Aspidoscelis tesselatus
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The checkered whiptail (Aspidoscelis tesselatus) is a species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua and Coahuila. Many sources believe that the species originated from the hybridization of the marbled whiptail, Aspidoscelis marmoratus, the plateau spotted whiptail, Aspidoscelis septemvittatus, and possibly the six-lined racerunner, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus. It is one of many lizard species known to be parthenogenic. It is sometimes referred to as the common checkered whiptail to differentiate it from several other species known as checkered whiptails.
The checkered whiptail grows to about 4 inches in length. Their pattern and base coloration varies widely, with brown or black blotching, checkering or striping on a pale yellow or white base color. Their rear legs often have dark spotting, and their underside is usually white with dark flecking on the throat area. They are slender bodied, with a long tail.
Like other species of whiptail lizard, the checkered whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous. They are wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalupe Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Diploid Checkered Whiptail sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 48 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Diploid Checkered Whiptail in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Diploid Checkered 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 Diploid Checkered Whiptail sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same genus: Aspidoscelis
The closest relatives of the Diploid Checkered 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 Little Striped Whiptail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Diploid Checkered Whiptail is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Bend National Park (74 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.
