Triploid Checkered Whiptail
Aspidoscelis neotesselatus
A medium-sized lizard with a checkered-like pattern on its back and legs. It has 6 light lines running down the length of its body, with a checkered pattern between the l…
How to identify
A medium-sized lizard with a checkered-like pattern on its back and legs. It has 6 light lines running down the length of its body, with a checkered pattern between the lines and on its legs. It has exceptionally long toes on the hind feet, a long tail with rough scales, and a pointed snout. Ventrum is pale and unmarked. Body length is about 3-4 inches from snout to vent.
Range
Endemic to southeastern Colorado.
Habitat
This ground-dwelling parthenogenetic species consists entirely of females living in a variety of habitats. It likes arid rocky or shrubby hillsides, open savannahs near rivers, or juniper and pinyon woodlands.
Variations
Light coloration is usually a pale tan, but can have a yellow hue. Checkered pattern is sometimes very faint between the light lines on its back, creating more of a black and white striped appearance.
Similar species
Very similar in appearance to the gray-checkered (common) whiptail (*Aspidoscelis tesselatus*) which ranges further southeast in the US, and the western (tiger) whiptail (*Aspidoscelis tigris*) which is found further west. The plateau-striped whiptail (*Aspidoscelis velox*) and six-lined racerunner (*Aspidoscelis sexlineatus*) look similar but lack the checkered pattern.
Name and etymology
Neotesselatus: Latin for new (neo) checkered (tesselatus).
At a glance
Range
Endemic to southeastern Colorado.
Habitat
This ground-dwelling parthenogenetic species consists entirely of females living in a variety of habitats. It likes arid rock…
Guide
Reptiles and Amphibians of North America
Range map
Approximate range. © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap