Kenya Beasts - Reptiles

Chameleons are generally very difficult to spot being masters of camouflage. However the individual we photographed was clearly visible, being bright yellow and green against a dusty pink road surface. Even when it went into its distinctive jerky walk, designed to mimic the movement of a branch or twig in the breeze, it still looked like a lizard crossing the road ..... but very slowly.

This particular chameleon is a "Smooth Chameleon", Chamaeleo laevigatus, which gets its name from the lack of horns, ear flaps and nose lumps which are features of many other chameleons. They grow to an average size of 15-22 cm and have a maximum size of about 25 cm. Grasshoppers form a significant part of their diet. They are mostly arboreal but are quite happy to descend to ground level to cross roads and treeless patches of ground in order to reach a suitable area.

Monitor lizards are common near rivers and open water, and can often be found basking on sandbanks. They can grow extremely large, we have seen individuals which were more than 3 feet long (nose to tail). They feed on carrion, birds, eggs and small mammals and will rob nests. However we have watched as a Grey-headed Kingfisher (which isn't the world's largest bird) chased a large Monitor away from its nest. It did this by dive-bombing its head and pecking it. They are quite popular in areas which rely on fishing as a source of income because they dig up and eat Crocodile eggs (and crocodiles are happy to eat fish, thus depleting the stocks when water levels are low).

Although it is quite common to see turtles and terrapins basking in the sun close to water it is less often that you get to see the Leopard Tortoise, Geochelone pardalis. They tend to be shy and stick to the undergrowth, however we have been successful in seeing them along some of the quieter, less well-travelled roads in Tsavo West National Park. Their diet is amost exclusively vegetarian but they have been seen to chew bones and hyena faeces for the calcium content. When they are first hatched they are extremely vulnerable to a very wide range of predators (even lions are known to eat young Leopard Tortoises) but once they reach about 20cm in size they are safe from all predators except for man.

The Serrated Hinged Terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus)is one of Kenya's most common hinged terrapins. They get the name "hinged" because they have a hinge on their shell which allows them to close it after they pull their head and front legs in. They are mostly found in permanent water (rivers, lakes and waterholes) and are often seen basking on rocks, logs or the shoreline. They are carnivorous feeding mostly on mulluscs and snails but they will also eat small fish and frogs or even insects. They are happy to eat carrion when they find it.

Despite their size and ferocious reputation Crocodiles tend to be wary of people and avoid contact with them. They inhabit rivers and fresh-water lakes in Kenya and are able to survive through dry spells by burying themselves in the mud and hibernating. In the heat of the day you will see them lying in the sun with their mouths wide open to cool themselves down (evaporation of water from the moist surfaces in the mouth has a similar effect to sweating). They are very effective at waste disposal since their digestive systems can handle rotting meat from old carcasses (unlike many carnivores which require fresh meat).

There are a wide variety of lizards in Kenya many of which are active by day and can be seen patrolling their territory. The skink is a rather attractive animal with its shiny, almost metallic looking scales. It is often found basking on rocks or walls.

The Green Mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps is a venomous East African snake. Despite being highly poisonous it is not aggressive and generally likes to hide. Its colouring and markings make it quite difficult to see in its favourite habitat - tree branches. The dark markings against the green colour allow it to blend in with the leaves and twigs.