Dipsosaurus dorsalis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) is an iguana species found in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, as well as on several Gulf of California islands. The species was first described in the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, by Spencer Fullerton Baird and Charles Frédéric Girard, in 1852 as Crotaphytus dorsalis. It was reclassified two years later as Dipsosaurus dorsalis by Edward Hallowell. The generic name comes from a combination of two Greek words meaning "thirsty lizard": "Dipsa" (δίψα) for "thirsty", and "sauros" (σαῦρος) for "lizard". The specific name, "dorsalis", comes from the Latin word dorsum meaning "spike", in reference to a row of enlarged spiked scales on the middle of the lizard's back which form a crest that extends almost to the tip of its vent. Dipsosaurus contains two species, D. dorsalis, and D. catalinensis. Genetic evidence supports Dipsosaurus being the sister lineage to all other members of Iguanidae, diverging during the late Eocene, about 38 million years ago.
There are two peninsular and one continental subspecies of the desert iguana. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moscow Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 2 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Hogle Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Lehigh Valley Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Drayton Manor Theme Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 11 | Vivarium Darmstadt | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 12 | Orange County Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Monterey Bay Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Lindsay Wildlife Experience | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Iguana sighting in Mesa on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 17th most-seen of the 24 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.
April–June and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Iguana in Mesa on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October–March, the lowest months. Those are among Mesa's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 35 mm in January.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Iguana sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Desert Iguana sightings, Mesa has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Phoenix (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Iguana is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Mesa (16 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.
