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The Pai striped whiptail (Aspidoscelis pai) :

From Wikipedia : 

 

The Pai striped whiptail (Aspidoscelis pai) is a lizard species of the genus Aspidoscelis, very similar to the Arizona striped whiptail.

 PAI STRIPED WHIPTAIL  Aspidoscelis pai

 

courtesy to : www.reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-a-pai.html

 

 

DISTRIBUTION: Populations of this Arizona endemic are scattered across the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona. An isolated population exists in the Mazatzal Mountains along the border between Maricopa and Gila counties. It is found at elevations ranging from about 4,500' to 7,600'. 

 

HABITAT: Primarily an inhabitant of Plains and Great Basin Grassland communities but also extends into Great Basin Conifer Woodland, Interior Chaparral, and Petran Montane Conifer Forest in some areas. 

 

BEHAVIOR: This is an active, diurnal, ground-dwelling lizard. It is frequently seen foraging or basking in the mid-morning sun. It hibernates during the cold months of winter and late fall. 

DIET: This lizard actively forages by rooting around in organic matter under bushes, clawing bark, and digging around the bases of logs, rocks, and other surface debris. It feeds on a variety of insects, spiders, centipedes, and small lizards.   

REPRODUCTION: Mates in spring and lays one or two clutches of eggs in spring or summer. Clutch size ranges from 1 to 3 eggs. 

 

By Thomas C. Brennan

 

Brennan, T. C., & A. T. Holycross. 2006. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department. Phoenix, AZ

Brennan, T. C., & A. T. Holycross. 2005. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Maricopa County. Arizona Game and Fish Department. Phoenix, AZ

Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.

DESCRIPTION: A small (up to 85 mm or 3.4" from snout to vent) slim, brown to dark reddish-brown lizard with a long, thin, tail and a slim, pointed snout. The tail is bright blue and there are six light yellow stripes on the body. Some individuals have a very thin or incomplete seventh stripe down the middle of the back. The face, feet, and underside are tinted pale blue distinguishing this lizard from other whiptails in Arizona. It is further distinguished by its lack of spots on the body. The similar Arizona Striped Whiptail usually has seven stripes on the body instead of six. The body scales of the Pai Striped Whiptail are small and granular. The scales on the tail are large, keeled, and rectangular. The belly scales are large, smooth, and rectangular and the scales on top of the head are large, smooth, and plate-like. 

The New Mexico whiptail (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The New Mexico whiptail (Cnemidophorus neomexicanus) is a female-only species of lizard found in the southern United States in New Mexico and Arizona, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua. It is the official state reptile of New Mexico.[1] It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenic. Individuals of the species can be created either through the hybridization of the little striped whiptail (C. inornatus) and the western whiptail (C. tigris), [2], or through the parthenogenic reproduction of an adult New Mexico whiptail.

 

The hybridization of these species prevents healthy males from forming whereas males do exist in both parent species (see Sexual differentiation). Parthenogenesis allows the resulting all-female population to reproduce and thus evolve into a unique species capable of reproduction. This combination of interspecific hybridization and parthenogenesis exists as a reproductive strategy in several species of whiptail lizard within the Cnemidophorus genus to which the New Mexico whiptail belongs.

New Mexico whiptail

Three species of whiptail: little striped whiptail, (C. inornatus), New Mexico whiptail (C. neomexicanus) and western whiptail (C. tigris).

Conservation status :

 

 

 

 


Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Teiidae

Genus:Cnemidophorus

Species:C. neomexicanus

Binomial name :

Cnemidophorus neomexicanus
Lowe & Zweifel, 1952

Synonyms :

Cnemidophorus perplexus
Baird & Girard, 1852
Aspidoscelis neomexicana
Reeder, 2002

Description :

 

The New Mexico whiptail grows from 16.5 to 23 cm (6.5 to 9.1 in) in length, and is typically overall brown or black in color with seven pale yellow stripes from head to tail. Light colored spots often occur between the stripes. They have a white or pale blue underside, with a blue or blue-green colored throat. They are slender bodied, with a long tail.

 

Behavior :

 

Like most other whiptail lizards, the New Mexico whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. They are found in a wide variety of semi-arid habitats, including grassland, rocky areas, shrubland, or mountainside woodlands. Reproduction occurs through parthenogenesis, with up to four unfertilized eggs being laid in mid summer, and hatching approximately eight weeks later.

 

The New Mexico whiptail lizard is a crossbreed of a western whiptail which lives in the desert and the little striped whiptail that favours grasslands. The lizard is a female-only species that reproduces by producing an egg through parthenogenesis.

Despite reproducing asexually, and being an all-female species, the whiptail still engages in mating behavior with other females of its own species, giving rise to the common nickname "lesbian lizards". A common theory is that this behavior stimulates ovulation, as those who do not "mate" do not lay eggs.[3]

For the external links , refrences  click here to read the full wikipedia article 

Video : 

The Amazing Mexican Whiptail Lizard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :

 

The Laredo Striped Whiptail (Cnemidophorus laredoensis) is a species of lizard found in the southern United States, in Texas, and northern Mexico in Coahuila and Tamaulipas. Some sources believe it to be the result of extensive hybridization between the Texas Spotted Whiptail, Cnemidophorus gularis, and the Six-lined Racerunner, Cnemidophorus sexlineatus. It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenic.

-  The Laredo Striped Whiptail (Cnemidophorus laredoensis) :

Laredo Striped Whiptail

Conservation status :

 

 

 


Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification :

Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum:Chordata

Class:Reptilia

Order:Squamata

Family:Teiidae

Genus:Cnemidophorus

Species:C. laredoensis

Binomial name :

Cnemidophorus laredoensis
McKinney, Kay, Anderson, 1973

Synonyms :

Aspidoscelis laredoensis
Reeder, 2002

Description :

 

The Laredo Striped Whiptail grows from 6 to 11 inches in length. It has an overall color of dark green or dark brown, with 7 yellow or white stripes that run from head to tail, and a white underside. They are thin bodied, with a long tail.

 

Behavior :

 

Like other species of whiptail lizard, the Laredo Striped Whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. Its preferred habitat is areas with sandy soils and sparse vegetation. They are often found in cultivated fields and pasture land. The species reproduces through parthenogenesis, the female lays up to four unfertilized eggs in mid summer, which hatch in approximately six weeks.

 

 

For the external links , refrences  click here to read the full wikipedia article 

 

 Aspidoscelis  :  Part One  ..  Part Two   ..  Part Three  ..

 

                             Part Four  ..  Part Five  ..  Part Six ....

 

 Aspidoscelis  :  Part One  ..  Part Two   ..  Part Three  ..

 

                             Part Four  ..  Part Five  ..  Part Six ....

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