Homopholis wahlbergii
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Wahlberg's velvet gecko (Homopholis wahlbergii) is a species of large gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species occurs exclusively in Southern Africa. The specific name, wahlbergii, is in honour of Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg. The spelling walbergii was corrected to wahlbergii by Smith (1849) in an errata within an addenda slip (unpaginated).
H. wahlbergii is endemic to Miombo and Mopane bushveld of Botswana, South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. The largest part of its range covers Zimbabwe. H. wahlbergii shelters under tree bark, rocks, empty bird nests, and other places in coastal bush and mesic and arid savannas.
Wahlberg's velvet gecko is so called because the skin looks and feels like velvet. The back varies from dark grey to soft grey-brown and may be crossed with paler chevrons or crossbars or have mottled paler areas nestled along the centre of its back and spine. Adults may attain a total length (including tail) of 21 cm (8.3 in), but average total length is 14–18 cm (5.5–7.1 in).
H. wahlbergii is nocturnal; however, it has been observed to occasionally... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 41st most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to November, the lowest months. Those are among iSimangaliso Wetland Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in July.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kruger National Park (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Gekkonidae
The closest relatives of the Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (family Gekkonidae, Typical Geckos) are Tropical House Gecko (about 40%), Cape Dwarf Gecko (about 30%) and Marley's Flat Gecko (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wahlberg's Velvet Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (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.
