Lizards
Botswana's lizard diversity is remarkable, even with the lack of colorful Chameleons. The country's ecosystem is enriched by a wide array of Skinks, Agamas, and Geckos. Notably, the Tsodilo Thick-toed Gecko, the only reptile endemic to Botswana.
Gekkonidae (19)
Moreau’s Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
Cape Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus capensis)
Spotted Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus amoenoides)
Tiger Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus tigrinus)
Rough Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus rugosus)
Tsodilo Thick-toed Gecko (Pachydactylus tsodiloensis)
Kalahari Ground Gecko (Colopus wahlbergii)
Zimbabwe Flat Gecko (Afroedura transvaalica)
Wahlberg’s Velvet Gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii)
Arnold’s Velvet Gecko (Homopholis arnoldi)
Common Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus capensis)
Bradfield’s Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus bradfieldi)
Okavango Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus chobiensis)
Common Giant Gecko (Chondrodactylus angulifer)
Fischer’s Thick-toed Gecko (Chondrodactylus laevigatus)
Bibron’s Thick-toed Gecko (Chondrodactylus bibronii)
Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko (Chondrodactylus turneri)
Common Barking Gecko (Ptenopus garrulus maculatus)
Namibian Day Gecko (Rhoptropus afer)
Agamidae (7)
Blue-headed Tree Agama (Acanthocercus atricollis)
Southern African Rock Agama (Agama atra)
Kirk’s Rock Agama (Agama kirkii)
Western Rock Agama (Agama anchietae)
Common Spiny Agama (Agama hispida)
Western Ground Agama (Agama aculeata aculeata)
Peter’s Ground Agama (Agama armata)
Chamaeleonidae (2)
Flap-necked Chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis)
Namaqua Chameleon (Chamaeleo namaquensis)
Scincidae (22)
Percival’s Legless Skink (Acontias percivali)
Mier Kalahari Legless Skink (Acontias gariepensis)
Kgalagadi Legless Skink (Acontias kgalagadi)
Western Burrowing Skink (Acontias occidentalis)
Golden Blind Legless Skink (Acontias aurantiacus)
Rohan’s Blind Dart Skink (Typhlacontias rohani)
Speckle-lipped Snake-eyed Skink (Panaspis maculicollis)
Wahlberg’s Snake-eyed Skink (Panaspis wahlbergii)
Limpopo Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes limpopoensis limpopoensis)
Sundevall’s Writhing Skink (Mochlus sundevallii)
Kalahari Tree Skink (Trachylepis spilogaster)
Eastern Striped Skink (Trachylepis striata)
Speckled Rock Skink (Trachylepis punctatissima)
Karasberg Tree Skink (Trachylepis sparsa)
Cape Skink (Trachylepis capensis)
Speckled Sand Skink (Trachylepis punctulata)
Variable Skink (Trachylepis varia)
Rainbow Skink (Trachylepis margaritifer)
Western Three-striped Skink (Trachylepis occidentalis)
Wahlberg’s Striped Skink (Trachylepis wahlbergii)
Damara Skink (Trachylepis damarana)
Striped-neck Variable Skink (Trachylepis laevigata)
Cordylidae (7)
Jone’s Girdled Lizard (Cordylosaurus jonesii)
Tropical Girdled Lizard (Cordylus tropidosternum)
Transvaal Girdled Lizard (Cordylus vittifer)
Dwarf Plated Lizard (Cordylosaurus subtessellatus)
Dwarf Flat Lizard (Platysaurus guttatus)
Zimbabwe Flat Lizard (Platysaurus intermedius rhodesianus)
Attenborough’s Flat Lizard (Platysaurus intermedius nigrescens)
Gerrhosauridae (6)
Common Giant Plated Lizard (Matobosaurus validus)
Rough-scaled Plated Lizard (Broadleysaurus major)
Keeled Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus multilineatus)
Kalahari Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus auritus)
Eastern Black-lined Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus intermedius)
Yellow-throated Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus flavigularis)
Lacertidae (11)
Bushveld Lizard (Heliobolus lugubris)
Spotted Sand Lizard (Meroles suborbitalis)
Common Rough-scaled Sand Lizard (Meroles squamulosus)
Albany Sandveld Lizard (Nucras taeniolata)
Western Sandveld Lizard (Nucras tesselata)
Spotted Sandveld Lizard (Nucras intertexta)
Holub’s Sandveld Lizard (Nucras holubi)
Namaqua Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis namaquensis)
Ocellated Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata)
Cape Rough-scaled Lizard (Ichnotropis capensis)
Caprivi Rough-scaled Lizard (Ichnotropis grandiceps)
Varanidae (2)
African Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis)
Nile Monitor (Varanus niloticus)