Trachylepis spilogaster
Silhouette: David Orr · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Kalahari tree skink (Trachylepis spilogaster), or spiny mabuya, is a species of lizard in the skink family (Scincidae). The species is endemic to southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa, western Botswana, and southern Angola.
Kalahari tree skinks have been found to live around trees that contain the large colonial nests of the sociable weaver. Their numbers are higher in these areas despite a known predator of skinks, the pygmy falcon, also nesting in these trees. It is theorized that the increased opportunity for places of refuge outweigh the risk of predation. Skinks found on colony trees have learned to eavesdrop on sociable weavers to warn of approaching pygmy falcons. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Kalahari Tree Skink sighting in Waterberg Plateau Park on a given day, based on 19 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 7 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Kalahari Tree Skink in Waterberg Plateau Park on a given day, against about 10% in June and September, the lowest months. Those are among Waterberg Plateau Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 110 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kalahari Tree Skink sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Kalahari Tree Skink sightings, Waterberg Plateau Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 40%) and Namib-Naukluft National Park (Namibia, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kalahari Tree Skink is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Waterberg Plateau Park (19 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.
