Gila spotted whiptail

Description:

A medium-sized (up to 99 mm or 3.9" from snout to vent), slim, brown to black lizard with a long, thin tail, and a slim, pointed snout. The body is marked with six light yellow or cream stripes and relatively few light spots. The light spots are visible between and within the stripes. The tail is olive to blue-brown. The underside is plain and pale. Juveniles lack spots. The scales on the body are small and granular. The scales on the tail are large, keeled, and rectangular. The belly scales are large, smooth, and rectangular and the scales on top of the head are large, smooth, and plate-like.

Habitat:

This species is endemic to the southwest of the United States. Its range includes central and southeastern Arizona (from Cerbat and Hualapai mountains to the Gila River Basin) and southwestern New Mexico (Stebbins 2003). Elevational range extends from 1,220 to 1,980 m (4,000 to 6,500 feet) (Stebbins 2003). Hulse (1973) reported this species (under the name Cnemidophorus exsanguis) as common at elevations of 1,060 to 1,515 m in east-central Arizona.