Help with Aspidoscelis ID

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Mike Pingleton
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Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by Mike Pingleton »

Can anyone help ID this? From south Sonora near Alamos.

thanks, Mike

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Correcamino
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Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by Correcamino »

A. cosalas I think.

Rich
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by Mike Pingleton »

I can't locate anything for that - did you mean A. costata, by any chance?

thanks, Mike

(whatever it is, it's a beautiful lizard!)
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cachoron
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Location: Valle del Yaqui, Sonora

Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by cachoron »

Here is a pic that looks very similar to yours. It was taken not very far away from Alamos (well, it depends the perspectic of that statement)

Aspidoscelis costata (Western
México whiptail, Huico llanero,
Huico)
Photos and keys in Lemos-Espinal
et al. (2004).
Thornscrub; tropical
deciduous forest; highlands
From Huásabas area in the northeast
south through the mountains and foothills
(east of range of A. burti) to Sinaloa
(Wright 1994). Often found in openings
and second growth forest or scrub. In the
foothills, large individuals are spotted and
lack stripes, similar to A. burti, but have
much blue/black on the ventral surface
(A. burti is white or cream), and a light
blue chin. To the east, large individuals
are more striped and less likely to have
darkened ventral surface and blue chins.
Small adults and juveniles are striped. (JAMES C. RORABAUGH)

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Correcamino
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Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by Correcamino »

I can't locate anything for that - did you mean A. costata, by any chance?

thanks, Mike

(whatever it is, it's a beautiful lizard!)
Lol, yeah, not enough sleep when I posted, lol. I meant costatus (which is what it was back when they were Cnemidophorus) but for some reason the locality of Cosala Sinaloa was tangled in my tired brain :P . They are indeed awesome lizards.

Chacharon,
I don't think your pic is a costata unless it is a very young individual, but it should have a red tail/ rear legs in that case.. Where's Cnemi man Tim when ya need him?

Saludos,

Rich
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cachoron
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Location: Valle del Yaqui, Sonora

Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by cachoron »

Quiubole correcamino,

For sure it is not a juvenile, it is the biggest one I've seen. Usually a "long distance" pic does not shows all the spots. I was luck that when I freeze this guy came close.

Would you please let me know which literatue are you using for this? I am trying to collect what I can
Best
cachoron

PS chacharon sounds like a cha-cha-cha dancer :D
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Correcamino
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Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by Correcamino »

Chachoron,

My apologies for the mis-spelling!

In teh ID I amjust going by personal experience/memory of what I have seen. I have seen a few in Sonora, and quite a number in Chihuahua, mainly in the area of La Bufa and Batopilas. All looked pretty much likes Mikes photo, the young as I recall had a lot of red on the rear legs and tail much like A. burti.

However, I didi a google search and found these pics that do look like yours on Cnemi man Tim's site...
http://www.mexico-herps.com/sauria/aspi ... arrancorum

A google on costata images shows lizards that all look like Mikes for the most part.

Cheers,

Rich
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cachoron
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Location: Valle del Yaqui, Sonora

Re: Help with Aspidoscelis ID

Post by cachoron »

Yes correcaminos, it seems to be the same. Then my pic is a A. costata barrancorum, probably as the one Mike posted

The only thing that could be different is that Tim's is from 1,800'. But mine is from around 60'. I presume that Mike's is from Alamos highlands too.

Reviewing my pics, I took this pic from the same individual that does not shows dots!!! you can tell it is the same because the tail. Pic is not from very far away.

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