Phyllodactylus tuberculosus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The yellowbelly gecko (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus) is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is native to Mexico and Central America. There are two recognized subspecies. P. tuberculosus is found in the southern Mexican states of Guerrero, Michoacán, Morelos, and Quintana Roo, and in the Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
The preferred natural habitat of P. tuberculosus is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft). It also is found in houses, where it hides during the day inside walls and in thatch roofs. P. tuberculosus is terrestrial and predominately nocturnal.
P. tuberculosus preys upon insects. P. tuberculosus is oviparous. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Phyllodactylus tuberculosus ingeri Dixon, 1964 – Dixon's tuberculate gecko
Phyllodactylus tuberculosus tuberculosus Wiegmann, 1834 – geco panza amarilla The subspecific name, ingeri, is in honor of American herpetologist Robert F. Inger. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
No species of the same family or order lives in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellowbelly Gecko sighting in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 41st most-seen of the 43 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March, June–July and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellowbelly Gecko in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January, April–May and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellowbelly Gecko sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Yellowbelly Gecko sightings, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Santa Rosa National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellowbelly Gecko is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (5 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.
