Angola is home to a rich and diverse reptile fauna, with at least 324 species documented according to the Reptile Database (as of 2025). This list includes lizards, snakes, turtles, crocodilians, and amphisbaenians, reflecting the country's varied ecosystems from savannas to rainforests and deserts.
The following is a representative selection of reptile species recorded in Angola. Ratings for global conservation statuses and trends are given by IUCN Red List unless stated otherwise.
Agamidae (dragons) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Ceríaco's tree agama Acanthocercus ceriacoi ~ ? Angola; endemic species, typically inhabiting rocky or arid regions. Falk's blue-headed tree agama Acanthocercus cyanocephalus ~ Found in East and Central Africa, including Angola; prefers trees and rocky outcrops in savannahs. (No common name) Acanthocercus margaritae Acanthocercus margaritae ~ ? Angola and neighboring regions; inhabits semi-arid environments and rocky outcroppings. Ground agama Agama aculeata ~ Distributed across southern Africa, including Angola; prefers arid and semi-arid grasslands and rocky terrains. Common agama Agama agama ~ Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola; found near human settlements, savannahs, and rocky regions. Anchieta's agama Agama anchietae ~ Endemic to Angola; inhabits savannahs and rocky outcrops. Mucoso agama Agama mucosoensis ~ Angola; poorly known species, likely inhabiting arid or semi-arid environments. Namib rock agama Agama planiceps ~ Found in southern Africa, including Angola; often seen on rocky outcrops and in arid regions.
Amphisbaenidae (worm lizards) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage (No common name) Dalophia angolensis Dalophia angolensis ~ Endemic to Angola; fossorial, inhabiting sandy or loose soil habitats in savannahs and dry grasslands. (No common name) Dalophia ellenbergeri Dalophia ellenbergeri ~ Found in Central Africa, including Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo; inhabits tropical and subtropical dry regions. Pestle-tailed worm lizard Dalophia pistillum ~ Found in Angola and neighboring areas; poorly known species, likely fossorial, inhabiting loose soil or dry habitats. (No common name) Dalophia welwitschii Dalophia welwitschii ~ ? Found across southern Africa, including Angola; prefers sandy or loose soils in savannahs and woodlands. Anchieta's worm lizard Monopeltis anchietae ~ Endemic to Southern Angola; fossorial species found in sandy or arid environments. Dusky worm lizard Monopeltis infuscata ~ Found in southern and central Angola; fossorial, prefers soft soils in savannah areas. (No common name) Monopeltis luandae Monopeltis luandae ~ ? Endemic to Angola; fossorial species likely inhabiting the Luanda region in sandy soils. (No common name) Monopeltis perplexus Monopeltis perplexus ~ ? Restricted to Angola and Zambia; fossorial, prefers loose soils in semi-arid climates. Vanderyst worm lizard Monopeltis vanderysti ~ Found in Central Africa, including the DRC and northern Angola; fossorial, inhabits savannah and forest edge regions.
Chamaeleonidae (chameleons) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Double-scaled chameleon Chamaeleo anchietae ~ ? Endemic to Angola; inhabits savannahs, woodlands, and transitional areas. Likely restricted to fragmented habitats. Flap-necked chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis ~ Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola; prefers woodlands, savannahs, and areas with some vegetation cover. Graceful chameleon Chamaeleo gracilis ~ Found throughout West, Central, and East Africa, with occurrences in Angola. Found in savannahs, forests, and disturbed habitats such as gardens. Namaqua chameleon Chamaeleo namaquensis ~ Found in arid regions of southwestern Africa, including Namibia and Angola; a desert specialist that prefers open sandy or rocky habitats. Owen's chameleon Trioceros oweni ~ ? Occurs in Central and West Africa, including Northern Angola; inhabits forests, dense vegetation, and tropical lowlands.
Cordylidae (girdled lizards) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Angolan girdled lizard Cordylus angolensis ~ ? Endemic to Angola; found in rocky outcrops in savannah and grassland habitats. Machadoe's girdled lizard Cordylus machadoi ~ ? Endemic to Angola, specifically highland areas; inhabits rocky and mountainous regions. Mombolo girdled lizard Cordylus momboloensis ~ ? Endemic to Angola; known from the Mombolo region. Kaokoveld girdled lizard Cordylus namakuiyus ~ Restricted to Angola; inhabits rocky areas in the Namakuiyus region. N'Dolondolo girdled lizard Cordylus phonolithos ~ ? Endemic to Angola; primarily found on phonolite rock formations.
Gekkonidae (geckos)
Lacertidae (true lizards)
Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Bivar's bushveld lizard Heliobolus bivari ~ ? Endemic to Angola; found in sandy, arid areas of savannahs and grasslands. Crawford-Cabral's bushveld lizard Heliobolus crawfordi ~ ? Endemic to Angola; inhabits sandy and semi-arid environments. Bushveld lizard Heliobolus lugubris ~ Found in southern Africa, including Angola, Namibia, Botswana, southwestern Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, and South Africa; prefers sandy, open savannahs and dry habitats. Angolan rough-scaled lizard Ichnotropis bivittata ~ Found in Angola, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi, and Gabon; inhabits forests, savannahs, grasslands, and areas with loose soil. Cape rough-scaled lizard Ichnotropis capensis ~ Found in southern Africa, including Angola, Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa; prefers arid and semi-arid grasslands. Marx's rough-scaled lizard Ichnotropis microlepidota ~ ? Endemic to central Angola; associated with grasslands. Angolan sandveld lizard Nucras broadleyi ~ Endemic to southwestern Angola; inhabits arid savannahs and rocky areas. Scaled sandveld lizard Nucras scalaris ~ ? Endemic to Angola; found in transitional zones between forests, grasslands, and rocky areas.
Scincidae (skinks)
Varanidae (monitor lizards) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Rock monitor Varanus albigularis ~ Found in southern, central, and eastern Africa, including Angola; inhabits savannahs, woodlands, and scrubland. Terrestrial and often found near termite mounds. Nile monitor Varanus niloticus ~ Widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola; inhabits rivers, wetlands, savannahs, and forests. Highly aquatic and opportunistic predator.
Testudines (turtles and tortoises) Common nameBinomial nameCarapace lengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta Found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical oceans worldwide; adults prefer coastal waters with rocky or muddy substrates, nest on steeply sloped, high-energy beaches. Green turtle Chelonia mydas Primarily aquatic. May be found at coasts or islands where it comes to nest. Leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea Found in all tropical and temperate oceans; nests on sandy beaches, highly pelagic, tolerates cold waters. Hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Primarily aquatic. Bell's hinge-back tortoise Kinixys belliana Inhabits savannahs and woodlands across sub-Saharan Africa; terrestrial, often shelters in burrows or under vegetation. Forest hinge-back tortoise Kinixys erosa ? Inhabits lowland evergreen forests, marshes, and riverine galleries in West and Central Africa. Speke's hinge-back tortoise Kinixys spekii Found in savannahs and woodlands of southern and eastern Africa. Olive ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea Found in tropical oceans worldwide; nests in mass arribadas on sandy beaches. African helmeted turtle Pelomedusa subrufa Common in slow-moving freshwater bodies across sub-Saharan Africa. Okavango mud turtle Pelusios bechuanicus Inhabits rivers, swamps, and marshes in southern Africa; aquatic, prefers clear water with vegetation. West African mud turtle Pelusios castaneus Found in a variety of freshwater habitats in West and Central Africa; tolerates disturbed environments. Central African mud turtle Pelusios chapini Native to Central Africa; inhabits slow-moving freshwater habitats with abundant vegetation. African forest turtle Pelusios gabonensis Occurs in rivers, swamps, and marshes in Central and West Africa; aquatic. African dwarf mud turtle Pelusios nanus ? Found in shallow freshwater habitats in Angola, DRC, Zambia. Rhodesian mud turtle Pelusios rhodesianus ? Inhabits rivers and marshes in southern Africa; aquatic. Leopard tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis ? Found in savannahs and grasslands across eastern and southern Africa. African softshell turtle Trionyx triunguis Inhabits rivers, lakes, and estuaries in Africa and the Middle East; aquatic. *Not evaluated by IUCN Red List, but given a Vulnerable status by the TFTSG Provisional Red List in 2013.
Crocodylidae (crocodiles) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus ~ (max ~600 cm) Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola; inhabits rivers, lakes, mangroves, and freshwater wetlands, occasionally found in brackish waters. Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis ~ Found in swamps, slow-moving rivers, and forested wetlands in West and Central Africa, including parts of Northern Angola.
Typhlopidae (blind snakes) Common nameBinomial nameLengthGlobal statusGlobal trendDistributionImage Angolan blind snake Afrotyphlops angolensis ~ ? Angola; fossorial, found in sandy or loose soil habitats. Angolan giant blind snake Afrotyphlops anomalus ~ Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo; fossorial, inhabits loose soil and leaf litter. Blotched blind snake Afrotyphlops congestus ~ Sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola and Congo Basin; prefers tropical forests. African giant blind snake Afrotyphlops dinga ~ ? Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo; fossorial, poorly known species. Lined blind snake Afrotyphlops lineolatus ~ ? Found in savannahs and woodlands of southern and central Africa, including Angola. Spotted blind snake Afrotyphlops punctatus ~ ? Widely distributed across sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola; fossorial. Schlegel's beaked blind snake Afrotyphlops schlegelii ~ Found in savannahs and forests across sub-Saharan Africa, including Angola. Schmidt's blind snake Afrotyphlops schmidti ~ ? Angola; fossorial, poorly studied species, likely inhabits sandy soils. Léopoldville beaked snake Letheobia praeocularis ~ Angola; fossorial snake likely inhabiting tropical habitats. Western threadsnake Namibiana labialis ~ Found in southwestern Africa, including Angola and Namibia; fossorial. Benguela worm snake Namibiana latifrons ~ Southwestern Africa, including Angola; sandy and arid regions. Bocage's blind snake Namibiana rostrata ~ ? Angola, Namibia; fossorial, sandy or loose soil habitat. Shaba thread snake Leptotyphlops kafubi ~ Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo; fossorial snake found in savannas and urban areas. Peters's threadsnake Leptotyphlops scutifrons ~ ? Sub-Saharan Africa, widespread including Angola; fossorial.
Colubridae (colubrids)
Elapidae (elapids)