Six-lined Racerunner
| Six-lined racerunner | |
|---|---|
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| Male six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata). | |
| Conservation status | |
| Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Sauria |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Genus: | Aspidoscelis |
| Species: | A. sexlineata |
| Binomial name | |
| Aspidoscelis sexlineata (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata) is a species of lizard endemic to the United States.
Geographic range
A. sexlineata is found throughout much of the western portion of the United States, across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico, and south to northern South America.
Description
The six-lined racerunner is typically dark green, brown, or black in color, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail. The underside is usually white in color on females, and a pale blue in males. Males also sometimes have a pale green-colored throat. They are slender-bodied, with a tail nearly twice the body length.
Behavior
Like other species of whiptail lizards, the six-lined racerunner is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, with speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kmh), darting for cover if approached.
Habitat
Due to its extensive range, A. sexlineata is found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, open floodplains, or rocky outcroppings. It prefers lower elevations, with dry loamy soils.
Reproduction
Breeding takes place in the spring and early summer, with up to six eggs being laid in mid-summer and hatching six to eight weeks later. A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first.
Subspecies
There are three recognized subspecies of A. sexlineata:
- Eastern six-lined racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineata sexlineata (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Texas yellow-headed racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineata stephensae Trauth, 1992
- Prairie racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis Lowe, 1966
Conservation status
The six-lined racerunner is listed as a species of concern in the state of Michigan, due to its limited population but otherwise holds no official conservation status.
See also
References
- ↑ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
External links
- Genus Aspidoscelis at The Reptile Database
- Herps of Texas: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
- Animal Diversity Web: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
Data related to Aspidoscelis at Wikispecies
Media related to Aspidoscelis sexlineata at Wikimedia Commons