Six-Lined Racerunner

Family: 
Teiidae (racerunners and whiptails) in the order Squamata (lizards and snakes)
Description: 

They are long and slender with a dark brown or black background and six yellow stripes. Their long tails are tan or gray with slightly spiny scales. Males have a wash of blue or gray on their throat and chest, especially during the breeding season. Racerunners are aptly named; they can run across an open area at what seems like lightning speed.

Two subspecies in Missouri: The eastern six-lined racerunner (Aspidoscelis sexlineata sexlineata) is more common in eastern and southeastern sections. The prairie racerunner (A. sexlineata viridis) occurs statewide except for northern and north-central counties; it has 7 stripes instead of 6 and a wash of bright green over the head and front part of the body.

Size: 
Average total length is 8 inches.
Habitat and conservation: 
Racerunners live in dry open sites with little vegetation. They may hide under flat rocks and are skilled at digging a shallow burrow in loose soil. The prairie racerunner subspecies seems to prefer open glades, grasslands or river floodplains.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Two subspecies live in Missouri: the six-lined racerunner in the eastern edge of the state and the prairie racerunner in the rest of the state.