Cnemidophorus septemvittatus
Encyclopedia
The Plateau spotted whiptail (Cnemidophorus septemvittatus) is a species
of lizard
found in the southern United States
in Texas
, and in northern Mexico
in Chihuahua and Coahuila
. It is known to hybridize with the Eastern Spotted Whiptail, Cnemidophorus gularis
, but is considered to be a distinct species due to phenotypic
characteristics.
, sometimes with white spotting between stripes. Their underside is typically white or pale blue, and females often have an orange throat. They have a slender body, with a tail that is nearly three times their body length.
and insectivorous
. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached. It is found primarily in semi-arid canyonlands and rocky desert foothills. Breeding takes place in the spring, with females laying eggs
in the mid summer, which hatch six to eight 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 southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 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 and 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...
. It is known to hybridize with the Eastern Spotted Whiptail, Cnemidophorus gularis
Cnemidophorus gularis
The Texas spotted whiptail is a species of long-tailed lizard native to the southern United States, in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, and northern Mexico in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Veracruz.- Description :Texas spotted whiptails grow inches in length...
, but is considered to be a distinct species due to phenotypic
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
characteristics.
Description
The Plateau spotted whiptail grows from 8 to 12.5 inches. It has an overall dark green, dark brown or black coloration with 6-7 cream colored stripes that run down the body from head to 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...
, sometimes with white spotting between stripes. Their underside is typically white or pale blue, and females often have an orange throat. They have a slender body, with a tail that is nearly three times their body length.
Behavior
Like other species of whiptail lizard, the Plateau spotted 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. It is found primarily in semi-arid canyonlands and rocky desert foothills. Breeding takes place in the spring, with females laying 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...
in the mid summer, which hatch six to eight weeks later.