Jaragua National Park
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
🦎 Rhinoceros Iguanas on the Dry CoastJaragua National Park lies on the southwest coast of the Dominican Republic, protecting a mosaic of tropical dry forest, mangrove fringes and shallow lagoons. The landscape opens onto sandy bays and limestone cliffs, and it is noted for the endemic rhinoceros iguana that basks on rocky outcrops.
17.628° N 71.572° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Rhinoceros Iguana
Cyclura cornuta
★ 
American Flamingo
Phoenicopterus ruber
★ 
Haitian Solenodon
Solenodon paradoxus
★ Ricord's Ground Iguana
Cyclura ricordi
📊 Most Spotted
Barahona Curlytail Lizard
Leiocephalus barahonensis
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Waterhouse's Leaf-nosed Bat
Macrotus waterhousii
Cuvier's Hutia
Plagiodontia aedium
Mongoose
Herpestes javanicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Barahona Curlytail Lizard
Leiocephalus barahonensis
Hispaniola Ameiva
Pholidoscelis chrysolaemus
Dwarf Teiid
Pholidoscelis lineolatus
Desert Gracile Anole
Anolis brevirostris
Bahoruco Long-snouted Anole
Anolis bahorucoensis
Island Pointed Snake
Uromacer frenatus
Hispaniolan hopping anole
Anolis barbouri
Strahm's Anole
Anolis strahmi
Barahona Anole
Anolis barahonae
Barahona Green Anole
Anolis viridius
Haitian Ameiva
Pholidoscelis taeniurus
Isla Beata Anole
Anolis longitibialis
📊 Most Spotted
Barahona Rock Frog
Eleutherodactylus alcoae
Eastern Cane Toad
Rhinella marina
Hispaniolan Common Treefrog
Osteopilus dominicensis
Abbott's Robber Frog
Eleutherodactylus abbotti
La Selle Red-Legged Frog
Eleutherodactylus furcyensis
Hispaniolan yellow-mottled frog
Eleutherodactylus pictissimus
Spiny Giant Frog
Eleutherodactylus nortoni
Recent sightings in Jaragua National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Flamingo Congregation at Oviedo Lagoon
Large flocks of American Flamingos gather to feed on brine shrimp in the shallow hypersaline Oviedo Lagoon, the Dominican Republic's largest flamingo colony
2Sea Turtle Nesting
Sea turtles nest on the park's protected beaches around Bahía de las Águilas during the season, with rangers monitoring and relocating threatened nests
3Winter Waterbird Congregation
The Ramsar-listed Oviedo Lagoon wetlands concentrate wintering and resident waterbirds, including the threatened Reddish Egret and flocks of White Ibis
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Flamingo Congregation at Oviedo Lagoon
- 2Sea Turtle Nesting
- 3Winter Waterbird Congregation
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Jaragua National Park?
The most likely sightings are Barahona Curlytail Lizard (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Tricolored Heron (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Rhinoceros Iguana (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Snowy Egret (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Royal Tern (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 438 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Jaragua National Park for wildlife?
December 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 Rhinoceros Iguana in Jaragua National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Rhinoceros Iguana sighting in Jaragua National Park, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see American Flamingo in Jaragua National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a American Flamingo sighting in Jaragua National Park, based on 123 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Haitian Solenodon in Jaragua National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Haitian Solenodon sighting in Jaragua National Park, based on 4 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Ricord's Ground Iguana in Jaragua National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ricord's Ground Iguana sighting in Jaragua National Park, based on 2 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
Explore Other Parks
📍 257 km 🦅 Ridgway's Hawks Above the Mangrove Cays Los Haitises National Park
📍 523 km 🐦 Streamertails in the Blue Mountain Mist Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
📍 750 km 🦎 Green Iguana Paradise in Tayrona Tayrona National Natural Park
📍 915 km 🦥 Sloth and Toucanet Cloud Forest