Black Lava Lizard
Tropidurus melanopleurus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyTropiduridae (Neotropical Ground Lizards)
- GenusTropidurus (Lava Lizards)
- SpeciesTropidurus melanopleurus (Black Lava Lizard)
Tropidurus melanopleurus, the black lava lizard, is a species of lizard from the Andean region of western South America, ranging between the three different countries of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. It was described in 1902 by zoologist George Boulenger. It is fairly small in size, but is known for its different appearance and differing size between the males and females. However, while the patterns of color may be different between the sexes, both males and females have a very distinct physical color array with a patterned mix of green, orange, cream, black and or brown. This species of lizard lives in a generally warm to hot climate all year round and spends most of its day on the side of vertical rock structures in the mountains, feeding on various types of insects, with an emphasis on ants. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Lava Lizard sighting in Madidi National Park, based on 10 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Madidi National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 2 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Lava Lizard in Madidi National Park?
About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Black Lava Lizard sighting in Madidi National Park, based on 10 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Lava Lizard in Madidi National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Black Lava Lizard in Madidi National Park in our monthly data.