The animal species was last seen fifty years ago, and experts feared the worst.
the London Museum of Natural History They presented the research with which they were able to report on the rediscovery of the earless lizard species Tympanocryptis pinguicolla. The agama lizard once lived around Melbourne, but as a result of the expansion of the city, the spread of invasive predators and other factors, it has practically disappeared – National Geographic writes.
This species has not been seen for fifty years, and conservationists fear that it may already be extinct.
The place where the animal was found again is not available to the public. Unfortunately, this is now necessary in the case of rare fauna and flora, as the habitats have been regularly raided by collectors, who pillage and destroy them.
A record-sized truffle was found weighing nearly two kilograms
The loot was found in a forest near Città di Castello in Umbria.
As they write, the decline in the number of individuals of the species so far can be linked, among other things, to the transformation of the continent’s ecosystem.
Such a shift is the presence of introduced species (such as foxes or feral and stray cats). The latter were brought by European settlers, and 240 million domestic Australian animals are now destroyed each year. Despite the fact that the lizard has spines on its back and lives in spider burrows underground, it did not escape the destruction of these predators either.
Some good news for Sunday. This little guy is an earless Victorian lawn dragon.
It had not been seen in Victoria for over 50 years and was thought to be extinct in the wild – until now. pic.twitter.com/jtOyTe2JHx
– Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) June 25, 2023
Melbourne’s expansion is also an influencing factor. Today, only one percent of the former grassy area remains around the city, which was vital to the lizard.
Only a 2019 study revealed this species to be an independent species, previously thought to be congeners of related lizards but living in other regions. After it became clear that it was a separate species, research work was also renewed in which its potential habitats were investigated.
Now, four years later, the expeditions launched in search of him have finally been crowned with success. At the moment, it is not clear how many individuals of the lizard species can live, so the Australian government supports the creation of a large conservation dog hunt.
Dogs trained in this can recognize wild animals, so they can find them in places where human senses are not enough. These canine surveys also show exactly where the lizard lives, so it’s possible to protect the habitat specifically.
