A Checklist of the Snakes of Kenya - By Royjan Taylor   

SUPRAORDER Squamata (Lizards, Snakes & Worm Lizards)
ORDER Serpentes (Snakes)

Snake Familes:
Typhlopidae          Blind Snakes
Leptotyphlopidae   Worm Snakes
Boidae                 Boas & Pythons
Colubridae            Typical Snakes

Atractaspididae     Burrowing Snakes

Elapidae               Cobras, Mambas etc
Hydrophidae         Sea Snakes
Viperidae              Vipers
Bio-Ken holds live specimens of almost half of the total number of species found in Kenya, as well as an extensive number of dead specimens preserved in formaldehyde.

INFRA ORDER Scolecophidia (Blind Snakes & Worm Snakes)
FAMILY Typhlopidae (Blind Snakes)

  GENUS SPECIES SUB-SPECIES COMMON NAME
1 Ramphotyphlops braminus   Flower-pot Blind Snake
         
2 Rhinotyphlops ataeniatus   Somali Beaked Blind Snake
3 Rhinotyphlops brevis   Angola-snouted Blind Snake
4 Rhinotyphlops lumbriciformis   Worm-like Blind Snake
5 Rhinotyphlops mucuso   Zambezi Blind Snake
6 Rhinotyphlops pallidus   Zanzibar Blind Snake
7 Rhinotyphlops unitaeniatus   Yellow-backed Blind Snake
         
8 Typhlops angolensis   Angola Blind Snake
9 Typhlops cuneirostris   Peter's or Wedge-snouted Blind Snake
10 Typhlops lineolatus lineolatus Ethiopian or Lineolate Blind Snake
       

Back to Top

INFRA ORDER Scolecophidia (Blind Snakes & Worm Snakes)
FAMILY Leptotyphlopidae (Worm Snakes)

11 Leptotyphlops boulengeri   Manda Flesh Pink or Lamu Worm Snake
12 Leptotyphlops conjuntus conjuntus Jan's All Black Thread Snake
12 Leptotyphlops drewesi   Drewes' Worm Snake
14 Leptotyphlops emini emini Emin Pasha's Worm Snake
15 Leptotyphlops fiechterei   White-bellied Thread Snake
16 Leptotyphlops longicaudus   Long-tailed Worm Snake
17 Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus   Beaked or Hook-snouted Worm Snake
18 Leptotyphlops macrops   Large-eyed Worm Snake
19 Leptotyphlops nigricans nigricans Black Thread Snake
20 Leptotyphlops scutifrons   Merker's or Peter's Worm Snake
       

Back to Top

INFRA ORDER Henophidia
FAMILY Boidae (Boas & Pythons)

SUBFAMILY Erycinae (Sand Boas)

21 Eryx colubrinus   Kenya Sand Boa

SUBFAMILY Pythoninae (Pythons)

22 Python natalensis   Southern African Rock Python
23 Python sebae   Central African Rock Python 
       

Back to Top

INFRA ORDER Caenophidia
FAMILY Colubridae (Colubrid or Typical snakes)

SUBFAMILY Lamprophinae (Old World Snakes)

24 Hormonotus modestus   Yellow Forest Snake
         
25 Lamprophis fuliginosus   Brown House Snake  
         
26 Lycophidion capense jacksoni Jackson's Cape Wolf Snake
  Lycophidion capense loveridgei Loveridge's Cape Wolf Snake
27 Lycophidion depressirostre   Flat-snouted Wolf Snake
28 Lycophidion ornatum   Ornate or Forest Wolf Snake
29 Lycophidion taylori   Taylor's Wolf Snake
         
30 Mehelya capense   Cape File Snake
31 Mehelya nyassae   Nyasa or Black File Snake 

SUBFAMILY Natricinae (Water Snakes)

32 Grayia smythii   Smyth's Water Snake
33 Grayia tholloni   Thollon's Water Snake
         
34 Natriciteres olivacea   Olive Marsh Snake  

SUBFAMILY Colubrinae (True Snakes)

35 Pltayceps florulentus keniensis Flowered Racer or Baringo Flowered Snake
36 Platyceps brevis smithii Smith's Racer or Southern Flowered Snake
         
37 Meizodon krameri   Tana Delta Smooth Snake
38 Meizodon regularis   Crowned Smooth Snake
39 Meizodon semiornatus   Semi-ornate Snake
         
40 Philothamnus battersbyi   Battersby's Green-snake
41 Philothamnus carinatus   Thirteen-scaled Green-snake
42 Philothamnus heterolepidotus   Slender Green-snake
43 Philothamnus hoplogaster   Green Water Snake
44 Philothamnus macrops   Striped Bush Snake
45 Philothamnus nitidus loveridgei Loveridge's Green-snake
46 Philothamnus punctatus   Spotted Bush Snake
47 Philothamnus semivariegatus   Semi-variagated Bush Snake
         
48 Hapsidophrys lineata   Black-lined Green Snake
         
49 Thrasops jacksonii jacksonii Western Jackson's Tree Snake
  Thrasops jacksonii schmidti Eastern Jackson's Tree Snake
         
50 Rhamnophis aethiopissa elgonensis Mt. Elgon Tree Snake
         
51 Scaphiophis albopunctatus albopunctatus Peter's Hook-nosed Snake
52 Scaphiophis raffreyi   Ethiopian or Raffrey's Hook-nosed Snake
         
53 Prosymna ambigua bolagii Central African Shovel-snout
54 Prosymna ruspolii keniensis Ruspoli's Southern Shovel-snout
55 Prosymna stuhlmanni   East African Shovel-snout
         
56 Pseudaspis cana   Mole Snake
         
57 Duberria lutrix   Abyssinian Slug-eater

SUBFAMILY Dasypeltinae (Egg Eating Snakes)

58 Dasypeltis atra   Montane Egg-eater
59 Dasypeltis medici medici East African Egg-eater
  Dasypeltis medici lamuensis Lamu Egg-eater
60 Dasypeltis scabra   Rhombic Egg-eater

SUBFAMILY Boiginae (Back-fanged Snakes)

61 Crotaphopeltis braestrupi   Tana Delta Cat Snake
62 Crotaphopeltis degeni   Degeni's or Yellow-bellied Cat Snake
63 Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia   Whitel Lipped Cat Snake or Herald Snake
         
64 Telescopus dhara   Black Tiger or Southern Large Eyed Snake
65 Telescopus semiannulatus   African or Eastern Tiger Snake
         
66 Dipsadoboa flavida broadleyi Broadly's Cross-barred Tree Snake 
         
67 Dromophis lineatus   Striped Swamp Snake
         
68 Psammophis biseriatis   Eastern Link-marked Sand Snake
69 Psammophis mossambicus   Olive or Hissing Sand Snake
70 Psammophis pulcher   Beautiful or Thirteen Scaled Sand Snake
71 Psammophis punctulatus triviatus Southern Speckled Sand Snake
72 Psammophis orientalis   Coastal Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
73 Psammophis sudanensis   Highland Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
74 Psammophis tanganicus   Tanganyika Link Marked Sand Snake
         
75 Hemirhagerrhis hilderbrandtii   Eastern Bark Snake
76 Hemirhagerrhis kelleri   Keller's or Striped Bark Snake
         
77 Psammophylax multisquamis   East African Skaapsteker
         
78 Rhamphiophis rostratus   Rufous Beaked Snake
79 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus   Red-headed Beaked Snake
         
80 Boiga Blandingii   Blanding's Tree Snake 
81 Boiga pulverulenta   Powdered Tree Snake 
         
82 Dispholidus typus typus Coastal Boomslang
  Dispholidus typus kivuensis Highland or Kanga Boomslang
         
83 Thelotornis mossambicanus   Eastern Savannah Vine Snake
84 Thelotornis kirtlandii   Forest Vine Snake
       

Back to Top

FAMILY Atractaspididae (African Burrowing Snakes)

SUBFAMILY Aparalactinae (Small Burrowing Snakes)

85 Amblyodipsas polylepis   Tanzanian Purple-glossed Snake
86 Amblyodipsas teitana   Taita Hills Purple-glossed Snake
87 Amblyodipsas unicolor   Western Purple-glossed Snake
         
88 Aparallactus capensis   Cape Centipede-eater
89 Aparallactus guentheri   Black Centipede-eater
90 Aparallactus jacksoni jacksoni Kilimajaro Centipede-eater
  Aparallactus jacksoni oweni  
91 Aparallactus lunulatus concolor Plumbeous Centipede-eater
92 Aparallactus modestus   Western Forest Centipede-eater
93 Aparallactus turneri   Malindi Centipede-eater
         
94 Brachyophis revoili   False Centipede Eater or Revoil's Short Snake
         
95 Micrelaps bicoloratus   Bi-coloured Kibwezi Snake
96 Micrelaps vaillantii   Black-headed Kibwezi Snake
         
97 Polemon christyi   Christy's Snake Eater

SUBFAMILY Atractaspinnae (Burrowing Asps / Mole Vipers)

98 Atractaspis bibronii   Bibron's Burrowing Asp
99 Atractaspis engdahli   Engdahl's Burrowing Asp
100 Atractaspis irregularis   Eastern Variable Burrowing Asp
101 Atractaspis microlepidota   Kenya Small-scaled Burrowing Asp
       

Back to Top

FAMILY Elapidae (Cobras, Mambas and Relatives)

SUBFAMILY Bungarinae (African and Asian Elapids)

102 Dendroaspis angusticeps   Eastern Green Mamba
103 Dendroaspis jamesoni kaimosae Eastern Jameson's Mamba
104 Dendroaspis polylepis (Type - A & B) Black Mamba
         
105 Elapsoidea loveridgei loveridgei East African Garter Snake
106 Elapsoidea loveridgei multicinta Many Banded Garter Snake
107 Elapsoidea nigra   Usambara Garter Snake
         
108 Naja haje haje Egyptian Cobra
109 Naja melanoleuca (Type - A & B) Forest Cobra
110 Naja nigricollis (Type - A) Black-necked Spitting Cobra
111 Naja ashei   Large Brown Spitting Cobra
112 Naja pallida (Type - A & B) Red Spitting Cobra
         
113 Pseudohaje goldii   Gold's Tree Cobra
       

Back to Top

FAMILY Hydrophidae (Sea Snakes)

SUBFAMILY Hydrophiinae (Austra' Elapids and Viviparous Sea Snakes)

114     Pelamis platurus   Yellow-bellied Sea Snake  
           

Back to Top

             

FAMILY Viperidae (Vipers & Pit Vipers)

SUBFAMILY Viperinae (True or Old World Vipers & Adders)

115 Atheris desaixi   Mount Kenya Bush Viper
116 Atheris hispida   Prickly Bush Viper
117 Atheris squamiger squamiger Green Bush Viper
         
118 Bitis arietans arietans African Puff Adder  
  Bitis arietans somalica Somali Puff Adder
119 Bitis gabonica   Eastern Gaboon Viper
120 Bitis nasicornis   Rhinoceros or Horned Viper
121 Bitis worthingtoni   Kenya Horned or Worthington's Viper
         
122 Echis pyramidum aliaborr Red Saw-scaled or Carpet Viper
  Echis pyramidum leakeyi Leakey's Saw-scaled of Carpet Viper
         
123 Montatheris hindii   Kenya Montane or Hind's Viper

SUBFAMILY Causinae (African Night Adders)

124 Causus defilippii   Snouted Night Adder  
125 Causus lichtensteini   Forest Night Adder
126 Causus resimus   Velvety-green Night Adder
127 Causus rhombeatus   Rhombic Night Adder
       

Back to Top