Pygopus lepidopodus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The common scaly-foot (Pygopus lepidopodus) is a widespread species of legless lizard in the Pygopodidae family. It is endemic to Australia. Mostly active at dusk or dawn (crepuscular), it can be nocturnal after high daytime temperatures. It lives in long grasses, heaths, and woodlands, and is most often seen on warm mornings, foraging for food. When threatened, the scaly-foot flashes its thick, fleshy tongue, in an apparent mimicry of snakes. Usually two eggs are laid per clutch.
Its diet includes a variety of invertebrates such as burrowing spiders. It is found mostly in the southern and eastern parts of Australia, though isolated populations occur in semiarid southern Queensland and tropical wet Queensland.
The scaly-foot is snake-like in appearance, up to 80 cm in length with a noticeable "keel" or ridge on the top. Variable in colours and pattern, it occasionally is grey with black spots or sometimes coppery brown with a grey tail. Other patterns and variations occur. Prominent limb flaps may be seen on close inspection, hence the name "scaly-foot".
Considered an easy to keep species, a license is required... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Scaly-foot sighting in Royal National Park on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Scaly-foot in Royal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and June, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Scaly-foot sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Common Scaly-foot sightings, Royal National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Scaly-foot is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Royal National Park (33 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.
