Eastern Six-Lined Racerunner

Natural History

Unfortunately, Memphis weather did not work with me this time, so I have not had the chance to go out and take any good pictures. Instead, I  shuffled up my pile of herp flashcards (hand-laminated pictures of lab specimens) and drew Gastrophryne carolinensus. However, I thought that would have been a boring second blog entry, so I chose to do Cnemidophorus sexlineatus. Commonly known as the Eastern Six-Lined Racerunner, C. sexlineatus has distributed itself all over the Eastern United States. They're cute little creatures.

Photographic proof of cuteness courtesy of Virginia Herpetological Society

As you can see, the species name sexlineatus was derived from Latin words sex and lineata, meaning "six" and "of a line", respectively. How could I have possibly known that? I'm smart... and I've taken two semesters of Latin. But, just to make people happy, I shall credit some website: http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/lizards/eastern-six-lined-racerunner/eastern_six-lined_racerunner.htm. I can tell you this, the -us suffix means that only one sexlineata is being addressed. Now that we've had our lesson in forgotten languages, let us amble back over to Herpetology. Cross-referencing a couple websites has provided this entry with many lovely facts. C. sexlineatus reach an average length of 6 - 9.5 inches (15.24 - 24.13 centimeters) in length. Their preferred habitat includes open, sunny, dry areas with soft, loose sand and/or soil and sparse vegetation. This information can be found by clicking on http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Squamata/EasternSix-linedRacerunner.asp and/or http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/details2.cfm?sort=aounumber&uid=11060917103376207&commonname=Six-lined%20Racerunner&DISPLAYHABITAT=&typename=Reptile&Taxonomicgroup=Reptile%20-%20Lizards. Information on mating habits, admittedly the most interesting information shared thus far, can be found by clicking on the latter link. Tennessee's Watchable Wildlife states (pun intended) that males turn bluer around breeding time. Yes, the website said "bluer." I hope you enjoy that as much as I do. Once past the wording, a lizard turning bluer sounds pretty cool, I mean interesting. Let me see if I can find a picture...

Photographer: Seth Berry
This photograph is courtesy of the very courteous copyright owner: George M. Jett
Yes. That is bluer.

Alright, that is pretty blue... but it may not be as blue as they get. Actually, the latter picture may not be any bluer than the first picture in this blog entry... Be that as it may, the ventral portion of the body very well has the potential to be bluer, or even less blue. Once mating has occurred, the female may lay anywhere from

1 - 6 eggs in open, shallow sand and soil. These eggs remain unguarded by either parent and have a 60 day incubation period before hatching. That, to me, seems quite a long time to be sitting there unguarded, but  I have been unable to successfully research that C. sexlineatus eat any organism's eggs, much less their own. Of course, other organisms may end up eating some, most, or all of the eggs of a female C. sexlineatus. Other than turning different shades of blue based on the amount of Barry White playing in a guy's head, these herps are pretty boring. Good thing they have looks going for them.

Leave it to Tennessee to create funny sounding names for any critter; Eastern Six-Lined Racerunners are also known as "field-streaks" and "sandlappers." My favorite alias is the latter one. ... Gasp!

OhMyGosh!

Looky There!

Photograph courtesy of  Maryland's Department of Natural Resources

Ain't it cute!?