LESOTHO

AHBI Herp Score = 28.10

Lesotho, a landlocked nation within South Africa, boasts diverse geography, ecosystems, and fauna and flora. The country's mountainous landscapes, forms impressive high-altitude grasslands and wetlands. .

Lesotho's biodiversity includes many unique plant and animal species, some endemic to the region. The country has a limited range of reptiles and amphibians, however, many are near-endemic to the country. This remarkable geography and unique biodiversity make Lesotho a prime example of ecological diversity in southern Africa. See the AHBI Checklist below for a checklist of Lesotho’s herpetofauna.

Lesotho Herp Checklist

  • Reptiles: Total list = 40

    SQUAMATA (40)

    Gekkonidae (3)

    Afroedura halli

    Afroedura nivaria

    Pachydactylus capensis

    Scincidae (5)

    Acontias gracilicauda

    Trachylepis capensis

    Trachylepis homalocephala

    Trachylepis punctatissima

    Trachylepis varia

    Agamidae (2)

    Agama aculeata

    Agama atra

    Cordylidae (3)

    Cordylus cordylus

    Pseudocordylus langi

    Pseudocordylus melanotus

    Gerrhosauridae (1)

    Gerrhosaurus flavigularis

    Lacertidae (5)

    Nucras lalandii

    Pedioplanis burchelli

    Tropidosaura cottrelli

    Tropidosaura essexi

    Tropidosaura montana

    Varanidae (1)

    Varanus niloticus

    Colubridae (2)

    Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia

    Dasypeltis scabra

    Elapidae (2)

    Hemachatus haemachatus

    Naja nivea

    Lamprophiidae (4)

    Alopecion guttatum

    Boaedon capensis

    Lamprophis aurora

    Lycodonomorphus rufulus

    Leptotyphlopidae (2)

    Leptotyphlops conjunctus

    Leptotyphlops scutifrons

    Psammophiidae (2)

    Psammophis crucifer

    Psammophylax rhombeatus

    Prosymnidae (1)

    Prosymna sundevallii

    Pseudaspididae (1)

    Pseudaspis cana

    Pseudoxyrhophiidae (2)

    Amplorhinus multimaculatus

    Duberria lutrix

    Typhlopidae (2)

    Afrotyphlops bibronii

    Rhinotyphlops lalandei

    Viperidae (2)

    Bitis arietans

    Bitis atropos

  • Amphibians: Total list = 21

    ANURA

    Brevicipitidae (1)

    Breviceps verrucosus

    Bufonidae (4)

    Poyntonophrynus vertebralis

    Sclerophrys capensis

    Sclerophrys gutturalis

    Vandijkophrynus nubicola

    Heleophrynidae (1)

    Hadromophryne natalensis

    Hyperoliidae (2)

    Kassina senegalensis

    Semnodactylus wealii

    Phrynobatrachidae (1)

    Phrynobatrachus natalensis

    Pipidae (1)

    Xenopus laevis

    Pyxicephalidae (11)

    Amietia delalandii

    Amietia hymenopus

    Amietia poyntoni

    Amietia vertebralis

    Cacosternum boettgeri

    Cacosternum parvum

    Cacosternum striatum

    Strongylopus fasciatus

    Strongylopus grayii

    Tomopterna adiastola

    Tomopterna tandyi

  • There are no endemic reptiles or amphibians to Lesotho. However, there are several near-endemic species occurring in both Lesotho and the high altitude drakensberg escarpment of South Africa.

  • Reptiles

    Gekkonidae

    Pachydactylus mariquensis

    Pachydactylus vansoni

    Cordylidae

    Chamaesaura aenea

    Karusasaurus polyzonus

    Pseudocordylus spinosus

    Gerrhosauridae

    Tetradactylus breyeri

    Tetradactylus tetradactylus

    Tetradactylus seps

    Chamaeleonidae

    Bradypodion dracomontanum

    Lamprophiidae

    Lamprophis fuscus

    Lycodonomorphus inornatus

    Lycophidion capense

    Montaspis gilvomaculata

    Leptotyphlopidae

    Leptotyphlops sylvicolus

    Viperidae

    Causus rhombeatus

    TESTUDINES

    Pelomedusidae

    Pelomedusa galeata

    Testudinidae

    Homopus femoralis

    Amphibians

    ANURA

    Arthroleptidae

    Leptopelis xenodactylus

    Bufonidae

    Schismaderma carens 

    Hyperoliidae

    Afrixalus spinifrons

    Ptychadenidae

    Ptychadena porosissima

    Pyxicephalidae

    Anhydrophryne hewitti

    Strongylopus wageri

    Tomopterna tandyi

    Tomopterna natalensis

  • Extinct

    Locally (excluded from checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA

    Globally (Included in checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA

    Questionable

    Reptiles

    SQUAMATA

    Cordylidae

    Smaug giganteus

    Varanidae

    Varanus albigularis

    Atractaspididae

    Aparallactus capensis

    Viperidae

    Causus rhombeatus

    Pythonidae

    Python natalensis

    Testudinidae

    Homopus femoralis

    Stigmochelys pardalis

    TESTUDINES

    Testudinidae

    Homopus femoralis

    Stigmochelys pardalis

    Introduced (excluded from checklist)

    Reptiles

    NA

    Amphibians

    NA

Habitat

Sani, Mokhotlong (Gary K. Nicolau)

Sani, Mokhotlong (Justin R. Nicolau)

Sani, Mokhotlong (Justin R. Nicolau)

Reptile Diversity

There are 17 families of Squamates in Lesotho

Lizards

Snakes

Amphibian Diversity

There are 7 families of Anura in Lesotho

Amphibians

Bibliography for Lesotho

Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Pietersen, D.W., Weeber, J., Burger, M. & Alexander, G.J. (eds) 2023. Conservation status of the reptiles of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. Suricata 10. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.