The Nearly Extinct Reptile Species That Made A Comeback

Too often when we look at the natural world, things can seem gloomy. Not only are the impacts of global warming becoming more and more obvious, we're also in the midst of an insect apocalypse that has seen the global insect population decline by 2% each year. Meanwhile, thousands of animal species are on the brink of extinction, and experts warn that a million plant and animal species could be facing extinction in the coming decades. But sometimes, such as in the case of the Victorian grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla), we humans manage to do some good. 

The Victorian grassland earless dragon was once widespread in the Australian state of Victoria. The reptile came perilously close to being wiped out, but made an incredible comeback after more than 50 years of not being seen. Rediscovered in 2023 at an undisclosed location, dozens more of the reptile have since been found, marking a truly incredible return for a species that had long been thought extinct.

The Victorian grassland earless dragon is endemic to natural temperate grasslands of southeast Australia. It has a short, rounded head with a hidden outer ear (or tympanum) that's covered in scales. This is the main feature distinguishing the Victorian grassland earless dragon from all other Australian dragons in the Agamidae family making it a truly unique lizard. The species can reach lengths of up to almost 6 inches and features a greyish-brown to red-brown coloration alongside several dark bands and blotches on its back and tail and cream-colored stripes that run down its back and sides.

The Victorian grassland earless dragon was once abundant in grasslands west of Melbourne, but during the 20th century its numbers dwindled drastically as Australian cities expanded and ecosystems underwent major changes. Due to the expansion of cities such as Melbourne, only 1% of the once plentiful grassland exists today. Invasive species such as cats (introduced to the country in the 16th century) haven't helped either, and by the 1970s the creature looked as though it might have been wiped out completely, with the last confirmed sighting occurring in 1969.

After unconfirmed sightings were reported, surveys were carried out in 1988 and 1990 but came up with nothing, and everything pointed to the Victorian grassland earless dragon being extinct. In 2019, a study published in Royal Society Open Science split the grassland earless dragon species into four, and observed that the Victorian grassland earless dragon had possibility gone extinct, though the researchers couldn't confirm that claim until all the creature's potential habitats had been explored. Still, it wasn't looking good for the species. Then, the long-suffering lizard suddenly reappeared.

By 2023, the Victorian grassland earless dragon was listed as critically endangered under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act and the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. There was a good chance it had been lost forever, but in June of 2023, surveys of the lizard's former habitats finally turned up a living example of the species. The Victorian and federal governments made the announcement, though the exact location of the discovery was kept secret at the time in order to preserve the area. We've since learned that the lizard was found on a privately owned grassland which had been a possible development site. It was a major moment that marked the first confirmed sighting of the lizard for 65 years.

That same year, the Victorian and federal governments pledged to invest $188,000 in a trial of detection dogs, which would be sent to sniff out more of the lizards. That program proved successful, with these detection dogs sniffing out more than a dozen more examples of the species in the two years since its 2023 rediscovery. Reports of how many lizards have been found vary, but according to the Colossal Foundation — which is working with Zoos Victoria to establish a breeding program — 39 wild individuals have been rediscovered. From this group, 11 breeding pairs were identified and the foundation claims to have already produced 81 dragon hatchlings. Elsewhere, an April 2025 report from The Guardian cited 13 individual Victorian grassland earless dragons as having been found since 2023.

Either way, the rediscovered lizard remains highly imperiled, but things are looking much better today for this remarkably resilient species than they have for decades.