<
https://theconversation.com/victoria-has-rediscovered-a-dragon-how-do-we-secure-its-future-208097>
"The Victorian grassland earless dragon (
Tympanocryptis pinguicolla), not
seen since 1969, has been found in grasslands west of Melbourne. No need to
fear this dragon, though; these lizards are just 15cm long fully grown.
The dragon is Australia’s most imperilled scaled reptile. This is an
extraordinary second chance. The rediscovery of a species thought to be extinct
inspires hope of finding other lost treasures like the Tassie tiger.
But rediscovery only happens because a species has become so scarce it has
eluded even the experts who know best where to look. To save it from
extinction, three things must happen quickly:
1. intensive care – create a conservation breeding population, manage its
remaining genetic diversity, and breed enough individuals to return to the wild
2. within the species’ range, protect habitats of the size, quality and
quantity needed to support self-sustaining populations
3. restore and manage these habitats, reduce threats, reintroduce the dragons
and monitor outcomes to ensure the species’ long-term viability."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
