The dorsal scales are arranged in 19 rows at midbody, and are feebly keeled.

The top of the head is green, and the upper labials and chin are white.

[3] The specific name, kirtlandii, is in honor of American naturalist Jared Potter Kirtland.

[4] T. kirtlandii is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, south to a latitude of about 17° S. It has been recorded from Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.

[2] The preferred natural habitats of T. kirtlandii are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,200 m (7,200 ft), but it is also found in artificial plantations.