Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassSquamata
FamilyIguanidae (Iguanas and Chuckwallas)
GenusCtenosaura (Spiny-tailed Iguanas)
SpeciesCtenosaura similis (Black Spiny-tailed Iguana)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

3 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

5,246 Verified sightings across all 42 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is an iguanid lizard native to Mexico and Central America. It has been reported in some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, and has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. The largest species in the genus Ctenosaura, it is commonly found in areas such as grasslands and forests.

C. similis was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1831. The generic name—Ctenosaura—is derived from two Greek words: ctenos (Κτενός), meaning "comb" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and saura (σαύρα), meaning "lizard". The specific name—similis—is a Latin word meaning "similar to", a common description found in Linnaean taxonomy when referring to a new taxon.

The black spiny-tailed iguana is native to southern Mexico and Central America, ranging from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec southward to Panama, occurring at sea level to ca. 1,320 meters elevation, but it is absent from interior highlands. Its distribution is irregular and discontinuous on the Atlantic versant where it ranges through portions... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Iguana iguana

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~90%
2	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~90%
3	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~90%
4	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
5	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
6	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
7	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
8	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~80%
9	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~80%
10	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
11	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~70%
12	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~60%
13	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
14	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	~50%
15	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
16	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
17	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
18	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
19	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
20	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
21	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
22	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
23	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
24	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
25	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
27	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
28	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
29	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
30	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
31	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	Insufficient data
32	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
33	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
34	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
35	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
36	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
37	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
38	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
39	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
40	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
41	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
42	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

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