- Marbled whiptail
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Marbled Whiptail Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Teiidae Genus: Cnemidophorus Species: C. marmoratus Binomial name Cnemidophorus marmoratus
Baird & Girard, 1852Synonyms Cnemidophorus tigris marmoratus
Burger, 1950
Aspidoscelis tigris marmorata
Reeder, 2002The Marbled Whiptail (Cenmidophorus marmoratus) is a species of lizard found in the United States, in southern New Mexico and Texas, and in northern Mexico, in Coahuila, Chihuahua and Durango.
Contents
Description
The Marbled Whiptail grows from 8 to 12 inches in length. It is overall grey or black in color with 4-8 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. 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 C. marmoratus:
- Cnemidophorus marmoratus marmoratus (Baird & Girard, 1852)
- Cnemidophorus marmoratus reticuloriens (Vance, 1978)
References
Categories:- Teiidae
- Fauna of the Southwestern United States
- Fauna of Northern Mexico
- Reptiles of the United States
- Reptiles of Mexico
- Animals described in 1852
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