Urosaurus nigricauda
Silhouette: Gopal Murali · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Urosaurus nigricauda is a species of lizard. Common names for this species include the Baja California brush lizard, black-tailed brush lizard, and small-scaled tree lizard. Its range includes southern California, Baja California, and nearby Pacific islands.
Until 1999, the small-scaled lizard, Urosaurus microscutata, was considered a discrete species. U. microscutata has since been identified as the same species, and a synonym of U. nigricauda. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Small-scaled Lizard sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 20 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and September
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Small-scaled Lizard in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Small-scaled 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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Small-scaled Lizard sightings, El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 40%) and Cabo Pulmo National Park (Mexico, about 30%).
Same family: Phrynosomatidae
The closest relatives of the Small-scaled Lizard that you can see in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (family Phrynosomatidae, Phrynosomatid Lizards) are Zebra-tailed Lizard (about 40%), Common Side-blotched Lizard (about 40%) and Cedros Island Horned Lizard (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Small-scaled Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (19 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.
