Aspidoscelis marmoratus
(Baird and Girard, 1852)
as-pid-OSS-uh-lis — mar-moh-RAH-tus
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
See de Queiroz et al. (2017, SSAR Herpetological Circular 43: 41) regarding incomplete separation of this species from A. tigris. The subspecies A. m. marmoratus and A. m. reticuloriens are differentiated genetically but weakly so (Hall, 2016, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Texas at Arlington). For the change in the ending of the species name, see note under Aspidoscelis.
(de Queiroz, Kevin and Lauren M. Chan. 2025. Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards. Pages 23-37 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)
Errata/Changes: Page 25: Aspidoscelis marmorta marmorata and A. m. retiuloriens were inadvertently left in the list. Disregard these entries. — (9/11/2025)
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.04.08.10.31.11)
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Taxonomic Etymology:
A marbled-patterned lizard found in arid regions of the southwestern U.S. Alternate masculine form of marmorata used in taxonomic tradition depending on grammatical agreement.
Aspidoscelis — Greek for “shield-legged.”
marmorata — Latin marmoratus = “marbled,” referring to the mottled or variegated pattern on the body.
First instance(s) of published English names:
Big Ben Tessellated Race Runner (Cnemidophorus tigris marmoratus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1852
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Baird, Spencer F. and Charles Girad. Characteristics of some new reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, Second Part. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 6:125-129
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1931
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Burt, Charles E. A study of the teiid lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus with special reference to their phylogenetic relationships. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (154):1-286
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1968
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Taylor, Harry L. The occurrence of the teiid lizard Cnemidophorus tigris marmoratus in Arizona. Herpetologica 24(2):162-168
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1970
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Gorman, George C. Chromosomes and the systematics of the family Teiidae (Sauria, Reptilia). Copeia 1970(2):230-245
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2002
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Reeder, Tod W., Charles J. Cole, and Herbert C. Dessauer. Phylogenetic relationships of Whiptail lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus (Squamata: Teiidae): A test of monophyly, reevaluation of karyotypic evolution, and review of hybrid origins. American Museum Novitates (3365):1-61
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2021
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Walker, J. Martin, Brian K. Sullivan, and James E. Cordes. Sanctioned nomenclature for triploid parthenogenetic Colorado Checkered Whiptail and for other taxa of the lizard genus Aspidoscelis (Family Teiidae). Herpetological Review 52(3):550–558
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