Trachylepis capensis
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Trachylepis capensis is a species of skink, a lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is native to southern Africa. Named for the Cape of Good Hope, T. trachylepis is commonly known as the Cape skink or Cape three-lined skink, and it has recently been reassigned to the genus Trachylepis (previously it was classified in Mabuya).
T. capensis is a large (sometimes quite fat) skink, with three light stripes running down its back. Its skin is olive-brown to gray, and between the stripes and on its flanks are many small dark spots. The belly is greyish white. Occasionally the stripes on the back can be quite pale.
Its body is rather elongated and the limbs are short. T. capensis is indigenous to South Africa and can be found throughout most of the country. It also occurs in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia; a few isolated (probably relict) populations have been found in Zimbabwe. T. capensis is still common in suburban gardens across South Africa and because of this, the Cape skink is probably the best known lizard in the country. Furthermore, in the presence of humans it gradually becomes domesticated and after some time it... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Skink sighting in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and August
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Skink in Addo Elephant National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, July and September–October, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape Skink sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Cape Skink sightings, Addo Elephant National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 30%), West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 30%) and Table Mountain National Park (South Africa, about 30%).
Same genus: Trachylepis
The closest relatives of the Cape Skink that you can see in Addo Elephant National Park (genus Trachylepis, Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas) are Variable Skink (about 10%) and Variegated Skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Addo Elephant National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
