List of reptiles of Israel

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.

A Negev tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni) 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.

Turtles and tortoises

Pond turtles

Sea turtles

Softshell turtles

Tortoises

  • Spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca)
  • Negev tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni)

Lizards

Agamid lizards

A bright blue male Sinai agama during the breeding season.

Chameleons

A common chameleon (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) on the island of Samos in Greece.

Geckos

Glass lizards

  • European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus)

Lacertid lizards

Monitor lizards

Skinks

Crocodilians

Crocodiles

Snakes

Blindsnakes

  • Long-nosed worm snake (Leptotyphlops macrorhynchus)
  • Rhinotyphlops simoni
  • Eurasian blindsnake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis)

Boas

  • Javelin sand boa (Eryx jaculus)

Colubrid snakes

A black whipsnake (Dolichophis jugularis) preying on a European glass lizard (Pseudopus apodus) in the Valley of Elah.

Elapid snakes

  • Desert black snake (Walterinnesia aegyptia)

Lamprophiid snakes

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 (Montivipera bornmuelleri)
  • Palestine viper (Vipera palaestinae)

See also

References

  1. Dolev 2004, "Reptiles". pp. 71–129.
  1. Extirpated at the beginning of the nineteenth century
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