The six-lined racerunner (''Aspidoscelis sexlineatus'') 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 ...

native to the United States and Mexico.

Geographic range

The six-lined racerunner is found throughout much of the southeastern and south-central portion of the United States, from Maryland to Florida in the east, across the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

to southern Texas and northern Mexico.Animal Diversity Web: ''Cnemidophorus sexlineatus''
/ref>
/nowiki> sexlineatus)] In a study conducted on A. sexlineata in Mexico, the majority of the individuals found were inhabiting areas near the seashore that were formed and influenced from maritime climate and hurricanes. The species' range also reaches north to Wisconsin and Minnesota. A small disjunct population is found in Tuscola County, Michigan.Michigan Natural Features Inventory: ''Aspidoscelis sexlineata''
/ref>

Description

The six-lined racerunner is typically dark green, brown, or black in color, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail. The underside is usually white in color on females, and a pale blue in males. Males also sometimes have a pale green-colored throat. They are slender-bodied, with a tail nearly twice the body length.

Behavior

Like other species of whiptail lizards, the six-lined racerunner 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 ...

. The principal foods of A. sexlineata are spiders (Araneae 16.8%), grasshoppers (orthoptera 16.8%), and leaf hoppers (Homoptera 14.1%). They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, with speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kmh), darting for cover if approached. Aggressive behavior is common, as the dominant will chase the subordinate and often follow up with a bite to signify dominance.

Habitat

Due to its extensive range, ''A. sexlineata'' is found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, open floodplains, or rocky outcroppings. Populations have also been found abundantly in areas that experience frequent fires. It prefers lower elevations, with dry

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

y soils. In the lower elevations, the six-lined racerunner can be found in human-made disturbances like under voltage towers or along highways and railroads.

Reproduction

Breeding takes place in the spring and early summer, with up to six eggs being laid in mid-summer and hatching six to eight weeks later. A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first. Males have been seen to perform an act termed "cloacal rubbing" to show arousal during breeding. This act entails the male rubbing its cloaca and pelvic region on the ground while simultaneously moving forward. Males will also perform an act termed "female tending" where the male will repeatedly charge at a female trying to leave its burrow until the female allows for the male to approach and begin the reproductive process.

Prey

They will predate upon spiders, grasshoppers, and large insects ³.

Subspecies

There are three recognized

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 ''A. sexlineatus'': *Eastern six-lined racerunner, ''Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus'' ( Linnaeus, 1766) *Texas yellow-headed racerunner, ''Aspidoscelis sexlineatus stephensae'' Trauth, 1992 *Prairie racerunner, ''

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis ''Aspidoscelis'' is a genus of whiptail lizards in the family Teiidae. Taxonomy The nomenclature for the genus ''Aspidoscelis'' was published by T.W. Reeder et al. in 2002. Many species that were formerly included in the genus ''Cnemidophorus'' ...

'' Lowe, 1966

Conservation status

The six-lined racerunner is listed as a species of concern in the state of Michigan, due to its limited population but otherwise holds no official conservation status.

References

External links

*
Animal Diversity Web: ''Cnemidophorus sexlineatus''Six-lined Racerunner
Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2716254 Aspidoscelis Fauna of Northeastern Mexico Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 1766 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN