Table of Contents
What does it mean that the whiptail lizards are Parthenogenic?
Mexico Whiptail Lizard. The lizards are all female and parthenogenetic, meaning their eggs develop into embryos without fertilization. But before the eggs form, Baumann’s team discovered, the females’ cells gain twice the usual number of chromosomes during meiosis.
What is so unusual about New Mexican whiptail lizards?
It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenetic. Individuals of the species can be created either through the hybridization of the little striped whiptail (A. Parthenogenesis allows the resulting all-female population to reproduce and thus evolve into a unique species capable of reproduction.
How big do whiptail lizards get?
Whiptails are long, slender lizards with pointed snouts and extremely long tails. Snout-vent lengths range from 2¾ inches (69 mm) to 5¼ inches (137 mm) among the various species of whiptails. Giant spotted whiptails (C. burti), with tails longer than their bodies, can have a total length of over a foot.
What is unique about the whiptail lizard?
Desert grassland whiptails are very long and slim, with a thin tail that is longer than their body length. Their distinct identifying feature are the six yellowish lines that run the length of their body.
How big is the tail of a whiptail lizard?
Distinguishing Features. Whiptails are long, slender lizards with pointed snouts and extremely long tails. Snout-vent lengths range from 2¾ inches (69 mm) to 5¼ inches (137 mm) among the various species of whiptails.
What kind of predator is a desert whiptail lizard?
The desert grassland whiptail lizard (Aspidoscelis uniparens) is an all-female species of reptiles in North America. It was formerly placed in the genus Cnemidophorus. A common predator of the whiptail lizard is the leopard lizard, that prey on A. uniparens by using ambush and stalk haunting tactics. These reptiles reproduce by parthenogenesis.
When do giant spotted whiptail lizards come to Sabino Canyon?
At Sabino Canyon it occurs with the Tiger Whiptail and the Giant Spotted Whiptail (Lazaroff et al. 2006). This is an active, diurnal lizard, often seen poking and scratching in leaf litter for insects. It is mostly active from April into September.
When does a whiptail lizard produce its eggs?
Lizards become reproductively active in late May to early June, and 2-3 clutches of 1-7 (mean = 3 or 4) eggs are produced during June and the first half of July (Congdon et al. 1978, Routman and Hulse 1984) and possibly as late as late August (Echternacht 1967).