A Striped Skink
I expected to see many more reptiles in Africa. I thought there would be snakes and reptiles with four legs on tree trunks and crossing roads. I’ve seen no such thing. A rare exception is this African striped skink, Trachylepis striata.
There are over 1,500 species of Skink and almost all of them have no neck and short legs.
The question then remains: am I a Skink?
More adventures on safari in Kenya
Cheetahs in the Masai Mara Gladys is driving us towards a pair of Cheetahs. "Oh yes! There". We're an excited group of four. A pair… read more
Go on, bat those eyelashes at me I love how playful and how brown and fluffy the young Zebras are here in the Masai Mara. They're still… read more
Grey Crowned Crane It's one metre tall and has a two metre wingspan. It has a ridiculous crown. It has an inflatable red… read more
On safari in the Masai Mara The twelve of us who have been volunteering in Kenya for Kenya Connect for the past eight days have been… read more
A Saddle-Billed Stork and its dangling wattles The Saddle-Billed Stork or Saddlebill, Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, is a truly huge bird. It's 4' 9" to 4' 11" tall. That's taller than my… read more
My first views of wild African Elephants There is a small family group of Elephants in the distance. Seeing them in the landscape is something new for… read more
Even-toes Animals with hooves are either odd-toed or even-toed. The odd-toed ones are horses, rhinos and tapirs. The even-toed ones are… read more
A gorgeous Three-Banded Plover and a Lilac-Breasted Roller We're in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. I think it's an indestructible Toyota Land Cruiser. Gladys is our local Kenyan guide for… read more
Close to Lionesses I've already had the experience of a male Lion getting uncomfortably close to me on this safari. This time it's… read more
Kenya has many species of Heron Here's a Rufous-Bellied Heron. It's one of the many species of Heron in the wetlands here. It has a beautiful… read more
A Lilac-Breasted Roller perched and waiting Lilac-Breasted Rollers are chunky birds. They also have unusually large heads. I particularly like the long tail streamers which the… read more
Black-Backed Jackals We're out on a safari drive in the Masai Mara in Kenya. Our guide and driver, Gladys, is an expert… read more