Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyTeiidae (Whiptails and Tegus)
- GenusAspidoscelis (Northern Whiptails)
- SpeciesAspidoscelis tigris (Western Whiptail)
The western whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris) is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species is found throughout most of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Most of its populations appear stable, and it is not listed as endangered in any of the states comprising its range. It lives in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts and semiarid shrubland, usually in areas with sparse vegetation; it also may be found in woodland, open dry forest, and riparian growth. It lives in burrows. Major differences between this species and the checkered whiptail (Aspidoscelis tesselatus) include the lack of enlarged scales anterior to the gular fold and the presence of enlarged postantebrachial scales. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Western Whiptail sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 942 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Western Whiptail in Joshua Tree National Park?
About 48% of wildlife watchers report a Western Whiptail sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 942 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Whiptail in Joshua Tree National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Western Whiptail in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.