The marbled whiptail (''Aspidoscelis marmoratus'') 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 ...
found in the
United States, in southern
New Mexico and
Texas, and in northern
Mexico, in
Coahuila
Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico.
Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
,
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
Durango
Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
.
Description
The marbled whiptail grows from 8 to 12 inches in length. It is grey or black overall in color with 4 to 8 yellow or white stripes, often with dark mottling, giving it a
marbled appearance. Their underside is white or pale yellow, with a peach coloration on the throat. They are slender bodied, with long
tails.
Behavior
Like most other species of whiptail lizards, the marbled 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. Its preferred
habitat is semiarid, sandy areas with sparse vegetation, or the open edges of wooded areas. Breeding takes place in the spring, with up to four
eggs laid sometime in the month of May. The eggs hatch in six to eight weeks. A second clutch of eggs is occasionally laid in mid summer. Hatchlings look much like the adults, except they have bright blue colored tails.
Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies of ''A. marmoratus'':
*''
Aspidoscelis marmoratus marmoratus'' (
Baird
Baird may refer to:
Places United States
* Baird, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Baird, Missouri, an unincorporated community
* Baird, Texas, a city
* Baird, Washington, a community
* Baird Mountains, Alaska
* Baird Inlet, Alaska
...
&
Girard, 1852)
*''
Aspidoscelis marmoratus reticuloriens'' (
Vance, 1978)
References
*
Herps of Texas: ''Cnemidophorus marmoratus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2866853
Aspidoscelis
Fauna of the Southwestern United States
Reptiles of the United States
Reptiles of Mexico
Reptiles described in 1852
Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird
Taxa named by Charles Frédéric Girard