Sceloporus olivaceus
Silhouette: LO Frishkoff · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The Texas spiny lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to the south central United States, in the states of Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma, and northeastern Mexico in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and San Luis Potosí. They are quite common throughout their range, where they can be found in trees or on fences.
Adults are 7.5–11 in (19–28 cm) in total length, and are typically grey in color with black, white, or red-brown blotching down the back. Patterns vary greatly by locality, but the colors and pattern typically serve to be adequate camouflage against the bark of trees in its chosen habitat. The underside is usually uniformly light grey in color, but males typically have blue patches on either side of the belly. Adult males are also larger on average. The lizards' scales have a distinctly spiny texture to them. They have long toes, and sharp claws suited to climbing.
The Texas spiny lizard will breed throughout the summer months of the year, and is capable of laying four clutches each year if nutrients are plentiful. Each clutch will contain 2 to 20 eggs at a time. The Texas... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Texas Spiny Lizard sighting in Austin on a given day, based on 3,034 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Texas Spiny Lizard in Austin on a given day, against about 20% in January, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Texas Spiny 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.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Texas Spiny Lizard sightings, Austin has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come San Antonio (United States, about 50%) and Dallas (United States, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Texas Spiny Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Austin (3,034 verified sightings), 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.
