NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Rainbow Whiptail
Cnemidophorus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The rainbow whiptail (Cnemidophorus lemniscatus) is a species of lizard found in Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It has also been introduced in Florida and has established populations there. A rainbow whiptail grows up to approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm).
Both sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic populations are known.
Wikipedia contributors, Rainbow whiptail; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:57:43.048233+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Cnemidophorus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Name authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Common name
- Rainbow Whiptail
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Teiidae
- Genus
- Cnemidophorus
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderAutarchoglossa
- familyTeiidae
- genusCnemidophorus
- speciesCnemidophorus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Cnemidophorus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Aruba WhiptailCnemidophorus arubensis Lidth de Jeude, 1887 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Los Frailes WhiptailCnemidophorus flavissimus Ugueto, Harvey & Rivas, 2010 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Gaige’s Rainbow lizardCnemidophorus gaigei Ruthven, 1915 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cnemidophorus gramivagus Mccrystal & Dixon, 1987 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Blanquilla WhiptailCnemidophorus leucopsammus Ugueto & Harvey, 2010 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Curaçao WhiptailCnemidophorus murinus (Laurenti, 1768) | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Colee's RacerunnerCnemidophorus pseudolemniscatus Cole & Dessauer, 1993 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| La Tortuga WhiptailCnemidophorus rostralis Ugueto & Harvey, 2010 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Blue Rainbow lizardCnemidophorus splendidus Markezich, Cole & Dessauer, 1997 | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Maria Islands WhiptailCnemidophorus vanzoi (Baskin & Williams, 1966) | TeiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Lacerta lemniscata Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
| Lacertus varius americanus Bloch ex Bonnaterre, 1789 Bloch ex Bonnaterre, 1789 | ambiguous synonym |
| Cnemidophorus cryptus Cole & Dessauer, 1993 Cole & Dessauer, 1993 | ambiguous synonym |
| Cnemidophorus pseudolemniscatus Cole & Dessauer, 1993 Cole & Dessauer, 1993 | ambiguous synonym |
| Cnemidophorus scutata Gray, 1845 Gray, 1845 | synonym |
| Cnemidophorus gramivagus Mccrystal & Dixon, 1987 Mccrystal & Dixon, 1987 | ambiguous synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Cnemidophorus&species=lemniscatus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:WGZW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.