Rhoptropus barnardi
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Barnard's Namib day gecko (Rhoptropus barnardi), also known commonly as Barnard's slender gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to southern Africa. The specific name, barnardi, is in honor of South African zoologist Keppel Harcourt Barnard.
R. barnardi is found in Angola and Namibia. The preferred natural habitats of R. barnardi are savanna and rocky areas, at altitudes of 200–1,900 m (660–6,230 ft). R. barnardi is the smallest species in its genus. Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 3.0–4.5 cm (1.2–1.8 in). The maximum recorded SVL is 4.9 cm (1.9 in).
R. barnardi is oviparous. Clutch size is two eggs. Each egg measures on average 11.5 mm × 9.5 mm (0.45 in × 0.37 in). Communal nesting sites may contain as many as 200 eggs. Goldberg SR (2009). "Rhoptropus barnardi. Reproduction". African Herp News (48): 15–16.
Hewitt J (1926). "Descriptions of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Barnard's Namib Day Gecko sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 22 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March–April and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Barnard's Namib Day Gecko in Etosha National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, May, July–September and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Etosha National Park's wettest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against almost none in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Barnard's Namib Day Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Barnard's Namib Day Gecko sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 10%).
Same family: Gekkonidae
The closest relatives of the Barnard's Namib Day Gecko that you can see in Etosha National Park (family Gekkonidae, Typical Geckos) are Fischer's Thick-toed Gecko (about 30%), Bradfield's Dwarf Gecko (about 10%) and Pointed Thick-toed Gecko (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Barnard's Namib Day Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Etosha National Park (6 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.
