Digital-Desert : Mojave Desert |
Intro:: Nature:: Map:: Parks:: Points of Interest:: Ghosts & Gold:: Communities:: Roads & Trails:: People & History:: BLOG:: PDF Library:: Weather:: :?:: glossary |
Reptiles - Lizards
Western Whiptail LizardAspidoscelis tigrisFamily: Teiidae Order: Squamata Class: Reptilia DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND SEASONALITY
The western whiptail is widely distributed but uncommon over much of its range in
California, except in desert regions where it is abundant in suitable habitats. The species
is found throughout the state except in the humid northwest, along the humid outer Coast
Ranges, or mountainous regions above 2290 m (7500 ft). Also absent from much of the
northern part of the Central Valley (Montanucci 1968). The western whiptail occurs
in a variety of habitats including valley-foothill hardwood, valley-foothill hardwood-conifer,
valley-foothill riparian, mixed conifer,
pinyon-juniper,
chamise-redshank chaparral, mixed
chaparral,
desert riparian,
desert scrub,
desert wash,
alkali scrub,
and annual grassland.
Source: CDFW California Wildlife Habitat Relationships. Accessed [N/A] https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CWHR |
The western whiptail is widely distributed but uncommon over much of its range in California, except in desert regions where it is abundant in suitable habitats. Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris tigris) Size: 2.4-4.6 in (6.0-11.7 cm) Distinguishing characters: A species with eight light-colored stripes that are often very indistinct, with crossbars in adults suggesting checkered appearance; dark markings on dorsum with yellow, tan or brown background; throat pale with black spots; long tail; enlarged, square scales on venter; dorsal scales fine and granular; tongue is forked and flicked continually. Juveniles: Similar to adults, with distal portion of tail bright blue-green; in Orange and Riverside Counties they are striped. Dimorphism: Enlarged femoral pores in males. Similar species: Cnemidophorus hyperythrus: Striping more distinct; does not appear checkered or spotted; legs and tail cobalt blue in juveniles. Additional notes: A distinctive species with a jerking gait, rarely sits still. Adults are surprisingly strong when handled and have very sharp claws. -- Whiptails belong to a large family of New World lizards, distributed throughout the West Indies and South America. Only fourteen species of the genus Cnemidophorus reach into the United States, so we are very much at the edge of their range. They eat insects, spiders and other small animals. Some whiptails are very unusual in that their population consist entirely of females. The females lay viable but unfertilized eggs, that develop into genetically identical females. Reproduction notes: In some of the Cnemidophorus species, males are not required for the females to reproduce. This is called parthenogenesis. This is very rare in vertebrates. The species capable of doing this are a hybrid of a mating between a female of one species and a male of another. This will occasionally produce a parthenogen, a female that is able to produce viable eggs that are genetically identical to her own cells. The offspring from these eggs are also parthenogens that can produce genetically identical eggs, resulting in an asexual, clonal population.
|
Intro:: Nature:: Map:: Parks:: Points of Interest:: Ghosts & Gold:: Communities:: Roads & Trails:: People & History:: BLOG:: PDF Library:: Weather:: :?:: glossary |
Country Life Realty Wrightwood, Ca. |
Mountain Hardware Wrightwood, Ca. |
Canyon Cartography |
DesertLink Links to Desert Museums |
Grizzly Cafe Family Dining |
Abraxas Engineering privacy |
These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. Copyright ©Walter Feller. 1995-2023 - All rights reserved. |