Marbled whiptail facts for kids

The marbled whiptail (Aspidoscelis marmoratus) is a type of speedy lizard. You can find it in the southern parts of the United States, like New Mexico and Texas. It also lives in northern Mexico, in states such as Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Durango.

What Does It Look Like?

The marbled whiptail lizard can grow to be about 8 to 12 inches long. That's roughly the length of a school ruler! Its body is usually grey or black. It has 4 to 8 bright yellow or white stripes running along its back.

Sometimes, you might see dark spots that look like a marble pattern. This is how it got its name. Its belly is white or pale yellow. The area under its throat often has a peachy color. These lizards have slender bodies and very long tails.

How Does It Live?

Like many other whiptail lizards, the marbled whiptail is diurnal. This means it is active during the day. It mainly eats insects. This lizard is quite shy and moves very fast. If you get too close, it will quickly dart away to find cover.

It likes to live in dry, sandy places. These areas usually have only a few plants. You might also find it at the edges of wooded areas.

Life Cycle and Babies

Marbled whiptails usually breed in the spring. The female lizard lays her eggs sometime in May. She can lay up to four eggs at once. The eggs will hatch about six to eight weeks later.

Sometimes, a second group of eggs is laid in the middle of summer. When the baby lizards hatch, they look a lot like the adults. But there's one cool difference: their tails are bright blue!

Different Types of Marbled Whiptails

Scientists recognize two main types, or subspecies, of the marbled whiptail:

• Aspidoscelis marmoratus marmoratus (Baird & Girard, 1852)
• Aspidoscelis marmoratus reticuloriens (Vance, 1978)

• Genus Aspidoscelis at The Reptile Database