Kenya Virtual Museum Records

This Checklist lists the 88 species of reptiles and 30 species of amphibians recorded within the boundary of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest on the north coast of Kenya. Arabuko-Sokoke is internationally known for its rich and threatened biodiversity and, in spite of being a ‘dry’ coastal forest, holds 33 species of frog. While the list represents studies carried out on the herps of the forest over a period of more than 80 years, relatively few experts have spent significant time in the forest and there are still species constantly being discovered in the forest. Broadley's Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus broadleyi) was discovered in 2018 and earlier Usambara Forest Gecko Cnemaspis africana together with two undescribed limbless skinks in the genera Scolecoseps and Melanoseps. The checklist uses the accepted scientific names of species as at date of publication including authorship with additional columns as per Darwin Core Standards. The records were collected primarily through sight observations and capture of individuals. The data were digitized by A Rocha Kenya and verified by other lead authors.

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is the largest remaining patch of indigenous coastal forest in East Africa. It is located just south of Malindi at 03° 20’ S, 39° 50’ E. It predominantly consists of three distinct forest habitat types: Cynometra Forest (c. 23,500 ha) which is dominated by Cynometra webberi and Manilkara sulcata; it used also to be dominated by Brachylaena huilliensis but this has been largely selectively removed; Brachystegia Woodland (c. 7,700 ha), dominated by Brachystegia spiciformis on white sandy soil; and Mixed Forest (c.7,000 ha) which occurs on the eastern side and has a diverse tree flora including Afzelia quanzensis (formerly dominant), Hymenaea verrucosa, Combretum schumannii and Manilkara sansibarensis and the cycad Encephalartos hildebrandtii. A series of seasonal wetlands run north-south along the length of the forest where the more clay-rich red soils of the Cynometra underlie the permeable white sandy soil of the Brachystegia. Plantations of exotic trees exist mostly around the Gede and Jilore forest stations in the north with one smaller plantation along the southern boundary. The forest now fully isolated as a habitat being surrounded by low grade farmland with all forest cover removed.

This checklist contains records of reptiles and amphibians found in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. It is based on a list first compiled by James Ashe in 1999 and added to and edited by the other lead authors. The records are from confirmed observations, identifiable photographs and trapped animals. The checklist was digitised and prepared for publishing through GBIF by A Rocha Kenya.

European Union through GBIF: https://www.gbif.org/project/7EOzw96rgAoSKKUgYaoaCe/prioritizing-conservation-management-in-an-east-african-forest-landscape