Reptiles
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris · also called western whiptails, tiger whiptail
A western whiptail darts across a stretch of open desert in short, quick bursts, its bold spotted pattern and long, thin tail marking it as one of the most commonly encountered lizards across the entire American Southwest.
Overview
The western whiptail, Aspidoscelis tigris, is a fast, active lizard native to a wide variety of desert habitat types across a broad range of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its status as one of the most widespread whiptail species in the region, bold tiger-like pattern, and near-constant restless foraging style make it one of the more familiar fast-moving lizards of the desert Southwest.
A lizard found almost everywhere in the desert
Few whiptail species occupy as broad a range of desert habitat types as the western whiptail, a flexibility reflected in the considerable variation in colour and pattern found across its many recognised subspecies.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and abundant across suitable desert habitat throughout the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Western Whiptail: common questions
Why is the western whiptail also called the tiger whiptail?
This species displays a variable pattern of dark spots or bars against a lighter background, a bold, contrasting appearance across much of its range that inspired its alternate common name, tiger whiptail, even though the exact pattern varies considerably from one part of its broad range to another.
Why does the western whiptail show so much variation in appearance?
This species occupies one of the broadest ranges of any whiptail lizard in the American Southwest, and across that range numerous recognised subspecies have developed somewhat different colour and pattern variations, reflecting adaptation to the diverse desert habitat types the species occupies from California to Texas and into Mexico.
How does the western whiptail find its food?
This species forages by actively digging and probing through soil and leaf litter with its snout and forelimbs, moving in short, quick bursts rather than pausing for long, a restless and near-constant foraging style typical of whiptail lizards generally.
How common is the western whiptail?
This species is one of the most widespread and commonly encountered whiptail lizards across the American Southwest, found across a wide variety of desert habitat types throughout its very broad range in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.