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.
Some sources consider the gray checkered whiptail to be a subspecies of the common checkered whiptail, Aspidoscelis tesselatus, whereas others grant it full species status. It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenetic.
The epithet, dixoni, is in homage of renowned American herpetologist James R. Dixon,[1]
The gray checkered whiptail grows to between 8and 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.
Like most whiptail lizards, the gray checkered whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. It is wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached.
The preferred habitat of A. dixoni is rocky, semi-arid areas with sparse vegetation.
A. dixoni is parthenogenic, females lay unfertilized eggs in the mid-summer, which hatch in approximately six weeks.