Common Spotted Whiptail
Aspidoscelis gularis
To escape predators at maximum speed, this lizard can lift its front legs and sprint purely on its hind legs.
- Scientific name
- Aspidoscelis gularis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Reptilia › Squamata › Teiidae › Aspidoscelis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Semi-arid grasslands, shrublands, rocky canyons, and open oak-juniper woodlands.
- Diet
- Insects and terrestrial invertebrates, including termites, beetles, grasshoppers, and spiders.
- Range
- United States (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma), Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí)
- Size
- 6.5 to 11 inches (16.5 to 28 cm) in total length, with the tail making up more than half its length.
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation due to urbanization, pesticide use reducing insect prey, and predation by domestic cats.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This lizard is extremely fast and will flee if approached. Observe from a safe distance of 3 to 5 feet. Avoid attempting to catch it, as it may drop its tail (autotomy) to escape, which drains its energy reserves. If handled and bitten, the bite is minor; simply wash the area with soap and water.
The Texas spotted whiptail ( Cnemidophorus gularis or Aspidocelis 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.
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/0941328e-aaca-4a23-9f49-f46bd79b7c2b.md