A
new species of lizard has been discovered in Western Australia, but we
may have found it just in time to witness its extinction.
Ctenotus ora, or the coastal plains skink, measures around six
centimetres long and is found just south of Perth (in the southwest of
Australia). But due to urban expansion, its habitat is slowly being
concreted and the species may disappear. Australia's southwest is
known
to be a biodiversity hotspot, in plant life and now in animal life.
Expansion would likely kill species we haven't even discovered yet.
"Although it’s a fantastic discovery, it's poor cause for celebration,"
Geoffrey Kay (Australian National University) said in a statement. "Our
new lizard is under serious risk of being erased just as suddenly as it
appeared to us. Only a few of these lizards have ever been found in the
wild, so while we know numbers are low, we are not sure of the exact
size of the remaining population."
"To find something as yet
undetected, so close to one of the country's largest cities,
demonstrates how much we've still got to discover."
Photo credit: Brad Maryan/AFP/Getty Images.
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.sci-news.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
A
new species of lizard has been discovered in Western Australia, but we
may have found it just in time to witness its extinction.
Ctenotus ora, or the coastal plains skink, measures around six centimetres long and is found just south of Perth (in the southwest of Australia). But due to urban expansion, its habitat is slowly being concreted and the species may disappear. Australia's southwest is
Ctenotus ora, or the coastal plains skink, measures around six centimetres long and is found just south of Perth (in the southwest of Australia). But due to urban expansion, its habitat is slowly being concreted and the species may disappear. Australia's southwest is
known
to be a biodiversity hotspot, in plant life and now in animal life.
Expansion would likely kill species we haven't even discovered yet.
"Although it’s a fantastic discovery, it's poor cause for celebration," Geoffrey Kay (Australian National University) said in a statement. "Our new lizard is under serious risk of being erased just as suddenly as it appeared to us. Only a few of these lizards have ever been found in the wild, so while we know numbers are low, we are not sure of the exact size of the remaining population."
"To find something as yet undetected, so close to one of the country's largest cities, demonstrates how much we've still got to discover."
Photo credit: Brad Maryan/AFP/Getty Images.
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.sci-news.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
"Although it’s a fantastic discovery, it's poor cause for celebration," Geoffrey Kay (Australian National University) said in a statement. "Our new lizard is under serious risk of being erased just as suddenly as it appeared to us. Only a few of these lizards have ever been found in the wild, so while we know numbers are low, we are not sure of the exact size of the remaining population."
"To find something as yet undetected, so close to one of the country's largest cities, demonstrates how much we've still got to discover."
Photo credit: Brad Maryan/AFP/Getty Images.
http://www.livescience.com/
http://www.sci-news.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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