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Researchers in Australia have rediscover a secretive lizard with tiny leg that they thought may be nonextant after it put off sensing for more than 40 years .
A squad from the Queensland Museum and James Cook University spotted Lyon ’s grassland divest skinks ( Austroablepharus barrylyoni ) — which have n’t been seen since 1981 — at several land site near Mount Surprise in northeastern Australia , according to astatement .
The rediscovered Lyon’s grassland striped skink.
The investigator also saw two other threatened lizard : Mount Surprise Pseudemys scripta ( Lerista storri ) and limbless fine - lined sliders ( Lerista ameles ) . All three species are members of the skink phratry , known for their snake - like features and midget , sometimes non - existent , limbs .
" It was an exciting moment to find all three skinks , but to find the Lyon ’s grassland striped scincid was an awesome find , " dispatch leaderAndrew Amey , the assembling handler of amphibians and reptiles , herpetology at Queensland Museum , said in the financial statement .
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Lyon ’s grassland striped skink are very small , measuring just 2 inch ( 5 centimeters ) long from the tips of their snouts to the infrastructure of their brilliant - orange tails , accord to areportby the Australian government . short is known about the highly baffling species , but they probably track down worm in long grass and attempt shelter from the sunlight and predators in soil cracks .
Mount Surprise slider have small stumps as their back legs , while limbless finely - lined sliders do n’t have any legs at all . The sliders ' reduced limbs enable them to " essentially float through the soil , " Amey said .
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All three lizard have tiny dispersion in the Mount Surprise area , which means they are specially vulnerable to disturbances such as bushfires , droughts and disease . Having found these creatures still exist , the researchers want to learn more about the scincid lizard populations to avail protect them , according to the command .
" We need to know if these scincid lizard have healthy populations or if they are declining , " Amey say . " We ca n’t take in force natural process to protect them if we do n’t cognise where they go on and what threats are impact them , " he added .
" The only path to get this information is go and see for them . "
