Threatened Reptiles of the Darling Downs

The cracking clay soils of the Darling Downs of southeast Queensland hosts the Endangered Condamine Earless Dragon, one of three Endangered reptiles using this same habitat. 

 

The Condamine Earless Dragon is entirely restricted to a 76 km2 area; and within this area, their presence is patchy, their population unknown, and factors that determine their presence unclear. It is likely that they require specific soil and vegetation structures that may only be maintained by specific land management practices. In particular, management practices that maintain the networks of deep cracks in the soil the dragons use when not active, and for escaping predators. More work is needed to understand the exact soil properties that support the dragons, and for better estimates of the full extent of suitable habitat, the population and conservation status.

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Our current work on Condamine earless dragon and other threatened reptiles of this region investigates the habitat structure, soil type and different detection methods for these species. We are currently trialling Conservation Detection Dogs for finding dragons, in partnership with Detection for Good. This work has been funded by the Queensland Government's Department of Environment and Science and the Hidden Vale Research Centre. 

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This work will help us better inform land management that enhances their habitat and supports the population.