Aspidoscelis angusticeps (COPE, 1878)
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Aspidoscelis angusticeps
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| Higher Taxa | Teiidae, Teiinae, Gymnophthalmoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | Aspidoscelis angusticeps petenensis (BEARGIE & MCCOY 1964) Aspidoscelis angusticeps angusticeps (COPE 1877) |
| Common Names | E: Yucatan Whiptail S: Cuiji Yucateco |
| Synonym | Cnemidophorus angusticeps COPE 1878: 95 Cnemidophorus sackii angusticeps — SMITH & TAYLOR 1950: 183 Cnemidophorus angusticeps — STUART 1963 Cnemidophorus angusticeps — PETERS et al. 1970: 92 Cnemidophorus angusticeps — LINER 1994 Cnemidophorus angusticeps — KÖHLER 2000: 100 Aspidoscelis angusticeps — REEDER et al. 2002 Aspidoscelis angusticeps angusticeps (COPE 1877) Cnemidophorus angusticeps COPE 1878: 95 Cnemidophorus angusticeps angusticeps — MASLIN & SECOY 1986 Aspidoscelis angusticeps angusticeps — REEDER et al. 2002 Aspidoscelis angusticeps angusticeps — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008 Aspidoscelis angusticeps petenensis (BEARGIE & MCCOY 1964) Cnemidophorus angusticeps petenensis BEARGIE & MCCOY 1964: 565 Cnemidophorus angusticeps petenensis — KLUGE 1984 Cnemidophorus angusticeps petenensis — MASLIN & SECOY 1986 Aspidoscelis angusticeps petenensis — REEDER et al. 2002 Aspidoscelis angusticeps petenensis — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008 |
| Distribution | Mexico (Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche), Guatemala, Belize angusticeps: N Yucatán petenensis: Basis of the Yucatán peninsula. Type locality: Guatemala, El Petén, La Libertad. Type locality: “Yucatán”. Restricted to Chichen Itzá by SMITH & TAYLOR 1950. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: USNM 24876-24878 Holotype: UMMZ 74980 [petenensis] |
| Diagnosis | Description: Four supraocular scales (the posterior scale is smaller than the preceding three or about the size of the anterior scale in the series). The interparietal is usually single and there are two parietals and two frontoparietal scales, producing a total of five scales in the parietal region. There are multiple rows of enlarged upper antebrachials. The dorsum and sides of the body are covered with tiny granular scales and the venter with large, flat rectangular scales, usually arranged in eight longitudinal rows. The median gulars are not distinctly enlarged over surrounding gular scales. There are two complete transverse gular folds with the mesoptychials only slightly enlarged and grading into adjacent anterior scales (from Campbell 1999: 174). Coloration: Six well-defined cream stripes are present on the back and sides in juveniles and adult females. These stripes are also present in young males, but as males mature small spots appear between the stripes. These spots continue to enlarge with age until they eventually coalesce to form a lichenose or tessellated pattern in large males. The paravertebral and dorsolateral stripes extend to a level about even with the posterior insertion of the hind limbs; the lateral stripes extend only to about the level of the anterior insertion of the hind limbs. Adult males have a broad median dorsal band extending from the parietals to the base of the tail; this vertebral band is only vaguely present in the larger females. In juveniles, females, and young males, the area between stripes is immaculate brownish black, except for the dark zone between the lower two stripes, which may be somewhat tessellated, at least posteriorly. In adult males, the chin and gular area are pink, and the belly is black or bluish black from the gular fold to the preanal scales; black pigment extends onto the ventral surfaces of the fore- and hind limbs. The venters of subadult males are less extensively blackened than in mature males, and the posterior ventrals, preanal scales, and ventral sur- faces of the hind limbs may be cream. In females and juveniles the venter is pale blue laterally, becoming cream or pale gray near the ventral midline; the throat is blue, suffused with cream, and the preanal scales and ventral surfaces of the limbs and tail are also cream. Dorsally, the tail is orange or reddish brown in juveniles and sub-adults and becomes brownish or blue-gray in adults; the tail is white or pale gray ventrally (from Campbell 1999: 174). |
| Comment | |
| Etymology | Named after Latin “angustus, -a, -um” = narrow and the abbreviated term “-ceps” for “caput” = head. |
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