Sceloporus malachiticus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Sceloporus malachiticus, the emerald swift or green spiny lizard, is a species of small lizard in the Phrynosomatidae family, native to Central America. Emerald swifts are distinctly bright green in color, with males typically being more striking than females, having bright blue patches on either side of the belly. They grow from 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) in length. Like other species in the genus Sceloporus, their scales tend to be fairly stiff and heavily keeled, giving them a spiny texture.
Emerald swifts are diurnal, arboreal lizards. In the early morning, they forage for insects, and then spend much of the day basking in the sun. They will retreat to a burrow, or under a rock or log if the temperature becomes too high or to sleep. Their life spans are believed to be between three and five years. Unlike most iguanid lizards, emerald swifts are ovoviviparous, giving birth to six to fifteen young yearly.
The emerald swift is found from Mexico's Yucatan region, to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The species was, for a time, considered to be a subspecies of the Mexican... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | National Zoo of Malaysia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Zoo Neuwied | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Exotarium Sosnowiec | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
No species of the same family or order lives in San José, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Swift sighting in San José on a given day, based on 187 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 24 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and April–May
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Swift in San José on a given day, against about 10% in October, the lowest month.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Emerald Swift sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Emerald Swift sightings, San José has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come San Salvador (El Salvador, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Emerald Swift is recorded against all the reptiles logged in San José (187 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.
