Middle American Ameiva

Middle American Ameiva

Holcosus festivus

Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Corcovado National Park
68 Verified sightings at Corcovado National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,976 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Middle American Ameiva

Holcosus festivus, commonly known as the Central American whiptail, the Middle American ameiva, and the tiger ameiva, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to Central America and northern South America.

H. festivus is found from southern Mexico to Colombia. H. festivus is brown-colored, with darker browns making a zig-zag pattern down the back. A similar species is Holcosus quadrilineatus. Juveniles have metallic-blue tails.

H. festivus lives in open habitats. Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies. H. f. festivus (Lichtenstein, 1856) – northern Colombia and Panama H. f. edwardsii Bocourt, 1873 – Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, and Nicaragua

H. f. occidentalis Taylor, 1956 – Costa Rica Nota bene: A taxon author (binomial authority or trinomial authority) in parentheses indicates that the taxon (species or subspecies) was originally described in a different genus (in this case, a genus other than Holcosus).

The subspecific name, edwardsii, is in honor of French zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Corcovado National Park

Four-lined Ameiva
LC

Four-lined Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus quadrilineatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Delicate Ameiva
LC

Delicate Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus leptophrys

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Rainbow Ameiva
LC

Rainbow Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus undulatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~80%
2 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
3 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~60%
4 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
5 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
6 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
7 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~50%
8 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
9 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~40%
10 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
11 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~40%
12 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
13 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
14 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
15 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
16 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
17 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
19 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
20 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
22 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
23 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
24 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
25 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
26 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
27 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
28 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
29 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Middle American Ameiva in Corcovado National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Middle American Ameiva sighting in Corcovado National Park, based on 68 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Middle American Ameiva in Corcovado National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Middle American Ameiva in Corcovado National Park in our monthly data.

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