Gambelia wislizenii
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The long-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) is a species of relatively large North American lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. Gambelia wislizenii ranges in snout-to-vent length (SVL) from 8.3 to 14.6 cm (3+1⁄4 to 5+3⁄4 in). It has a large head, a long nose, and a long round tail that can be longer than its body. It is closely related to the blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila), which closely resembles the long-nosed leopard lizard in body proportions, but has a conspicuously blunt snout. The species G. wislizenii, once considered part of the genus Crotaphytus, is under moderate pressure because of habitat destruction but is categorized as "least concern".
The specific name or epithet, wislizenii, is in honor of the German-American surgeon and naturalist Frederick Adolph Wislizenus, who caught the first specimen near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gambelia wislizenii has granular dorsal scales that can be white, cream, or gray with irregular brown or dark gray spots along its body and head. Sometimes they have dark bars across their back. The tail also has dark bars across it. Juveniles have more highly contrasted markings compared to adults... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Entopia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 455 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Long-nosed Leopard 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 Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sightings, Joshua Tree National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Death Valley National Park (United States, about 40%) and Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Joshua Tree National Park (455 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.
