Callisaurus draconoides
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the Southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. There are nine recognized subspecies.
Zebra-tailed lizards live in open desert with hard-packed soil, scattered vegetation, and scattered rocks, typically flats, washes, and plains. Zebra-tailed lizards range in size from 2.5 to 4 inches (64 to 102 mm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL). These lizards are grey to sandy brown, usually with a series of paired dark gray spots down the back, becoming black crossbands on the tail. The underside of the tail is white with black crossbars. Males have a pair of black blotches on their sides, extending to blue patches on their bellies. Females have no blue patches, and the black bars are either faint or completely absent.
Zebra-tailed lizards are diurnal and alert. They rise early and are active in all but the hottest weather. During the hottest times of day, lizards may stand alternately on two legs, switching to the opposite two as needed in a kind of dance. When threatened, they run swiftly with their toes... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Zebra-tailed Lizard sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 579 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th 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.
April and May
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Zebra-tailed Lizard in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Zebra-tailed 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.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Zebra-tailed Lizard sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 2nd at about 50%. The best odds are in Death Valley National Park (United States, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Phrynosomatidae
The closest relatives of the Zebra-tailed Lizard that you can see in Joshua Tree National Park (family Phrynosomatidae, Phrynosomatid Lizards) are Common Side-blotched Lizard (about 90%), Desert Spiny Lizard (about 70%) and Western Fence Lizard (about 60%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Zebra-tailed Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Joshua Tree National Park (579 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.
