Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) Southern Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum) Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) Western Skink (Plestiodon skiltonianus) Western Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris) Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus uniformis) I do see a variation in the fence lizards here. On first sight, the Western Fence Lizard is very difficult to distinguish from the Sagebrush Lizard, another Refuge resident, which is less visible because it prefers to be out in the sagebrush. 6 Sagebrush Lizard Facts. A new theory to explore. Some are a bit smoother and often darker, sleeker looking, but with the same basic shape as the other lizards. Lizards choose to enter a state of dormancy to survive winter in cold areas. We also have sagebrush lizards, northern alligator lizards, southern alligator lizards, western skinks, Gilbert’s skinks, western whiptails, coast horned lizards, and California legless lizards. These are small lizards, between 1 and a half and five inches long. Below, compared to fence lizards, males have less intense blue patches. It is a member of the genus Sceloporus (the spiny lizards). Where are lizards in winter in cold, snowy areas such as the Rocky Mountains? Sagebrush Lizards can be found in rocky areas, juniper, pine forests, and sagebrush from southern Montana to the south. The dorsal scales are keeled and gray or tan in color. Now I think they might be Western Sagebrush lizards S.G. gracilis. Their belly may be a blue color (males have blue and females don’t). Sagebrush lizards can be differentiated by their much less prickly scales, which impart only a slightly rough texture. Of all these, only the fence lizard is easily identified by gender. The sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) is common and found in the western United States. Lizards are another important piece of the native ecosystem the Refuge was established to protect. The declining water level has exposed and indeed stranded many of these tufas. The western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is a common lizard of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Northern Mexico, and the surrounding area.As the ventral abdomen of an adult is characteristically blue, it is also known as the blue-belly.. A sagebrush lizard. The sagebrush lizard is a gregarious creature and readily interacts with other lizards. Habitats include grassland, sagebrush, broken chaparral, woodland, coniferous forest, and even farmland. Most western fence lizards live in California but they can also be found in Oregon, Nevada, the Columbia River Gorge (between Washington and Oregon), southwestern Idaho, western Utah, and northwestern Baja California. Unlike the fence lizard’s pattern of blotches on the back, the sagebrush lizard has lengthwise, alternating dark-brown and pale-tan stripes. I sure don’t see lizards scurrying around when the ground is covered in snow. The local lizard population decided that this was a good thing and use the stranded tufas as lookouts. I had thought it was just another variation on a fence lizard. Not to be confused with the “dunes sagebrush lizard” that is only found in Texas and New Mexico, the common sagebrush lizard has a much larger range and is more abundant. The top of their body is a striped brown and grayish/white. These lizards are very similar to the western fence lizard but can be distinguished by its smaller and finer scales.