Ameiva ameiva
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Ameiva ameiva, also known as the giant ameiva, green ameiva, South American ground lizard, or Amazon racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae found in Central America, South America, and some Caribbean Islands.
It is widespread in Central America and South America, including: Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, the Grenadines, Barbados, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Margarita, Swan Island, and Isla de la Providencia. It was also once present on Saint Vincent but has since been extirpated.
Ameiva ameiva has a streamlined body, pointed head, slightly forked tongue, and muscular hind legs. They grow to approximately 45–50 cm (18–20 in). Both sexes have random black specks and mottling along the sides. Females usually have much less green than males and a more dusty green color. Males have vibrant green coloration and more bold mottling. Males also have more expanded jowls. They are popular pets because of the male's striking green coloration.
They live on the forest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 3 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 11 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
No species of the same family or order lives in Anavilhanas National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner sighting in Anavilhanas National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner in Anavilhanas National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February, May, August–September and December, the lowest months. That is one of Anavilhanas National Park's wettest months, with about 340 mm of rain against 75 mm in August.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Amazon Racerunner sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
6th of 11
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Amazon Racerunner sightings, Anavilhanas National Park ranks 6th at about 40%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 70%), Amboró National Park (Bolivia, about 50%) and Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Amazon Racerunner is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Anavilhanas National Park (10 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.
