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Table 1: distribution of medically important snakes in Kenya |
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Type of snake |
Areas of Distribution |
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Black mamba (Dendroaspis Polylepsis) |
Kakamega forest, Lake region, Mau forest, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Lake Baringo, Mount Elgon, Kakuma, North Eastern province, Coastal regions, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa, Ukambani (Makueni) |
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Eastern Green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps) |
Aberdares, Lake Naivasha, Mount Kenya, Coastal region |
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Eastern Jameson’s mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni) |
Kakamega forest, Lake region, Mau forest, Masai Mara. |
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Puff adder (Bitis arietans) |
Same distribution as for Black Mamba |
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Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) |
Kakamega forest, Lake region, Mau forest, Masai Mara |
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Rhino viper (Bitis nasicornis) |
Kakamega forest, lake region, Mau forest, Masai Mara |
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Saw- scaled viper (Echis carinatus) |
Lake Baringo, Kakuma, Mount Elgon, Makueni, Tsavo National Park, North Eastern Province. |
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Black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) |
Distribution as for Black Mamba |
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Red spitting cobra (Naja pallida) |
Lake Baringo, Mt. Elgon, Kakuma, North Eastern Province, Ukambani |
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Large brown spitting cobra (Naja ashei) |
Kakamega forest, lake region, Maasai mara, Mau forest, Kakuma, Mt. Elgon, Lake Baringo, Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, coastal parts of Kenya |
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Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) |
As for Black mamba except it is absent in Coastal regions |
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Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) |
Kakamega forest, Lake region, Mau forest, Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Aberdares, Mt. Kenya, Lake Baringo, Mt. Elgon, Kakuma, Nairobi, Makueni, Tsavo, Coastal region |
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Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) |
Distribution as for forest or black and white Cobra |
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Twig snake (Thelotornis Kirtlandii) |
Coastal region |
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Mole Viper, Atractaspis species |
Distribution as for Black mamba |
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Night adders, Causus species |
As for Black mamba except North Eastern Province |
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Source: www. bioken.com [6] |
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