Hemipenial variation within the six recognized species of the African snake genus Crotaphopeltis is described. The hemipenial ornamentation of the widely distributed species, C. hotamboeia and C. hippocrepis, seems fairly constant whereas the ornamentation of C. degeni and C. tornieri, species with disjunct distributions, displays relatively large intraspecific variation. In spite of the variation, the size and ornamentation of the hemipenes serve to distinguish between sympatric and parapatric species.