Ciénaga de Zapata

🇨🇺 Cuba

🦎 Tocororo and Curly-tailed Lizard Wetland

⏱ 2–3 days 🥾 Easy trails

🌍 #209 Global · 3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #36 in Central America #10 in Wetlands & Mangrove

Matanzas, Cuba 479 spp. recorded

Zapata is the largest wetland in the Caribbean, a flat mosaic of swamp forest, sawgrass and flooded cave systems. Northern curly-tailed lizards run across every warm rock and Cuban sliders bask on the logs of the drainage channels.

22.030° N 81.329° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Cuban Trogon

Priotelus temnurus

40–50% · Likely

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard

Leiocephalus carinatus

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Slider

Trachemys decussata

30–40% · Possible

Cuban Treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

70–80% · Very likely

Cuban Emerald

Riccordia ricordii

70–80% · Very likely

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

60–70% · Likely

Red-legged Thrush

Turdus plumbeus

60–70% · Likely

Palm Warbler

Setophaga palmarum

60–70% · Likely

Greater Antillean Grackle

Quiscalus niger

50–60% · Likely

West Indian Woodpecker

Melanerpes superciliaris

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Pewee

Contopus caribaeus

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Blackbird

Dives atroviolaceus

50–60% · Likely

Tawny-shouldered Blackbird

Agelaius humeralis

50–60% · Likely

Northern Parula

Setophaga americana

50–60% · Likely

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Desmarest's Hutia

Capromys pilorides

20–30% · Possible

Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus jamaicensis

Insufficient data

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Cuban Trogon

Priotelus temnurus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

70–80% · Very likely

Cuban Emerald

Riccordia ricordii

70–80% · Very likely

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

60–70% · Likely

Red-legged Thrush

Turdus plumbeus

60–70% · Likely

Palm Warbler

Setophaga palmarum

60–70% · Likely

Greater Antillean Grackle

Quiscalus niger

50–60% · Likely

West Indian Woodpecker

Melanerpes superciliaris

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Pewee

Contopus caribaeus

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Blackbird

Dives atroviolaceus

50–60% · Likely

Tawny-shouldered Blackbird

Agelaius humeralis

50–60% · Likely

Northern Parula

Setophaga americana

50–60% · Likely

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensis

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard

Leiocephalus carinatus

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Slider

Trachemys decussata

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Cuban Curlytail Lizard

Leiocephalus cubensis

30–40% · Possible

Allison's Anole

Anolis allisoni

30–40% · Possible

Cuban Green Anole

Anolis porcatus

30–40% · Possible

Knight Anole

Anolis equestris

30–40% · Possible

Cuban Crocodile

Crocodylus rhombifer

30–40% · Possible

Brown Anole

Anolis sagrei

30–40% · Possible

Cuban Racer

Cubophis cantherigerus

30–40% · Possible

Cayman Islands Ground Iguana

Cyclura nubila

20–30% · Possible

Habana Anole

Anolis homolechis

20–30% · Possible

Auber's Ameiva

Pholidoscelis auberi

20–30% · Possible

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

Insufficient data

Cuban Tree Boa

Chilabothrus angulifer

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Cuban Treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Eastern Giant Toad

Peltophryne peltocephala

Insufficient data

Zapata toad

Peltophryne florentinoi

Insufficient data

Greenhouse Frog

Eleutherodactylus planirostris

Insufficient data

Pinos Robber Frog

Eleutherodactylus pinarensis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐸

Tree Frogs and Toads in the Rains

FebMarApr

Cuban tree frogs and Cuban giant toads breed in every flooded hollow and call through the night.

Cuban Treefrog

Osteopilus septentrionalis

40–50% · Likely

🦎

Lizards and Sliders in the Dry Months

AugSep

Northern curly-tailed lizards hold the open rock and Cuban sliders line the channel banks.

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard

Leiocephalus carinatus

50–60% · Likely

Cuban Slider

Trachemys decussata

30–40% · Possible

🐦

Tocororo and Migrant Warblers

MayJunDec

The tocororo calls from the forest edges while American redstarts and other migrants fill the woodland.

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

60–70% · Likely

Cuban Trogon

Priotelus temnurus

40–50% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

20–30

40–50

20–30

Northern Curly-tailed Lizard

30–40

50–60

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

40–50

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

20–30

40–50

40–50

10–20

80–90

20–30

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

40–50

30–40

20–30

20–30

70–80

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

70–80

80–90

70–80

50–60

80–90

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

50–60

80–90

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

American Redstart

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

20–30

20–30

10–20

20–30

40–50

80–90

60–70

80–90

Red-legged Thrush

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

40–50

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

30–40

10–20

20–30

10–20

10–20

40–50

40–50

60–70

70–80

Greater Antillean Grackle

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

20–30

50–60

40–50

West Indian Woodpecker

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

50–60

60–70

30–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

Cuban Blackbird

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

50–60

Tawny-shouldered Blackbird

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

70–80

60–70

60–70

30–40

50–60

40–50

Northern Parula

50–60

60–70

40–50

30–40

0–10

20–30

10–20

40–50

50–60

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

50–60

50–60

10–20

20–30

10–20

10–20

30–40

20–30

40–50

50–60

Animal Events

🐸 Tree Frogs and Toads in the Rains

🦎 Lizards and Sliders in the Dry Months

🐦 Tocororo and Migrant Warblers

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🦎 Tocororo and Curly-tailed Lizard Wetland

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

347

🐒 Mammals

65

🦎 Reptiles

51

🐸 Amphibians

16

479 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

36 Threatened 118 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

61%

📊

Coverage (161 species at ≥5% of 479 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

34%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)

47% Global avg

0%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

124

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

6

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

29

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