The gray checkered whiptail (''Aspidoscelis dixoni''), also known commonly as Dixon's whiptail and the gray-checkered whiptail, is a species 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 ...

in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northern Mexico, and to the United States in southern New Mexico and western Texas.

Taxonomy

Some sources consider the gray checkered whiptail to be a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the common checkered whiptail, '' Aspidoscelis tesselatus'', whereas others grant it full species status. It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenetic.

Etymology

The

epithet An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...

, ''dixoni'', is in homage of renowned American herpetologist James R. Dixon, Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Aspidoscelis dixoni'', p. 73).

Description

The gray checkered whiptail grows to between in total length (including tail). 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. It is thin-bodied, with a long tail.

Behavior and diet

Like most whiptail lizards, the gray checkered 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 ...

. It is wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached.

Habitat

The preferred habitat of ''A. dixoni'' is rocky, semi-arid areas with sparse vegetation.

Reproduction

''A. dixoni'' is parthenogenic, females lay unfertilized eggs in the mid-summer, which hatch in approximately six weeks.

References

* Reeder, Tod W; Cole, Charles J.; Dessauer, Herbert C. (2002). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Whiptail Lizards of the Genus ''Cnemidophorus'' (Squamata: Teiidae): A Test of Monophyly, Reevaluation of Karyotypic Evolution, and Review of Hybrid Origins". ''American Museum Novitates'' (3365): 1-64. (''Aspidoscelis dixoni'', new combination, p. 22). * Scudday, James F. (1973). "A New Species of Lizard of the ''Cnemidophorus tesselatus'' Group from Texas". ''Journal of Herpetology'' 7 (4): 363-371. (''Cnemidophorus dixoni'', new species). * Smith, Hobart M.; Brodie, Edmund D. Jr. (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (paperback), (hardcover). (''Cnemidophorus dixoni'', p. 100).

External links

Herps of Texas: ''Cnemidophorus dixoni''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q28525975 Aspidoscelis Fauna of the Southwestern United States Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Gray checkered whiptail Gray checkered whiptail Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN