Gray checkered whiptail

Gray checkered whiptail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Cnemidophorus
Species: C. dixoni
Binomial name
Cnemidophorus dixoni
Scudday, 1973
Synonyms

Cnemidophorus tesselatus dixoni Scudday, 1973
Aspidoscelis dixoni (Scudday, 1973)

The gray checkered whiptail (Cnemidophorus dixoni) is a species of lizard native to the United States in southern New Mexico and western Texas, and northern Mexico.[2] Some sources consider it a subspecies of the common checkered whiptail, Cnemidophorus tesselatus,[2] whereas others grant it full species status.[1] It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenetic.[2] The epithet dixoni is in homage of renowned herpetologist James R. Dixon, which leads some sources to refer to it as Dixon's whiptail.

Description

The gray checkered whiptail grows to between 20 and 30 centimetres (8 and 12 in) in length. It is typically gray in color, with 10–12 white or yellow stripes that go the length of the body, often with spotting or checkering on the stripes. They are thin bodied, with a long tail.

Behavior

Like most whiptail lizards, the gray checkered whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. Its preferred habitat is rocky, semi-arid areas with sparse vegetation. The species is parthogenic, females lay unfertilized eggs in the mid-summer, which hatch in approximately six weeks.

References

  1. 1 2 Hammerson, G.A. (2007). "64262". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Aspidoscelis dixoni at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 July 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, July 06, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.