The least favourite of all living things due to the myths surrounding them and their 'creepy crawly' reputation, reptiles however abound on the planet and have existed for millennia. Some of them, such as the crocodile have survived since the age of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. The fact that many of these creatures have withstood the upheavals of time shows that they are extremely resilient and adaptable.

Pakistan also has its fair share of these fascinating creatures as it provides some ideal habitats for them. Around 177 species of reptiles are known to exist in the country, based on PMNH data and 174 according to other estimates. Of these, 40 species are endemic (33 Sauria {lizards} and 7 Serpentes {snakes}). The Chagai desert in Balochistan has the most distinctive population of reptiles. Six endemic species (five lizards and one snake - Biodiversity Guide) are found here with six other species found only here and in the border of Iran. Four species of the toad headed agama, the Baloch plate-tailed gecko and MacMahon's leaf-nosed viper are also common in the Chagai desert and the area of the same habitat in Afghanistan and Iran. The saw-scaled viper is found in abundance, all over the country. (Biodiversity Guide 1991)

Like elsewhere in the world snakes have a dual reputation in Pakistan. On the one hand they are feared immensely and are usually considered 'evil' and on the other, they are extensively used for medicinal purposes by the so-called local doctors or hakeems. Contrary to popular beliefs however, only 26 out of the 72 species are poisonous and more than half of these are sea snakes. Zai Whittaker in her book Snakeman has called the Indian Cobra, common krait, saw-scaled viper and Russell's viper the 'Big Four'. These are some of the deadliest snakes in the world and are very common throughout the whole Indian subcontinent. In Pakistan too they are found abundantly. Among the non-poisonous snakes the Indian python is now rare due to severe hunting for its very precious skin.

The southern beaches (Hawkes Bay and Sandspit in particular) are areas of international importance as age old marine turtle (green turtles and olive-ridley turtles) nesting sites. The population is on a decline because other animals (such as stray dogs) and humans prey upon the eggs and hatchlings. The adult turtles are also hunted.

The mugger (marsh crocodile) is also in danger partially due to over hunting. The species are now nearly extinct and only occur in small numbers in Sindh and a few areas in Balochistan (Groombridge, 1988). The gharial is in a precarious situation and has only been seen in small numbers between the Sukkar and Guddu barrages. In addition monitor species are heavily hunted for their skins.

Source Pakistan National Conservation Strategy

Endemic Reptiles

Internationally threatened reptiles in Pakistan