List of reptiles of Africa

Last updated October 31, 2025

African reptiles are categorized by reptilian order:

Order Testudines: turtles

Common name(s)	Scientific name	Distribution	Notes
African spurred tortoise or Sulcata tortoise	Centrochelys sulcata	southern edge of the Sahara Desert	Third largest species of tortoise in the world; the largest non-island species.^[1]
African helmeted turtle Marsh terrapin	Pelomedusa subrufa	Very wide range
Aldabra giant tortoise	Aldabrachelys gigantea	Seychelles
Angonoka tortoise	Astrochelys yniphora	native to Madagascar
Aubry's flapshell turtle	Cycloderma aubryi	Democratic Republic of Congo, Zaire, Gabon, Angola and theCentral African Republic
East African black mud turtle	Pelusios subniger	East Africa
Geometric tortoise	Psammobates geometricus	Cape area of South Africa
Leopard tortoise	Stigmochelys pardalis	savannah from Sudan to South Africa^[2]
Lobatse hinge-back tortoise	Kinixys lobatsiana	Southern Africa
African softshell turtle	Trionyx triunguis	parts of East, West and Middle Africa
Pancake tortoise	Malacochersus tornieri	most common in Kenya and Tanzania^[3]
Radiated tortoise	Astrochelys radiata	native to southern Madagascar^[4]
Speke's hinge-back tortoise	Kinixys spekii	Tanzania, etc.
Turkana mud turtle	Pelusios broadleyi	Eastern Africa (Kenya, etc.)
Upemba mud turtle	Pelusios upembae	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Yellowbelly mud turtle	Pelusios castanoides	Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, and Tanzania

Order Squamata: snakes and lizards

Order Crocodilia: crocodiles

Nile Crocodile
Crocodile
Dwarf Crocodile
Slender-snouted Crocodile

References

↑ Branch, Bill (William R.) (2008). Tortoises, terrapins and turtles of Africa. Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 978-1-77007-463-7. OCLC 191891072.
↑ Baker, P.J. Kabigumila, J. Leuteritz, T. Hofmeyr, M. & Ngwava, J.M. (2014-08-29). "Stigmochelys pardalis". doi: 10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t163449a1009442.en .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Kenyatta Malonza, Patrick (1 January 2003). "Ecology and Distribution of the Pancake Tortoise". Journal of East African Natural History. 92: 81. doi: 10.2982/0012-8317(2003)92[81:EADOTP]2.0.CO;2 . ISSN 0012-8317. S2CID 84643003.
↑ "Radiated tortoise". Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteSmithsonian's National Zoo. 25 April 2016.

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[1] Branch, Bill (William R.) (2008). Tortoises, terrapins and turtles of Africa. Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 978-1-77007-463-7. OCLC 191891072.

[2] Baker, P.J. Kabigumila, J. Leuteritz, T. Hofmeyr, M. & Ngwava, J.M. (2014-08-29). "Stigmochelys pardalis". doi: 10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t163449a1009442.en .{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[3] Kenyatta Malonza, Patrick (1 January 2003). "Ecology and Distribution of the Pancake Tortoise". Journal of East African Natural History. 92: 81. doi: 10.2982/0012-8317(2003)92[81:EADOTP]2.0.CO;2 . ISSN 0012-8317. S2CID 84643003.

[4] "Radiated tortoise". Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology InstituteSmithsonian's National Zoo. 25 April 2016.

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