Common Spotted Whiptail

The Texas spotted whiptail grows to 6.5 to 11 inches (17 to 28 cm) in total length (including tail). It is typically a tan brown or green-brown in color, with a pattern of seven distinct grey or white stripes that run the length of the body, and stop at the tail, with light colored spots along the sides. The underside is uniformly white in color. Males often have a red-colored throat, blue belly, and black or blue patches on the chest, while females have only a pink-colored throat. The tail is long compared to the body, usually close to three times the body length. The tail is usually a uniform peach or tan color.

A. gularis is found in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, and in the Mexican states of Aguascalientes, Campeche, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nuevo León, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz.

A. gularis is diurnal and insectivorous. It is highly active and found in a wide variety of habitats, from grassland and semi-arid regions, to canyons and rocky terrain, typically not far from a permanent water source. Like many other whiptail lizards, it is capable of tail autotomy, shedding its tail to escape predation.

The subspecific name, rauni, is in honor of American zoologist Gerald George Raun (born 1932).