The Trans-Pecos striped whiptail (''Aspidoscelis inornatus heptagrammus'') is a

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 ...

of the little striped whiptail ('' Aspidoscelis inornatus'')

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 ...

. It is found in the semiarid, sandy

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 ...

of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

from West

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

across southern

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, as well as northern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It is sometimes referred to as the Arizona striped whiptail or seven-striped whiptail.

Description

The Trans-Pecos spotted whiptail is gray or black in color, with six to eight yellow or white stripes which run along the body from head to tail. Unlike other species of whiptail lizards, they have no spotting between their stripes. Their undersides are white or pale blue in color, and often they have light blue on the sides of their heads and tails. They are thin-bodied, and have a tail that is typically almost three times the length of their bodies.

Behavior

Like most species of whiptail lizard, Trans-Pecos spotted whiptails are 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 ...

References

Herps of Texas: ''Cnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammus''
Aspidoscelis Fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert Fauna of the Sonoran Desert Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico {{Teiidae-stub