Cnemidophorus inornatus (Neaves, 1971)

TAYLOR, HARRY L., COLE, CHARLES J., HARDY, LAURENCE M., DESSAUER, HERBERT C., TOWNSEND, CAROL R., WALKER, JAMES M. & CORDES, JAMES E., 2001, Natural Hybridization Between the Teiid Lizards Cnemidophorus tesselatus (Parthenogenetic) and C. tigris marmoratus (Bisexual): Assessment of Evolutionary Alternatives, American Museum Novitates 3345, pp. 1-1 : 1-

CNEMIDOPHORUS INORNATUS

This is the smallest of the four species at Arroyo del Macho ; snout–vent length = 57.1 ±1.13, 50–65 (18). Males and females have similar body sizes (t 16 = 0.876, P = 0.39). This species is distinguished by a sharply contrasting dorsal pattern of unspotted dark fields and pale stripes with straight margins. In the Arroyo del Macho population, the number of pale stripes may be 6 (no vertebral stripe; 2 of 18 specimens, 11%), 6.5 (vertebral stripe to midbody; 1 of 18 specimens, 6%), or 7 (a complete vertebral stripe; 15 of 18 specimens, 83%). The unspotted ventral surface is embellished with blue pigmentation of variable intensity, which is usually quite striking in males .

Cnemidophorus inornatus was a candidate for the paternal parent of the hybrids because of its abundance at Arroyo del Macho (thus opportunities for many contacts with individuals of C. tesselatus ) and because of several attempted copulations in captivity between males of C. inornatus and individuals of C. tesselatus (Neaves, 1971) . In addition, C. inornatus has hybridized in the past with species of both reproductive modes— C. tigris marmoratus (reviewed by Cole et al., 1988; Dessauer et al., 2000) and C. neomexicanus (reviewed by Taylor and Walker, 1996b).