You’re out in the Windward Plains, the sun is beating down on your hunter’s back, and you’re probably looking for something massive to hit with a Great Sword. But then Dareel—the researcher who lives for the little things—hits you with a side quest. He wants a tracktail lizard.
It sounds easy. It’s a lizard, right? How hard can it be to find a lizard in a giant desert?
Well, if you’re like most players, you’ve probably spent twenty minutes running in circles around Area 11 or 13, cursing the sand dunes because everything looks the same. These things are tiny. They’re skittish. And honestly, they have a weird habit of looking like nothing at all until they move. But catching one is basically a rite of passage for anyone trying to clear out the early-game research reports in Monster Hunter Wilds.
Where to Find the Tracktail Lizard Without Losing Your Mind
The biggest mistake hunters make is looking in the wrong biomes. You won't find these guys in the lush grassy areas or tucked away in the deep caves. The tracktail lizard is a desert dweller through and through.
You need to head straight for Area 13. Specifically, you’re looking for the Oasis.
If you haven’t set up a pop-up camp in Area 13 yet, do yourself a favor and do it now. It makes the back-and-forth for these endemic life quests so much less of a headache. Once you’re at the Oasis, don’t just stare at the water. The lizards like the transition zones—where the damp sand meets the dry, rolling dunes.
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- The East Side: I’ve almost always found a pair of them sunning themselves on the eastern edge of the Oasis water.
- The Dune Ridge: Sometimes they hang out further north, right on the border between Area 13 and Area 11.
- The Rocks: Look near the rocky outcroppings where the terrain starts to get a bit vertical.
The trick is to look for their silhouette. They have these incredibly long, spiky tails. Fun fact: they actually use those tails like a tripod. When they get curious or spooked, they’ll stand straight up on their hind legs and use the tail to balance, looking exactly like a meerkat made of scales.
How to Actually Catch the Thing
You’ve spotted one. Great. Now comes the part where most people mess up and watch the lizard burrow into the sand, gone forever (or at least until the area resets).
You have to use the Capture Net. You’d think by 2026 we’d have a better way to grab a tiny lizard, but nope, we’re still firing nets.
Equip the net from your fixed items or radial menu. Now, you can just sprint at them and fire, but it’s risky. If you’re not fast, they’ll dive into the sand the second they hear your boots crunching. Instead, crouch. Press A (on Xbox) or X (on PlayStation) to get low.
Pro Tip: If you have the Ghillie Mantle off cooldown, use it. It makes you practically invisible to endemic life. You can walk right up to their face, and they won’t even blink.
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When you aim the net (holding LT or L2), watch the reticle. It’ll turn orange when you’re in range. If it’s white, you’re just going to fire a net into the dirt and look like an idiot while the lizard laughs and disappears. Aim slightly high if they’re on a slope. Fire with RT/R2, and boom—one tracktail lizard for Dareel’s collection.
Why Dareel Cares (And Why You Should Too)
Let’s be real: catching a lizard isn't as cool as taking down a Rey Dau or a Balahara. The rewards for "Dareel's Research Report" aren't going to break the game either. Usually, you’re looking at some Honey and about 50 Guild Points.
But here’s the thing. This quest is a gateway.
Completing the tracktail lizard request is often what triggers the next tier of research quests. If you want to find the really rare stuff—like the Sandstar (that glowing blue beauty that only comes out at night)—you usually have to prove you can handle the basics first. Plus, collecting endemic life is the only way to fill out your Hunter’s Notes and unlock some of the more unique room decorations and emblems.
It’s about the world-building. Capcom put a lot of love into the ecology of the Forbidden Lands. Seeing a tracktail lizard leave those weird, dragging tail prints in the sand makes the desert feel alive, rather than just a big sandbox for you to bleed in.
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Common Issues and Fast Fixes
Sometimes, you go to Area 13 and there is absolutely nothing there. No lizards, no birds, just heat haze. This happens. The game’s RNG for small spawns can be a bit moody.
If the lizards aren't spawning:
- Fast Travel Away: Head back to the Windward Plains Base Camp or a different region entirely.
- Wait for a Weather Shift: Sometimes the "Plenty" or "Inclemency" phases affect spawn rates.
- Check for Footprints: Look for small, linear dragging marks in the sand. If you see the tracks but no lizard, they might have already burrowed.
Also, keep an eye out for other lizards while you're there. You might stumble upon an Ember Rufflizard if you wander too far toward the Oilwell Basin, but those are much brighter and harder to miss. The tracktail is a subtle, dark blue/greyish color that blends in perfectly with the shadows of the dunes.
Your Next Steps in the Windward Plains
Once you've turned that lizard in to Dareel, don't just stop there. You've already got the Capture Net out, so you might as well make the most of the trip.
Check your map for any other "Research Report" icons. Often, once you finish the lizard quest, a researcher named Samin might have something for you involving the Dapperwing butterflies in the Scarlet Forest. If you’re feeling bold, stay in Area 13 until nightfall. That’s when the rare endemic life starts to show up, and you’ll want to have some Screamer Pods ready for the more elusive creatures that react to sound.
Go talk to Dareel, get your honey, and start looking for the next weird creature to shove into a net. It beats getting hit by a lightning-fast wyvern for five minutes, doesn't it?