Lacerta viridis
Silhouette: Gustav Mützel · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The European green lizard (Lacerta viridis) is a large lizard distributed across European mid-latitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, or sheltering amongst bushes.
There is an ongoing discussion as to whether Lacerta viridis and Lacerta bilineata are separate species. Genetic data weakly supports their separation into two species, but more investigation needs to be done. The lizard reaches up to 15 cm (5.9 in) from the tip of the muzzle to the cloaca. The tail can be up to twice the length of the body; the total length is up to 40 cm (16 in). This lizard sometimes sheds its tail (autotomy) to evade the grasp of a predator, regrowing it later.
The male has a larger head and a uniform green colour punctuated with small spots that are more pronounced upon its back. The throat is bluish in the adult male and to a lesser extent in the female. The female is more slender than the male and is more uniform in colour, often displaying between two and four light bands bordered by black spots.
The European green lizard is native... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plitvice Lakes National Park | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Triglav National Park | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | |
| 4 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Brno Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Zagreb Zoo | 🇭🇷 Croatia | |
| 4 | Leningrad Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 5 | Zoo Hirschstetten | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 6 | Kleinzoo Wasserstern | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 8 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 9 | Lake Tisza Ecocentre | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Green Lizard sighting in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, based on 167 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 9 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Green Lizard in Bavarian Forest National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and September–March, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Green Lizard sightings, Bavarian Forest National Park ranks 5th at about 20%. The best odds are in Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia, about 70%), Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 70%) and Triglav National Park (Slovenia, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Bavarian Forest National Park (167 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.
