The Chihuahuan spotted whiptail (''Aspidoscelis exsanguis'')
''Aspidoscelis exsanguis''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a 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 ...
of lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...
native to the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in southern Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, southern New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
and southwestern Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and northern Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
in northern Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to:
Places
*Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state
**Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state
**Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state
**Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state
**Chihuahua Mun ...
and northern Sonora
Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...
.[''Aspidoscelis exsanguis''.]
Reptile Database.
The species is believed to be the result of extensive hybridization
Hybridization (or hybridisation) may refer to:
*Hybridization (biology), the process of combining different varieties of organisms to create a hybrid
*Orbital hybridization, in chemistry, the mixing of atomic orbitals into new hybrid orbitals
*Nu ...
between the little striped 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, ...
'', the plateau spotted 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, ' ...
'', and the western Mexico 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 ...
''. It is one of many lizard species known to be 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 ...
.[
]
Description
The Chihuahuan spotted whiptail grows from 9.5 to 12 inches in length. It is typically a reddish-brown in color, with six lighter colored stripes that run the length of the body, with spotting between the stripes. The underside is white or sometimes pale blue. It is slender-bodied with a tail nearly three times its body length.
Biology
Like most whiptailed lizards, the Chihuahua spotted whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
.
This species can be found in many kinds of mostly arid habitat, including desert, desert grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...
, dry basin forests, and oak, pine, and juniper woodland, where it lives in washes and canyons. It digs holes to lay eggs.[Hammerson, G.A., Frost, D.R. & Santos-Barrera, G. 2007]
''Aspidoscelis exsanguis''.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 01 March 2016.
Conservation
This is not considered to be a threatened species.[
]
References
External links
*NatureServe. 2015
''Aspidoscelis exsanguis''.
NatureServe Explorer Version 7.1.
{{Authority control
Aspidoscelis
Reptiles of the United States
Reptiles of Mexico
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Fauna of the Sonoran Desert
Fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert
Reptiles described in 1956
Taxa named by Charles Herbert Lowe