Tympanocryptis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tympanocryptis |
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| Tympanocryptis tetraporophora | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Agamidae |
| Subfamily: | Amphibolurinae |
| Genus: | Tympanocryptis W. Peters, 1863 |
Tympanocryptis is a group of lizards found in Australia. They belong to the Agamidae family, which includes many types of dragons and agamas. These lizards are often called "earless dragons" because their ears are hidden.
Contents
What do Tympanocryptis Lizards Look Like?
These lizards have some special features. Their eardrum, called the tympanum, is hidden, so you can't see their ears easily. Their bodies are quite flat and covered with different kinds of scales on their back. They don't have a crest (a ridge) on their back.
They also don't have a throat pouch (gular sac), but they do have a strong fold of skin across their throat. Their tail is round. Most species have small pores near their vent (preanal pores), though females sometimes don't have them. Many species also lack pores on their thighs (femoral pores), but the Tympanocryptis tetraporophora is an exception and does have them.
Types of Tympanocryptis Lizards
There are 23 different types, or species, of Tympanocryptis lizards that scientists have identified.
- Tympanocryptis argillosa Melville, Chaplin, Hipsley, Sarre, Sumner, & Hutchinson, 2019 – claypan earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis centralis Sternfeld, 1925 – central Australian earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis cephalus Günther, 1867 – blotch-tailed earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis condaminensis Melville et al., 2014 – Condamine earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis diabolicus Doughty et al., 2015 – Hamersley pebble-mimic dragon
- Tympanocryptis fictilis Melville, Chaplin, Hipsley, Sarre, Sumner, & Hutchinson, 2019 – Harlequin earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis fortescuensis Doughty et al., 2015 – Fortescue pebble-mimic dragon
- Tympanocryptis gigas F. Mitchell, 1948 – Gascoyne pebble-mimic dragon
- Tympanocryptis houstoni Storr, 1982 – Houston's earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis intima F. Mitchell, 1948 – gibber earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis lineata W. Peters, 1863 – lined earless dragon or Canberra grassland earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis macra Storr, 1982 – savannah earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis mccartneyi Melville et al., 2019 – Bathurst grassland earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis osbornei Melville et al., 2019 – Monaro grassland earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis pentalineata Melville et al., 2014 – five-lined earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis petersi Melville, Chaplin, Hipsley, Sarre, Sumner, & Hutchinson, 2019 – lined earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis pinguicolla F. Mitchell, 1948 – Victorian grassland earless dragon (possibly extinct)
- Tympanocryptis pseudopsephos Doughty et al., 2015 – Goldfields pebble-mimic dragon
- Tympanocryptis rustica Melville, Chaplin, Hipsley, Sarre, Sumner, & Hutchinson, 2019 – Tennant Creek pebble dragon
- Tympanocryptis tetraporophora Lucas & C. Frost, 1895 – long-tailed earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis tolleyi Melville, Chaplin, Hipsley, Sarre, Sumner, & Hutchinson, 2019 – Gawler earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis uniformis F. Mitchell, 1948 – even-scaled earless dragon
- Tympanocryptis wilsoni Melville et al., 2014 – Roma earless dragon
Grassland Earless Dragons
Some Tympanocryptis lizards are known as "grassland earless dragons." These include the Canberra population of T. lineata, T. mccartneyi, T. osbornei, and T. pinguicolla. They are special because they are the only lizards in their family that live only in natural temperate grasslands.
These dragons live in cooler, higher areas. They like places with both tall and short grasses. For a long time, scientists thought these species were just different groups of T. pinguicolla. However, a study in 2019 showed that the Canberra lizards were actually a separate group of T. lineata. The Cooma and Bathurst populations were also found to be distinct species. This means T. pinguicolla now refers only to the population in Victoria, which might already be extinct.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Grassland earless dragons lay 3 to 6 eggs in late spring or early summer. Their young hatch in late summer. The young dragons grow very quickly, reaching adult size by late autumn or early winter. They usually mate the next spring and often live for about one year. However, if kept in captivity, they can live up to 5 years.
Why are Grassland Earless Dragons Endangered?
All grassland earless dragons are in great danger. This is because their natural grassland homes are being destroyed. Less than 1% of these grasslands are left. Overgrazing by animals is a big problem, especially when rocks are moved. These lizards rarely live outside their native grasslands and don't do well in changed environments. This is mainly because they can't find enough different kinds of food outside their natural habitat. The T. pinguicolla species might already be extinct. The last time it was definitely seen was in 1969.
Habitat and Behavior
These dragons need places to hide, like burrows made by insects or spaces under rocks. These spots help them stay safe from predators and lay their eggs. They also use these places to keep cool or warm enough.
Activities that disturb the soil, like plowing, can destroy these important burrows. This can also reduce the number of insects that make burrows. A study using radio tracking found that insect burrows are very important for these dragons. Each dragon usually has one or two main burrows and lives in an area around them. They can survive short periods of fire.
Conservation Efforts
In January 2014, news reports shared exciting news. Researchers Professor Stephen Sarre and Dr Lisa Doucette from the University of Canberra successfully bred the Canberra T. lineata in captivity. They also hatched eggs collected from the wild, with about 60 hatchlings born.
In 2011, Professor Sarre's team received a four-year grant to study and try to save these species from extinction. They wanted to find out why the numbers of these lizards had dropped so much, which they thought might be linked to 10 years of drought.
However, in 2019, ecologist Brett Howard said that grassland earless dragons are still at risk of extinction soon. He explained that their numbers have gone down because of a mix of drought, overgrazing, and climate change.
- Peters W (1863). "Eine Übersicht der von Hrn. Richard Schomburgk an das zoologische Museum eingesandten Amphibien, aus Buchsfelde bei Adelaide in Südaustralien ". Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1863: 228-236. (Tympanocryptis, new genus, p. 230). (in German).
See also
In Spanish: Tympanocryptis para niños
