Kenya Herpetology Tour: 15 Days, 14 Nights

This is Kenya’s oldest National Park, located just 7 kilometres from the edge of the Nairobi city centre, Kenya’s capital city. It forms the start to our very exciting Kenya Herpetology Tour, and we shall hope to pick our first species quite easily. We shall enjoy time in this habitat, composed of wetlands, dry upland forest and typical savannah grasslands. Local rivers and dams will be sampled for aquatic species. On a few designated walking sites, we shall scan on foot.

While we enjoy the park, we shall keep an eye for reptiles such as Variable Skink, Common Striped Skink, Kibonoto/ Mt. Kilimanjaro Forest Lizard, Nile Monitor Lizard, East African Garter Snake, Brown House Snake, White-lipped Snake, Black-necked Spitting Cobra, South African Rock Python, Nile Crocodile, Helmeted/ Marsh Terrapin, Serrated Hinged Terrapin, Eastern Blue-headed Tree Agama, Kenya Red-headed Rock Agama and Leopard Tortoise.

We shall be looking for amphibian species such as Marbled Snout-burrower, Northern Clawed Frog, Scheffler’s Puddle Frog, Common Ornate Frog, Nile Rocket Frog, Cryptic/ Wamba Sand Frog, Guttural Toad and Athi Reed Frog.

This park is also a mammal paradise and we can add Common Warthog, Common Zebra, Coke’s Hartebeest, Common Wildebeest, Maasai Giraffe, African Lion, White Rhino, Black Rhino and Common Hippo.

Night in Nairobi.

We shall depart early and head North to Mt. Kenya; where our Kenya Herpetology Tour continues. We shall enjoy some roadside stops around local bushes and wetlands. Soon we shall arrive in Mt. Kenya where we shall scout several rivers and forest trails seeking local species.

Species to expect include Kinangop Dainty Frog/ Kinangop Caco, Lonnberg’s Dwarf Toad, Kerinyaga Toad, Mahnert’s Rocket Frog, Nutt’s River Frog, De Witte’s River Frog, Leopard/ Peter’s Reed Frog, Kenya Montane Reed Frog, Silver-bladdered Reed Frog, Bocage’s Tree Frog, Alpine Meadow Skink, Bayon’s Skink, Variable Skink, Kilimanjaro Five-toed Skink, Mt. Kenya/ Allen’s Alpine Meadow Lizard, Blue-headed Tree Agama, Kenya Red-headed Rock Agama, Mt. Kenya Bladeless Chameleon, Von Hohnel’s Chameleon, Mt. Kenya Side-striped Chameleon, Jackson’s Chameleon, Kenya Kenya/ Dickerson’s Forest Gecko, Mt. Kenya Dwarf Gecko, Kibonoto/ Mt. Kilimanjaro Forest Lizard, Battersby’s Green Snake, Mt. Kenya Bush Viper, Forest Wolf Snake, Kenya Striped Skaapsteker, Lineolated/ Lined Blind Snake, Montane Egg-eater, Common Slug-eater, Common Purple-glossed Snake, Kenya Montane Viper and Mt. Kenya/ Meru Tree Snake.

Nights in Mt. Kenya.

Our morning will be spent exploring the high altitude habitat of the iconic Aberdare Ranges. Aberdare National Park is one of the few places where one can drive into the moorland zone. This forms a great experience on all our Kenya Herpetology Safari Tours. We shall also visit some of the iconic waterfalls and their associate rivers. Designated walking areas will also be visited to search for more species.

We shall then make our way to the highland grasslands of the Kinangop Plateau. Here, we shall also scan local dams and rivers for highland species. In the evening, we shall enjoy frogging.

Here we shall be seeking species such as Kinangop Puddle Frog, De Witte’s River Frog, Kinangop Dainty Frog/Kinangop Caco, Mountain Reed Frog /Kenya Montane Reed Frog, Kerinyaga Toad, Kenya Montane Viper, Mt. Kenya/ Meru Tree Snake, Kenya Striped Skaapsteker, Montane Egg-eater, Forest Wolf Snake, East African Highland Grass Lizard, Aberdare Alpine Meadow Lizard, Alpine Meadow Skink, Aberdare Striped Alpine Chameleon/ Aberdare Mountains Dwarf Chameleon, Jackson’s Chameleon, Mt. Kenya Bladeless Chameleon and Von hohnel’s Chameleon.

Night in Kinangop.

This day will be spent enjoying the central Rift Valley area. This is a very interesting savannah habitat and a favourite on our Kenya Herpetology Tours. We shall scan the savannah woodlands and also explore the local rocky outcrops. We shall also get to the lake shore, at our best-selected beach points, where we shall scan the pools and shoreline marshes.

We shall be looking for Elmenteita Rock Agama, Cape Dwarf Gecko, Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Flap-necked Chameleon, Montane Egg-eater, Egyptian Cobra, Brown House Snake, Jackson’s Centipede-eater, Battersby’s Green Snake, Mole Snake, Common Slug-eater, Northern Stripe-bellied Sand Snake, Puff Adder, Rhombic Night Adder, Kenya Horned Viper, South African Rock Python, Senegal Kassina, Cryptic Sand Frog, Nutt’s River Frog, Anchieta’s Rocket Frog, Snoring Puddle Frog, Natal Puddle Frog, Kenya Puddle Frog/Upland Puddle Frog, Nile Rocket Frog, Common Reed Frog and Garman’s Toad.

Night in Naivasha.

We shall then continue to the Kakamega Forest; a key site on our Kenya Herpetology Tour. Adequate time will be spent exploring Kakamega forest, a remnant of the Guineo-Congolian Equatorial forest. Species diversity here is plenty and we shall hope to have a huge addition to our Kenya Herpetology Safari Tour list. We shall spend time walking in the forest in search of local specialties, with short breaks in between. In the evenings, we shall enjoy frogging.

Expected species include Kisolo Toad, Kakamega Puddle Frog, Osorio’s Leaf-folding Frog/Congo Spiny Reed Frog, Cinnamon-bellied Reed Frog, Lake Victoria Clawed Frog, Small Rocket Frog, Grassland/Striped Rocket Frog, Mackay’s Forest Tree Frog, Forest White-lipped Frog, Galam White-lipped Frog, Variable Burrowing Asp, Kakamega Agama, Gaboon Viper, Rough-scaled Bush Viper/Prickly Bush Viper, Gold’s Tree Cobra, Blanding’s Tree Snake, Powdered Tree Snake, Forest Cobra, Multi-scaled Forest Lizard, Jameson’s Mamba, Bell’s Hinged Tortoise, Rhinoceros Viper, Lichtenstein’s Forest Night Adder and Boulenger’s Pygmy Chameleon.

Nights in Kakamega.

This is a very interesting dryland habitat located at the edge of a fresh water lake. Our Kenya Herpetology Tours score very exciting species in this area. Many locally significant species occupy this area and we shall spend the time enjoying these and more. In the evenings, we shall enjoy frogging.

We shall be seeking species such as Red Spitting Cobra, South African Rock Python, Flowered Racer, North-East African Carpet Viper/ Saw-scaled Viper, Puff Adder, Rufous Beaked Snake, Ruppell’s Agama, Speckled Sand Snake, Kenya Dwarf Gecko, Great Plated Lizard, Nile Monitor Lizard, African Five-lined Skink, Tropical House Gecko, Flat-backed Toad, Common or Square-marked Toad or Egyptian Toad, Schilluk Rocket Frog, Gallmann’s Sand Frog, Red-banded Rubber Frog, Steindachner’s Toad and Eastern Groove-crowned Bullfrog.

Nights in Baringo.

We shall enjoy more exploration in Baringo this morning. We shall focus on species we may have missed so far on our Kenya Herpetology Tour.

We shall then head onwards to Athi River, South of Nairobi. In the evening, we shall enjoy this savannah habitat, seeking local reptile species such as Side-striped Chameleon, Slender/ Graceful Chameleon, Sundevall’s Writhing Skink, Common Striped Skink, Southern Long-tailed Sand Lizard, Kenya Red-headed Rock Agama, Nile Monitor Lizard, Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Eastern Black-lined Plated Lizard, Cape Dwarf Gecko, Nyika Half-toed Gecko, Leopard Tortoise, Brown House Snake, Cape Wolf Snake, White-lipped Snake, Common/ Rhombic Egg-eater and Egyptian Cobra.
Amphibians here include Nile Rocket Frog, Anchieta’s Rocket Frog, Wamba Sand Frog and Athi Reed Frog.

Night at Athi Plains.

We shall depart early and head South to the scenic Taita Hills. These are amazing hills that rise above the vast Tsavo Ecosystem. The Taita Hills form part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, that are famous in Kenya and Tanzania. This unique biome forms great habitat for species endemism and a key site on our Kenya Herpetology Tours.

We shall enjoy walks in the forests, farms and wetlands, seeking species such as Tsavo Dwarf Gecko, Kilimanjaro Five-toed Skink,  Speke’s Sand Lizard, Southern Long-tailed Sand Lizard, Blue-headed Tree Agama, Taita Hills Blade-horned Chameleon, Nile Monitor Lizard, Voi Wedge-snouted Worm Lizard, Cape Wolf Snake, Jackson’s Centipede Eater, Spotted Bush/Wood Snake, Boomslang, East African Garter Snake, Northern Clawed Frog, Marbled Snout-Burrower, Eastern Dwarf Squeaker, Taita Dwarf Toad, Scheffler’s Puddle Frog, Peters Reed Frog, Peter’s Foam-nest Tree Frog, Taita Warty Frog and Taita Hills Caecilian.

Nights in Taita.

We shall then proceed to Arabuko Sokoke Forest, located at the Kenyan Coast, the Southernmost location on our Kenya Herpetology Tour. Here we shall scout the forest in different sectors as well as the neighbouring habitats, like local wetlands and grasslands. This is the best East Coast Forest in Africa and has some really amazing species’ diversity. Many mammals occur here too, such as Yellow Baboon, African Elephant, Four-toed Sengi, Golden-rumped Sengi, Red-bellied Bush Squirrel and Caracal.

Reptiles to expect here include Flat-headed Tree Gecko, Tropical House Gecko, Kaya Mrima Tree Gecko, Angulate House Gecko, Tree Skink, Southern Long-tailed Sand Lizard, Speke’s Sand Lizard, Ashe’s Legless Sand Skink/ Gede Striped Sand Skink, Pemba Writhing Skink, Eastern Black-lined Plated Lizard, Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Great Plated Lizard, Eastern Small-scaled Burrowing Asp, Usambara Vine Snake, Hildebrandt’s/ Kenyan Bark Snake, Tiger Snake, Speckled Green Snake, Flat-snouted Wolf Snake, Eastern Stripe-bellied Sand Snake, Link-marked Sand Snake, Southern African Rock Python, Puff Adder, Snouted Night Adder, Rufous Egg-eater/ East African Egg-eater, Boomslang, Green Mamba, Black Mamba and White-lipped Snake.

Amphibians to expect include Red-legged Kassina, Uniform Tree Frog, Muller’s Clawed Frog, Southern Foam-nest Tree Frog, East African Puddle Frog, Argus Reed Frog, Water Lily Reed Frog, Tinker Reed Frog, Schilluk Rocket Frog and Anchieta’s Rocket Frog.

Nights at Watamu.

On this day, we shall fly back to Nairobi.

In the afternoon or evening, we shall take an airport transfer marking the end to our lovely Kenya Herpetology Tour.

Nile Crocodile, Bell’s Hinged Tortoise, Pancake/Flat Tortoise, Helmeted Terrapin, Somali-Maasai Clawed Gecko, Kim Howell’s/ Zebra Dwarf Gecko, Kaya Mrima Gecko, Tsavo Dwarf Gecko, Mt. Kenya Dwarf Gecko, Western Serpentiform Skink, Alpine Meadow Skink, Hinkel’s Red-flanked Skink, Kilimanjaro Five-toed Skink, Multi-scaled Forest Lizard, Kibonoto Forest Lizard, Mt. Kenya Alpine Meadow Lizard, Green Keel-bellied Lizard, Speke’s Sand Lizard, East African Highland Grass Lizard, Tropical Girdled Lizard, Yellow-throated Plated Lizard, Blue-headed Tree Agama, Elmenteita Agama, Taita Hills Blade-horned Chameleon, Mount Kenya Hornless Chameleon, Mount Kinangop Alpine Chameleon/Aberdare Mountains Dwarf Chameleon, Mount Kenya Side-striped Chameleon, Nile Monitor Lizard, Voi Wedge-snouted Worm Lizard, Kenyan Dwarf Blind Snake, Mount Kenya Worm Snake, Parker’s Worm Snake, Kenya Sand Boa, Central African Rock Python, Cape Wolf Snake, Black File Snake, Mole Snake, East African Shovel-Snout, Kenyan Striped Skaapsteker, Jackson’s Centipede Eater, Eastern Small-scaled Burrowing Asp, Smith’s Racer, Spotted Bush/Wood Snake, Jackson’s Tree Snake, Boomslang, Green Mamba, Black Mamba, East African Garter Snake, Forest Cobra, Black-necked Spitting Cobra, Puff Adder, Rhombic Night Adder, Kenya Montane Viper, Mount Kenya Bush Viper, Kenya Horned Viper

Common Squeaker, Kerinyaga Toad, Kisolo Toad, Marbled Snout-Burrower, Bocage’s Burrowing Tree Frog, Spiny Leaf-folding Frog, Mountain Reed Frog, Silver-bladdered Reed Frog, Red-legged Kassina, Southern Foam-nest Frog, De Witte’s River Frog, Galam White-lipped Frog/Golden-backed Frog, Kinangop Dainty Frog, Hildebrandt’s Ornate Frog, Eastern Groove-crowned Bullfrog, Kinangop Puddle Frog, Mahnert’s Rocket Frog, Edible Bullfrog, Cryptic Sand Frog, Krefft’s Warty Frog, Red-banded Rubber Frog, Northern Clawed Frog, Taita Hills Caecilian

Savannah, Wetlands, Semi-arid Scrubland, Highland Forest, Dry Upland Forest, Alpine Moorland, Montane Grasslands, Equatorial Forest, Coastal Beach, Coastal Forest

Excellent

Star Gazing, the Indian Ocean, Mt. Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, Equatorial Forest walk, African Big Game Mammals, Kenya’s Endemic species