''Aspidoscelis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

whiptail lizard Teiidae is a family of autarchoglossan lizards native to the Americas. Members of this family are generally known as whiptails or racerunners; however, tegus also belong to this family. Teiidae is sister to the Gymnopthalmidae, and both families ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Teiidae Teiidae is a family of autarchoglossan lizards native to the Americas. Members of this family are generally known as whiptails or racerunners; however, tegus also belong to this family. Teiidae is sister to the Gymnopthalmidae, and both famili ...

Taxonomy

The

nomenclature Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal naming conventions, conventions of everyday speech to the i ...

for the genus ''Aspidoscelis'' was published by T.W. Reeder et al. in 2002. Many

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

that were formerly included in the genus '' Cnemidophorus'' are now considered ''Aspidoscelis'' based upon divergent characters between the two groups.

Etymology

The name ''Aspidoscelis'' literally means "shield-leg", from the Ancient Greek ' ("shield") and ' ("leg").

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid. *''

Aspidoscelis angusticeps ''Aspidoscelis angusticeps'', the Yucatán whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard found in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Subspecies of Aspidoscelis angusticeps are: * Aspidoscelis angusticeps petenensis (BEARGIE & MCCOY 1964) * Aspidoscelis ...

'' - Yucatán whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis arizonae The Arizona striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis arizonae'') is a species of whiptail lizard endemic to the United States. This is a species of lizards that lives in Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in ...

'' - Arizona striped whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis burti The canyon spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis burti'') is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northwestern Mexico and the adjacent southwestern United States. Etymology The specific name, ''burti'', is in honor of ...

'' - canyon spotted whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis calidipes ''Aspidoscelis calidipes'', the Tepalcatepec Valley whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bo ...

'' - Tepalcatepec Valley whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis carmenensis ''Aspidoscelis carmenensis'', the Carmen Island whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Carmen Island in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North Amer ...

'' - Carmen Island whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis ceralbensis ''Aspidoscelis ceralbensis'', the Cerralvo Island whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Jacques Cousteau Island in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion o ...

'' - Cerralvo Island whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis communis ''Aspidoscelis communis'', also known as the Colima giant whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico. References communis Reptiles described in 1878 Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope Reptiles of Mexico {{Lizard-stub ...

'' - Colima giant whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis costatus ''Aspidoscelis costatus'', also known as the western Mexico whiptail, is a species of whiptail lizard endemic to Mexico, including Guerrero, Morelos, and Puebla in southern Mexico, as well as other Mexican states. Its range spans both temperate ...

'' - Mexico whiptail lizard *''

Aspidoscelis cozumela ''Aspidoscelis cozumela'', the Cozumel racerunner, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to t ...

'' - Cozumel racerunner *''

Aspidoscelis danheimae ''Aspidoscelis danheimae'', also known commonly as the Isla San José whiptail, the San Jose Island blue-throated whiptail, and ''el huico de la Isla San José'' in Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is endemic t ...

'' - Isla San José whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis deppii ''Aspidoscelis deppii'', known commonly as the blackbelly racerunner, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to Central America and southern Mexico. There are three recognized subspecies. Etymology The specific n ...

'' - blackbelly racerunner *''

Aspidoscelis dixoni The gray checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis dixoni''), also known Common name, commonly as Dixon's whiptail and the gray-checkered whiptail, is a species of lizard in the Family (biology), family Teiidae. The species is native to northern Mexico ...

'' - gray checkered whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis espiritensis'' - Espiritu Santo whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis exsanguis'' - Chihuahuan spotted whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis franciscensis'' - San Francisco Island whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis gularis'' - Texas spotted whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis guttatus'' - Mexican racerunner *''

Aspidoscelis hyperythrus The orange-throated whiptail (''Aspidoscelis hyperythrus'') is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species was previously placed in the genus '' Cnemidophorus''. Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotyp ...

'' - orange-throated whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis inornatus The little striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis inornatus'') is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States (in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas) and in northern Mexico (in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, ...

'' - little striped whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis labialis'' - Baja California whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis laredoensis'' - Laredo striped whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis lineattissimus ''Aspidoscelis lineattissimus'', the many-lined whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is border ...

'' - many-lined whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis marmoratus'' - marbled whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis martyris The San Pedro Martir whiptail (''Aspidoscelis martyris'') is a species of teiid lizard endemic to San Pedro Mártir Island in Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of ...

'' - San Pedro Martir whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis maslini'' - Maslin's whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis maximus'' - Cape Region whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis mexicanus The Mexican whiptail (''Aspidoscelis mexicanus'') is a species of Teiidae, teiid lizard endemic to Mexico. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q2866850 Aspidoscelis, mexicanus Reptiles described in 1869 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Reptiles of Mexico ...

'' - Mexican whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis motaguae'' - giant whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis neomexicanus'' - New Mexico whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis neotesselatus'' - Colorado checkered whiptail, triploid checkered whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis opatae ''Aspidoscelis opatae'', the Opata whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the nor ...

'' - Opata whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis pai'' - Pai striped whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis parvisocius ''Aspidoscelis parvisocius'', the Mexican pigmy whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard endemic to Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is border ...

'' - Mexican pigmy whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis pictus'' - Isla Monserrate whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis preopatae'' *'' Aspidoscelis rodecki'' - Rodeck's whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis sackii'' - Sack's spotted whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis scalaris ''Aspidoscelis scalaris'', the rusty-rumped whiptail, is a species of teiid lizard found in Mexico and the United States (Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At ...

'' - rusty-rumped whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis septemvittatus The plateau spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis septemvittatus'') is a species of lizard found in the southern United States in Texas, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. It is known to hybridize with the Eastern Spotted Whiptail, ' ...

'' - plateau spotted whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis sexlineatus'' - six-lined racerunner *'' Aspidoscelis sonorae'' - Sonoran spotted whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis stictogrammus'' - giant spotted whiptail *''

Aspidoscelis tesselatus The checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis tesselata'') is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. Many sources believe that the species ori ...

'' - common checkered whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis tigris'' - western whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis uniparens'' - desert grassland whiptail lizard *'' Aspidoscelis velox'' - plateau striped whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis xanthonotus'' - red-backed whiptail ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Aspidoscelis''.

Speciation

In 2011, it was announced that a

parthenogenetic Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development ...

hybrid ''Aspidocelis'' was bred in the laboratory. This serves as a demonstration of how other hybrid parthenogens in this genus may have arisen.

References

External links