distribution The geographic range of S. graciosus includes much of the western United States. It can be found throughout Utah, Nevada, southern Idaho, northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, Texas, and western Colorado. It is also widely distributed throughout areas of Wyoming, Oregon, California, Washington, western North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The sagebrush lizard has been found to live at elevations ranging from . Geographic variation based on thermal constraints Within the sagebrush lizard population, there is a pattern of geographic variation within body size and it is thought that thermal constraints may be an influencing factor. Generally speaking, longer seasonal activity is associated with large adult body size and this translates into increased lizard growth because they spend more time foraging. These growth differences can also be explained through biophysical constraints on foraging activity, food availability, or thermal constraints that cause variation in net energy assimilation. Through the study done by Michael Sears in the paper "Geographic variation in the life history of the sagebrush lizard: the role of thermal constraints on activity", it can be seen that patterns of growth of sagebrush lizards are not solely dependent on thermal constraints. If there is less opportunity for thermal activity, high elevations, this should result in lizards with smaller adult body sizes. However, it is seen that sagebrush lizards at high elevations exhibit faster growth despite the shorter seasonal activity and cooler environmental temperatures. Lizards at these higher elevations also have a higher risk of mortality. In order to understand why growth rates do not increase with increased thermal opportunity for activity, it is important to consider that food availability is correlated with growth. Food availability and species’ access to the food is difficult to analyze. Sagebrush lizards are better physiologically adapted to lower food levels because they had lower lipid utilization and they extracted more usable energy for metabolism from their food sources. Intraspecific interactions can limit individual's access to food as well. Additionally, the spatial distribution of environmental temperatures that are operative for lizards will constrain the time when they can be active. These lizards use radiant energy to raise their body temperatures. The time lizards spend thermoregulating their microhabitats can take away from foraging, courtship, and predator avoidance. Habitat The sagebrush lizard is commonly observed in shrublands, but is also found in a variety of other habitats including coniferous forests, and piñon-juniper woodlands. They will bask on