Ctenosaura similis
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is an iguanid lizard native to Mexico and Central America. It has been reported in some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. The largest species in the genus Ctenosaura, it is commonly found in areas such as grasslands and forests.
C. similis was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1831. The generic name—Ctenosaura—is derived from two Greek words: ctenos (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard". The specific name—similis—is a Latin word meaning "similar to", a common description found in Linnaean taxonomy when referring to a new taxon.
The black spiny-tailed iguana is native to southern Mexico and Central America, ranging from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec southward to Panama, occurring at sea level to ca. 1,320 meters elevation, but it is absent from interior highlands. Its distribution is irregular and discontinuous on the Atlantic versant where it ranges through portions... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 3 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 4 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 6 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona Zoo | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Detroit Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Xcaret | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Wrocław Zoological Garden | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 6 | Great Plains Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Zoo d'Amnéville | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 8 | London Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 9 | Aquarama Barcelona | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 11 | Alligator Adventure | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | ZooAmerica | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Papiliorama | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 14 | Tiergarten Ulm | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 15 | Africarium | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 16 | Dallas World Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Acuario Inbursa | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 18 | Aquarium d'Amnéville | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Biouniverzoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 20 | International Animal Rescue – Costa Rica | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 21 | terrarium ogrodu zoologicznego we Wrocławiu | 🇵🇱 Poland |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Spiny-tailed Iguana sighting in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 34th most-seen of the 38 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black Spiny-tailed Iguana in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–April, June, August and October–December, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Spiny-tailed Iguana sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
20th of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Black Spiny-tailed Iguana sightings, Tenorio Volcano National Park ranks 20th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Costa Rica, about 90%), Manuel Antonio National Park (Costa Rica, about 90%) and Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 90%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tenorio Volcano National Park (6 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.
