June 26, 2023
A Victorian meadow earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla).
Image credit: Zoos Victoria
The discovery has conservationists and nature-lovers buzzing.
A little population of Victorian meadow earless dragons has actually been discovered in the wild for the very first time because 1969, with the types formerly presumed extinct.
Once typically discovered in native meadows west of Melbourne, the lizard’s numbers plunged due to environment loss and predators like foxes and feral cats, leading the types to be noted as seriously threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
“This is an amazing discovery and offers an opportunity for us to recover a species once thought lost to our state and the world!” says Victorian environment minister Ingrid Stitt.
“With the help of our partners we will continue to fight the extinction of this critically endangered species – ensuring future generations can see and learn about this incredibly unique lizard.”
Location concealed
The specific area of the rediscovery is being kept under covers to keep the dragons and their home safe, with the federal and Victorian federal governments actioning in to make sure the types’ healing.
A jointly-funded $188,000 trial will utilize specially-trained sniffer dogs in an effort to find more populations of the dragon.
Federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek says detection dogs are a reliable and non-invasive method to discover the “highly cryptic” and seriously threatened lizard in the wild.
“To best support the recovery of the Victorian grassland earless dragon, we have to know where they are,” says Ms Plibersek.
“I wish to safeguard our valuable animals for our kids and grandkids.
“It’s a reminder about why it’s so important to invest in habitat restoration and the eradication of feral species.”
Insurance population
A preservation breeding program will likewise be developed by Zoos Victoria to make sure the types is not lost once again.
A breeding program for the similarly-endangered Canberra meadow earless dragon (Tympanocryptis lineata) already exists at Melbourne Zoo and will considerably help to notify the success of the latest efforts.
“The extraordinary rediscovery of this critically endangered and cryptic lizard inspires optimism for the recovery of this Victorian species, and Zoos Victoria is proud to be lending years of expertise honed through the breeding recovery program at Melbourne Zoo for Canberra dragons,” says Zoos Victoria CEO Dr Jenny Gray.
