Sceloporus graciosus

This lizard ranges from Washington, Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota south to marginal north and central Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja California, Mexico, northern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico, and eastward into western Nebraska (Stebbins 2003). Elevational range extends from around 150 to about -3,200 m (500 to about 10,500 feet) (Stebbins 2003). The disjunct populations in southern California and the Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja California were treated as a distinct species by Grismer (2002).

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) This lizard ranges from Washington, Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota south to northern Baja California, northern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico, and eastward into western Nebraska (Stebbins 2003). Elevational range extends from around 500 feet to about 10,500 feet (150-3,200 meters) (Stebbins 2003). The disjunct populations in southern California and the Sierra San Pedro Martir in Baja California were treated as a distinct species by Grismer (2002).

Continent: Middle-America North-America
Distribution: USA (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, S Montana, W Colorado, N Arizona, New Mexico, W Texas),  Mexico (N Baja California Norte)  gracilis: Oregon, California.
Type locality: "Oregon", restricted to "vicinity of Klamath Falls" by Schmidt (1953).  
Type locality: Valley of the Great Salt Lake [Utah].

Length: 16 cm

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Habitats include sagebrush and other types of shrublands (e.g., manzanita and ceanothus brushland), also pinyon-juniper woodland and openly wooded areas of ponderosa pine or Douglas-fir; occupied areas have with open ground and some low bushes (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Hammerson 1999, Stebbins 2003). This is a ground dweller that regularly perches on rocks, logs, or snags; it uses rodent burrows, shrubs, logs, etc., for cover.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Comments: Eats insects (e.g., beetles, flies, ants, caterpillars, etc.) spiders, ticks, mites, and aphids.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300

Comments: This species is represented by many hundreds of collection sites (e.g., see Nussbaum et al. 1983, Baxter and Stone 1985, Censky 1986, Degenhardt et al. 1996, Hammerson 1999).

100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Total adult population size is unknown but certainly exceeds 100,000. The species is common (up to dozens per hectare) in many areas throughout the range (see Degenhardt et al. 1996, Hammerson 1999).

In southern Utah and west-central California, annual survival rate averaged roughly 50-60% in adults, less than 30% in juveniles and eggs (Tinkle et al. 1993). The southern Utah population appeared to be substantially resource limited.

Home range size averaged about 400-600 sq m in Utah. M'Closkey et al. (1997) found that areas experimentally depopulated of this species were quickly recolonized from surrounding areas.

Predators include: striped whipsnakes, night snakes, and a variety of predatory birds.

Comments: Sagebrush lizards are inactive in cold winter weather; duration of the inactive period varies with local climate. In much of the range, these lizards are active mainly from March-April through September-October. In southern Utah, activity occurs mainly from early April to mid-September (Tinkle et al. 1993).

Eggs are laid in June-July in Colorado, May-July in west-central California. In southern Utah, reproduction occurred between mid-May and and early July (Tinkle et al. 1993). Clutch size is 1-8; throughout the range, clutch size averages usually between 3 and 5 (Tinkle et al. 1993). Eggs hatch in 45-75 days (beginning in early to mid-August in Colorado and Utah, mid- to late August in west-central California). In Colorado and Utah, most adult females produce 2 clutches annually. Individuals become sexually mature in first (south) or second (north) year; at 10-11 months in west-central California. In southern Utah, most females produce their first clutch at an age of about 22-24 months (some matured in about one year under uncommon optimal conditions).

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Justification

Rounded Global Status Rank: T5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable

Population

Population Trend

Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)

Comments: Extend of occurrence, area of occupancy, and population size appear to be relatively stable or perhaps slowly declining.

Global Long Term Trend: Increase of 10-25% to decline of 30%

Degree of Threat: Low

Comments: No major threats have been identified. Locally, some populations are negatively affected by various kinds of habitat degradation.

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

Global Protection: Very many (>40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: This species occurs in many national parks and monuments.