Plateau Striped Whiptail

Range

This species of lizard is endemic to the United States of America and has a range that includes southeastern Utah, most of Colorado, northern Arizona and the northern regions of New Mexico. They have also been introduced at the Cove Palisades Park in Oregon.

Habitats

They can be found in juniper and oak woodlands, mountain shrubland, Great Basin Desertscrub, Great Basin Conifer Woodland. They can be found in various terrains like riparian corridors, bajadas, flatlands, foothills, and canyons. Females lay eggs in June or July and the hatchlings emerge in August. They feed by foraging in organic matter under bushes and digging soil around the bases of logs and rocks. They are insectivorous and feed on many types of insects and spiders.

Identification

With an average snout-to-vent length of 3.3 inches, the Aspidoscelis velox is a small lizard. It is slim with a long slender tail and a pointed snout. It has a dark brown to black coloration and its body is striped with 6-7 yellow to cream lines. In some cases, where there is a seventh stripe (or mid-dorsal stripe, it appears as thin or disrupted. It possesses a light blue tail and the belly is a plain pale color. The juveniles possess a brighter blue tail. The scales on the body of the lizard are tiny and grainy. While the tail has large, ridged, and rectangular-looking scales. The scales on the belly are large, rectangular and smooth. And the scales on the head are plate-like.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians