ambush mammals, birds, fish. Almost extinct outside reserves. Restricted to northern and eastern regions.