This list includes 32 Reptiles that start with I, from “Imperial Boa” to “Iwasaki’s Snail-eater”. It highlights snakes, lizards and a few turtles with diverse habitats and body sizes. You can use this list for field reference, study, species comparison, or pet care orientation.
Reptiles that start with I are species whose common names begin with the letter I. Many names honor collectors or describe appearance; the Imperial Boa suggests size and status.
Below you’ll find the table with Common name, Scientific name, Habitat and Average size.
Common name: The widely used English name for the species, helping you quickly identify entries and match field guides.
Scientific name: The Latin binomial used by scientists, so you can cross-check species in databases and literature.
Habitat: Brief natural environment description, letting you know where the species lives and where to look for it.
Average size: Typical adult length in centimeters, with the measurement type noted so you understand what the number describes.
Sources: The Reptile Database, IUCN Red List and selected primary literature. Last updated: December 1, 2025.
Reptiles that start with I
| Common name | Scientific name | Habitat | Average adult size (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Boa | Boa imperator | Tropical forest and scrubland | 200 (TL) |
| Impressed Tortoise | Manouria impressa | Mountainous forest | 30 (CL) |
| Inagua Curly-tailed Lizard | Leiocephalus inaguae | Arid coastal scrub | 8 (SVL) |
| Inaccessible Island Skink | Tristanelsus gordoni | Tussock grassland | 6 (SVL) |
| Indian Black Turtle | Melanochelys trijuga | Freshwater ponds and marshes | 38 (CL) |
| Indian Cobra | Naja naja | Various (forests, fields, urban) | 150 (TL) |
| Indian Day Gecko | Cnemaspis indica | Forest rocks and trees | 4 (SVL) |
| Indian Egg-eating Snake | Elachistodon westermanni | Forests and agricultural areas | 80 (TL) |
| Indian Flapshell Turtle | Lissemys punctata | Freshwater ponds and lakes | 35 (CL) |
| Indian Garden Lizard | Calotes versicolor | Gardens and open scrub | 37 (TL) |
| Indian Gharial | Gavialis gangeticus | Freshwater rivers | 450 (TL) |
| Indian Golden Gecko | Calodactylodes aureus | Rocky outcrops and temples | 8 (SVL) |
| Indian Python | Python molurus | Forests and grasslands | 300 (TL) |
| Indian Rat Snake | Ptyas mucosa | Various (farms, wetlands, urban) | 200 (TL) |
| Indian Roofed Turtle | Pangshura tecta | Freshwater rivers and ponds | 23 (CL) |
| Indian Sand Boa | Eryx johnii | Arid scrubland and desert | 75 (TL) |
| Indian Saw-scaled Viper | Echis carinatus | Arid and rocky areas | 60 (TL) |
| Indian Softshell Turtle | Nilssonia gangetica | Deep rivers and lakes | 70 (CL) |
| Indian Star Tortoise | Geochelone elegans | Scrub forests and arid grasslands | 30 (CL) |
| Indochinese Box Turtle | Cuora galbinifrons | Humid evergreen forest | 20 (CL) |
| Indochinese Rat Snake | Ptyas korros | Forests and agricultural areas | 150 (TL) |
| Indochinese Spitting Cobra | Naja siamensis | Lowlands and woodlands | 120 (TL) |
| Indo-Pacific Gecko | Hemidactylus garnotii | Tropical forests and urban areas | 6 (SVL) |
| Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink | Tiliqua gigas | Tropical forest and scrubland | 50 (TL) |
| Indonesian Tree Boa | Candoia carinata | Rainforests and plantations | 75 (TL) |
| Inland Taipan | Oxyuranus microlepidotus | Arid plains and grasslands | 180 (TL) |
| Iranian Fat-tailed Gecko | Eublepharis angramainyu | Arid rocky scrublands | 15 (SVL) |
| Island Glass Lizard | Ophisaurus compressus | Coastal sand scrub | 40 (TL) |
| Island Night Lizard | Xantusia riversiana | Chaparral and coastal scrub | 10 (SVL) |
| Italian Aesculapian Snake | Zamenis lineatus | Forests and scrubland | 150 (TL) |
| Italian Wall Lizard | Podarcis siculus | Rocky areas and gardens | 8 (SVL) |
| Iwasaki’s Snail-eater | Pareas iwasakii | Humid forests | 40 (TL) |
Descriptions
Imperial Boa
A large, heavy-bodied snake from Central America and northern South America. Known for its variable color and pattern, it’s popular in the pet trade and generally less aggressive than its southern relatives.
Impressed Tortoise
Found in Southeast Asia, this tortoise has a unique, concave appearance to its scutes, making it look “impressed.” It is a shy, forest-dwelling species facing threats from habitat loss and collection.
Inagua Curly-tailed Lizard
A small lizard endemic to the Inagua islands in the Bahamas. It is known for its characteristic habit of holding its tail in a tight curl over its back, especially when active or alarmed.
Inaccessible Island Skink
A small, elusive skink found only on Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic. It lives a secretive life among dense grasses and is one of the world’s most remote and little-studied reptiles.
Indian Black Turtle
A medium-sized freshwater turtle found across South Asia. Its carapace is typically dark brown or black. It is an omnivore, feeding on aquatic plants, insects, and carrion in slow-moving water bodies.
Indian Cobra
A highly venomous snake famous for its hood-spreading defense display, often featuring a spectacle-like pattern. It is one of the “Big Four” snakes responsible for most snakebite deaths in India.
Indian Day Gecko
A tiny, diurnal gecko from the Western Ghats of India. Unlike many geckos, it is active during the day, hunting for small insects on tree trunks and rocky outcrops in humid forests.
Indian Egg-eating Snake
A rare and specialized snake from South Asia that feeds exclusively on birds’ eggs. It has vertebral projections that crack the egg inside its throat. It is a non-venomous and secretive species.
Indian Flapshell Turtle
A species of softshell turtle with fleshy “flaps” on its plastron that can close over its limbs. Found in South Asia, it is highly aquatic and thrives in stagnant, muddy water.
Indian Garden Lizard
A common lizard across Asia. Males develop a bright red-orange head during breeding season, leading to the misleading name “Bloodsucker,” though it is harmless. It feeds primarily on insects.
Indian Gharial
A critically endangered crocodilian with a uniquely long, thin snout filled with sharp teeth, perfect for catching fish. It is one of the largest crocodilians and is found in the river systems of the Indian subcontinent.
Indian Golden Gecko
A beautiful, yellow-colored gecko from the Eastern Ghats of India. It is known for its communal egg-laying sites, where dozens of females may deposit their eggs together in rock crevices.
Indian Python
A large, non-venomous constrictor found in South Asia. While smaller than the related Burmese python, it is a powerful predator of mammals and birds. It is protected but threatened by habitat loss and the skin trade.
Indian Rat Snake
A large, fast-moving, non-venomous snake common throughout South and Southeast Asia. Often mistaken for a cobra, it is a valuable predator of rodents in agricultural areas. It can be quite defensive if cornered.
Indian Roofed Turtle
A small turtle with a distinctive “roofed” or tent-like keel on its carapace, especially prominent in males. Found in the river basins of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, it often basks on logs and rocks.
Indian Sand Boa
A stout-bodied snake with a blunt tail that resembles its head, a feature used to confuse predators. This non-venomous, burrowing snake is found in the dry regions of India, Pakistan, and Iran.
Indian Saw-scaled Viper
A small but highly venomous viper and another of India’s “Big Four.” It produces a distinctive sizzling sound by rubbing its serrated scales together as a warning. Its bite can be fatal without treatment.
Indian Softshell Turtle
A large freshwater turtle with a leathery shell found in the Ganges, Indus, and Mahanadi river systems. It is primarily carnivorous and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to pollution and harvesting.
Indian Star Tortoise
A strikingly beautiful tortoise with star-like patterns on its high-domed shell. Native to India and Sri Lanka, it is heavily targeted by the illegal pet trade, leading to its Vulnerable conservation status.
Indochinese Box Turtle
A critically endangered turtle with a high-domed, colorful shell. It has a hinged plastron allowing it to fully enclose itself. Found in Vietnam, Laos, and China, it is severely threatened by collection for food and pets.
Indochinese Rat Snake
A slender, fast-moving snake found across Southeast Asia. It is diurnal and actively hunts rodents, frogs, and lizards. It is non-venomous and often found near human settlements due to abundant prey.
Indochinese Spitting Cobra
A venomous cobra from Southeast Asia capable of accurately spitting venom into the eyes of a threat from a distance. Its color can vary from grey to brown or black, often with distinct patterns.
Indo-Pacific Gecko
A common house gecko, this species is all-female and reproduces via parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction). It has been widely introduced across the tropics worldwide by human activity.
Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink
A large, heavy-bodied skink known for its bright blue tongue, which it flashes as a display to startle predators. Native to New Guinea and surrounding islands, it is a popular and hardy pet.
Indonesian Tree Boa
A small, semi-arboreal boa from New Guinea and Indonesia with highly variable color and pattern. It has a prehensile tail for climbing and primarily feeds on frogs and lizards.
Inland Taipan
Widely regarded as the world’s most venomous land snake. Despite its potent venom, it is a reclusive, specialist predator of rodents in remote central east Australia and rarely encountered by humans.
Iranian Fat-tailed Gecko
A ground-dwelling gecko closely related to the popular Leopard Gecko. It stores fat in its thick, segmented tail as an energy reserve. Native to Iran, Iraq, and Syria, it is nocturnal and insectivorous.
Island Glass Lizard
A legless lizard native to the southeastern US, particularly Florida. Like other glass lizards, its tail can break off easily as a defense mechanism. It can be distinguished by its slender body and a distinct lateral groove.
Island Night Lizard
Endemic to the Channel Islands of California, this lizard is unusual for giving birth to live young and having a very long lifespan for its size. Once endangered, its populations have recovered following conservation efforts.
Italian Aesculapian Snake
A non-venomous snake found in southern Italy and Sicily. Closely related to the Aesculapian snake, it is a skilled climber that preys on rodents, lizards, and birds. It is typically yellow or light brown with dark stripes.
Italian Wall Lizard
A common lizard native to Italy and the Adriatic coast. It has been widely introduced to other parts of the world, including the United States, where it has established invasive populations.
Iwasaki’s Snail-eater
A small, non-venomous snake from the Yaeyama Islands of Japan. It is a highly specialized predator of snails, with an asymmetrical jaw that helps it extract the snail’s body from its shell.