THE REPTILES OF AUSTRALIA - CHRISTMAS ISLAND

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering Australian Snakes, Lizards, Crocodiles, Turtles, and Amphibians

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REPTILES OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND
(AUSTRALIAN TERRITORY)
HOME Colubrids SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits BLIND SNAKES - Worm Snakes - Typhlopidae Ramphotyphlops TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae SKINKS

Blue-tailed Shinning (Snake-eyed) Skink

* Indicates recent updates or new page.

GECKOS

COMMON NAME
(Internal Links)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(External Link)

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Christmas Island (or Giant) Gecko

Cyrtodactylus sadleiri

CI

Skin-shedding Dtella

Gehyra mutilata

In Australia it is found on the Cook Islands, Christmas Island (Introduced) and Qld

Also occurs in South Eastern and Southern Asia, and many Islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Asian House Gecko (Introduced)

Hemidactylus frenatus

CI, CKI, LHI, NI, NT, Qld, WA, NSW, Vic?

Christmas Island Chained Gecko

Lepidodactylus listeri

CI

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SKINKS

COMMON NAME
(Internal Links)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(External Link)

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Blue-tailed Shinning (Snake-eyed) Skink

Cryptoblepharus egeriae

CI (extinct in the wild)
CKI (deliberately introduced to save the species)

Mangrove Skink or Littoral Whiptail Skink

Emoia atrocostata atrocostata

CI, Qld, (Cape York & Torres Straight), New Guinea &
Pacific Islands, South East Asia

Christmas Island Whiptail Skink

Emoia nativitatis

CI

Bowring's Supple Skink
(Christmas Island grass skink)

Subdoluseps (was Lygosoma) bowringii

Malaysia, India (Andaman Islands),
Philippines,
Indonesia,
Hong Kong, Singapore, India,
Indochina west to Myanmar (= Burma), Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
Christmas Island (Australia introduced?) Cook Island (New Zealand)?

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COLUBRIDS

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Common Wolf Snake

Lycodon capucinus

CI (Possibly introduced), South East Asia

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BLIND SNAKES

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Flowerpot Blind Snake or Brahminy Blind Snake

Indotyphlops (was Ramphotyphlops) braminus

NT, Qld, WA, CI, CKI (Introduced to Australia)

S.E. Asia, Pacific Islands

Christmas Island Blind Snake

Ramphotyphlops exocoeti

CI

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SEA SNAKES

Sea Snakes are often placed in their own family, however now many experts now consider them to be in the Elapid family

All true Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits have a paddle shaped tail

All Sea Snakes and Sea Kraits all have fangs at the front of their mouths and most are believed to have extremely potent venom, however bites to humans are rare and snakes in the Emydocephalus genus are not considered dangerous due to a highly degenerated venom system!


Family Elapidae
Subfamily Hydrophiinae (True Sea Snakes)

 

(Previously Family Hydrophiidae)

 

TABLE 1 - TRUE SEA SNAKES
THESE SNAKES ARE LIVEBEARERS THAT SPEND THEIR ENTIRE LIFE IN WATER

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)

DISTRIBUTION

(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Common Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Hydrophis (was Pelamis) platurus platurus

NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic, WA, CKI, CI, NI, LHI, SA?

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SEA TURTLES

Note that although Sea Turtles may stray into or spend time in cooler water, the females must return to warmer climates to lay their eggs.

COMMON NAME (INTERNAL LINK)

 

SCIENTIFIC NAME
(EXTERNAL LINK)
(Subgenus in parentheses)

 

DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)

Pacific Loggerhead Turtle

Caretta caretta gigas

(All States)

Pacific Green Turtle

Chelonia mydas japonica

(All States)

Hawksbill Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata bissa

(NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic)

Pacific Ridley Turtle

Lepidochelys olivacea

(NT, Qld?, WA, Vic, SA?)

Leathery or Luth Turtle

Dermochelys coriacea

(All States)


HYBRIDS

Note that these hybrids occur in the wild

 Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Pacific Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Kemp's Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) × Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) × Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) × Pacific Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)


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DISTRIBUTION KEY

Click on the abbreviation below to see a map of the area

CKI = Cocos (Keeling) Island

NSW = New South Wales

Qld = Queensland

Tas = Tasmania

Vic = Victoria

ACT = Australian Capital Territory
(Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)



Australia map

LINKS OF INTEREST

Christmas Island Reptiles - Captive Breeding Facilities
The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

Reptiles& Mammals - Christmas Island National Park
Parks Australia


Christmas Island National Park
Wikipedia

Christmas Island

RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
(Affiliate commission earned)
_ Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

 

OTHER LINKS

Find a Random Species of Australian Reptile


Visit the Australian Herpetology Website








AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY


Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
 REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania




Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
of Cocos Keeling Islands

Reptiles of Norfolk Island






Sea Turtles of the World TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines Geckos Geckos SEA SNAKES - Hydrophiinae Laticaudidae Sea Kraits Blind Snakes Reptilesofaustralia.com

Sea Turtles
of
The World

Turtles
of
Australia

Geckos
of
The World

Geckos
of
Australia

Sea Snakes of Australia

Blind Snakes
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
Australia



About John Fowler | About John Hollister | Report Faulty Link | Report an Error

Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website

John Hollister (deceased 2023) Author of the Sweetwater, Texas Rattlesnake Roundup

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Updated June 17, 2026


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