Aspidoscelis Explained

Aspidoscelis is a genus of whiptail lizards in the family Teiidae.

Taxonomy

The nomenclature for the genus Aspidoscelis was published by T.W. Reeder et al. in 2002. Many species that were formerly included in the genus Cnemidophorus are now considered Aspidoscelis based upon divergent characters between the two groups.

Etymology

The name Aspidoscelis literally means "shield-leg", from the Ancient Greek ("shield") and ("leg").^[1]

Species

The following species are recognized as being valid.^[2]

• Aspidoscelis angusticeps – Yucatán whiptail
• Aspidoscelis arizonae – Arizona striped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis burti – canyon spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis calidipes – Tepalcatepec Valley whiptail
• Aspidoscelis carmenensis – Carmen Island whiptail
• Aspidoscelis ceralbensis – Cerralvo Island whiptail
• Aspidoscelis communis – Colima giant whiptail
• Aspidoscelis costatus – western Mexico whiptail lizard
• Aspidoscelis cozumela – Cozumel racerunner
• Aspidoscelis danheimae – Isla San José whiptail
• Aspidoscelis deppii – blackbelly racerunner
• Aspidoscelis dixoni – gray checkered whiptail
• Aspidoscelis espiritensis – Espiritu Santo whiptail
• Aspidoscelis exsanguis – Chihuahuan spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis franciscensis – San Francisco Island whiptail
• Aspidoscelis gularis – Texas spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis guttatus – Mexican racerunner
• Aspidoscelis hyperythrus – orange-throated whiptail
• Aspidoscelis inornatus – little striped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis labialis – Baja California whiptail
• Aspidoscelis laredoensis – Laredo striped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis lineattissimus – many-lined whiptail
• Aspidoscelis marmoratus – marbled whiptail
• Aspidoscelis martyris – San Pedro Martir whiptail
• Aspidoscelis maslini – Maslin's whiptail
• Aspidoscelis maximus – Cape Region whiptail
• Aspidoscelis mexicanus – Mexican whiptail
• Aspidoscelis motaguae – giant whiptail
• Aspidoscelis neomexicanus – New Mexico whiptail
• Aspidoscelis neotesselatus – Colorado checkered whiptail, triploid checkered whiptail
• Aspidoscelis opatae – Opata whiptail
• Aspidoscelis pai – Pai striped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis parvisocius – Mexican pigmy whiptail
• Aspidoscelis pictus – Isla Monserrate whiptail
• Aspidoscelis preopatae
• Aspidoscelis rodecki – Rodeck's whiptail
• Aspidoscelis sackii – Sack's spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis scalaris – rusty-rumped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis septemvittatus – plateau spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis sexlineatus – six-lined racerunner
• Aspidoscelis sonorae – Sonoran spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis stictogrammus – giant spotted whiptail
• Aspidoscelis tesselatus – common checkered whiptail
• Aspidoscelis tigris – western whiptail
• Aspidoscelis uniparens – desert grassland whiptail lizard
• Aspidoscelis velox – plateau striped whiptail
• Aspidoscelis xanthonotus – red-backed whiptail

Nota bene

A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Aspidoscelis.

Speciation

In 2011, it was announced that a parthenogenetic hybrid Aspidocelis was bred in the laboratory.^[3] This serves as a demonstration of how other hybrid parthenogens in this genus may have arisen.

Further reading

• Fitzinger L (1843). Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. (Aspidoscelis, new genus, p. 20). (in Latin).

External links

• Reeder, Tod W.

Cole, Charles J.; Dessauer, Herbert C. (2002). "Phylogenetic relationships of whiptail lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus (Squamata, Teiidae) : a test of monophyly, reevaluation of karyotypic evolution, and review of hybrid origins". American Museum Novitates (3365): 1-61. http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2854

Notes and References

1. Web site: Aspidoscelis sexlineata. Illinois Natural History Survey. University of Illinois. Etymology: Aspidoscelis - aspido (Greek) shield; -skelos (Greek) meaning leg. 2015-11-14. 2016-05-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20160518095833/http://wwx.inhs.illinois.edu/collections/herps/data/ilspecies/cn_sexline. dead.
2. . www.reptile-database.org.
3. Laboratory synthesis of an independently reproducing vertebrate species. Lutes, Aracely A.. Baumann, Diana P.. Neaves, William B.. Baumann, Peter. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108. 24. 9910–9915. 2011. 10.1073/pnas.1102811108. free. 21543715 . 3116429.