Texas spotted whiptail

Texas spotted whiptail
Texas Spotted Whiptail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Cnemidophorus
Species: C. gularis
Binomial name
Cnemidophorus gularis
Baird & Girard, 1852
Synonyms

Cnemidophorus sackii gularis
Aspidoscelis gularis

The Texas spotted whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis) is a species of long-tailed lizard native to the southern United States, in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and northern Mexico in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Veracruz.

Contents

Description

C. gularis near Enchanted Rock State Natural Area

Texas spotted whiptails grow 6.5 to 11 inches (17 to 28 cm) inches in length. They are typically a tan brown or green-brown in color, with a pattern of seven distinct grey or white stripes that run the length of the body, and stop at the tail, with light colored spots along the sides. Their underside is uniformly white in color. Males often have a red colored throat, blue belly, and black or blue patches on their chest, while females have only a pink colored throat. Their tail is long compared to the body, usually close to three times their body length. It is usually a uniform peach or tan color.

Behavior

C. gularis are diurnal and insectivorous. They are highly active and found in a wide variety of habitats, from grassland and semi-arid regions, to canyons and rocky terrain, typically not far from a permanent water source. Breeding occurs in the spring, and a clutch of 1-5 eggs is laid in the early summer.

Subspecies

Some sources list six subspecies of the Texas Spotted Whiptail:

  • Cnemidophorus gularis gularis (Baird & Girard, 1852)
  • Cnemidophorus gularis colossus (Dixon, Lieb & Ketchersid, 1971)
  • Cnemidophorus gularis pallidus (Duellmand & Zweifel, 1962)
  • Cnemidophorus gularis rauni (Walker, 1967)
  • Cnemidophorus gularis semiannulatus (Walker, 1967)
  • Cnemidophorus gularis semifasciatus (Cope, 1892)

References


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