REPTILES

Reptiles are very important to any healthy ecosystem for many reasons. Snakes are essential to keeping down rodent and frog populations and therefore maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

Many people fear snakes and so they are often killed on sight. This is very sad as most of the snakes found in South Africa are harmless, and many of the venomous ones will cause very little harm (usually a headache or slight swelling) to humans, dogs or cats. With some very basic education it is easy to differentiate between the harmless and the more venomous snakes and so killing these important species can be avoided.

If you have seen a species in the area that is not on the below list, please contact me so I can add it. Please be aware that if the species you saw is unusual or out of range I will need a photo as verification before I can add it to the list. Email: tyrone.mckendry@gmail.com

Common Flap-neck Chameleon - Chamaeleo dilepis
Gecko , Transvaal Common - Pachydactylus affinis
Lizard, Bushveld - Heliobolus lugubris
Lizard, Common Rough Scaled - Cordylus vittifer
Lizard, Transvaal Girdled - Cordylus vittifer
Skink, African Striped - Trachylepis Striata
Skink, Legless Burrowing - Typhlcontias f.
Skink, Montane Speckled - Trachylepis punctatissima
Skink, Variable - Trachylepis varia
Water Monitor - Varanus niloticus
Terrapin, Hinged Serrated - Pelusios sinuatus
Terrapin, Marsh - Pelomedusa subrufa
Tortoise, Hinged Lobatse - Kinixys lobatsiana
Tortoise, Hinged Speke's - Kinixys spekii
Tortoise, Leopard - Stigmochelys pardalis