Six-lined racerunner
| Six-lined racerunner | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Male six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata). | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Teiidae |
| Genus: | Aspidoscelis |
| Species: | A. sexlineatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aspidoscelis sexlineatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus) is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico.
Geographic range[edit]
The six-lined racerunner is found throughout much of the southeastern and south-central portion of the United States, from Maryland to Florida in the east, across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico.[3][4] The species' range also reaches north to Wisconsin and Minnesota. A small disjunct population is found in Tuscola County, Michigan.[5]
Description[edit]
The six-lined racerunner is typically dark green, brown, or black in color, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail. The underside is usually white in color on females, and a pale blue in males. Males also sometimes have a pale green-colored throat. They are slender-bodied, with a tail nearly twice the body length.
Behavior[edit]
Like other species of whiptail lizards, the six-lined racerunner is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, with speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kmh), darting for cover if approached.
Habitat[edit]
Due to its extensive range, A. sexlineata is found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, open floodplains, or rocky outcroppings. It prefers lower elevations, with dry loamy soils.
Reproduction[edit]
Breeding takes place in the spring and early summer, with up to six eggs being laid in mid-summer and hatching six to eight weeks later. A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first.
Subspecies[edit]
There are three recognized subspecies of A. sexlineatus:
- Eastern six-lined racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- Texas yellow-headed racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus stephensae Trauth, 1992
- Prairie racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis Lowe, 1966
Conservation status[edit]
The six-lined racerunner is listed as a species of concern in the state of Michigan, due to its limited population but otherwise holds no official conservation status.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ IUCN (2016). "Aspidoscelis sexlineata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Animal Diversity Web: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
- ^ Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology Program - Species Profile: Six-lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus [Aspidoscelis] sexlineatus)
- ^ Michigan Natural Features Inventory: Aspidoscelis sexlineata
External links[edit]
- Genus Aspidoscelis at The Reptile Database
- Animal Diversity Web: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
- SREL Herpetology: Six-lined Racerunner
- Six-lined Racerunner, Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa
- "Six-lined racerunner" at the Encyclopedia of Life
Data related to Aspidoscelis at Wikispecies
Media related to Aspidoscelis sexlineata at Wikimedia Commons