Reptiles of
Zanzibar [Tanzania]

Related checklists:  Tanzania

Bibliography of the reptiles of Zanzibar Taxonomic history of the reptiles of Zanzibar Introduced species
Home - Taxonomy - Geography - Biodiversity - Literature - Purchase RepFocus Recent updates
Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. www.repfocus.dk (Compilation date: 14th April, 2023).

Checklist
General remarks: The list includes only formally described species. Newly discovered, but still unnamed species are excluded. However, unnamed species or species unassigned to species level are included, if they are the only representatives of their genus in the region. Species counts exclude extinct and introduced species. Doubtful records, typically older voucher specimens of uncertain origin, have been excluded if considered questionable, as are records based on sources considered unreliable or controversial.
Note: Your comments to the checklist (omissions, errors, etc.) are welcomed, preferably if they are provided with reliable references. If possible, please attach a pdf file of the relevant reference to an email addressed to:
Crocodilians (Crocodylia)
= endemicEX = extinct or assumed extinct

Species
References
 Family Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus Crocodylus (Typical Crocodiles)
 
Crocodylus niloticus

Nile Crocodile

Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002

Lizards (Sauria)
= endemicEX = extinct or assumed extinct

Species
References
 Family Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
Genus Chamaeleo (Typical Chameleons)
 
Chamaeleo dilepis

Flap-necked Chameleon

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Tilbury 2010
 Family Gekkonidae (Typical Geckos)
Genus Hemidactylus (Half-toed Geckos)
 
Hemidactylus angulatus

West African House Gecko

Broadley & Howell 1991 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 [as brooki]
 
Hemidactylus mabouia

Cosmopolitan House Gecko

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
 
Hemidactylus platycephalus

Flat-headed Tropical House Gecko

Broadley & Howell 1991 Broadley 1977 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002
Genus Lygodactylus (African-Neotropical Dwarf Geckos)
 
Lygodactylus picturatus

Yellow-headed Dwarf Gecko

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 [as luteopicturatus] Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 
Lygodactylus viscatus

Jozani Dwarf Gecko

Broadley & Howell 1991 [as howelli] Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018 [as howelli]
 Family Gerrhosauridae (Plated Lizards)
Genus Broadleysaurus (Rough-scaled Plated Lizard)
 
Broadleysaurus major

Rough-scaled Plated Lizard

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
 Family Scincidae (Skinks)
Genus Cryptoblepharus (Indo-Pacific Snake-eyed Skinks)
 
Cryptoblepharus africanus

African Coral-rag Snake-eyed Skink

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
Genus Mochlus (African Supple Skinks)
 
Mochlus sundevallii

Common Savanna Supple Skink

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
Genus Trachylepis (African-American Grass and Forest Skinks)
 
Trachylepis striata

Eastern Striped Skink

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
 Family Varanidae (Monitor Lizards)
Genus Varanus (Monitor Lizards)
 
Varanus niloticus

Nile Monitor

Bayless 2002 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002

Snakes (Serpentes)
= endemicEX = extinct or assumed extinct

Species
References
 Family Colubridae (Typical Snakes or Colubrids)
Genus Crotaphopeltis (Herald Snakes)
 
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia

Common Herald Snake

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
Genus Dasypeltis (African Egg Eaters)
 
Dasypeltis medici

East African Egg Eater

Bates & Broadley 2018 Broadley & Howell 1991 Gans 1959 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 
Dasypeltis scabra

Common African Egg Eater

Gans 1959
Genus Dipsadoboa (Nocturnal Tree Snakes)
 
Dipsadoboa flavida

Northern Marbled Nocturnal Tree Snake

Loveridge 1957 [as Chamaetortus a. aulicus] Pakenham 1983 [as Chamaetortus a. aulicus] Rasmussen 1989 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Dispholidus (Boomslangs)
 
Dispholidus sp.

(Boomslang)

Loveridge 1957 [as D. typus] Pakenham 1983 [as D. typus]
Genus Natriciteres (African Marsh Snakes)
 
Natriciteres olivacea

Olive Marsh Snake

Broadley 1966 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Philothamnus (African Green Snakes)
 
Philothamnus macrops

Usambara Green Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 
Philothamnus punctatus

Speckled Green Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991
 
Philothamnus semivariegatus

Variegated Bush Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
 Family Elapidae [part 1: terrestrial species] (Cobras, Mambas, etc.)
Genus Dendroaspis (Mambas)
 
Dendroaspis intermedius

Eastern Green Mamba

Loveridge 1957 [as D. angusticeps] Pakenham 1983 [as D. angusticeps]
Genus Naja (Typical Cobras)
 
Naja mossambica

Mozambique Spitting Cobra

Broadley & Howell 1991 David & Ineich 1999 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014
 
Naja subfulva

Brown Forest Cobra

Broadley & Howell 1991 [as N. melanoleuca] Loveridge 1957 [as N. melanoleuca] Pakenham 1983 [as N. melanoleuca] Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 [as N. melanoleuca]
 Family Lamprophiidae (House Snakes, etc.)
Genus Aparallactus (African Centipede Eaters)
 
Aparallactus capensis

Cape Centipede Eater

Loveridge 1957 Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014
Genus Atractaspis (Stiletto Snakes)
 
Atractaspis bibronii

Southern Stiletto Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Broadley 1991 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018 Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014
Genus Boaedon (Afro-Arabian House Snakes)
 
Boaedon capensis

Brown House Snake

Loveridge 1957 [as f. fuliginosus] Pakenham 1983 [as fuliginosus]
Genus Gracililima (Black File Snake)
 
Gracililima nyassae

Black File Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Lanza & Broadley 2014 Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Limaformosa (Venus File Snakes)
 
Limaformosa capensis

Cape File Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Lanza & Broadley 2014 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 
Limaformosa chanleri

Unicolor File Snake

Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 [as unicolor]
Genus Lycophidion (African Wolf Snakes)
 
Lycophidion capense

Cape Wolf Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Broadley 1996 Laurent 1968 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002
Genus Psammophis (Old World Sand Snakes and Grass Snakes)
 
Psammophis angolensis

Dwarf Sand Snake

Loveridge 1957
 
Psammophis sudanensis

Sudan Sand Snake

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983
 Family Pythonidae (Pythons)
Genus Python (Typical Pythons)
 
Python natalensis

Southern Rock Python

Pakenham 1983 [as sebae]
 
Python sebae

Northern Rock Python

Broadley 1984
 Family Typhlopidae (Typical Blind Snakes)
Genus Afrotyphlops (African Giant Blind Snakes)
 
Afrotyphlops mucruso

Zambezi Giant Blind Snake

Broadley & Howell 1991 Pakenham 1983 [as schlegelii dinga]
Genus Letheobia (African Gracile Blind Snakes)
 
Letheobia lumbriciformis

Zanzibar Gracile Blind Snake

Broadley & Wallach 2007 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
  *
Letheobia pallida

Pallid Gracile Blind Snake

Broadley & Wallach 2007 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 Family Viperidae (Vipers)
Genus Causus (Night Adders)
 
Causus defilippii

Snouted Night Adder

Loveridge 1957 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018

Turtles (Testudines)
= endemicEX = extinct or assumed extinct

Species
References
 Family Cheloniidae (Hard-shelled Sea Turtles)
Genus Caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle)
 
Caretta caretta

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Frazier in Bjorndal (ed.) 1982 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Chelonia (Green Sea Turtle)
 
Chelonia mydas

Green Sea Turtle

Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Eretmochelys (Hawksbill Sea Turtle)
 
Eretmochelys imbricata

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
Genus Lepidochelys (Ridley Sea Turtles)
 
Lepidochelys olivacea

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 Family Dermochelyidae (Leatherback Sea Turtle)
Genus Dermochelys (Leatherback Sea Turtle)
 
Dermochelys coriacea

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Broadley & Howell 1991 Pakenham 1983 Spawls, Howell, Drewes & Ashe 2002 Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 Family Pelomedusidae (African Side-necked Turtles)
Genus Pelusios (African Mud Turtles)
 
Pelusios castanoides

Yellow-bellied Mud Turtle

Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018
 Family Testudinidae (Tortoises)
Genus Kinixys (Hinge-back Tortoises)
 
Kinixys belliana

Central African Hinge-back Tortoise

Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018