BOTSWANA

AHBI Herp Score = 37,42

Botswana, a landlocked nation in southern Africa, has unique geography, ecosystems, and fauna and flora. The country's habitats and ecosystems encompass a diverse range of landscapes, such as the arid Kalahari Desert, vast Miombo Woodlands and the renowned Okavango Delta.

Botswana’s biodiversity includes many unique plant and animal species, but mostly recognised for its megafauna. The country also has a high diversity of reptiles and amphibians, however, few are endemic to the country. See the AHBI Checklist below for a list of Botswana’s herpetofauna.

Botswana Herp Checklist

  • Reptiles: Total list = 147

    SQUAMATA (137)

    Gekkonidae (17)

    Chondrodactylus angulifer

    Chondrodactylus bibronii

    Chondrodactylus laevigatus

    Chondrodactylus turneri

    Hemidactylus mabouia

    Homopholis arnoldi

    Lygodactylus angolensis

    Lygodactylus bradfieldi

    Lygodactylus capensis

    Lygodactylus chobiensis

    Pachydactylus capensis

    Pachydactylus punctatus

    Pachydactylus rugosus

    Pachydactylus tigrinus

    Pachydactylus tsodiloensis

    Pachydactylus wahlbergii

    Ptenopus garrulus 

    Scincidae (19)

    Acontias gariepensis

    Acontias kgalagadi

    Acontias occidentalis

    Mochlus sundevallii

    Panaspis maculicollis

    Panaspis wahlbergii

    Scelotes limpopoensis

    Trachylepis capensis

    Trachylepis damarana

    Trachylepis margaritifera

    Trachylepis occidentalis

    Trachylepis punctatissima

    Trachylepis punctulata

    Trachylepis sparsa

    Trachylepis spilogaster

    Trachylepis striata

    Trachylepis varia

    Trachylepis wahlbergii

    Typhlacontias rohani

    Agamidae (7)

    Acanthocercus atricollis

    Agama aculeata

    Agama anchietae

    Agama armata

    Agama atra

    Agama kirkii

    Agama makarikarika

    Amphisbaenidae (9)

    Dalophia longicauda

    Dalophia pistillum

    Monopeltis anchietae

    Monopeltis capensis

    Monopeltis infuscata

    Monopeltis leonhardi

    Monopeltis mauricei

    Monopeltis sphenorhynchus

    Zygaspis quadrifrons

    Chamaeleonidae (1)

    Chamaeleo dilepis

    Cordylidae (3)

    Cordylus jonesii

    Cordylus vittifer

    Platysaurus intermedius

    Gerrhosauridae (4)

    Gerrhosaurus auritus

    Gerrhosaurus flavigularis

    Gerrhosaurus intermedius

    Matobosaurus validus

    Lacertidae (11)

    Heliobolus lugubris

    Ichnotropis capensis

    Ichnotropis grandiceps

    Meroles squamulosus

    Meroles suborbitalis

    Nucras holubi

    Nucras intertexta

    Nucras ornata

    Nucras tessellata

    Pedioplanis lineoocellata

    Pedioplanis namaquensis

    Varanidae (2)

    Varanus albigularis 

    Varanus niloticus

    Atractaspididae (7)

    Amblyodipsas polylepis

    Amblyodipsas ventrimaculata

    Aparallactus capensis

    Atractaspis bibronii

    Atractaspis duerdeni

    Xenocalamus bicolor

    Xenocalamus mechowii

    Colubridae (11)

    Crotaphopeltis barotseensis

    Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia

    Dasypeltis scabra

    Dispholidus typus

    Meizodon semiornatus

    Philothamnus angolensis

    Philothamnus hoplogaster

    Philothamnus ornatus

    Philothamnus semivariegatus

    Telescopus semiannulatus

    Thelotornis capensis

    Elapidae (10)

    Aspidelaps scutatus

    Dendroaspis polylepis

    Elapsoidea boulengeri

    Elapsoidea semiannulata

    Elapsoidea sundevallii

    Naja anchietae

    Naja annulifera

    Naja mossambica

    Naja nigricincta

    Naja nivea

    Lamprophiidae (5)

    Boaedon capensis

    Boaedon fradei

    Gracililima nyassae

    Limaformosa capensis

    Lycophidion capense

    Leptotyphlopidae (2)

    Leptotyphlops scutifrons

    Myriopholis longicauda

    Natricidae (2)

    Limnophis bangweolicus

    Natriciteres olivacea

    Prosymnidae (3)

    Prosymna angolensis

    Prosymna bivittata

    Prosymna lineata

    Psammophidae (12)

    Dipsina multimaculata

    Hemirhagerrhis nototaenia

    Psammophis angolensis

    Psammophis brevirostris

    Psammophis jallae

    Psammophis leightoni

    Psammophis lineatus

    Psammophis mossambicus

    Psammophis notostictus

    Psammophis subtaeniatus

    Psammophylax tritaeniatus

    Rhamphiophis rostratus

    Pseudaspididae (1)

    Pseudaspis cana

    Pythonidae (1)

    Python natalensis

    Typhlopidae (6)

    Afrotyphlops bibronii

    Afrotyphlops mucruso

    Afrotyphlops schlegelii

    Rhinotyphlops boylei

    Rhinotyphlops lalandei

    Rhinotyphlops schinzi

    Viperidae (4)

    Bitis arietans 

    Bitis caudalis

    Causus defilippii

    Causus rhombeatus 

    TESTUDINES (9)

    Pelomedusidae (5)

    Pelomedusa subrufa

    Pelusios bechuanicus

    Pelusios rhodesianus

    Pelusios sinuatus

    Pelusios subniger

    Testudinidae (4)

    Kinixys lobatsiana

    Kinixys spekii

    Psammobates oculifer

    Stigmochelys pardalis

    CROCODYLIA (1)

    Crocodylidae (1)

    Crocodylus niloticus

  • Amphibians: Total list = 42

    ANURA (42)

    Arthroleptidae (1)

    Arthroleptis stenodactylus

    Brevicipitidae (1)

    Breviceps adspersus

    Bufonidae (8)

    Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti

    Poyntonophrynus kavangensis

    Schismaderma carens

    Sclerophrys garmani

    Sclerophrys gutturalis

    Sclerophrys lemairii

    Sclerophrys poweri

    Sclerophrys pusilla

    Hemisotidae (2)

    Hemisus guineensis

    Hemisus marmoratus

    Hyperoliidae (5)

    Hyperolius benguellensis

    Hyperolius nasutus

    Hyperolius parallelus

    Hyperolius pusillus

    Kassina senegalensis

    Microhylidae (1)

    Phrynomantis bifasciatus

    Phrynobatrachidae (3)

    Phrynobatrachus mababiensis

    Phrynobatrachus natalensis

    Phrynobatrachus parvulus

    Pipidae (2)

    Xenopus laevis

    Xenopus muelleri

    Ptychadenidae (7)

    Hildebrandtia ornata

    Ptychadena anchietae

    Ptychadena guibei

    Ptychadena mossambica

    Ptychadena oxyrhynchus

    Ptychadena subpunctata

    Ptychadena taenioscelis

    Pyxicephalidae (10)

    Amietia delalandii

    Cacosternum boettgeri

    Tomopterna adiastola

    Tomopterna cryptotis

    Tomopterna krugerensis

    Tomopterna marmorata

    Tomopterna tandyi

    Pyxicephalus adspersus

    Pyxicephalus beytelli

    Pyxicephalus edulis 

    Ranidae (1)

    Amnirana darlingi

    Rhacophoridae (1)

    Chiromantis xerampelina

  • Reptiles: Total list = 1

    Gekkonidae (1)

    Pachydactylus tsodiloensis

    Amphibians: Total list = 0

    NA

  • Reptiles

    Gekkonidae

    Afroedura transvaalica

    Hemidactylus longicephalus

    Scincidae

    Trachylepis laevigata

    Trachylepis variegata

    Amphisbaenidae

    Zygaspis nigra

    Chamaeleonidae

    Chamaeleo namaquensis

    Cordylidae

    Platysaurus guttatus

    Gerrhosauridae

    Broadleysaurus major

    Gerrhosaurus intermedius

    Atractaspididae

    Aparallactus lunulatus

    Xenocalamus transvaalensis

    Lamprophiidae

    Boaedon fuliginosus

    Lycophidion variegatum

    Leptotyphlopidae

    Leptotyphlops incognitus

    Prosymnidae

    Prosymna sundevallii

    Pelomedusidae

    Pelomedusa galeata

    Amphibians

    ANURA

    Arthroleptidae

    Leptopelis bocagii

    Brevicipitidae

    Breviceps poweri

    Breviceps mossambicus

    Bufonidae

    Poyntonophrynus vertebralis

    Sclerophrys capensis

    Hemisotidae

    Hemisus guineensis

    Hyperoliidae

    Hyperolius rhodesianus

    Microhylidae

    Phrynomantis affinis

    Ptychadenidae

    Ptychadena mapacha

    Ptychadena porosissima

    Pyxicephalidae

    Strongylopus fasciatus

    Strongylopus grayii

  • Extinct

    Locally (excluded from checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA

    Globally (Included in checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA

    Questionable

    Reptiles

    NA

    Introduced (excluded from checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA


Habitat

Okavango, Ngamiland (Justin R. Nicolau)

Okavango, Ngamiland (Justin R. Nicolau)


Reptile Diversity

There are 22 families of Squamates, 1 Crocodylia and 2 families of Testudines in Botswana

Lizards

Snakes

Amphibian Diversity

There are 12 families of Anurans in Botswana

Amphibians