Platysaurus intermedius
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The common flat lizard (Platysaurus intermedius) is a species of lizard in the Cordylidae family. This lizard has 9 subspecies, all living in southern Africa. The females and juveniles of all subspecies of P. intermedius have black scales, with white stripes on their backs. The bellies are brown, but the outer edges are white. Adult males have different colorations for each subspecies.
Common flat lizards are the most widely distributed and common Platysaurus. These lizards live under exfoliating, or weathering, rocks. Their preferred types of rock are granite, sandstone, and quartzite. These lizards can be found in moderately moist savannahs, as well as rock outcrops. It ranges throughout Zimbabwe, North Province, Mpumalanga, southern Malawi, eastern Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, and northern KwaZulu-Natal. This area includes the Kalahari Desert, and several large river drainage systems.
Nine subspecies are recognized: Males of P. i. whilhelmi are green or brown on their backs. White spots are also present. Their tails begin red and change to yellow at the ends. Their bellies are mostly blue, but the centers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flat Lizard sighting in Kruger National Park on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 31st most-seen of the 62 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and August–January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Flat Lizard in Kruger National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–March and June–July, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Flat Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Common Flat Lizard sightings, Kruger National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Flat Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kruger National Park (36 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.
