Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Sonoran Spotted Whiptail

Aspidoscelis sonorae

(Lowe and Wright, 1964)

Sonoran Spotted Whiptail

G5Secure Found in 29 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1103172
Element CodeARACJ02400
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyTeiidae
GenusAspidoscelis
Synonyms
Aspidoscelis flagellicauda(Lowe and Wright, 1964)Aspidoscelis flagellicaudus(Lowe and Wright, 1964)Cnemidophorus sonoraeLowe and Wright, 1964
Other Common Names
Sonoran Spotted Whiptail (unisexual) (EN)
Concept Reference
Taylor, H.L., C.J. Cole and C.R. Townsend 2018. Relegation of Aspidoscelis flagellicaudus to the synonymy of the parthenogenetic Teiid lizard A. sonorae based on morphological evidence and a review of the relevant genetic data. Herpetological Review 49(4): 636-653.
Taxonomic Comments
Taylor et al. (2018) revised Aspidoscelis sonorae and relegated A. flagellicaudus to the synonymy of A. sonorae.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-08-30
Change Date1996-10-29
Edition Date2005-08-30
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs from northern Sonora, Mexico, northward to southwestern New Mexico and northwestward across much of central Arizona to Mohave County (Taylor et al. 2018).
Occurrences Comments
Degenhardt et al. (1996) mapped 16 collection sites in New Mexico. A larger number of localities exist in Arizona and Sonora.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats have been identified.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This lizard occurs primarily in upland habitats of oak-woodland and oak-grassland; also riparian woodland, desert-scrub of paloverde and saguaro, and thornscrub (Stebbins 2003). Eggs are laid probably in a nest dug in soil or underground.

Ecology

Other syntopic whiptails include C. EXSANGUIS, C. FLAGELLICAUDUS, and C. UNIPARENS.

Reproduction

An all-female, parthenogenetic species. In southeastern Arizona, smallest mature individual was 61 mm SVL; eggs laid mid-May to mid-July; average clutch size 3.7; 2-3 clutches/year; in one year, the first hatchling appeared above ground in late July (Routman and Hulse 1984).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS5Yes
New MexicoS3Yes
Roadless Areas (29)
Arizona (23)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
Hell HoleApache-Sitgreaves National Forests15,512
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Santa TeresaCoronado National Forest8,929
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
SunsetApache-Sitgreaves National Forests28,948
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Upper Romero WsrCoronado National Forest150
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
New Mexico (5)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Eagle PeakGila National Forest34,016
Lower San FranciscoGila National Forest26,460
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
References (15)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  3. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  6. Dessauer, H. C., and C. J. Cole. 1989. Diversity between and within nominal forms of unisexual teiid lizards. Pages 49-71 in R. M. Dawley and J. P. Bogart, editors. Evolution and ecology of unisexual vertebrates. Bull. 466, New York State Mus., Albany.
  7. Frost, D. R., and J. W. Wright. 1988. The taxonomy of uniparental species, with special reference to parthenogenetic <i>Cnemidophorus </i>(Squamata: Teiidae). Syst. Zool. 37:200-209.
  8. Maslin, T. P., and D. M. Secoy. 1986. A checklist of the lizard genus <i>Cnemidophorus</i> (Teiidae). Univ. Colorado Mus., Contrib. in Zoology No. 1. 60 pp.
  9. Reeder, T. W., C. J. Cole, and H. C. Dessauer. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships of whiptail lizards of the genus <i>Cnemidophorus </i>(Squamata: Teiidae): a test of monophyly, reevaluation of karyotypic evolution, and review of hybrid origins. American Museum Novitates (3365):1-61.
  10. Routman, E. J., and A. C. Hulse. 1984. Ecology and reproduction of a parthenogenetic lizard, <i>Cnemidophorus sonorae</i>. J. Herpetol. 18:381-386.
  11. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  12. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  13. Taylor, H.L., C.J. Cole and C.R. Townsend 2018. Relegation of Aspidoscelis flagellicaudus to the synonymy of the parthenogenetic Teiid lizard A. sonorae based on morphological evidence and a review of the relevant genetic data. Herpetological Review 49(4): 636-653.
  14. Uetz, P., P. Freed, R. Aguilar, F. Reyes, and J. Hošek (eds.). 2023. The Reptile Database. Online. Available: http://www.reptile-database.org
  15. Wright, J. W., and L. J. Vitt. 1993. Biology of whiptail lizards (genus <i>Cnemidophorus</i>). Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, Oklahoma.