Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

Gambelia wislizenii

Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Saguaro National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%

11 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
524 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

The long-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) is a species of relatively large North American lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. Gambelia wislizenii ranges in snout-to-vent length (SVL) from 8.3 to 14.6 cm (3+1⁄4 to 5+3⁄4 in). It has a large head, a long nose, and a long round tail that can be longer than its body. It is closely related to the blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila), which closely resembles the long-nosed leopard lizard in body proportions, but has a conspicuously blunt snout. The species G. wislizenii, once considered part of the genus Crotaphytus, is under moderate pressure because of habitat destruction but is categorized as "least concern".

The specific name or epithet, wislizenii, is in honor of the German-American surgeon and naturalist Frederick Adolph Wislizenus, who caught the first specimen near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Gambelia wislizenii has granular dorsal scales that can be white, cream, or gray with irregular brown or dark gray spots along its body and head. Sometimes they have dark bars across their back. The tail also has dark bars across it. Juveniles have more highly contrasted markings compared to adults... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
2 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
3 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Living Desert Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Entopia 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard in Saguaro National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 42nd most-seen of the 51 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard in Saguaro National Park?

May, July–August and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, September and November–April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Saguaro National Park the best place to see a Long-nosed Leopard Lizard?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 50%) and Death Valley National Park (United States, about 40%).

Where does the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Saguaro National Park (11 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.

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