Leiolepis belliana
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The common butterfly lizard (Leiolepis belliana), also called the butterfly agama or butterfly lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to Asia. The specific name, belliana, is in honor of English zoologist Thomas Bell.
The common name butterfly lizard is from flaps of skin on their sides which can expand to look like butterfly wings. L. belliana can be found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has been observed as an invasive species in Florida as far back as 1992. It was originally introduced by a tropical fish dealer in the Miami area and populations there continue to spread. The ecological impacts on native Florida species are unknown.
L. belliana has a tan or olive green body and yellow spots on its back, with small orange and black lines on its sides and extendable side flaps. Male lizards will have bright red and black stripes during mating season. Adults can reach 15 inches in length.
L. belliana are strictly monogamous and share their burrow with their partner. Females can lay up to 8 eggs at a time. Babies are cared... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Butterfly Lizard sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 45th most-seen of the 58 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Butterfly Lizard in Miami on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months. That is one of Miami's wettest months, with about 190 mm of rain against 45 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Butterfly Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Miami, in our data
Miami is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Common Butterfly Lizard sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Butterfly Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Miami (20 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.
