Ameiva ameiva
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Ameiva ameiva, also known as the giant ameiva, green ameiva, South American ground lizard, or Amazon racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae found in Central America, South America, and some Caribbean Islands.
It is widespread in Central America and South America, including: Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also found on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, the Grenadines, Barbados, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Margarita, Swan Island, and Isla de la Providencia. It was also once present on Saint Vincent but has since been extirpated.
Ameiva ameiva has a streamlined body, pointed head, slightly forked tongue, and muscular hind legs. They grow to approximately 45–50 cm (18–20 in). Both sexes have random black specks and mottling along the sides. Females usually have much less green than males and a more dusty green color. Males have vibrant green coloration and more bold mottling. Males also have more expanded jowls. They are popular pets because of the male's striking green coloration.
They live on the forest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 3 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 6 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Emas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 11 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 135 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 47 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Racerunner in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against about 30% in January, April, June and September, the lowest months. That is one of Tambopata National Reserve's wettest months, with about 310 mm of rain against 45 mm in July.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Amazon Racerunner sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 11
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Amazon Racerunner sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 70%) and Amboró National Park (Bolivia, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Amazon Racerunner is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tambopata National Reserve (135 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.
