Page 33 - Black Range Naturalist, Vol. 2, No. 2

Whiptails by Randy Gray
Deserts and lizards go together. One group of lizards referred to as whiptails (sometimes race runners) are often the most noticeable lizards out and about while on a walk. They have long slender bodies, pointed snouts and long tails and are most often seen in late mornings and early afternoons moving along with a jerking gait, stopping to scratch the soil or leaf litter in search of insects, and quickly darting away when disturbed. The New Mexica Whiptail is the State Reptile of New Mexico https://youtu.be/auW5C5lzr3c
There are fifteen species of whiptails in New Mexico and six of them are likely to be observed in and around the Black Range. The species in this region are the Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail, Checkered Whiptail, Little Stripped Whiptail, New Mexico Whiptail, Western Whiptail and Desert Grassland Whiptail. To the casual observer all whiptails look the same. You have to take a close look at the different patterns (eg., stripes, spots) and colors to distinguish between these species since their body shapes and sizes are similar.
They eat insects and some occasionally consume vegetation. They are eaten by other species such as Roadrunners and a variety of snakes.
All whiptails are oviparous (lay eggs). However, several species are parthenogenic which means females are able to produce eggs without mating which is referred to as asexual reproduction. Some species can alternatively reproduce through parthenogenesis, even when the species has males. In the Black Range the Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail, Checkered Whiptail, New Mexico Whiptail, and Desert Grassland Whiptail are parthenogenic and there are no known males.
Aspidoscelis exsanguis - Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail North Wicks Canyon, East of Hillsboro - photo by Bob Barnes
Aspidoscelis inornata llanuras - Little Striped Whiptail Warm Springs Wash, east of Hillsboro, NM - photo by Bob Barnes
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