Common Chuckwalla
Common ChuckwallaCommon ChuckwallaCommon ChuckwallaCommon Chuckwalla

Common Chuckwalla

Sauromalus ater

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
50–60% · Likely
overall probability at Joshua Tree National Park
1,286 Verified records at Joshua Tree National Park
April Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

Sauromalus ater, also known as the common chuckwalla or northern chuckwalla, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern California, Utah, and Nevada south to Baja California and Sonora. Wikipedia →

50–60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chuckwalla sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 1,286 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Desert Iguana
LC

Desert Iguana

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
40–50
Feb
60–70
Mar
70–80
Apr
70–80
May
50–60
Jun
30–40
Jul
40–50
Aug
40–50
Sep
30–40
Oct
30–40
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
60–70%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
3 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
4 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Chuckwalla in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 55% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chuckwalla sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 1,286 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Chuckwalla in Joshua Tree National Park?

April has the highest sighting rate for Common Chuckwalla in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

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