Guadalupe Mountains National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🦎 Roundtail Horned Lizard Canyon TrailsGuadalupe Mountains National Park is a rugged desert mountain reserve in West Texas, rising sharply above vast arid plains. Visitors hike along steep rocky canyons and through high-elevation pine forests across the ancient limestone reef.
31.927° N 104.887° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
★ 
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
Crotalus ornatus
★ 
Texas Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma cornutum
★ Roundtail Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma modestum
📊 Most Spotted
Greater Earless Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus
Southwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus cowlesi
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
📊 Most Spotted
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Aoudad
Ammotragus lervia
Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
Rock Squirrel
Otospermophilus variegatus
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Mountain Lion
Puma concolor
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Desert Spotted Skunk
Spilogale leucoparia
Ringtail
Bassariscus astutus
Coyote
Canis latrans
Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
📊 Most Spotted
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Canyon Towhee
Melozone fusca
Rock Wren
Salpinctes obsoletus
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Aimophila ruficeps
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Dryobates scalaris
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
★ Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
Crotalus ornatus
★ Texas Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma cornutum
★ Roundtail Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma modestum
📊 Most Spotted
Greater Earless Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus
Southwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus cowlesi
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Crevice Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus poinsettii
Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail
Aspidoscelis exsanguis
Diploid Checkered Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tesselatus
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Eastern Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris
Greater Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi
Rock Rattlesnake
Crotalus lepidus
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Ringneck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Recent sightings in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Monsoon Lizard Activity
Afternoon thunderstorms trigger a surge in reptile activity, especially whiptails and rattlesnakes hunting for prey in the moistened soil.
2Horned Lizard Breeding Season
Male Texas and Roundtail Horned Lizards engage in territorial combat and mate-searching in open desert flats and rocky foothills.
3Fall Wildlife Water Gathering
As temperatures drop, mule deer, aoudads, and black bears congregate at seasonal water sources in canyon bottoms and springs.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Monsoon Lizard Activity
- 2Horned Lizard Breeding Season
- 3Fall Wildlife Water Gathering
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
The most likely sightings are Greater Earless Lizard (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Southwestern Fence Lizard (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Spotted Towhee (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Chipping Sparrow (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), House Finch (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 598 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park for wildlife?
September has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Texas Horned Lizard in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Texas Horned Lizard sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Roundtail Horned Lizard in Guadalupe Mountains National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Roundtail Horned Lizard sighting in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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