Sceloporus graciosus
Silhouette: SeismicShrimp · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The sagebrush lizard or sagebrush swift (Sceloporus graciosus) is a common species of phrynosomatid lizard found at mid to high altitudes in the western United States. It belongs to the genus Sceloporus (spiny lizards) in the Phrynosomatidae family of reptiles. Named after the sagebrush plants near which it is commonly found, the sagebrush lizard has keeled and spiny scales running along its dorsal surface.
The sagebrush lizard is similar to the western fence lizard, another Sceloporus species found in the western US. The sagebrush lizard can be distinguished from the western fence lizard in that the former is on average smaller and has finer scales. The keeled dorsal scales are typically gray or tan, but can be a variety of colors. The main (ground) color is broken by a lighter gray or tan stripe running down the center of the back (vertebral stripe) and two light stripes, one on either side of the lizard (dorsolateral stripes). S. graciosus will sometimes have orange markings on its sides.
Three regional races of the sagebrush lizard are recognized: the southern sagebrush lizard lives in Southern California, and the western and northern races are found in many western states, including Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Washington, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Arizona. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bear Country USA | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Sagebrush Lizard sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 30 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Sagebrush Lizard in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–February, the lowest months. That is one of Death Valley National Park's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain against 30 mm in March.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Sagebrush Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Sagebrush Lizard sightings, Death Valley National Park ranks 5th at about 10%. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 50%), Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 50%) and Yosemite National Park (United States, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Sceloporus
The closest relatives of the Sagebrush Lizard that you can see in Death Valley National Park (genus Sceloporus, Spiny Lizards) are Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (about 40%), Western Fence Lizard (about 20%) and Desert Spiny Lizard (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Sagebrush Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Death Valley National Park (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
