Pokemon Go players are using government geological survey maps to hunt new Pokemons

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Players of Pokémon Go have solved the puzzle of where Silicobra appears, and the solution surprisingly came from data collected by a U.S. government land survey.

I was so excited when Silicobra showed up in Pokémon Go, but it’s been super frustrating! It’s one of those Pokémon that only spawns in desert areas, which means if you don’t live near a desert, like many of us, finding one seemed impossible. Niantic said it lives in ‘desert’ habitats, and honestly, a lot of players in cities like mine were worried we were just going to miss out. Luckily, the Pokémon Go community has figured out how to deal with this kind of situation before, so hopefully we can all get a chance to catch one!

Pokemon Go players used USGS government data to find Silicobra spawns

Players on The Silph Road, a subreddit dedicated to the game, have been investigating where Silicobra appears. They compared reported sightings with a public map from the U.S. Geological Survey that categorizes land types. Their main finding is that Silicobra seems to spawn in areas the map identifies as barren or sparsely vegetated land, and dry climates might also be a factor.

Gamers in Christchurch, New Zealand, first created the accurate data by recording precise locations in the game. Researchers compared this information to a USGS map and found it matched well enough to be published as a study.

Players throughout Europe helped verify the idea by testing it in the game. For example, a player in Copenhagen didn’t find any Silicobra and confirmed there were no areas in the city that matched the creature’s habitat. Meanwhile, a player in Malmo, Sweden, discovered Silicobra only spawned in one specific location near Hyllie Station, which perfectly matched a small, sparsely vegetated area shown on a USGS map.

The news is somewhat encouraging for Pokémon GO players who don’t live near actual deserts. According to classifications from the U.S. Geological Survey, areas with desert-like soil conditions can be found in surprising places, even within cities. This means Silicobra Pokémon have been discovered in locations like Stave Hill Park in London.

Someone managed to catch eleven Pokémon in just twenty minutes during their lunch break! To find out if there are any Pokémon spawning areas near you, you’ll need to check some data. Fortunately, the Silph Road online community has a guide to help you with that.

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2026-04-15 21:49