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Six-lined racerunner

January 01, 1970

The six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus) is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico.

Six-lined racerunner
Male six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata).
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Teiidae
Genus: Aspidoscelis
Species:
A. sexlineatus
Binomial name
Aspidoscelis sexlineatus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms

Geographic range edit

The six-lined racerunner is found throughout much of the southeastern and south-central portion of the United States, from Maryland to Florida in the east, across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico.[3][4] In a study conducted on A. sexlineata in Mexico, the majority of the individuals found were inhabiting areas near the seashore that were formed and influenced from maritime climate and hurricanes.[5] The species' range also reaches north to Wisconsin and Minnesota. A small disjunct population is found in Tuscola County, Michigan.[6]

Description edit

 
Adult, Indialantic, Florida

The six-lined racerunner is typically dark green, brown, or black in color, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail. Between stripes are dark-colored fields ranging from dark brown to black and pale-colored fields near ventral scales on each side. There is a distinct lemon-yellow coloration on the sides of the head both above and below the lateral stripe. There are also white mental and gular stripes. The posterior gular fold is bordered by enlarged mesoptychial scales. The postantebrachial scales on the forearms are granular-like and only slightly enlarged.[7] The underside is usually white in color on females, but they may have some pale blue as adults. Males have a brightly blue-hued chest and abdominal stripes.[7] Males also sometimes have a pale green-colored throat. They are slender-bodied, with a tail nearly twice the body length. It is hypothesized that its long tail may serve as a counter-balance, allowing it to flee quickly from predators.[8]

Behavior edit

Like other species of whiptail lizards, the six-lined racerunner is diurnal and insectivorous. A. sexlineata is most active between 9:00 am and 11:30 am on clear days between late spring and early summer when the temperature is closest to 90 °F.[9] In a different study, they found six-lined racerunners were most active between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm.[10] They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, with speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kmh), darting for cover if approached. Aggressive behavior is common, as the dominant will chase the subordinate and often follow up with a bite to signify dominance.[11]

Habitat edit

Due to its extensive range, A. sexlineata is found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, open floodplains, or rocky outcroppings. Populations have also been found abundantly in areas that experience frequent fires.[12] It prefers lower elevations, with dry loamy soils as well as open xeric environments.[13] In the lower elevations, the six-lined racerunner can be found in human-made disturbances like under voltage towers or along highways and railroads.[14] They lay their nests around activity burrows along secondary highways and dirt roads where it is well drained. [15]

Reproduction edit

Breeding takes place in the spring and early summer, with up to six eggs being laid in mid-summer and hatching six to eight weeks later. A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first. Males have been seen to perform an act termed "cloacal rubbing" to show arousal during breeding. This act entails the male rubbing its cloaca and pelvic region rapidly on the ground, sometimes in a figure eight, while simultaneously moving forward.[16][9] When he finds a receptive female, the male will straddle her, curve his body over hers, and bite her on the opposite side to where his cloacal region is in order to start copulation.[9] Males will also perform an act termed "female tending" where the male will repeatedly charge at a female trying to leave its burrow until the female allows for the male to approach and begin the reproductive process.[17]

Prey and Predators edit

A. sexlineata are opportunistic insectivores; they target a prey that is currently abundant in their area.[18] The principal foods of A. sexlineata are spiders (Araneae 16.8%), grasshoppers (orthoptera 16.8%), and leaf hoppers (Homoptera 14.1%).[18] A. sexlineata also prey upon beetles and butterflies.[18]

Red-imported fire ants are a predator of the six-lined racerunner.[18]

Subspecies edit

There are three recognized subspecies of A. sexlineatus:

  • Eastern six-lined racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
  • Texas yellow-headed racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus stephensae Trauth, 1992
  • Prairie racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis Lowe, 1966

Conservation status edit

The six-lined racerunner is listed as a species of concern in the state of Michigan, due to its limited population but otherwise holds no official conservation status. In Michigan, the population is found in a single public game reserve, 322 km separated from the closest known other populations in Indiana.[19] This species has been observed to benefit from human development in some locations, with stable populations existing along road cuts and railroad tracks.[20] Playa Bagdad in Mexico has seen a large decrease in six-lined racerunner populations due to recreational vehicle damage to sand dunes.[21]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hammerson, G.A.; Lavin, P.; Mendoza Quijano, F. (2007). "Aspidoscelis sexlineata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T64287A12753706. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64287A12753706.en. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  2. ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ Animal Diversity Web: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
  4. ^ Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology Program - Species Profile: Six-lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus [Aspidoscelis] sexlineatus)
  5. ^ Pérez-Ramos, Edmundo; Nieto-Montes de Oca, Adrián; Vargas-Contreras, Jorge A.; Cordes, James E.; Paulissen, Mark A.; Walker, James M. (September 2010). "Aspidoscelis Sexlineata (Sauria: Teiidae) in Mexico: Distribution, Habitat, Morphology, and Taxonomy". The Southwestern Naturalist. 55 (3): 419–425. doi:10.1894/GC-199.1. JSTOR 40801041. S2CID 86514210.
  6. ^ Michigan Natural Features Inventory: Aspidoscelis sexlineata
  7. ^ a b Pérez-Ramos, Edmundo; de Oca, Adrián Nieto-Montes; Vargas-Contreras, Jorge A.; Cordes, James E.; Paulissen, Mark A.; Walker, James M. (September 2010). "Aspidoscelis sexlineata (Sauria: Teiidae) in Mexico: Distribution, Habitat, Morphology, and Taxonomy". The Southwestern Naturalist. 55 (3): 419–425. doi:10.1894/GC-199.1. ISSN 0038-4909. S2CID 86514210.
  8. ^ Ballinger, R. E., Nietfeldt, J. W., & Krupa, J. J. (1979). An Experimental Analysis of the Role of the Tail in Attaining High Running Speed in Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Reptilia: Squamata: Lacertilia). Herpetologica, 35(2), 114–116. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3891774
  9. ^ a b c Carpenter, Charles C. (1960-01-01). "Aggressive behaviour and social dominance in the six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus)". Animal Behaviour. 8 (1): 61–66. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(60)90010-5. ISSN 0003-3472.
  10. ^ Johnson, E. (2008). A study on the population size and natural history of the Eastern Six‐lined Racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineata, in West Virginia, with notes on other lizard species.
  11. ^ Carpenter, Charles C. (January 1960). "Aggressive behaviour and social dominance in the six-lined racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus)". Animal Behaviour. 8 (1–2): 61–66. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(60)90010-5. ISSN 0003-3472.
  12. ^ Mushinsky, Henry R. (1985). "Fire and the Florida Sandhill Herpetofaunal Community: With Special Attention to Responses of Cnemidophorus sexlineatus". Herpetologica. 41 (3): 333–342. ISSN 0018-0831. JSTOR 3892279.
  13. ^ Steen, David A., et al. “Response of Six-Lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis Sexlineata) to Habitat Restoration in Fire-Suppressed Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) Sandhills.” Restoration Ecology, vol. 21, no. 4, 2013, pp. 457–63, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2012.00939.x.
  14. ^ Trauth, Stanley E. (1983). "Nesting Habitat and Reproductive Characteristics of the Lizard Cnemidophorus sexlineatus (Lacertilia: Teiidae)". The American Midland Naturalist. 109 (2): 289–299. doi:10.2307/2425409. ISSN 0003-0031. JSTOR 2425409.
  15. ^ Trauth, Stanley E. “Nesting Habitat and Reproductive Characteristics of the Lizard Cnemidophorus Sexlineatus (Lacertilia: Teiidae).” The American Midland Naturalist, vol. 109, no. 2, 1983, pp. 289–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2425409. Accessed 6 Mar. 2024.
  16. ^ Carpenter, Charles C. (1962). "Patterns of Behavior in Two Oklahoma Lizards". The American Midland Naturalist. 67 (1): 132–151. doi:10.2307/2422824. ISSN 0003-0031. JSTOR 2422824.
  17. ^ Carpenter, Charles C. (1960). "Reproduction in Oklahoma Sceloporus and Cnemidophorus". Herpetologica. 16 (3): 175–182. ISSN 0018-0831. JSTOR 3890059.
  18. ^ a b c d Taylor, H.L; Paulissen, M.A; Walker, J.M; Cordes, J.E (2011). "Breadth and Overlap of diet between syntopic populations of parthenogenetic Aspidoscelis tesselata C and gonochoristic Aspidoscelis sexlineata (Squamata: Teiidae) in southeastern Colorado". The Southwestern Naturalist. 56 (2): 180–186. doi:10.1894/F06-GC-211.1. S2CID 86594649. Gale A262145143.
  19. ^ Moon, Q. (2023). Determining The Provenance And Conservation Needs Of Extralimital Six-Lined Racerunner (Aspidoscelis Sexlineata Lizards) (Doctoral dissertation).
  20. ^ "Eastern Six-lined Racerunner". Virginia Herpetological Society. 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  21. ^ Pérez-Ramos, Edmundo; de Oca, Adrián Nieto-Montes; Vargas-Contreras, Jorge A.; Cordes, James E.; Paulissen, Mark A.; Walker, James M. (2010). "Aspidoscelis Sexlineata (Sauria: Teiidae) in Mexico: Distribution, Habitat, Morphology, and Taxonomy". The Southwestern Naturalist. 55 (3): 419–425. doi:10.1894/GC-199.1. ISSN 0038-4909. JSTOR 40801041. S2CID 86514210.

External links edit

  • Genus Aspidoscelis at The Reptile Database
  • Animal Diversity Web: Cnemidophorus sexlineatus
  • SREL Herpetology: Six-lined Racerunner
  • Six-lined Racerunner, Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa
  • "Six-lined racerunner" at the Encyclopedia of Life

  Data related to Aspidoscelis at Wikispecies   Media related to Aspidoscelis sexlineata at Wikimedia Commons

January 01, 1970
lined, racerunner, lined, racerunner, aspidoscelis, sexlineatus, species, lizard, native, united, states, mexico, male, lined, racerunner, aspidoscelis, sexlineata, conservation, status, least, concern, iucn, scientific, classification, domain, eukaryota, king. The six lined racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico Six lined racerunner Male six lined racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineata Conservation status Least Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Reptilia Order Squamata Family Teiidae Genus Aspidoscelis Species A sexlineatus Binomial name Aspidoscelis sexlineatus Linnaeus 1766 Synonyms Lacerta sexlineata Linnaeus 1766 Cnemidophorus sexlineatus A M C Dumeril amp Bibron 1839 Aspidoscelis sexlineata Reeder et al 2002 2 Contents 1 Geographic range 2 Description 3 Behavior 4 Habitat 5 Reproduction 6 Prey and Predators 7 Subspecies 8 Conservation status 9 See also 10 References 11 External linksGeographic range editThe six lined racerunner is found throughout much of the southeastern and south central portion of the United States from Maryland to Florida in the east across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico 3 4 In a study conducted on A sexlineata in Mexico the majority of the individuals found were inhabiting areas near the seashore that were formed and influenced from maritime climate and hurricanes 5 The species range also reaches north to Wisconsin and Minnesota A small disjunct population is found in Tuscola County Michigan 6 Description edit nbsp Adult Indialantic Florida The six lined racerunner is typically dark green brown or black in color with six yellow or green yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail Between stripes are dark colored fields ranging from dark brown to black and pale colored fields near ventral scales on each side There is a distinct lemon yellow coloration on the sides of the head both above and below the lateral stripe There are also white mental and gular stripes The posterior gular fold is bordered by enlarged mesoptychial scales The postantebrachial scales on the forearms are granular like and only slightly enlarged 7 The underside is usually white in color on females but they may have some pale blue as adults Males have a brightly blue hued chest and abdominal stripes 7 Males also sometimes have a pale green colored throat They are slender bodied with a tail nearly twice the body length It is hypothesized that its long tail may serve as a counter balance allowing it to flee quickly from predators 8 Behavior editLike other species of whiptail lizards the six lined racerunner is diurnal and insectivorous A sexlineata is most active between 9 00 am and 11 30 am on clear days between late spring and early summer when the temperature is closest to 90 F 9 In a different study they found six lined racerunners were most active between 11 00 am and 3 00 pm 10 They are wary energetic and fast moving with speeds of up to 18 mph 29 kmh darting for cover if approached Aggressive behavior is common as the dominant will chase the subordinate and often follow up with a bite to signify dominance 11 Habitat editDue to its extensive range A sexlineata is found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands woodlands open floodplains or rocky outcroppings Populations have also been found abundantly in areas that experience frequent fires 12 It prefers lower elevations with dry loamy soils as well as open xeric environments 13 In the lower elevations the six lined racerunner can be found in human made disturbances like under voltage towers or along highways and railroads 14 They lay their nests around activity burrows along secondary highways and dirt roads where it is well drained 15 Reproduction editBreeding takes place in the spring and early summer with up to six eggs being laid in mid summer and hatching six to eight weeks later A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first Males have been seen to perform an act termed cloacal rubbing to show arousal during breeding This act entails the male rubbing its cloaca and pelvic region rapidly on the ground sometimes in a figure eight while simultaneously moving forward 16 9 When he finds a receptive female the male will straddle her curve his body over hers and bite her on the opposite side to where his cloacal region is in order to start copulation 9 Males will also perform an act termed female tending where the male will repeatedly charge at a female trying to leave its burrow until the female allows for the male to approach and begin the reproductive process 17 Prey and Predators editA sexlineata are opportunistic insectivores they target a prey that is currently abundant in their area 18 The principal foods of A sexlineata are spiders Araneae 16 8 grasshoppers orthoptera 16 8 and leaf hoppers Homoptera 14 1 18 A sexlineata also prey upon beetles and butterflies 18 Red imported fire ants are a predator of the six lined racerunner 18 Subspecies editThere are three recognized subspecies of A sexlineatus Eastern six lined racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus sexlineatus Linnaeus 1766 Texas yellow headed racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus stephensae Trauth 1992 Prairie racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis Lowe 1966Conservation status editThe six lined racerunner is listed as a species of concern in the state of Michigan due to its limited population but otherwise holds no official conservation status In Michigan the population is found in a single public game reserve 322 km separated from the closest known other populations in Indiana 19 This species has been observed to benefit from human development in some locations with stable populations existing along road cuts and railroad tracks 20 Playa Bagdad in Mexico has seen a large decrease in six lined racerunner populations due to recreational vehicle damage to sand dunes 21 See also editAspidoscelisReferences edit Hammerson G A Lavin P Mendoza Quijano F 2007 Aspidoscelis sexlineata IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007 e T64287A12753706 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2007 RLTS T64287A12753706 en Retrieved 16 May 2023 The Reptile Database www reptile database org Animal Diversity Web Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology Program Species Profile Six lined Racerunner Cnemidophorus Aspidoscelis sexlineatus Perez Ramos Edmundo Nieto Montes de Oca Adrian Vargas Contreras Jorge A Cordes James E Paulissen Mark A Walker James M September 2010 Aspidoscelis Sexlineata Sauria Teiidae in Mexico Distribution Habitat Morphology and Taxonomy The Southwestern Naturalist 55 3 419 425 doi 10 1894 GC 199 1 JSTOR 40801041 S2CID 86514210 Michigan Natural Features Inventory Aspidoscelis sexlineata a b Perez Ramos Edmundo de Oca Adrian Nieto Montes Vargas Contreras Jorge A Cordes James E Paulissen Mark A Walker James M September 2010 Aspidoscelis sexlineata Sauria Teiidae in Mexico Distribution Habitat Morphology and Taxonomy The Southwestern Naturalist 55 3 419 425 doi 10 1894 GC 199 1 ISSN 0038 4909 S2CID 86514210 Ballinger R E Nietfeldt J W amp Krupa J J 1979 An Experimental Analysis of the Role of the Tail in Attaining High Running Speed in Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Reptilia Squamata Lacertilia Herpetologica 35 2 114 116 http www jstor org stable 3891774 a b c Carpenter Charles C 1960 01 01 Aggressive behaviour and social dominance in the six lined racerunner Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Animal Behaviour 8 1 61 66 doi 10 1016 0003 3472 60 90010 5 ISSN 0003 3472 Johnson E 2008 A study on the population size and natural history of the Eastern Six lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineata in West Virginia with notes on other lizard species Carpenter Charles C January 1960 Aggressive behaviour and social dominance in the six lined racerunner Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Animal Behaviour 8 1 2 61 66 doi 10 1016 0003 3472 60 90010 5 ISSN 0003 3472 Mushinsky Henry R 1985 Fire and the Florida Sandhill Herpetofaunal Community With Special Attention to Responses of Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Herpetologica 41 3 333 342 ISSN 0018 0831 JSTOR 3892279 Steen David A et al Response of Six Lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis Sexlineata to Habitat Restoration in Fire Suppressed Longleaf Pine Pinus Palustris Sandhills Restoration Ecology vol 21 no 4 2013 pp 457 63 https doi org 10 1111 j 1526 100X 2012 00939 x Trauth Stanley E 1983 Nesting Habitat and Reproductive Characteristics of the Lizard Cnemidophorus sexlineatus Lacertilia Teiidae The American Midland Naturalist 109 2 289 299 doi 10 2307 2425409 ISSN 0003 0031 JSTOR 2425409 Trauth Stanley E Nesting Habitat and Reproductive Characteristics of the Lizard Cnemidophorus Sexlineatus Lacertilia Teiidae The American Midland Naturalist vol 109 no 2 1983 pp 289 99 JSTOR https doi org 10 2307 2425409 Accessed 6 Mar 2024 Carpenter Charles C 1962 Patterns of Behavior in Two Oklahoma Lizards The American Midland Naturalist 67 1 132 151 doi 10 2307 2422824 ISSN 0003 0031 JSTOR 2422824 Carpenter Charles C 1960 Reproduction in Oklahoma Sceloporus and Cnemidophorus Herpetologica 16 3 175 182 ISSN 0018 0831 JSTOR 3890059 a b c d Taylor H L Paulissen M A Walker J M Cordes J E 2011 Breadth and Overlap of diet between syntopic populations of parthenogenetic Aspidoscelis tesselata C and gonochoristic Aspidoscelis sexlineata Squamata Teiidae in southeastern Colorado The Southwestern Naturalist 56 2 180 186 doi 10 1894 F06 GC 211 1 S2CID 86594649 Gale A262145143 Moon Q 2023 Determining The Provenance And Conservation Needs Of Extralimital Six Lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis Sexlineata Lizards Doctoral dissertation Eastern Six lined Racerunner Virginia Herpetological Society 2023 Retrieved 16 May 2023 Perez Ramos Edmundo de Oca Adrian Nieto Montes Vargas Contreras Jorge A Cordes James E Paulissen Mark A Walker James M 2010 Aspidoscelis Sexlineata Sauria Teiidae in Mexico Distribution Habitat Morphology and Taxonomy The Southwestern Naturalist 55 3 419 425 doi 10 1894 GC 199 1 ISSN 0038 4909 JSTOR 40801041 S2CID 86514210 External links editGenus Aspidoscelis at The Reptile Database Animal Diversity Web Cnemidophorus sexlineatus SREL Herpetology Six lined Racerunner Six lined Racerunner Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa Six lined racerunner at the Encyclopedia of Life nbsp Data related to Aspidoscelis at Wikispecies nbsp Media related to Aspidoscelis sexlineata at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Six lined racerunner amp oldid 1221180376, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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