Aspidoscelis gularis
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Texas spotted whiptail (Aspidoscelis gularis) is a species of long-tailed lizard, in the family Teiidae. The species is endemic to the south central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Six subspecies are recognized as being valid.
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.
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 diurnal and insectivorous... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | León | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | San Luis Potosí | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 7 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 8 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lee G. Simmons Wildlife Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Spotted Whiptail sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 48th most-seen of the 48 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and June–August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Spotted Whiptail in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May and September–March, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Spotted Whiptail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Common Spotted Whiptail sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 20%).
Same genus: Aspidoscelis
The closest relatives of the Common Spotted Whiptail that you can see in Big Bend National Park (genus Aspidoscelis, Northern Whiptails) are Plateau Spotted Whiptail (about 40%), Marbled Whiptail (about 30%) and Diploid Checkered Whiptail (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Spotted Whiptail is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Bend National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
