• Viperidae (3)

      Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)

      Horned Adder (Bitis caudalis)

      Common Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus)

    • Elapidae (10)

      Black Mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis)

      Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)

      Snouted Cobra (Naja annulifera)

      Anchieta’s Cobra (Naja anchietae)

      Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

      Black Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricincta woodi)

      Speckled Shield-nosed Snake (Aspidelaps scutatus scutatus)

      Angolan Garter Snake (Elapsoidea semiannulata)

      Boulenger’s Garter Snake (Elapsoidea boulengeri)

      Sundevall’s Garter Snake (Elapsoidea sundevallii sundevallii)

    • Colubridae (12)

      Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)

      Southern Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis)

      Oate’s Vine Snake (Thelotornis capensis oatesi)

      Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus semiannulatus)

      Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia)

      Barotse Water Snake (Crotaphopeltis barotseensis)

      Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus)

      Green Water Snake (Philothamnus hoplogaster)

      Angola Green Snake (Philothamnus angolensis)

      Ornate Green Snake (Philothamnus ornatus)

      Common Egg Eater (Dasypeltis scabra)

      Semiornate Snake (Meizodon semiornatus)

    • Atractaspididae (8)

      Bibrons Stiletto Snake (Actractaspis bibronii)

      Beaked Stiletto Snake (Actractaspis duerdeni)

      Common Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas polylepis)

      Kalahari Purple-glossed Snake (Amblyodipsas ventrimaculata)

      Bicoloured Quill-snouted Snake (Xenocalamus bicolor)

      Elongate Quill-snouted Snake (Xenocalamus mechowii)

      Black-headed Centipede Eater (Aparallactus capensis)

      Reticulated Centipede Eater (Aparallactus lunulatus)

    • Psammophiidae (13)

      Olive Grass Snake (Psammophis mossambica)

      Short-snouted Grass Snake (Psammophis brevirostris)

      Karoo Sand Snake (Psammophis notostictus)

      Fork-marked Sand Snake (Psammophis trinasalis)

      Jalla’s Sand Snake (Psammophis jallae)

      Lined Sand Snake (Psammophis lineatus)

      Western Yellow-bellied Sand Snake (Psammophis subtaeniatus)

      Dwarf Sand Snake (Psammophis angolensis)

      Striped Skaapsteker (Psammophylax tritaeniatus)

      Grey-bellied Skaapsteker (Psammophylax variabilis)

      Rufous Beaked Snake (Rhamphiophis rostratus)

      Dwarf Beaked Snake (Dipsina multimaculata)

      Eastern Bark Snake (Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia)

    • Pythonidae (1)

      Southern African Python (Python natalensis)

    • Pseudaspididae (1)

      Mole Snake (Pseudaspis cana)

    • Lamprophiidae (7)

      Bug-eyed House Snake (Boaedon mentalis)

      Brown House Snake (Boaedon capensis)

      Zambezi House Snake (Boaedon fradei)

      Common Wolf Snake (Lycophidion capense)

      Spotted Wolf Snake (Lycophidion multimaculatum)

      Common File Snake (Limaformosa capensis)

      Black File Snake (Gracililima nyassae)

    • Prosymnidae (5)

      Sundevall’s Shovel Snout (Prosymna sundevallii)

      Lined Shovel Snout (Prosymna lineata)

      Two-striped Shovel Snout (Prosymna bivittata)

      East African Shovel Snout (Prosymna stuhlmanni)

      Angolan Shovel-snout (Prosymna angolensis)

    • Natricidae (2)

      Olive Marsh Snake (Natriciteres olivacea)

      Bangweulu Swamp Snake (Limnophis bangweolicus)

    • Typhlopidae (4)

      Zambezi Blind Snake (Afrotyphlops mucruso)

      Schlegel’s Blind Snake (Afrotyphlops schlegelii)

      Boyle’s Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops boylei)

      Delalande's Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops lalandei)

      Schin’z Beaked Blind Snake (Rhinotyphlops schinzi)

    • Leptotyphlopidae (2)

      Peter’s Thread Snake (Leptotyphlops scutifrons)

      Long-tailed Thread Snake (Myriopholis longicauda)

    • 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)

    • Arthroleptidae (1)

      Bocage’s Tree Frog (Leptopelis bocagii)

    • Brevicipitidae (2)

      Bushveld Rain Frog (Breviceps adspersus)

      Mozambique Rain Frog (Breviceps mossambicus)

    • Bufonidae (7)

      Northern Pygmy Toad (Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti)

      Red Toad (Schismaderma carens)

      Eastern Olive Toad (Sclerophrys garmani)

      Guttural Toad (Sclerophrys gutturalis)

      Lemaire’s Toad (Sclerophrys lemairii)

      Western Olive Toad (Sclerophrys poweri)

      Flat-backed Toad (Sclerophrys pusilla)

    • Hemisotidae (2)

      Guinea Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus guineensis)

      Mottled Shovel-nosed Frog (Hemisus marmoratus)

    • Hyperoliidae (4)

      Bocage’s Sharp-nosed Reed Frog (benguellensis)

      Long Reed Frog (Hyperolius nasutus)

      Angolan Reed Frog (Hyperolius parallelus)

      Bubbling Kassina (Kassina senegalensis)

    • Microhylidae (1)

      Banded Rubber Frog (Phrynomantis bifasciatus)

    • Phrynobatrachidae (3)

      Dwarf Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus mababiensis)

      Snoring Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus natalensis)

      Small Puddle Frog (Phrynobatrachus parvulus)

    • Ptychadenidae (9)

      Ornate Frog (Hildebrandtia ornata)

      Mascarene Grass Frog (Ptychadena mascaraniensis)

      Plain Grass Frog (Ptychadena anchietae)

      Guibe’s Grass Frog (Ptychadena guibei)

      Broad-banded Grass Frog (Ptychadena mossambica)

      Nile Grass Frog (Ptychadena nilotica)

      Sharp-nosed Grass Frog (Ptychadena oxyrhynchus)

      Speckled-bellied Grass Frog (Ptychadena subpunctata)

      Dwarf Grass Frog (Ptychadena taenioscelis)

    • Pipidae (3)

      Common Platanna (Xenopus laevis)

      Muller’s Platanna (Xenopus muelleri)

      Power’s Platanna (Xenopus poweri)

    • Pyxicephalidae (10)

      Common River Frog (Amietia delalandii)

      Boettger’s Caco (Cacosternum boettgeri)

      Giant Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus)

      African Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus edulis)

      Beytell’s Bullfrog (Pyxicephalus beytelli)

      Tremelo Sand Frog (Tomopterna cryptotis)

      Knocking Sand Frog (Tomopterna krugerensis)

      Russet-backed Sand Frog (Tomopterna marmorata)

      Tandy’s Sand Frog (Tomopterna tandyi)

      Confused Sand Frog (Tomopterna adiastola)

    • Rhacophoridae (1)

      Southern Foam Nest Frog (Chiromantis xerampelina)

    • Testudinidae (4)

      Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)

      Kalahari Tent Tortoise (Psammobates oculifer)

      Speke’s Hinged-back Tortoise (Kinixys spekii)

      Lobatse Hinge-back Tortoise (Kinixys lobatsiana)

    • Pelomedusidae (5)

      Marsh Terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa)

      Okavango Mud Turtle (Pelusios bechuanicus)

      Pan-hinged Terrapin (Pelusios subniger)

      Mashona Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios rhodesianus)

      Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus)

    • Amphisbaenidae (10)

      Kalahari Round-headed Worm Lizard (Zygaspis quadrifrons)

      Black Round-headed Worm Lizard (Zygaspis nigra)

      Anchieta’s Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis anchietae)

      Dusky Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis infuscata)

      Kalahari Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis leonhardi)

      Cape Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis capensis)

      Maurice’s Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis mauricei)

      Slender Spade-snouted Worm Lizard (Monopeltis sphenorhynchus)

      Long-tailed Worm Lizard (Dalophia longicauda)

      Pestle-tailed Worm Lizard (Dalophia pistillum)

    • Crocodylidae (1)

      Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

This catalogue is designed to be a comprehensive and reliable list to the diverse herpetofauna of Botswana. It includes the common and scientific names of each species, and also provides a count of the species within each suborder and family. Bolded and underlined species means that they possibly occur in Botswana but it is not yet confirmed.

Nomenclature and taxonomic arrangement follows Johan Marais (2004), for snakes, The Reptile Database, for all other reptiles, and Du Preez and Carruthers (2017) for amphibians.

references

https://www.sanbi.org/

https://www.researchgate.net/

https://www.lacerta.de/

https://iucn.org/

https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.com/

https://thebdi.org/

https://www.inaturalist.org/

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/

https://www.gbif.org/

https://figshare.com/

https://animaldiversity.org/

https://amphibiaweb.org/

https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/

https://hal.science/

Frogs of Southern Africa ‘Louis du Preez and Vincent Carruthers’

Common Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana ‘Bernhard and Renate Claus’

A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa ‘Johan Marais’

The Southern African Tortoise Book ‘Richard C. Boycott and Ortwin Bourquin’

Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana ‘R. D. Auerbach’

A Quest for African Herpetology ‘D. G. Broadley’

Snakes of Southern Africa ‘Bill Branch’

Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa ‘Bill Branch’

Conservation Status of the Reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho

Phylogeny of the Genus Chondrodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) with the Establishment of a Stable Taxonomy ‘Aaron M. Bauer et al

Next
Next

Recorded Localities