Western Banded Gecko

Western Banded Gecko

Coleonyx variegatus

Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Joshua Tree National Park
118 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026
480 Verified sightings across all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

About the Western Banded Gecko

The western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) is a species of lizard in the family Eublepharidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Five subspecies are recognized.

In the United States, C. variegatus is found in Arizona, southern California, southwestern New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. In California, it is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts In Mexico, it is found in northwestern Baja California and Sonora.

Five subspecies of C. variegatus are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Coleonyx variegatus abbotti Klauber, 1945 – San Diego banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus bogerti Klauber, 1945 – Tucson banded gecko

Coleonyx variegatus sonoriensis Klauber, 1945 – Sonoran banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus utahensis Klauber, 1945 – Utah banded gecko Coleonyx variegatus variegatus (Baird, 1858) – desert banded gecko Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Coleonyx.

The western banded gecko is a terrestrial lizard, ranging in total length (including tail) from 4... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
4 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Western Banded Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Banded Gecko sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Western Banded Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Western Banded Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

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