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: 18

    Gekkonidae

    Afroedura bogerti
    Afroedura donveae
    Afroedura praedicta
    Afroedura vazpintorum
    Afroedura wulfhaackei
    Afrogecko ansorgii
    Chondrodactylus fitzsimonsi
    Chondrodactylus pulitzerae
    Chondrodactylus laevigatus
    Hemidactylus bayonii
    Hemidactylus benguellensis
    Hemidactylus brookii
    Hemidactylus longicephalus
    Hemidactylus mabouia
    Hemidactylus murecius
    Hemidactylus paivae?
    Kolekanos plumicaudus
    Lygodactylus angolensis
    Lygodactylus bradfieldi
    Lygodactylus capensis
    Pachydactylus amoenoides
    Pachydactylus angolensis
    Pachydactylus caraculicus
    Pachydactylus cf oreophilus
    Pachydactylus punctatus
    Pachydactylus rangei
    Pachydactylus scherzi
    Pachydactylus rugosus
    Pachydactylus scutatus
    Pachydactylus wahlbergii
    Pachydactylus vanzylis
    Rhoptropus afer
    Rhoptropus barnardi
    Rhoptropus benguellensis
    Rhoptropus biporosus
    Rhoptropus boultoni
    Rhoptropus taeniostictus

    Scincidae

    Acontias jappi
    Acontias kgalagadi
    Acontias occidentalis
    Panaspis breviceps
    Panaspis cabindae
    Panaspis maculicollis
    Panaspis mocamedensis
    Panaspis wahlbergii
    Leptosiaphos dewittei
    Lepidothyris hinkeli
    Mochlus sundevalli
    Eumecia anchietae
    Eumecia major
    Lubuya ivensii
    Trachylepis acutilabris
    Trachylepis affinis
    Trachylepis monardi
    Trachylepis bayoni
    Trachylepis huilensis
    Trachylepis binotata
    Trachylepis bocagii
    Tachylepis chimbana
    Tachylepis damarana
    Trachylepis hoeschi
    Trachylepis lacertiformis
    Trachylepis laevis
    Trachylepis maculibaris
    Tachylepis magalura
    Trachylepis occidentalis
    Trachylepis punctulata
    Trachylepis spilogaster
    Trachylepis striata
    Trachylepis sulcata
    Trachylepis albopunctata
    Trachylepis wahlbergi
    Feylinia currori
    Feylinia grandisquamis
    Melanoseps occidentalis
    Sepsina angolensis
    Sepsina bayoni
    Sepsina copei
    Typhlacontias johnsonii
    Typhlacontias punctatissimus
    Typhlacontias rohani
    Typhlacontias rudebecki

    Agamidae (6)

    Acanthocercus cyanocephalus
    Acanthocercus margaritae
    Agama aculeata
    Agama anchietae
    Agama congica
    Agama mucosoensis
    Agama planiceps

    Amphisbaenidae (11)

    Dalophia angolensis Dalophia ellenbergeri Dalophia pistillum Dalophia welwitschii Monopeltis anchietae Monopeltis infuscata Monopeltis luandae Monopeltis perplexus Monopeltis vanderysti Zygaspis nigra Zygaspis quadrifrons

    Chamaeleonidae (19)

    Chamaeleo anchietae Chamaeleo dilepis Chamaeleo gracilis Chamaeleo namaquensis Trioceros oweni

    Cordylidae

    Chamaesaura miopropus Chamaesaura anguina Cordylus angolensis Codylus machadoi Cordylus namakuiyus Cordylus phonolithos

    Gerrhosauridae (12)

    Cordylosaurus subtessellatus Gerrhosaurus auritus Gerrhosaurus bulsi Gerrhosaurus multilineatus Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus Gerrhosaurus skoogi Matobosaurus maltzahni Tetradactylus ellenbergeri

    Lacertidae

    Heliobolus lugubris Holaspis guentheri Ichnotropis bivittata Ichnotropis pallida Incnotropis capensis Ichnotropis overlaeti Ichnotropis microlepidota Meroles anchietae Meroles reticulatus Meroles squamulosus Nucras salaris Nucras aff tesselata Pedioplanis benguellensis Pedioplanis haackei Pedioplanis huntleyi Pedioplanis serodioi

    Varanidae (2)

    Varanus albigularis Varanus niloticus

    Colubridae

    Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia Crotaphopeltis barotseensis Dasypeltis confusa Dasypeltis palmarum Dasypeltis scabra Dasypeltis shrevei Dipsadoboa shrevei Dispholidus typus Grayia ornata Grayia smithii Grayia tholloni Hapsidophrys smaragdinus Philothamnus angolensis Philothamnus carinatus Philothamnus dorsalis Philothamnus heterodermus Philothamnus heterolepidotus Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus nitidus Philothamnus ornatus Philothamnus semivariegatus Rhamnophis aethiopissa Scaphiophis albopunctatus Telescopus finkeldeyi Telescopus polystictus Thelotornis capensis Thelotornis kirtlandii Thrasops flavigularis Thrasops jacksoni (jacksonii???) Thrasops blandingii (Toxicordryas blandingii???) Toxicordryas pulverulenta

    Elapidae (13)

    Aspidelaps lubricus Dendroaspis jamesoni Dendroaspis polylepis Elapsoidea guentherii Elapsoidea semiannulata Naja anchietae Naja annulata Naja melanoleuca Naja mossambica Naja nigricincta Naja nigricollis Naja subfulva Pseudohaje goldii

    Lamprophiidae

    Amblyodipsas polylepis Amblyodipsas ventrimaculata Aparallactus capensis Atractaspis bibronii Atractaspis congica Atractaspis reticulata Boaedon angolensis Boaedon fuliginosus Boaedon olivaceus Bothrophthalmus lineatus Chamaelycus parkeri Gonionotophis brusseauxi Hemirhagerrhis viperina Hormonotus modestus Hypoptophis wilsoni Limaformosa capensis Limaformosa vernayi Lycodonomorphus subtaeniatus Lycophidion hellmichi Lycophidion laterale Lycophidion meleagre Lycophidion multimaculatum Lycophidion namibianum Lycophidion ornatum Mehelya poensis Polemon callaris Prosymna ambigua Prosymna angolensis Prosymna frontalis Prosymna visseri Psammophis angolensis Psammophis jallae Psammophis leopardinus Psammophis namibensis Psammophis notostictus Psammophis mossambicus Psammophis subtaeniatus Psammophis trigrammus Psammophis trinasalis Psammophis zambiensis Psammophylax acutus Psammophylax ocellatus Psammophylax tritaeniatus Pseudaspis cana Pythonodipsas carinata Xenocalamus bicolor Xenocalamus mechowii Xenocalamus inornatus

    Leptotyphlopidae (5)

    Leptotyphlops kafubi Leptotyphlops scutifrons Namibiana labialis Namibiana latifrons Namibiana rostrata

    Natricidae (4)

    Limnophis bangweolicus Limnophis bicolor Natriciteres bipostocularis Natriciteres olivacea

    Pythonidae (1)

    Python anchietae Python natalensis Python sebae

    Typhlopidae (8)

    Afrotyphlops angolensis Afrotyphlops anomalus Afrotyphlops congestus Afrotyphlops lineolatus Afrotyphlops schmidti Afrotyphlops schlegelii Afrotyphlops mucruso Letheobia praeocularis

    Viperidae (13)

    Atheris squamigera Bitis arietans Bitis caudalis Bitis gabonica Bitis heraldica Bitis nasicornis Bitis peringueyi Causus bilineatus Causus lichtensteini Causus maculatus Causus rasmusseni Causus resimus Causus rhombeatus

    Chelonidae (4)

    Caretta caretta Chelonia mydas Eretmochelys imbricata Lepidochelys olivacea

    Dermochelyidae (1)

    Dermochelys coriacea

    Pelomedusidae (6)

    Pelomedusa subrufa Pelomedusa bechuanicus Pelusios gabonensis Pelusios nanus Pelusios rhodesianus Pelusios castaneus

    Trionycidae (2)

    Trionyx triunguis Cycloderma aubryi

    Testudinidae (3)

    Kinixys belliana Kinixys erosa Stigmochelys pardalis

    Crocodylidae (3)

    Crocodylus niloticus
    Mecistops leptorhynchus
    Osteolaemus tetraspis

  • Amphibians: Total list = 41

    ANURA (41)

    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 (9)

    Amietia delalandii

    Cacosternum boettgeri

    Tomopterna adiastola

    Tomopterna cryptotis

    Tomopterna krugerensis

    Tomopterna marmorata

    Tomopterna tandyi

    Pyxicephalus adspersus

    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 21 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