Sceloporus malachiticus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
Sceloporus malachiticus, the emerald swift or green spiny lizard, is a species of small lizard in the Phrynosomatidae family, native to Central America. Emerald swifts are distinctly bright green in color, with males typically being more striking than females, having bright blue patches on either side of the belly. They grow from 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) in length. Like other species in the genus Sceloporus, their scales tend to be fairly stiff and heavily keeled, giving them a spiny texture.
Emerald swifts are diurnal, arboreal lizards. In the early morning, they forage for insects, and then spend much of the day basking in the sun. They will retreat to a burrow, or under a rock or log if the temperature becomes too high or to sleep. Their life spans are believed to be between three and five years. Unlike most iguanid lizards, emerald swifts are ovoviviparous, giving birth to six to fifteen young yearly.
The emerald swift is found from Mexico's Yucatan region, to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The species was, for a time, considered to be a subspecies of the Mexican... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Irazú Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 8 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | National Zoo of Malaysia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Zoo Neuwied | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Exotarium Sosnowiec | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 8 | Sea Life Bangkok Ocean World | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
No species of the same family or order lives in Los Quetzales National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Swift sighting in Los Quetzales National Park on a given day, based on 370 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 6 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March and April
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report an Emerald Swift in Los Quetzales National Park on a given day, against about 30% in October, the lowest month. Those are among Los Quetzales National Park's driest months, with about 210 mm of rain a month against 730 mm in October.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Emerald Swift 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 8 parks where we can rate Emerald Swift sightings, Los Quetzales National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Irazú Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Emerald Swift is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Los Quetzales National Park (370 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.
