Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Western Whiptails are slender, fast-running lizards of arid scrublands, deserts, washes, and open rocky ground in the western United States and northern Mexico. They spend warm daylight hours actively searching for insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, often darting between shrubs and loose cover. When threatened, they rely on speed, camouflage, and rapid retreats into vegetation or burrows rather than brute force. A notable trait is their long tail, which can break off to distract predators while the lizard escapes.
- Type
- Swift
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Western Whiptail Hatchling
- Western Whiptail