The Six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus ) is a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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SolitaryDo
Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withSix-lined racerunners are typically dark green, brown, or black in color, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that extend down the body from head to tail. The underside is usually white in color in females and pale blue in males. Males also sometimes have a pale green-colored throat. They are slender-bodied, with a tail nearly twice the body length.
Six-lined racerunners are found throughout much of the southeastern and south-central portion of the United States, from Maryland to Florida in the east, across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico. Their range also reaches north to Wisconsin and Minnesota. A small disjunct population is found in Tuscola County, Michigan. These lizards live in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, woodlands, open floodplains, or rocky outcroppings. They prefer lower elevations, with dry loamy soils; in such areas, they are often found in human-made disturbances like under voltage towers or along highways and railroads.
Six-lined racerunners are solitary and territorial creatures. They are most active in the morning and spend nights inside their burrows. They are wary, energetic, and fast-moving, reaching speeds of up to 18 mph (29 kmph), darting for cover if approached. Aggressive behavior is common, as the dominant will chase the subordinate and often follow up with a bite to signify dominance. Six-lined racerunners hibernate during cold months of the year and are active from April through early October.
Six-line racerunners are carnivores (insectivores). Their diet includes spiders, grasshoppers, and large insects.
Six-lined racerunners are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning that both males and females have multiple partners each mating season. Breeding usually takes place in the spring and early summer. During this time males perform an act termed "female tending" where the male will repeatedly charge at a female trying to leave its burrow until the female allows for the male to approach and begin the reproductive process. The clutch size is up to 6 eggs which hatch in 6 to 8 weeks. A second clutch of eggs may be laid several weeks after the first. The eggs are usually laid in a nest dug in soft soil or under logs. The hatchlings are independent at birth and don’t require parental care. They become reproductively mature at the age of one year.
There are no major threats to this species at present. Locally, some populations suffer from the loss of their native habitat for human uses.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Six-line racerunner is unknown but probably exceeds 1,000,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.