Giant Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis burti stictogrammus
-
- A. b. stictogrammus – Pima Co, AZ – photo by Gary Nafis
-
- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Aspidoscelis b. stictogrammus occurs in southeastern Arizona and in extreme southwest New Mexico.
LEGAL STATUS: Aspidoscelis b. stictogrammus is protected in New Mexico as a Threatened Species.
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Aspidoscelis burti stictogrammus (Burger – 1950)
Genus: Aspidoscelis, Greek – aspido = shield + scelis (skelos) = leg – pos. ref. large shield-like scales on legs
Species: burti, honors Charles E. Burt
Subspecies: stictogrammus, Greek – stiktos = dotted, dappled + gramme = mark, letter, writing — “ref. typical dorsal pattern of alternating longitudinal rows of light spots and light stripes.”
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006
Ref. E. Jaeger 1962