Western Banded Gecko

Western Banded Gecko

Coleonyx variegatus

Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

22 Verified sightings at Las Vegas
251 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Western Banded Gecko

The western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Five subspecies are recognized.

In the United States, C. variegatus is found in Arizona, southern California, southwestern New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. In California, it is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts In Mexico, it is found in northwestern Baja California and Sonora.

Five subspecies of C. variegatus are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Coleonyx variegatus abbotti Klauber, 1945 – San Diego banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus bogerti Klauber, 1945 – Tucson banded gecko

Coleonyx variegatus sonoriensis Klauber, 1945 – Sonoran banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Klauber, 1945 – Utah banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus variegatus (Baird, 1858) – desert banded gecko Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Coleonyx.

The western banded gecko is a terrestrial lizard, ranging in total length (including tail) from 4... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
5 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Las Vegas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Philadelphia Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 The Living Planet Aquarium 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Closest Relatives at Las Vegas

No species of the same family or order lives in Las Vegas, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Banded Gecko in Las Vegas?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Banded Gecko sighting in Las Vegas on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 15 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Banded Gecko in Las Vegas?

July

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Banded Gecko in Las Vegas on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Western Banded Gecko?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Banded Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Las Vegas the best place to see a Western Banded Gecko?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Western Banded Gecko sightings, Las Vegas ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mesa (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Western Banded Gecko sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Banded Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Las Vegas (22 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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