Ameiva ameiva
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Ameiva ameiva, also known as the giant ameiva, green ameiva, South American ground lizard, or Amazon racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae found in Central America, South America, and some Caribbean Islands.
It is widespread in Central America and South America, including: Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, the Grenadines, Barbados, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Margarita, Swan Island, and Isla de la Providencia. It was also once present on Saint Vincent but has since been extirpated.
Ameiva ameiva has a streamlined body, pointed head, slightly forked tongue, and muscular hind legs. They grow to approximately 45–50 cm (18–20 in). Both sexes have random black specks and mottling along the sides. Females usually have much less green than males and a more dusty green color. Males have vibrant green coloration and more bold mottling. Males also have more expanded jowls. They are popular pets because of the male's striking green coloration.
They live on the forest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 3 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 11 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 18th most-seen of the 21 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in June–July, September–October and December–March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Amazon Racerunner sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 11
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Amazon Racerunner sightings, Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 70%), Amboró National Park (Bolivia, about 50%) and Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Teiidae
The closest relatives of the Amazon Racerunner that you can see in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (family Teiidae, Whiptails and Tegus) are Forest Whiptail (about 30%) and Cusco Tegu (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Amazon Racerunner is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (5 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.
