The Victorian earless dragon's grassland habitat is a critically endangered ecosystem.Įlizabeth Donoghue via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Since the dragons’ life span is only about two years, their population is more susceptible to threats from predators, extreme weather events and habitat loss, Garry Peterson, general manager of threatened species at Zoos Victoria, tells the Herald. The lizards live and lay their eggs in abandoned spider burrows. They reach about six inches in length when fully grown-about the length of an iPhone-and they lack external ear openings, which earned them their name. Victorian earless dragons ( Tympanocryptis pinguicolla ) are small, light-brown lizards with three white stripes running down their bodies. “This is probably the most endangered reptile in the world, with only 16 verified individuals in safe care, so to be able to work with an animal like this is both an incredible challenge and incredible opportunity.” “Dragons are a big deal, and to have such an endangered dragon in our population is just something that makes us incredibly excited,” Zoos Victoria chief executive Jenny Gray tells the Herald. The Melbourne Zoo, part of Zoos Victoria, is also working to bring back other species from the brink of extinction, including Baw Baw frogs, golden-rayed blue butterflies, Lord Howe Island stick insects and spotted tree frogs. The conservation organization has been actively looking for the dragons since 2017, writes Donna Lu for the Guardian. Over the past four months, scientists have found and collected 16 of the reptiles to participate in a breeding program, which will be run by Zoos Victoria. Australia is investing $188,000 in a project using trained detection dogs to sniff out more of the animals, per the statement. Since then, scientists have been tallying the species’ population size by conducting surveys at the site of the find, which has not been disclosed to protect the creatures from the public. In February, two early career ecologists snapped a photo of the lizard and sent it off to a reptile expert in the state of Victoria, who identified the animal as the critically endangered dragon, writes Annika Smethurst for the Sydney Morning Herald. jtOyTe2JHx- Tanya Plibersek June 25, 2023 One hasn’t been seen in Victoria for over 50 years and was thought to be extinct in the wild - until now. This little guy is a Victorian grassland earless dragon. “The rediscovery of a species thought to be extinct inspires hope of finding other lost treasures like the tiger.” “This is an extraordinary second chance,” write conservation ecologist Brendan Wintle and urban ecologist Sarah Bekessy in the Conversation. The reptile, called the Victorian grassland earless dragon, was once commonly found in the region, but its numbers were decimated by habitat loss and predators such as foxes and feral cats, per a statement from the Australian government. Take a look for yourself.A tiny earless lizard thought to be extinct in the wild has been spotted for the first time in more than 50 years in grasslands west of Melbourne, Australia. Working for us is more than just a job – we’re committed to the advancement of our employees, and our many success stories prove it. Check the 7-Eleven Careers page by clicking the button below for exciting store opportunities Please note that on Thursday, April 6th, 2017, Sunoco entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement for the sale of a majority of its convenience stores to 7-Eleven, Inc. Whether you’re entry level or a candidate with 20 years of experience, we’re confident you’ll find a job that fits you perfectly. We want our team members to enjoy the company they join, and we’ve put a benefits package together that proves it. Even those that join us in part-time roles learn valuable career developing skills. We’re looking for people that are looking for careers, not just jobs.
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