Bighead Anole

Bighead Anole

Anolis capito

Silhouette: Sarah Werning · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Corcovado National Park

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

77 Verified sightings at Corcovado National Park From 2019 to 2026
311 In all 14 parks
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Bighead Anole

Anolis capito, the bighead anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Although they are active all day, it seems that these enigmatic anoles spend the majority of their time in the shade, where they reside low on trees in a shady rain forest. The mean temperature of the body is 28.8 +/- 0.5 degrees Celsius, meaning that it is 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than the substrate and 1.7 degrees Celsius higher than the air. Compared to males, females are larger and reach sexual maturity at a larger SVL. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
3 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
4 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
5 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
8 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
9 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
14 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bighead Anole in Corcovado National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Bighead Anole sighting in Corcovado National Park on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 41 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.

When is the best time to see a Bighead Anole in Corcovado National Park?

August

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Bighead Anole in Corcovado National Park on a given day, against about 20% in April and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Bighead Anole?

Between 7 and 10 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bighead Anole sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Corcovado National Park the best place to see a Bighead Anole?

Among the best

Of the 14 parks where we can rate Bighead Anole sightings, Corcovado National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Bighead Anole live in Corcovado National Park?

Same genus: Anolis

The closest relatives of the Bighead Anole that you can see in Corcovado National Park (genus Anolis, Anoles) are Osa Anole (about 60%), Border Anole (about 20%) and Water Anole (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Bighead Anole sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bighead Anole is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Corcovado National Park (77 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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