List of reptiles of Israel

A Negev tortoise (Testudo werneri) in its natural environment in the Negev Desert. Negev tortoises were once a recognized subspecies of Testudo kleinmanni, or Kleinmann's tortoise, but are now considered their own species.

Israel has about 100 species of reptiles, almost a third of which live in its northern areas.^[1] Reptiles in Israel live in environments ranging from the Negev Desert to the Red Sea, from the Jordan River to the Judaean Mountains. Israel has only two invasive reptile species: the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) and the roughtail gecko (Cyrtopodion scabrum).^[2]^[3]

Turtles and tortoises

Pond turtles

European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)
Caspian turtle (Mauremys caspica)

Sea turtles

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)
Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Softshell turtles

African softshell turtle (Trionyx triunguis)

Tortoises

Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca)
Negev tortoise (Testudo werneri)

Lizards

Agamid lizards

Stellion (Stellagama stellio)
Egyptian mastigure (Uromastyx aegyptia)

Chameleons

Common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon)
- Sinai chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon musae)
- Mediterranean chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon recticrista)

Geckos

Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

Lacertid lizards

Lebanon lizard (Phoenicolacerta laevis)

Monitor lizards

Desert monitor (Varanus griseus)

Snakes

Blindsnakes

Long-nosed worm snake (Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus)
Rhinotyphlops simoni

Elapid snakes

Desert black snake (Walterinnesia aegyptia)

Vipers

Desert horned viper (Cerastes cerastes)
Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii)
Saharan sand viper (Cerastes vipera)
Painted saw-scaled viper (Echis coloratus)
Blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina)
Field's horned viper (Pseudocerastes fieldi)
Bornmueller's viper (Vipera bornmuelleri)
Palestine viper (Vipera palaestinae)

References

↑ Dolev 2004, "Reptiles". pp. 71–129.
↑ "List of invasive Animals in Israel" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
↑ Hazofe, Ohad; Nemtzov Simon (28 December 2004). "Exotic (invasive) terrestrial vertebrate species, that have established wild populations in Israel" (PDF). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-13.

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[redbook-reptiles-1] Dolev 2004, "Reptiles". pp. 71–129.

[2] "List of invasive Animals in Israel" (PDF) (in Hebrew). Ministry of Environmental Protection of Israel. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-13.

[3] Hazofe, Ohad; Nemtzov Simon (28 December 2004). "Exotic (invasive) terrestrial vertebrate species, that have established wild populations in Israel" (PDF). Israel Nature and Parks Authority. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2009-09-13.