The little striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis inornatus'') is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

found in the southwestern United States (in

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and

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) and in northern Mexico (in Chihuahua,

Coahuila Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza, is one of the 31 states of Mexico. The largest city and State Capital is the city of Saltillo; the second largest is Torreón and the thi ...

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Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

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, and

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). A significant amount of research was done on the species during the mid-1990s, with several new

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

being added, many of which some sources consider to be distinct enough to warrant full species status, and the research is ongoing. It is called ''little'' to distinguish it from many other species known as striped whiptails and to indicate that it is the smallest of those species.

Description

The little striped whiptail grows from in length. It is typically black in color, with yellow or white striping from head to tail, and a light blue underside. It is slender bodied, with a blue colored

tail The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolution, evolved to los ...

approximately three times the body length. The blue coloration is much more pronounced on males than females. They aren't always striped or blue, sometimes they are brown with darker patches to blend in with the sand or dirt.

Behavior

Like most species of whiptail lizard, the little striped whiptail is diurnal and

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant which eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores we ...

. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. They are found in a range of

habitats In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

, from

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s to semi-arid rocky slopes. Breeding takes place in the late spring, and clutches of 2 to 4 eggs are laid from May to July and hatch approximately six weeks later. The whiptail species eat crickets and other insects that live in Arizona. They are very fast in speed and quick to dive under a cactus if necessary.

Subspecies

There are eight recognized subspecies of ''Cnemidophorus inornatus'': *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus chihuahuae'' (

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England and Scotland. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a ...

& Lowe, 1993) *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus cienegae'' (

& Lowe, 1993) *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus heptagrammus'' ( Axtell, 1961) - Trans-Pecos striped whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus juniperus'' (

& Lowe, 1993) - woodland striped whiptail *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus llanuras'' (

& Lowe, 1993) *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus inornatus'' ( Baird, 1859) *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus octolineatus'' ( Baird, 1858) *'' Aspidoscelis inornatus paululus'' ( Williams, 1968)

References

;Notes *
Herps of Texas: ''Cnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammus''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2709319 Aspidoscelis Fauna of the Southwestern United States Fauna of Northeastern Mexico Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 1859 Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird