Description: As hatchlings, rainbow whiptails have nine pale white longitudinal stripes with intervening dark blue or brown regions. Each primary stripe is labelled as either being ventrolateral, lateral, dorso-lateral or paravertebral. The vertebral or mid dorsal stripe is the least defined and deeply coloured positioned between the paravertebral stripes. The lower pair of stripes on each sides (ventrolateral and lateral) differ from the upper pairs (dorsolateral and paravertebral) by their irregular margin with fused spots. Moreover, the juvenile’s hind legs are covered by distinct spots. Henceforth, females retain the juvenile pattern whilst males become brilliantly coloured during adulthood. These teiids have marked sex-colour dimorphism with females (65mm SVL) smaller than males (88mm SVL) in snout-vent length and head size. This contributes to the differences in body mass of the sexes. Males have yellow ventral surfaces, turquoise tails and flanks, blue-green face and throat with white spotted sides. The male rainbow whiptail is known as five stripes due to remnants of ventrolateral and lateral pairs of stripes.
Habitat: Open habitats, including especially disturbed areas; savanna, beaches,urban/industrial areas, roadways and railway edge, agricultural fields.
Range: Introduced and established in Miami, Florida. Guatemala southeastward through Central America to Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, and the Amazon Basin; Honduras, Islas de la Bahia, Ruatan; islands off the north coast of Venezuela, from Aves Island east to Blanquilla Island, intergrading with LEMNICATUS through the population on Margarita Island, south of Blanquilla.
Diet: As active foragers, Cnemidophorus lemniscatus is always looking for a source of food and pursue moving insects.
Reproduction: Both sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic populations are known. After reaching maturity, Cnemidophorus lemniscatus return to mating zone, sandy areas in which males' bright colours and large size attract females. Males compete for female through agonistic encounters with the larger brilliantly coloured male usually winning the contest. The large headed males ferociously bite during fights. Males gain maturity at 48 mm SVL and females at 51mm SVL. As non-territorial lizards, whiptails show sequential polygyny as males actively search for females and retain guard for about 2 to 4 days (females receptive periods) insuring successful mating because females can mate with several males during breeding season. Males initiate cloacal rubbing against the floor at one of the burrows once he has notice a female in a holding. The unique figure 8 performances of cloacal rubbing entails wagging of pelvic regions in a rhythm involving the posterior trunk region, pelvis, hind legs and base of tail moving 10 to 15cm forward then reversing maintaining original spot. In about 3 minutes, the female emerges from burrow in which male climbs on top of her back pacifying her with a neck hold bringing his cloacal into contact with hers. The male position is maintained for about 2 minutes during which convulsive jerks in the pelvis region occur, known as ejaculation period. The total period of copulation last about 6 minutes. Reproductive period usually last for six to seven months after maturity in which female whiptails are capable of producing three clutches per year. These lizards have an aseasonal, acyclic and asynchronous reproductive activities. Females produce one to three eggs per clutch with oviduct egg width of 8.3mm and height of 15.3mm which are laid in sand borrows.
Status: Listed as Least Concern because it is relatively widespread, has a large population, and is not subject to major threats.
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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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