The Striped Lizards or " Race Runners " 



row of yellow dots appears on each dark area between the stripes; 

 these spots finally fuse across the dark area and into the lines, 

 entirely breaking up the striped pattern and bringing about an 

 effect of wavy and narrow, yellow cross-bands, alternating with 

 dark ones; as the alternate light and dark patches are fine and 

 irregular, the effect is a marbled or tessellated pattern — hence 

 the technical name. 



Variations. — Five varieties have been described, these re- 

 lating to colouration. 1 hey appear to represent different stages 

 in the colour metamorphosis, only. In some portions of the 

 range the process seems to be incomplete; in others it continues 

 to an extreme degree and the change from a striped example 

 to one with a marbled pattern, is striking. 



Dimensions. — ^Total Length i8 inches. 



Length of Tail 12 



Width of Head i 



Length of Head li 



Length of Hind Limb 3I " 



" " Front " 2 



Distribution. — Northern Mexico and southwestern Texas; 

 New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, eastern California and 

 Lower California. Occurs most commonly in sub-arid regions 

 and in the deserts. 



Graham's Lizard ; Tiger Lizard, Cnemidophorns grahami, 

 (B. & G.). Differs from the tessellated lizard in the much coarser, 

 light and dark markings. The limbs are vividly blotched. 



Grows to a length of fourteen inches. 



Distribution. — Apparently a rare lizard. Several examples 

 have been taken in Texas, between Antonio and El Paso. A 

 variety is recorded from Lower California. 



The Spotted Race Runner, Cnemidophorns gularis, (B. &G.). 

 Closely allied to the succeeding species, but each of the dark 

 spaces between the stripes contains a row of pale dots or blotches 

 on the adult; these dots do not encroach upon the stripes as is 

 the case of the two preceding reptiles. 



Snout considerably more pointed than that of the near 

 ally — C. sexlineatus. 



Colouration. — Brown, or olive, with six sharply defined 

 yellow stripes; these are persistent through life. Young individ- 

 uals are simply striped; as they grow older, a row of pale dots 



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