Gray checkered whiptail

The gray checkered whiptail (Aspidoscelis dixoni), also known commonly as Dixon's whiptail and the gray-checkered whiptail, is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is native to northern Mexico, and to the United States in southern New Mexico and western Texas.^[2]

Gray checkered whiptail
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Lacertoidea
Family:	Teiidae
Genus:	Aspidoscelis
Species:	A. dixoni
Binomial name
Aspidoscelis dixoni (Scudday, 1973)
Synonyms[2]
Cnemidophorus dixoni Scudday, 1973 Cnemidophorus tesselatus dixoni — Stebbins, 1985 Cnemidophorus dixoni — Wright, 1993 Aspidoscelis dixoni — Reeder, Cole & Dessauer, 2002 Aspidoscelis dixoni — Weidler, 2019

Taxonomy

Some sources consider the gray checkered whiptail to be a subspecies of the common checkered whiptail, Aspidoscelis tesselatus,^[2] whereas others grant it full species status.^[1] It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenetic.^[2]

Etymology

The epithet, dixoni, is in homage of renowned American herpetologist James R. Dixon,^[3]

Description

The gray checkered whiptail grows to between 20 and 30 centimetres (8 and 12 in) in total length (including tail). It is typically gray in color, with 10–12 white or yellow stripes that go the length of the body, often with spotting or checkering on the stripes. It is thin-bodied, with a long tail.^{[citation needed]}

Behavior and diet

Like most whiptail lizards, the gray checkered whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. It is wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached.^{[citation needed]}

Habitat

The preferred habitat of A. dixoni is rocky, semi-arid areas with sparse vegetation.^{[citation needed]}

Reproduction

A. dixoni is parthenogenic, females lay unfertilized eggs in the mid-summer, which hatch in approximately six weeks.^{[citation needed]}