Head to head
Gila Spotted Whiptail vs Checkered Whiptail
A Gila spotted whiptail and a checkered whiptail are both fast, active foragers within the same whiptail lizard group of the American Southwest, yet one reproduces the ordinary way while the other has done away with males entirely.
| Gila Spotted Whiptail | Checkered Whiptail | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Aspidoscelis flagellicaudus | Aspidoscelis tesselata |
| Reproduction | Sexual, males and females | Parthenogenetic, all female |
| Origin | Ordinary evolutionary lineage | Descended from a single hybrid founder |
| Pattern | Spots over longitudinal stripes | Checkerboard-like blotches |
| Habitat | Rocky canyons and mountain foothills | Desert and grassland |
| Hunting style | Active, scent-driven foraging | Active foraging across open ground |
| Range | Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico | Texas, New Mexico, Mexico |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Gila Spotted Whiptail vs Checkered Whiptail: common questions
Which of these two whiptails has no males at all?
The checkered whiptail consists entirely of females that reproduce through parthenogenesis, with no males in the species at all, while the Gila spotted whiptail reproduces sexually in the ordinary way, requiring both males and females like most other reptiles.
How did an all-female whiptail species come to exist?
The checkered whiptail traces its entire lineage back to a single ancient hybridisation event between two separate sexually reproducing whiptail species, meaning every individual today is effectively a clone descended from one founding hybrid female, an origin story the sexually reproducing Gila spotted whiptail does not share.
How do these two whiptails find their food?
Both are active foragers, but the Gila spotted whiptail relies particularly heavily on chemical cues detected through constant tongue-flicking to track down hidden insect prey, a scent-driven hunting style shared broadly across whiptail lizards including the checkered whiptail.