Variable Skink

Variable Skink

Trachylepis varia

Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Durban

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

12 Verified sightings at Durban
59 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Variable Skink

The eastern variable skink (Trachylepis varia) is a species of skink found in East Africa. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
2 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~20%
3 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
4 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
5 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Pretoria 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
2 Johannesburg 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
3 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Variable Skink in Durban?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Skink sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 21st most-seen of the 27 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Variable Skink in Durban?

March–May, August–September and November–January

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variable Skink in Durban on a given day, against under 5% in February, June–July and October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Variable Skink?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variable Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Durban the best place to see a Variable Skink?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Variable Skink sightings, Durban ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Pretoria (South Africa, about 20%) and Johannesburg (South Africa, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Variable Skink live in Durban?

Same genus: Trachylepis

The closest relatives of the Variable Skink that you can see in Durban (genus Trachylepis, Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas) are African Striped Skink (about 30%) and Eastern Sand Skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Variable Skink sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Variable Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Durban (12 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.

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