Reptiles of the East Usambara Mountains

The East Usambara Mountains are blessed with close to 30 species of spectacular reptiles. At least 16 of the reptiles occurring in the East Usambaras are found in the Eastern Arc mountains and nowhere else in the world. If you are fortunate, you may come across dragon-like chameleons with weird horns, or tiny little leaf-like chameleons on the forest floor. Snakes are plentiful, and while most are cryptic, they generally shy away from humans. Various geckos and lizards can be found, including an Agama species found darting along roads in the tea plantations, the gliding lizard (Holapsis guentheri) sometimes seen near Sigi and Amani, and along river courses larger ones like the monitor lizard (Varanus exanthematicus). Some beautiful chameleons and snakes are illegally procured for the international pet trade and we therefore caution you to not encourage this endeavor in the nature reserve.

Flap-necked chameleon Chamaeleo dilepsis	Pitted pigmy chameleon Rhampholeon temporalis
Usambara three-horned chameleon Chamaeleo deremensis	Montane agama Agama montana
East Usambara two-horned chameleon Bradypodion fischeri Photo: N.J. Cordeiro	One of three different snakes from forests in the Nature Reserve. Photo: N.J. Cordeiro
Bearded chameleon Rhampholeon brevicaudatus	Usambara soft-horned chameleon Bradypodion tenue
Usambara two-horned viper ready to attack	One of three different snakes from forests in the Nature Reserve.
One of three different snakes from forests in the Nature Reserve.