Western Whiptail
Western WhiptailWestern WhiptailWestern WhiptailWestern Whiptail

Western Whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered Endemic
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Yosemite National Park
48 Verified records at Yosemite National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The western whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris) is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is found throughout most of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Most of its populations appear stable, and it is not listed as endangered in any of the states comprising its range. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts and semiarid shrubland, usually in areas with sparse vegetation; it also may be found in woodland, open dry forest, and riparian growth. It lives in burrows. Major differences between this species and the checkered whiptail (Aspidoscelis tesselatus) include the lack of enlarged scales anterior to the gular fold and the presence of enlarged postantebrachial scales. Wikipedia →

10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Western Whiptail sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 48 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
5–10
Jul
<5
Aug
5–10
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
3 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
4 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
5 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
6 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
7 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
8 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
9 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Western Whiptail in Yosemite National Park?

About 12% of wildlife watchers report a Western Whiptail sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 48 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Western Whiptail in Yosemite National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Western Whiptail in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.

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