Cnemidophorus inornatus
Encyclopedia
The Little Striped Whiptail (Cnemidophorus inornatus) is a species
of lizard
found in the United States
, in Arizona
, New Mexico
and Texas
, and in northern Mexico
in Chihuahua, Coahuila
, Durango
, Zacatecas
, San Luis Potosí
, and Nuevo León
. The species had a significant amount of research done on it during the mid 1990s, with several new subspecies
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 that it is the smallest of those species.
approximately three times the body length. The blue coloration is much more pronounced on males than females.
and insectivorous
. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. They are found in a range of habitats
, from grassland
s to semi-aridm 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.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
found in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in Chihuahua, Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Zacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, and Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. The species had a significant amount of research done on it during the mid 1990s, with several new subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
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 that it is the smallest of those species.
Description
The Little Striped Whiptail grows from 6.5 to 9.5 inches 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 tailTail
The tail is the section at the rear end of an animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammals, reptiles, and birds...
approximately three times the body length. The blue coloration is much more pronounced on males than females.
Behavior
Like most species of whiptail lizard, the Little Striped Whiptail is diurnalDiurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
and insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. They are found in a range of habitats
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
, from grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s to semi-aridm rocky slopes. Breeding takes place in the late spring, and clutches of 2 to 4 eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
are laid from May to July and hatch approximately six weeks later.
Subspecies
There are eight recognized subspecies of Cnemidophorus inorantus:- Cnemidophorus inornatus chihuahuae (Wright & Lowe, 1993)
- Cnemidophorus inornatus cienegae (Wright & Lowe, 1993)
- Cnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammusCnemidophorus inornatus heptagrammusThe Trans-Pecos Striped Whiptail is a subspecies of the Little Striped Whiptail lizard. It is found in the semi-arid, sandy habitats of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the United States from western Texas across southern New Mexico to Arizona, as well as northern Mexico...
(Axtell, 1961) - Trans-Pecos Striped Whiptail - Cnemidophorus inornatus juniperus (Wright & Lowe, 1993) - Woodland Striped Whiptail
- Cnemidophorus inornatus llanuras (Wright & Lowe, 1993)
- Cnemidophorus inornatus inornatus (BairdSpencer Fullerton BairdSpencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
, 1859) - Cnemidophorus inornatus octolineatus (BairdSpencer Fullerton BairdSpencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
, 1858) - Cnemidophorus inornatus paululus (WilliamsKenneth L. WilliamsKenneth Lee Williams is a herpetologist and author of books on the subject of snake biology and classification. Williams retired from teaching in the Biology department of Northwestern State University and received emeritus status in 2001...
, 1968)