Lygodactylus chobiensis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The Okavango dwarf gecko or Chobe dwarf gecko (Lygodactylus chobiensis) is a species of gecko found along the Chobe and Zambesi Rivers and into the Okavango Delta, and into Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia. A large dwarf gecko (normally 25–30 mm in snout–vent length) with males being slightly larger than the females. It has a blue-grey back covered with large pale spots and a yellow belly. The male throat may be black or pale yellow and has two dark chevrons.
They mature at around 9 months and have a lifespan of 18 months. The Okavango dwarf gecko is normally arboreal and can found on tree trunks and sometimes buildings of the tropical savanna and flooded grasslands. It prefers to forage high up in trees and can often be found on acacia, baobab and mopane trees.
Their diet is mainly ants and termites. Reproduction occurs throughout the year and two hard-shelled eggs (5 × 6.5 mm) are laid every 8 weeks beneath the tree bark or in disused termite mound. The eggs hatch in about 125 days and the young geckos are about 30 mm in length. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 2 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 4 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 6 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Chobe Dwarf Gecko sighting in Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 8 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Chobe Dwarf Gecko in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–September and December, the lowest months. That is one of Hwange National Park's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chobe Dwarf Gecko 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 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Chobe Dwarf Gecko sightings, Hwange National Park ranks 3rd at about 30%. The best odds are in Lower Zambezi National Park (Zambia, about 40%) and Mana Pools National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chobe Dwarf Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Hwange National Park (11 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.
