# Colorado Checkered Whiptail (*Aspidoscelis neotesselatus*) The Colorado Checkered Whiptail is a lively lizard with beautiful patterns on its skin. It loves to run fast and can often be seen basking in the sun on warm rocks. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Desert ![Colorado Checkered Whiptail](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Colorado_checkered_whiptail.png&width=800) Photo: Koopasteve, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colorado_checkered_whiptail.png) ## Appearance The Colorado Checkered Whiptail is a slender lizard with a long, often blue-grey tail. Its body features a distinctive dark brown or black checkered pattern over a lighter tan or cream background, and it has a pointed snout. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Teiidae - **Genus:** Aspidoscelis ## Interesting facts - Colorado Checkered Whiptails love sunbathing to get warm before hunting. - Each lizard's unique checkered pattern is like a fingerprint! - They are super speedy, darting around so fast they are hard to catch! - This lizard is a natural-born clone, laying eggs without a male! ## Special abilities - **Clone Creator:** Colorado Checkered Whiptail can reproduce without a male because it is an all-female species that uses parthenogenesis. - **Speed Demon:** Colorado Checkered Whiptail can dart away from danger quickly that helps them escape predators and catch fast prey. - **Tail Escape:** Colorado Checkered Whiptail can drop its tail that helps them distract predators and get away safely. - **Sun Powered:** Colorado Checkered Whiptail has a high tolerance for heat that helps them hunt insects in hot desert environments. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-30 cm - **Weight:** 0.005-0.015 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-7 years - **Speed:** 25 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 - **Incubation:** 45-60 days ## Diet & Feeding This speedy lizard mainly eats insects and spiders it finds while actively foraging. - **Primary Foods:** Crickets, Grasshoppers, Beetles, Termites, Spiders, Moth larvae - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — A common raptor that preys on many small reptiles. - **Eaten by:** [Gopher Snake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gopher-snake) (*Pituophis catenifer*) — A terrestrial snake that hunts various small vertebrates. - **Hunts:** [House Cricket](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-cricket) (*Acheta domesticus*) — A common insect often caught by active foraging whiptails. - **Hunts:** [Gray Bird Grasshopper](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gray-bird-grasshopper) (*Schistocerca nitens*) — A large grasshopper species targeted by whiptails. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a lizard, watch it from a distance and don't try to catch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Colorado Checkered Whiptail? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Colorado Checkered Whiptail? 20-30 cm ### How much does Colorado Checkered Whiptail weigh? 0.005-0.015 kg ### How long does Colorado Checkered Whiptail live? 3-7 years ### How fast can Colorado Checkered Whiptail move? 25 km/h ### What does Colorado Checkered Whiptail eat? This speedy lizard mainly eats insects and spiders it finds while actively foraging. ### Where is Colorado Checkered Whiptail usually found? Desert ### How does Colorado Checkered Whiptail hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Pueblo Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pueblo-zoo) — Colorado, US · Zoo - [Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/drumheller-channels-national-natural-landmark) — Washington, US · Nature Reserve ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Colorado Checkered Whiptail: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/colorado-checkered-whiptail)