Earless prairie dragon
| Earless prairie dragon | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tympanocryptis lineata pinguicolla | ||||||||||||
| Mitchell , 1948 |
The earless grassland dragon ( Tympanocryptis lineata pinguicolla ) is a subspecies of the agamen species Tympanocryptis lineata , which is also regarded as a separate species Tympanocryptis pinguicolla (Mitchell 1948). It lives in the grasslands of Australia and was thought to be extinct between 1960 and 1991.
description
The adult animals are up to 21 cm long, usually weigh less than ten grams and have a complicated symmetrical drawing in shades from brown to beige / white with three light vertical stripes.
Way of life
The grassland dragon lives in holes in the earth, some of which are made by insects, under stones lying around and in tufts of grass, and can survive extreme temperatures and even bush fires there. The female lays up to five eggs between late spring and late summer. The species appears to feed primarily on spiders, ants, and other insects.
distribution
The species was considered extinct for over 30 years until the University of Canberra biologist Will Osborne discovered a specimen under a rock in 1991. There are still small stocks near Canberra .
Changes in the landscape and vegetation caused by urban sprawl, drought and development, among other things, threaten the species, as they deprive them of their habitat and food source. The excessive spread of the giant kangaroo due to its good adaptation to humans, the use of cattle troughs that allow many to survive the otherwise deadly periods of drought, and the current lack of natural enemies leads to overgrazing and damage to grass areas (especially during periods of drought), which can then no longer serve as a habitat for the grassland kite.
Web links
- Australian Government Rescue Plan (PDF, 2 MB)
- Entry in the Australian Government's Species Profile and Threats Database
- Kangaroo plague threatens one of Australia's last remaining pristine grasslands