Anolis aquaticus
Silhouette: Sarah Werning · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Anolis aquaticus, commonly known as the water anole, is a semi-aquatic species of anole, a lizard in the family Dactyloidae, native to southwestern Costa Rica and far southwestern Panama. The species demonstrates adaptations that allows it to spend periods of time underwater up to approximately a quarter of an hour, forming an air bubble which clings to its head and serves to recycle the animal's air supply while it spends time beneath the surface. Although highly unusual, similar adaptions and behavior are found in other species of semi-aquatic anoles.
The order of the water anole is Squamata, which refers to scaled reptiles. Squamata is the largest order of reptiles, including species of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians. Members of this order are found on every continent other than Antarctica, and they live in a variety of habitats, while showcasing various different traits.
Iguania is a suborder that includes species of chameleons, iguanas, and New World lizards such as the water anole. Most species in the Iguania suborder are arboreal, meaning they travel by tree, but many other notable species are described as being terrestrial. They typically have tongues that... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Water Anole sighting in Corcovado National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 41 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Water Anole in Corcovado National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April, June and August–October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Water Anole sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Corcovado National Park, in our data
Corcovado National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Water Anole sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Anolis
The closest relatives of the Water Anole that you can see in Corcovado National Park (genus Anolis, Anoles) are Osa Anole (about 60%), Bighead Anole (about 30%) and Border Anole (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Water Anole is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Corcovado National Park (20 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.
