- Slender lizard with small, granular dorsal scales.
Belly with 8 rows of large, rectangular scales.
- Dorsal ground color is black.
Dorsal pattern consists of 10-12 light stripes and a sprinkling of light colored scales, giving a checkered effect.
Tail at base and hips with rusty red coloration.
Ventral surface is white and unmarked.
Adult Aspidoscelis dixoni can grow to a total length 20-31 cm (8-12.5 in).
In North America, Aspidoscelis dixoni is restricted to two small populations, one in New Mexico and the other in Texas.
This diurnal lizard actively forages for insects under low shrubs. Aspidoscelis dixoni is very wary, and quickly retreats to a nearby burrow if threatened.
No males of Aspidoscelis dixoni exist, the species is entirely comprised of females. Reproduction occurs through parthenogenesis. Unfertilized eggs are laid in midsummer. Hatchlings appear six weeks later.
This lizard can be seen in gravelly areas such as dry riverbeds and floodplains with sparse vegetation.
The gray checkered whiptail is not a protected species in Texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license.
Aspidoscelis dixoni is only found in a small part of Presidio County in the Big Bend region of Texas.