Species: Sceloporus graciosus

Sagebrush Lizard
Species

    Upper side small spiny scales, usually with a pale dorsolateral stripe on each side; scales on rear of thigh very small, some often granular and unkeeled; no distinct blue patches on sides of throat (throat may be blue mottled); scales above eyes separated from median head scales by complete row of small scales; maximum size 15 cm total length. Mature male: enlarged postanal scales; underside of base of tail with two hemipenial swellings, blue patch (may be black-edged) on each side of belly; throat mottled or streaked with blue. Mature female: blue areas faint or absent (or pale yellowish green when inactive under rocks); gravid females may develop red/orange color along sides (e.g., rusty spot in axilla). Hatchling: usually 23-28 mm snout-vent length (Colorado, Utah). Source: Hammerson (1999).

    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Reptilia

    Order

    Squamata

    Family

    Phrynosomatidae

    Genus

    Sceloporus

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Common Sagebrush Lizard
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Reptiles - Lizards
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Reptilia - Squamata - Phrynosomatidae - Sceloporus - .

    Upper side small spiny scales, usually with a pale dorsolateral stripe on each side; scales on rear of thigh very small, some often granular and unkeeled; no distinct blue patches on sides of throat (throat may be blue mottled); scales above eyes separated from median head scales by complete row of small scales; maximum size 15 cm total length. Mature male: enlarged postanal scales; underside of base of tail with two hemipenial swellings, blue patch (may be black-edged) on each side of belly; throat mottled or streaked with blue. Mature female: blue areas faint or absent (or pale yellowish green when inactive under rocks); gravid females may develop red/orange color along sides (e.g., rusty spot in axilla). Hatchling: usually 23-28 mm snout-vent length (Colorado, Utah). Source: Hammerson (1999).

    Migration
    true - false - false
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    Eats insects (e.g., beetles, flies, ants, caterpillars, etc.) spiders, ticks, mites, and aphids.
    Reproduction Comments
    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).
    Ecology Comments
    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. <br><br>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. <br><br>Predators include: striped whipsnakes, night snakes, and a variety of predatory birds.
    Length
    16
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    2005-07-18
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-10-28
    Other Status

    LC - Least concern

    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?US.AZ=S3&US.CA=SNR&US.CO=S5&US.ID=S5&US.MT=S3&US.NN=S5&US.NE=S1&US.NV=S4&US.NM=S4&US.ND=S4&US.OR=S5&US.SD=S2&US.TX=S4&US.UT=S5&US.WA=S3&US.WY=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    G - 200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles) - G - 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).
    Global Range Code
    G
    Global Range Description
    200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102981