Cnemidophorus gularis

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iTexas Spotted Whiptail

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Sauria
Family:	Teiidae
Genus:	Cnemidophorus
Species:	C. gularis

Binomial name

Cnemidophorus gularis
Baird & Girard, 1852

Synonyms

Cnemidophorus sackii gularis
Aspidoscelis gularis

The Texas Spotted Whiptail (Cnemidophorus gularis) 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.

1 Description
2 Behavior
3 Subspecies
4 References

[edit] Description

Texas spotted whiptails grow 6.5-11 inches in length. They are typically a tan brown or green-brown in color, with a pattern of seven distinct grey or white stripes that run the length of the body, and stop at the tail, with light colored spots along the sides. Their underside is uniformly white in color. Males often have a red colored throat, blue belly, and black or blue patches on their chest, while females have only a pink colored throat. Their tail is long compared to the body, usually close to three times their body length. It is usually a uniform peach or tan color.

[edit] Behavior

Texas Spotted Whiptails are diurnal and insectivorous. They are highly active and found in a wide variety of habitats, from grassland and semi-arid regions, to canyons and rocky terrain, typically not far from a permanent water source. Breeding occurs in the spring, and a clutch of 1-5 eggs is laid in the early summer.