Cnemidophorus


Cnemidophorus is a genus of lizards in the family Teiidae. Species in the genus Cnemidophorus are commonly referred to as whiptail lizards or racerunners. The genus is endemic to South America, Central America, and the West Indies.

Taxonomy

Reeder et al. re-examined the nomenclature for the genus Cnemidophorus and split it into the two genera Aspidoscelis and Cnemidophorus. A further split by Harvey et al. added the genera Ameivula and Contomastix.

Etymology

The name Cnemidophorus literally means "greave-wearing", from the Ancient Greek knēmido- and -phoros.

Reproduction

In some of the Cnemidophorus species, there are no males, and they reproduce through parthenogenesis. This is well known in bees and aphids, but is very rare in vertebrates. Those species without males are now known to originate through hybridization, or interspecific breeding. Occasionally, a mating between a female of one species and a male of another produces a parthenogen, a female that is able to produce viable eggs that are genetically identical to her own cells. The lizards that hatch from these eggs are thus also parthenogens that can again produce identical eggs, resulting in an asexual, clonal population. Parthenogenetic species resulting from a single hybridization are diploid, but sometimes these females mate with other males, producing offspring which are triploid. Over 30% of the genus Cnemidophorus are parthenogenic.

Species

The genus Cnemidophorus contains the following species which are recognized as being valid.
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Cnemidophorus.