The Australian Earless Dragon, thought to have been extinct in the wild since 1969, has been rediscovered by two ecologists in Melbourne’s western grasslands.
This Australian dragon is critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act). Not seen since 1969, in January 2023, two ecologists found an adult male while undertaking surveys for another grassland specialist reptile in grasslands west of Melbourne. The location of the discovery cannot be disclosed due to the sensitivity of the finding, but it is hoped that remnant populations have persisted in other high-quality habitat patches nearby.
Already a Conservation Action Plan has been released by Zoos Victoria to set in motion the race against time to save these critters from the brink of extinction (Zoos Victoria, 2024).
Through collaboration with the Recovery Team and a deep dive into their published research, our team has gained invaluable insights into the appropriate field surveying techniques reccommended by the experts (Zoos Victoria, 2024). Using this research, we have tailored survey tactics to the VGED habitats by strategically deploying pitfalls and creating 200 artificial spider burrows within grids across the Victorian Plains Grasslands. These innovative measures aim to uncover the presence of these elusive creatures through advanced survey methods.
Melbourne Zoo (2019) Endangered dragons come to life at Melbourne Zoo. Image 1. https://www.zoo.org.au/melbourne/whats-on/news/endangered-dragons-come-to-life-at-melbourne-zoo/
(ECA 2023) Ecological Consultants Association Victoria. 2023. Retrieved from, http://www.ecavic.org.au.
Zoos Victoria (2024). ‘Recovery from the brink of extinction – Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon.’
Ecolink Consulting 