Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

THIS article is a contribution to the knowledge
of the distribution and natural history of
the herpetofauna in the cultivated zone of the
Kenyan coastal hinterland. Although agricultural
communities have existed for at least 2,000 years
on the Kenyan coast, the last 100 years have
seen an unprecedented increase in population,
urban expansion and tourism development. These
processes have transformed the environment by
reducing the forest cover, expanding cultivation
and human habitations. The effects of such changes
on the distribution of reptiles and amphibians
are poorly known. The present report is based on
observations of reptiles and amphibians collected
during residence in the coastal hinterland of Kenya
from 1985 to 1986. Most observations were made
around Kaloleni town, a small market center 25
Km northwest of Mombasa, situated on the coastal
ridge ca. 20 Km inland from the coast.