Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Tiliqua
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| Species: |
adelaidensis
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The Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis) is a small lizard. It is a type of skink, which belongs to the family called Scincidae. This special skink was once thought to be completely gone from the world. But in 1992, it was found again!
These skinks live in a specific part of South Australia. You can find them from Kapunda in the Barossa Valley, which is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Adelaide. They also live further north, up to Peterborough, which is about 254 kilometers (158 miles) north of Adelaide.
Contents
Rediscovery and Saving Them
How They Were Found Again
For a while, people thought the Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink was extinct. This means they believed there were no more left alive. But in 1992, a scientist made an amazing discovery. They found the remains of an adult male skink inside a dead brown snake. This happened near Burra. This exciting find proved that the skinks were still around!
Why They Need Our Help
Now, the pygmy bluetongue is considered an endangered species. This means there are not many of them left, and they are at risk of disappearing forever. Their homes are very limited. These skinks live in old spider burrows in areas of native grasslands. These grasslands have not been plowed for farming.
Sadly, these natural grasslands are becoming very rare. This is because a lot of land has been turned into farms for growing crops. Surveys have been done since the skinks were rediscovered. They estimate that about 5,000 to 7,000 of these skinks live in small, scattered areas. These areas are between Kapunda and Peterborough.
Helping the Skinks Survive
People are working hard to help these skinks. One important effort is the Tiliqua Pygmy Bluetongue Reserve. This special protected area was set up near Burra in 2010. It was created by the Nature Foundation SA.
In 2016, there was more good news! Monarto Zoo announced that they had successfully bred pygmy bluetongues. This was the first time they had been bred in a zoo. This helps create a backup population in case something bad happens in the wild.
Scientists at Flinders University are also working to save the skinks. In 2020, they received a big grant of over A$400,000. This money is for a five-year project. The goal is to protect the lizards from climate change. As part of this study, about 100 lizards are being moved. They will live in a large pen on a sheep farm in Tarlee. This farm is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) north of Adelaide. It is a few degrees cooler there than in the skinks' northernmost homes. This helps scientists learn how the skinks might adapt to a changing climate.
Their Home Life
Scientists have studied how these skinks live in their burrows. When they offered artificial burrows to the lizards, the skinks showed clear preferences. All the lizards liked burrows that went straight down into the ground. They did not prefer burrows that were at an angle.
Younger lizards also liked burrows that were not as deep as the ones adult lizards preferred. Observing many artificial burrows showed that more lizards moved into them over time. This suggests that providing suitable burrows can help the skink population grow. It also means that creating artificial burrows could be a useful way to help manage and protect this species.
Another study looked at female lizards living in natural burrows compared to those in artificial ones. Over three years, the study found that females in the artificial burrows were healthier. They also produced larger babies who were in better condition. This shows that good burrows are very important for the health and survival of these amazing little skinks.
