The earless grassland dragon has not been sighted in wild Australian grasses since man first landed on the moon.
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Published on 06/25/2023 12:50
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A Tympanocryptis pinguicolla lizard in Jerrabomberra (Australia), in November 1991. (CSIRO / WIKIPEDIA)
It is the result of years of research. An endangered small lizard has been spotted in Australia for the first time since 1969, local authorities said on Sunday June 25, quoted by The Guardian and The Age. The earless grassland monitor lizard (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) was rediscovered west of Melbourne, Victoria, in February amid experts fears it was extinct in the wild. “It’s probably the most endangered reptile in the world,” said Jenny Gray, director of Zoo Victoria.
“We have people who have spent 30 years looking for this species and I believe this is the pinnacle of our (species) conservation career,” said Garry Peterson, endangered species manager at Zoos Victoria. For four months, scientists have searched the site of this discovery and taken 16 specimens of this species, hoping to encourage their reproduction in a zoo and thus allow a greater reintroduction into their natural habitat.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Australian reptiles are increasingly threatened by invasive species and global warming. Invasive street cats kill hundreds of millions of people every year. The increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires in Australia poses an additional threat.
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