Helmeted Iguana

Corytophanes cristatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassSquamata
FamilyCorytophanidae (Helmeted Lizards)
GenusCorytophanes (Helmeted Basilisks)
SpeciesCorytophanes cristatus (Helmeted Iguana)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tikal National Park

1 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026

888 Verified sightings across all 30 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Helmeted Iguana

The smooth helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), also known as the helmeted iguana, the helmeted basilisk, the elegant helmeted lizard, and several other common names, is a species of Basilisk and a New World lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to southern Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America.

The smooth helmeted iguana is named for the prominent casque, or crest on the back of its head and neck which has the appearance of a helmet. The Corytophanidae family of lizards is thought to have Euramerican and Laurasian ancestral beginnings, and is believed to have moved down to the tropics after the Eocene period cooling, approximately 33–56 million years ago.

C. cristatus can be found ranging from Chiapas in southern Mexico to north-western Colombia. The habitat it primarily occupies in this range is primary and secondary mesic rain-forest. It lives predominantly in trees, but also hunts on the forest floor where it uses leaf litter as a micro-habitat.

The smooth helmeted iguana is a medium-sized lizard with long slim legs and... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Basiliscus vittatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

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	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~60%
2	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~50%
3	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
4	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
5	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
6	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
7	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
8	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~30%
9	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
10	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
11	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
12	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
13	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
14	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
15	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
16	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
17	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
18	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
19	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
20	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
21	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
22	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
23	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
24	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
25	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
26	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
27	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
28	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
29	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
30	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

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