Oplurus cuvieri
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
Oplurus cuvieri, commonly known as the collared iguana, the collared iguanid lizard, Cuvier's Madagascar skink, Cuvier's Madagascar swift, and the Madagascan collared iguana, is a species of arboreal lizard in the family Opluridae. The species is native to Madagascar and the island of Grande Comore, Comoros. There are two recognized subspecies. O. cuvieri is the largest of six species in the genus Oplurus.
The specific name, cuvieri, is in honor of French naturalist Georges Cuvier. As some of the common names suggest, O. cuvieri has a distinctive black collar that stands out against the body which is speckled with lighter spots. It has a large head, and the relatively short tail has spiny scales. The female is a duller brown colour.
The average length of O. cuvieri is 16 in. and the average weight is 160 – 190 g. The images below show considerable variation in markings and coloration. The collared iguana is found in the western tropical forests of Madagascar and on the island of Grand Comore in Comoros. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Oplurus cuvieri cuvieri... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chester Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Luisenpark | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 9 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Nikolaev Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 11 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 13 | bioparco | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 14 | Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | LemuriaLand | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 17 | Lemurs Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 18 | Oceanium | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 19 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 20 | Reptiland | 🇫🇷 France |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ankarafantsika National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Cuvier's Madagascar Swift sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October to December
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Cuvier's Madagascar Swift in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, against about 60% in June, the lowest month. February and March have too few records to rate.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cuvier's Madagascar Swift sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Ankarafantsika National Park, in our data
Ankarafantsika National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Cuvier's Madagascar Swift sightings: about 90% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cuvier's Madagascar Swift is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ankarafantsika National Park (91 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.
