Trachylepis spilogaster
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The Kalahari tree skink (Trachylepis spilogaster), or spiny mabuya, is a species of lizard in the skink family (Scincidae). The species is endemic to southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa, western Botswana, and southern Angola.
Kalahari tree skinks have been found to live around trees that contain the large colonial nests of the sociable weaver. Their numbers are higher in these areas despite a known predator of skinks, the pygmy falcon, also nesting in these trees. It is theorized that the increased opportunity for places of refuge outweigh the risk of predation. Skinks found on colony trees have learned to eavesdrop on sociable weavers to warn of approaching pygmy falcons. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Kalahari Tree Skink sighting in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 14 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Kalahari Tree Skink in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–September and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park's wettest months, with about 35 mm of rain against almost none in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kalahari Tree Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Kalahari Tree Skink sightings, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Waterberg Plateau Park (Namibia, about 60%), Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 40%) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 30%).
Same genus: Trachylepis
The closest relatives of the Kalahari Tree Skink that you can see in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (genus Trachylepis, Afro-Malagasy Mabuyas) are Karasburg Tree Skink (about 50%) and Western three-striped skink (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kalahari Tree Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (10 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.
