City
Maputo
🇲🇿 Mozambique
Africa, Mozambique 239 spp. recorded
Maputo is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. Maputo is a port city, with an economy centered on commerce. It is noted for its vibrant cultural scene and distinctive, eclectic architecture. Wikipedia
25.842° S 32.547° E
🦜 Nature
239 Species sighted
6,444 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Oct Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Vervet Monkey
Chlorocebus pygerythrus
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
LC
Sundevall's Writhing Skink
Mochlus sundevallii
LC
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
LC
Brown House Snake
Boaedon capensis
LC
Red-lipped Snake
Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia
LC
Cape Wolf Snake
Lycophidion capense
LC
Snouted Cobra
Naja annulifera
LC
Olive Whip Snake
Psammophis mossambicus
LC
Mole Snake
Pseudaspis cana
LC
Variable Skink
Trachylepis varia
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
African Common Toad
Sclerophrys gutturalis
LC
Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
LC
Garman's Toad
Sclerophrys garmani
LC
Tinker Reed Frog
Hyperolius tuberilinguis
LC
argus reed frog
Hyperolius argus
LC
Mozambique Rain Frog
Breviceps mossambicus
LC
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
Phrynomantis bifasciatus
LC
Sharp-nosed ridged frog
Ptychadena oxyrhynchus
LC
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
Red-legged Wot-wot
Phlyctimantis maculatus
LC
Natal Forest Tree Frog
Leptopelis natalensis
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Flap-necked Chameleon
Chamaeleo dilepis
LC
Garman's Toad
Sclerophrys garmani
LC
Tinker Reed Frog
Hyperolius tuberilinguis
LC
Sundevall's Writhing Skink
Mochlus sundevallii
LC
argus reed frog
Hyperolius argus
LC
Brown House Snake
Boaedon capensis
LC
Mozambique Rain Frog
Breviceps mossambicus
Recent sightings in Maputo
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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North Maputo Bay Tidal Flats
-
Botanic Gardens, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
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Tunduru Botanical Gardens
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
21Jan
20Feb
24Mar
24Apr
24May
24Jun
24Jul
16Aug
21Sep
25Oct
20Nov
23Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
1%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
1
areasWildlife spots
4
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Tropical savanna
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.2
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 598
🐒 Mammals 158
🦎 Reptiles 119
🐸 Amphibians 44
919 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
38 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.3
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
64% 📊
Coverage (118 species at ≥5% of 919 in the inventory)
13% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 4 reptile)
59% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
3 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
15 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.8
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 1% land Low
Protected areas 1 Medium
Wildlife spots 4 Medium
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Maputo?
239 species
Maputo's urban area has 239 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are House Crow (about 90%), House Sparrow (about 70%), Laughing Dove (about 70%), Bronze Mannikin (about 70%) and African Palm-Swift (about 70%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Southern Tree Agama (about 60%); among amphibians, Fornasini's Spiny Reed Frog (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Maputo?
July
In that month the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 50% in August and November–February. That is one of Maputo's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 150 mm in January.
Can you see a Southern Tree Agama in Maputo?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Tree Agama sighting in Maputo on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and September (about 80%).
Can you see an African Striped Skink in Maputo?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report an African Striped Skink sighting in Maputo on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April–June, August and October (about 80%).
Can you see an Edible bullfrog in Maputo?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Edible bullfrog sighting in Maputo on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February (about 60%).
Where in Maputo is wildlife easiest to see?
North Maputo Bay Tidal Flats
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is North Maputo Bay Tidal Flats (58 bird species recorded), followed by Costa do Sol and Botanic Gardens, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. See them on the map.
Is Maputo good for wildlife watching?
4.3 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Maputo gets 4.3/5: 155th of 380 cities worldwide and 17th in Africa. 20 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data