Leiocephalus carinatus
Silhouette: Caleb M. Gordon · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Leiocephalus carinatus, commonly known as the northern curly-tailed lizard or saw-scaled curlytail, is a species of lizard in the family Leiocephalidae (curly-tailed lizard). It is native to the Bahama Islands, the Cayman Islands and Cuba. It was introduced intentionally in Palm Beach, Florida, in the 1940s in an attempt to control sugar cane pests, and is now also present in a few other parts of the state. Another introduced population inhabits Swan Islands, Honduras.
Adults may attain a snout to vent length (SVL) of 10.5 cm (4.1 in), or a total length, including the tail, of 26 cm (10 in). The dorsal scales are keeled and pointed. L. carinatus resembles lizards of the genus Sceloporus, but with the tail usually curled upward, especially when the lizard is in a horizontal position on rocks or on the ground.
An active, robust lizard, it is mostly terrestrial and will retreat into a burrow or cavity when frightened. It prefers sunny areas with loose rubble and rock. In the Cayman Islands a large captured specimen was observed to consistently burrow completely under the sand in a holding tank, even though a rock retreat was provided... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Wrocław Zoological Garden | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 3 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Africarium | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 6 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 7 | San Antonio Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | terrarium ogrodu zoologicznego we Wrocławiu | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Curly-tailed Lizard sighting in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th 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.
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Curly-tailed Lizard in Ciénaga de Zapata on a given day, against under 5% in January and November, the lowest months. That is one of Ciénaga de Zapata's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 15 mm in February. May and September have too few records to rate.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Curly-tailed Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Northern Curly-tailed Lizard sightings, Ciénaga de Zapata ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Everglades National Park (United States, about 60%) and Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Curly-tailed Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Ciénaga de Zapata (6 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.
