Rainbow Ameiva

Rainbow Ameiva

Holcosus undulatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tikal National Park
7 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
191 Verified sightings across all 21 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Rainbow Ameiva

Holcosus undulatus, also known commonly as the barred whiptail, the metallic ameiva, and the rainbow ameiva, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species occurs in Central America from South Mexico to Costa Rica. There are three recognized subspecies.

H. undulatus is brown-coloured, with a series of darker zig-zag bars running down the sides, often with light blue and green markings along the sides and underside. It is similar to the Middle American ameiva (H. festivus).

H. undulatus lives in litter in open habitats. The following three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid. Holcosus undulatus dexter (H.M. Smith & Laufe, 1946) Holcosus undulatus miadis (Barbour & Loveridge, 1929)

Holcosus undulatus undulatus (Wiegmann, 1834) Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Holcosus. Wiegmann AFA (1834). Herpetologia Mexicana, seu descriptio amphibiorum Novae Hispaniae quae itineribus comitis Sack, Ferdinandi Deppe et Chr. Guil. Schiede in Museum Zoologicum Berolinense... Wikipedia →

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
~60%
2 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
3 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
4 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
5 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
7 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
11 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
12 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
13 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
14 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
15 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
16 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
17 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
18 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
19 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
20 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
21 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Rainbow Ameiva in Tikal National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rainbow Ameiva sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Rainbow Ameiva in Tikal National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for Rainbow Ameiva in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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