Reptiles
Occurrence of 34 species of reptiles including 12 of the Western Ghats endemics have been reported from the
reserve forest areas in and around Kakkayam. The forested habitat is known to be an ideal haunt for King Cobra
(Ophiophagus hannah ), the largest venomous snake of India included in the Schedule II of Indian Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. Besides, the snakes included in the Schedule I of IW (P) Act, 1972, like, Python
(Python molurus) and many species of pit vipers have also been reported. Other reptiles recorded from the
area include flying lizard ( Draco dussumeri ), Geckos ( Cnemaspis spp.), green calotes ( Calotes calotes),
Roux’s forest lizard ( Calotes rouxii), monitor lizard ( Varanus benghalensis ), etc. Pond terrapin, flap
shelled terrapin etc are also found in Malabar wildlife sanctuary.
Reptiles in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Melanochelys trijuga (Schweigger), Indian Pond Terrapin
- Indotestudo forstenii (Boulenger), Travancore Tortoise
- Lissemys punctata (Lacepede), Indian Flap-shelled Turtle
- Pelochelys cantorii (Gray), Asian Giant Soft-shelled Turtle
- Cnemaspis sp, Day Gecko
- Hemidactylus maculatus (Dumeril & Bibron),
Dark Spotted Giant Gecko
- H. frenatus Schlegel, Ticticky House Gecko
- Draco dussumieri Dumeril & Bibron, South Indian Flying Dragaon/Draco
- Calotes versicolor (Daudin), Indian Garden Lizard
- Calotes calotes (Linnaeus), Malabar Green Calotes
- C.rouxi (Dumeril & Bibron), Malabar Olive Brown Calotes
- Mabuya carinata (Schneider), Common Indian Skink
- M.macularia (Blyth), Bronzy Grass Skink
- Varanus bengalensis (Daudin), Indian Monitor Lizard
- Ramphotyphlops braminus(Daudin), Common Blind Snake
- Uropeltis sp, Uropelt
- Python molurus (Linnaeus), Indian Rock Python
- Eryx conicus (Schneider), Common Sand Boa
- Elaphe helena (Daudin), Common Trinket Snake
- Coluber mucosus (Linnaeus), Rat Snake
- Lycodon aulicus(Linnaeus), Common Wolf Snake
- Xenochrophis piscator(Schneider), Checkered Keel Back
- Amphiesma stolata (Linnaeus), Stripped Keel Back
- Beddomei (Gunther), Beddome's Keel Back
- Boiga trigonata (Schneider), Common Cat Snake
- B. ceylonsis (Gunther), Ceylon Cat Snake
- Ahaetulla nasuta (Lacepede), Common Green Whip Snake
- Pulverulenta (Dumeril & Bibron), Brown Whip Snake
- Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider), Common Krait
- Naja naja naja (Linnaeus), Common Cobra,Indian
- Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor), King Cobra, Hamadryad
- Vipera russelli (Shaw), Russell's Viper
- Hypnale hypnale (Merrem), Hump-nosed Pit Viper
- Trimeresurus malabaricus (Jerdon), Malabar Rock Pit Viper
- T.gramineus (Shaw), Green/Bamboo Pit Viper