November 9th 2023.
After more than 40 years of being missing, an elusive lizard species has been discovered in north-east Queensland. The discovery of the Lyon's grassland striped skink, a small brown and gold lizard with a long snake-like tail, is a major breakthrough in the conservation of the species.
The discovery of the species, officially known as Austroablepharus barrylyoni and named after renowned naturalist Barry Lyon, was made possible by a team of scientists from Queensland Museum and James Cook University. The team was tasked with locating three species of skink, and the Lyon's was a particular prize.
Dr Andrew Amey from Queensland Museum Network, who led the expedition, shared his excitement of the discovery. He said, "These lizards are all hard to find and seldom seen. It was an exciting moment to find all three skinks, but to find the Lyon’s grassland striped skink was an amazing discovery."
The other two skinks found were the limbless fine-lined slider, which is found in the Undara Volcanic National Park, and the Mount Surprise slider, which was only known from one paddock.
Associate Professor Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University, who was part of the survey team, said the rediscovery of the skink is a big step forward in its conservation. He added, "To find it again after 42 years, and at several different sites, is exciting. We now need to assess its full distribution and habitat requirements."
The purpose of the survey was to find if the species still existed, and if scientists could find new populations elsewhere. Dr Amey explained why it is important to track these species. He said, "We need to know if these skinks have healthy populations or if they are declining. We can’t take effective action to protect them if we don’t know where they occur and what threats are impacting them. The only way to get this information is go and look for them."
The rediscovery of the Lyon's grassland striped skink is a major success in the conservation of the species, and a reminder of the importance of understanding our ecosystems better.
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