The
western whiptail (
Aspidoscelis tigris (Baird and Girard, 1852) is a small lizard (adults average 25 to 35 cm - about a foot - in length) that ranges throughout most of the
southwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north latitude. A 97.33 longitude degree west could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the...
. Most of its populations appear stable, and is not listed as endangered in any of the states comprising its range. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts and semiarid shrublands, usually in areas with sparse vegetation; also woodland, open dry forest, and riparian growth.
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The
western whiptail (
Aspidoscelis tigris (Baird and Girard, 1852) is a small lizard (adults average 25 to 35 cm - about a foot - in length) that ranges throughout most of the
southwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north latitude. A 97.33 longitude degree west could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the...
. Most of its populations appear stable, and is not listed as endangered in any of the states comprising its range. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts and semiarid shrublands, usually in areas with sparse vegetation; also woodland, open dry forest, and riparian growth. It lives in burrows which it digs in soil which can be firm, sandy, or rocky. Its diet consists mostly of small animals such as insects, spiders, scorpions and small lizards. Key differences between this species and the Checkered Whiptail (
Aspidoscelis tesselataThe Checkered Whiptail is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila...
) are the lack of enlarged scales anterior to the
gular foldA gular fold is a feature of the body of lizards. The gular fold is found on the ventral throat, and looks like a collar....
and the presence of enlarged antebatrachial scales. It was previously known under
Cnemidophorus tigris, until phylogenetic analyses concluded that the genus
Cnemidophorus was polyphyletic. Since it does not migrate, a number of forms have developed in different regions, several of which have been given
sub-specificSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
names - for example the California Whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris munda.
This lizard is noted for same-sex (
hermaphroditidicIn a biological context, a hermaphrodite is an animal or plant that has both male and female reproductive organs.Many taxonomic groups of animals , do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both partners can...
) reproduction.
An excellent, well-documented site for information on this and other American species is http://www.natureserve.org. The specific home page for the species is http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Cnemidophorus+tigris .