Description: The western whiptail has a long and slender body, small grainy scales on its back, and larger rectangular scales on its belly. The upper side often has light stripes, and the throat can be pinkish or somewhat orange in adults. The maximum snout-to-vent length (SVL) is about 4 inches, and maximum total length (including tail) is about 12 inches. Hatchlings are orange-yellow with dark brown-black spots or stripes.

Habitat: It is found in hot dry regions, typically with sparse foliage. It can live in woodland, chaparral, riparian areas, or desert. Desert subspecies prefer habitat with vegetation such as sagebrush or shadscale, and rely on burrows to escape the desert heat.

Range: In the US, in southern Arizona in the Tucson area. In Mexico (S Sonora and adjacent islands: Tiburón, San Esteban)

Found in these States: AZ

Diet: The western whiptail mostly eats insects, spiders, scorpions, lepidopterans, crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles. They use their jaws instead of their tongue to capture their prey.

Reproduction: Oviparous. bisexual.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats are known. Subspecies marmoratus is considered to be a distinct species by some authorities; as such, it also is Least Concern.

Taxonomy: