FAMILY Colubridae (Colubrid or Typical snakes)

Colubrid Sub Families
 Lamprophinae   Old World Snakes
 Natricinae         Water Snakes
 Colubrinae        True Snakes
 Dasypeltinae     Egg Eating Snakes
 Boiginae           Back-fanged Snakes		  
 
SUBFAMILY Lamprophinae (Old World Snakes)
 
24     Hormonotus modestus Yellow Forest Snake
 Hormonotus modestus - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Hormonotus modestus - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Hormonotus modestus - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
25     Lamprophis fuliginosus Brown House Snake  
These common snakes are small constrictors that kill their prey by squeezing. During daylight they prefer to hide away out of sight but hunt at night and will eat most types of small animal they can catch, especially rats and mice, which means they are very efficient at vermin control. A medium sized house snake is actually able to catch, kill and swallow an animal up to and about the size of a fully-grown sewer rat. They bite when first captured but soon settle down and become very tame. Because they have no venom, the bite is insignificant and requires no medical attention. If left undisturbed, they are useful creatures to have around.
 Lamprophis fuliginosus - Photo by Anton Childs Lamprophis fuliginosus - Brown House Snake Lamprophis fuliginosus - Photo by Anton Childs
 Lamprophis fuliginosus - Photo by Anton Childs Lamprophis fuliginosus - Photo by Anton Childs
 
26     Lycophidion capense jacksoni Jackson's Cape Wolf Snake
 Lycophidion capense jacksoni Lycophidion capense jacksoni Lycophidion capense jacksoni
 
      Lycophidion capense loveridgei Loveridge's Cape Wolf Snake
Lycophidion capense leveridgei Lycophidion capense leveridgei Lycophidion capense leveridgei
 
27     Lycophidion depressirostre Flat-snouted Wolf Snake
 Flat-snouted Wolf Snake - Photo by Anton Childs Lycophidion depressitostre Lycophidion depressirostre - Photo by Anton Childs
 
28     Lycophidion ornatum Ornate or Forest Wolf Snake
 
 Lycophidion ornatum Lycophidion ornatum Lycophidion ornatum
 
29     Lycophidion taylori Taylor's Wolf Snake
 
 
30     Mehelya capense Cape File Snake
Mehelya capensis - Cape File Snake - Photo by Anton Childs A medium-sized snake that has big teeth for holding prey (lizards, sometimes toads but the favourite food is other snakes). They never use their teeth for biting as a defence, instead they discharge a  foul-smelling, black liquid from their rear end. The liquid is oily and difficult to clean off. It will stink for several hours and is an effective form of defence which a number of other insects and mammals use. Easily identified by the flat, square front of the head, triangular body section and rough black scales, which give it its name.
Cape File Snake - Photo by Anton Childs Cape File Snake - Photo by Anton Childs
31     Mehelya nyassae Nyasa or Black File Snake 

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SUBFAMILY Natricinae (Water Snakes)

 
32     Grayia smythii Smyth's Water Snake
 Grayia smythii - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Grayia smythii - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Grayia smythii - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
 
33     Grayia tholloni Thollon's Water Snake
 Grayia tholloni Grayia tholloni Grayia tholloni
 Grayia tholloni - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Grayia tholloni - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Grayia tholloni - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
 
34     Natriciteres olivacea Olive Marsh Snake  
 Natriciteres olivacea - Photo by Maik Dobiey

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SUBFAMILY Colubrinae (True Snakes)
 
35     Platyceps florulentus keniensis Flowered Racer or Baringo Flowered Snake
 Baringo Flowered Snake - Photo by Ross and Caro Withey, Samatian Island Lodge - Lake Baringo Baringo Flowered Snake - Photo by Ross and Caro Withey, Samatian Island Lodge - Lake Baringo Baringo Flowered Snake - Photo by Ross and Caro Withey, Samatian Island Lodge - Lake Baringo
36     Platyceps brevis smithii Smith's Racer or Southern Flowered Snake
  Coluber smithii  Smith's Racer  Smith's Racer - Photo by Anton Childs
  
37     Meizodon krameri Tana Delta Smooth Snake
 
38     Meizodon regularis Crowned Smooth Snake
 
39
 
 
Meizodon semiornatus Semi-ornate Snake
  Semi-ornate Snake Meizodon semiornatus Semi-ornate Snake
  Semi-ornate Snake - Photo by Anton Childs Semi-ornate Snake
 
40     Philothamnus  battersbyi Battersby's Green-snake
  Philothamnus battersbyi Philothamnus battersbyi
  Philothamnus battersbyi Philothamnus battersbyi Battersby's Green-snake eating a Tropical House Gecko
 
41     Philothamnus carinatus Thirteen-scaled Green-snake
 Philothamnus carinatus - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus carinatus - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus carinatus - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
42     Philothamnus heterolepidotus Slender Green-snake
 Philothamnus heterolepidotus - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus heterolepidotus - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus heterolepidotus - Venrals, PITMANS 1938
 
43     Philothamnus hoplogaster Green Water Snake
 Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus hoplogaster
 Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus hoplogaster Philothamnus hoplogaster
 Green Water Snake
44     Philothamnus macrops Striped Bush Snake
  Philothamnus macrops  
  Philothamnus macrops, melanistic phase Philothamnus macrops, melanistic phase Striped Bush Snake - melanistics phase
 
45     Philothamnus nitidus loveridgei Loveridge's Green-snake
 Philothamnus nitidus - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus nitidus - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Philothamnus nitidus - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
46     Philothamnus punctatus Spotted Bush Snake
 Philothamnus punctatus Philothamnus punctatus Philothamnus punctatus
 Spotted Bush Snake Spotted Bush Snake Philothamnus puntatus - Photo by Anton Childs
 Philothamnus punctatus
 Spotted Bush Snake
These fast, slender green snakes are one of the few snakes you might be lucky enough to see. They are active in daylight and might be seen chasing the small White-headed Dwarf Geckoes, which are their favourite prey. They have good eyesight and can be difficult to watch unless you move very slowly. Can be identified by the thin body and the small black markings between its scales. Interestingly in Watamu, we from time to time get a rare colour phase of this snake, which is a bright turquoise blue.
 
47     Philothamnus semivariegatus Semi-variagated Bush Snake
  Pholothamnus semivariegatus - Photo by Anton Childs Philothamnus punctatus  Speckled Green-snake
 
48     Hapsidophrys lineata Black-lined Green Snake
 Hapsidophrys lineata - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Hapsidophrys lineata - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Hapsidophrys lineata - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
49     Thrasops jacksonii jacksonii Western Jackson's Tree Snake
 Thrasops jacksonii - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Thrasops jacksonii - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Thrasops jacksonii - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 Thrasops jacksonii - Juvenile Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Thrasops jacksonii - Juvenile Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Thrasops jacksonii - Juvenile Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
      Thrasops jacksonii schmidti Eastern Jackson's Tree Snake
 
 
50     Rhamnophis aethiopissa elgonensis Mt. Elgon Tree Snake
 Rhamnophis aethiopissa - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Rhamnophis aethiopissa - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Rhamnophis aethiopissa - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
51     Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus Peter's Hook-nosed Snake
 Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus (red phase) Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus (red phase) Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus (red phase)
 Scaphiophis albopunctatus, juvenile (grey phase) - Photo by Anton Childs Scaphiophis albopunctatus, juvenile (grey phase) Scaphiophis albopunctatus, juvenile (grey phase)
 Peter's Hook-nosed Snake (red phase)
52     Scaphiophis raffreyi Ethiopian or Raffrey's Hook-nosed Snake
 Scaphiophis raffreyi - Photo by Anton Childs Scaphiophis raffreyi - Photo by Anton Childs
 
53     Prosymna ambigua bolagii Central African Shovel-snout
 
 
54     Prosymna ruspolii keniensis Ruspoli's Southern Shovel-snout
 Prosymna ruspoli keniensis - Photo by Anton Childs Prince Ruspoli's Shovel-snout - Photo by Anton Childs Prince Ruspoli's Shovel-snout - Photo by Anton Childs
 
55     Prosymna stuhlmanni East African Shovel-snout
 Proymna stuhlmanni - Photo by Maik Dobiey Proymna stuhlmanni - Photo by Maik Dobiey Prosymna stuhlmanni
 
56     Pseudaspis cana Mole Snake
 Pseudaspis cana Mole Snake
 
57     Duberria lutrix Abyssinian Slug-eater
 Duberria lutrix

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SUBFAMILY Dasypeltinae (Egg Eating Snakes)
 
58     Dasypeltis atra Montane Egg-eater
 Dasypeltis atra (black phase) - Photo by Anton Childs Montane Egg-eater (black phase) - Photo by Anton Childs Montane Egg-eater (black phase)
 Montane Egg-eater (red phase) Montane Egg-eater (red phase) Montane Egg-eater (red phase)
 
59     Dasypeltis medici medici East African Egg-eater
  Dasypeltis medici medici
 
      Dasypeltis medici lamuensis Lamu Egg-eater
 
 
60     Dasypeltis scabra Rhombic Egg-eater
  Dasypeltis scabra - Photo by Anton Childs Dasypeltis scabra Common or Rhombic Egg-eater
 

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SUBFAMILY Boiginae (Back-fanged Snakes)
 
61     Crotaphopeltis braestrupi Tana Delta Cat Snake
 
 
62     Crotaphopeltis degeni Degeni's or Yellow-bellied Cat Snake
 Crotaphopeltis degeni - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Crotaphopeltis degeni - Side body, PITMANS 1938 Crotaphopeltis degeni - Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
63     Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia White Lipped Cat Snake or Herald Snake
 Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia - Photo by Anton Childs White Lipped Cat Snake - Photo by Anton Childs
             
64     Telescopus dhara Black Tiger or Southern Large Eyed Snake
 Telescopus dhara Telescopus dhar (juvenile) - Photo by Anton Childs Telescopus dhara - Photo by Anton Childs
 
65     Telescopus semiannulatus African or Eastern Tiger Snake
 The Eastern Tiger Snake (Telescopus semiannulatus) Telescopus semiannulatus Telescopus semiannulatus - Photo by Maik Dobiey
A small, slow moving snake that hunts at night. Its prey is mainly birds but it will also take bats, chameleons and geckos. There are two local species, one orange with black bands across the back (on the North coast of Kenya these fade as the snake gets older), the head is very distinct from the neck. It is sometimes found within the hotel grounds in Watamu, as it likes to raid the nests of the weaver- birds hanging near garden ponds. They will bite slowly and deliberately when handled but are absolutely no danger to humans.
 
66     Dipsadoboa flavida broadleyi Broadly's Cross-barred Tree Snake 
 
 Dipsadoboa flavida Dipsadoboa flavida Cross-barred Tree Snake
 
67     Dromophis lineatus Striped Swamp Snake
 
 Dromophis lineatus - Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Dromophis lineatus - Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Dromophis lineatus -Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
68     Psammophis biseriatis Eastern Link-marked Sand Snake
 
 Psammophis biseriatis - Photo by Anton Childs Psammophis biseriatus Link-marked Sand Snake
 
69     Psammophis mossambicus Olive or Hissing Sand Snake
 Psammophis mossambicus Psammophis mossambicus Psammophis mossambicus
 
70     Psammophis pulcher Beautiful or Thirteen Scaled Sand Snake
 Psammophis pulcher - Dong lin - from Field Guide to Reptiles of East Africa
 
71     Psammophis punctulatus triviatus Southern Speckled Sand Snake
 
  Psammophis punctulatus  Speckled Sand Snake  Speckled Sand Snake
 
72     Psammophis orientalis Coastal Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
 
  Eastern Stripe-bellied Sand Snake Psammophis orientalis
 
73     Psammophis sudanensis Highland Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
 
 Stripe-bellied Sand Snake Psammophis sudanensis Psammophis sudanensis
 
74     Psammophis tanganicus Tanganyika Link Marked Sand Snake
 
  Psammophis tanganicus - Photo by Anton Childs Tanganyika Sand Snake - Photo by Anton Childs Psammophis tanganicus - Photo by Anton Childs
 
75     Hemirhagerrhis hilderbrandtii Eastern Bark Snake
 Hemirhagerrhis hilderbrandtii - Photo by Wolfgang Hemirhagerrhis hilderbrandtii - Photo by Wolfgang Eastern Bark Snake
  
 
76     Hemirhagerrhis kelleri Keller's or Striped Bark Snake
 
  Hemirhagerrhis kelleri Striped Bark Snake - Photo by Anton Childs Hemirhagerrhis kelleri - Photo by Maik Dobiey
  Striped Bark Snake - Photo by Anton Childs
 
77     Psammophylax multisquamis East African Skaapsteker
 
 East African Skaapsteker - Photo by Anton Childs East African Skaapsteker - Photo by Anton Childs Psammophylax multisquamis - Photo by Anton Childs
 
78     Rhamphiophis rostratus Rufous Beaked Snake
  Ramphiophis rostratus - Photo by Anton Childs Rhamphiophis rostratus - Photo by Maik Dobiey
 
79     Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus Red-headed Beaked Snake
 Red-spotted Beaked Snake Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus Red-spotted Beaked Snake - Photo by Wolfgang Wuster
 Red-spotted Beaked Snake - Photo by Wolfgang Wuster Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus - Photo by Maik Dobiey Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus - Photo by Maik Dobiey
This medium to large-sized snake hunts in daylight, feeding on small animals (especially rodents) and lizards. Because the venom is so weak it also uses constriction to subdue larger prey. Fast-moving and strong, the Beaked Snake is easily identified by its dark eye and red head and the rather sloping face. It is very reluctant to bite unless handled roughly. The venom is not dangerous to humans so these snakes should be welcomed for their use as vermin controllers.
             
80     Boiga blandingii Blanding's Tree Snake 
 
  Boiga blandingii - Adult Male Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Adult Male Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Adult Male Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
  Boiga blandingii - Adult Female Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Adult Female Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Adult Female Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
  Boiga blandingii - Juvenile Head Plan, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Juvenile Side Body, PITMANS 1938 Boiga blandingii - Juvenile Ventrals, PITMANS 1938
 
 
81     Boiga pulverulenta Powdered Tree Snake 
 
 
82     Dispholidus typus typus Coastal Boomslang
  Dispholidus typus Boomslang threat display Boomslangs in tree
  Dispholidus typus - Photo by Anton Childs Dispholidus typus - Photo by Anton Childs Juvenile Boomslang
The venom of this back-fanged snake is strong and a bite would need to be treated with antivenom.  However, the snake is very alert and nervous and quick to escape if given the chance. Only people actually handling a Boomslang are at risk. Colours may vary, depending on location but at the coast here the male Boomslangs are green and the females are pale brown. They can be distinguished from other green snakes by the domed head, the sharply sloping face and big eyes. The scales are rough like a viper and not smooth. They are daylight hunters, though very seldom seen as they avoid contact. They eat birds, chameleons and bats. The coastal Boomslangs generally are not much more than one metre in length, upcountry they may be much bigger and can be found in all sorts of arrays of colours. The smaller coastal variants found in Kenya are possibly the most venomous Boomslangs in Africa.
 Dispholidus typus, female - Photo by Anton Childs
 
      Dispholidus typus kivuensis Highland or Kanga Boomslang
 
 
83     Thelotornis mossambicanus Eastern Savannah Vine or Twig Snake
 Thelotornis mossambicanus - Photo by Maik Dobiey Thelotornis mossambicanus - Photo by Anton Childs Thelotornis mossambicanus - Photo by Anton Childs
 Thelotornis mossambicanus - Photo by Anton Childs Thelotornis mossambicanus - Photo by Anton Childs
Twig SnakeA good name because it really does look like a twig. It is also called the Vine Snake or the Bird Snake. It is mottled grey, very slender and with, usually, a green top to its head, sometimes brown. The head is quite large compared to the very thin neck and the pupil is unusual, shaped like a horizontal keyhole to enable the snake to focus on unmoving prey such as chameleons.   Most snakes find it difficult to focus on still objects. It may grow to more than one metre but the impression is of a smallish snake.   It is an un-aggressive snake, relying on its superb camouflage to escape trouble, and is most reluctant to bite and human fatalities are very rare. There is no antivenom for the Twig Snake.
 Twig Snake - Photo by Anton Childs
 
84     Thelotornis kirtlandii Forest Vine Snake