Sceloporus cowlesi
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The southwestern fence lizard (Sceloporus cowlesi), also known as Cowles' prairie lizard, the White Sands prairie lizard or the White Sands swift, is species of spiny lizard in the family Iguanidae. The species is native to the Chihuahuan Desert of the south-western United States and north-central Mexico. Originally described in 1956 as Sceloporus undulatus cowlesi, a subspecies of the eastern fence lizard, subsequent DNA studies elevated the southwestern fence lizard to species status.
The following cladogram is based on Leaché and Reeder, 2002, and shows the relationship of Sceloporus cowlesi to other species in the "Sceloporus undulatus group". The specific name, cowlesi, is in honor of American herpetologist Raymond Bridgman Cowles. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Fence Lizard sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 166 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 21 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–June and September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Fence Lizard in Guadalupe Mountains National Park on a given day, against about 10% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southwestern Fence 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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Southwestern Fence Lizard sightings, Guadalupe Mountains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Big Bend National Park (United States, about 20%) and Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southwestern Fence Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (166 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.
