Species Tympanocryptis lineata Peters, 1863
Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon
- Tympanocryptis lineata Peters, W. 1863. Übersicht der von Hrn. Richard Schomburgk an das zoologische Museum eingesandten Amphibien, aus Buchsfelde bei Adelaide in Südaustralien. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1863: 228-236 [1864 on title page] [230].
Type data:
Lectotype ZMB 740, 'New Holland' [vicinity of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory].Subsequent designation references:
Melville, J., Chaplin, K., Hutchinson, M., Sumner, J., Gruber, B., MacDonald, A.J. & Sarre, S.D. 2019. Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia. Royal Society Open Science 6: 190233. - Tympanocryptis telecom Wells, R.W. & Wellington, C.R. 1985. A classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia. Australian Journal of Herpetology Supplementary Series 1: 1-61 [Date published September, 1985] [20] [nomen nudum].
Type data:
Holotype ANWC not specified (holotype 'an adult specimen in the Australian National Wildlife Collection … Canberra'), Black Mountain, Canberra, ACT.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Cogger, H.G., in Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E. & Cogger, H.M. 1983. Amphibia and Reptilia. 313 pp. in Walton, D.W. (ed.). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1 vi + 313 pp. [124]
Miscellaneous Literature Names
- Tympanocryptis pinguicolla Mitchell, 1948 [a misidentification]. —
Cogger, H.G. 2014. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO publishing 7th edition, pp. xxx+1033. [759] (in part)
Introduction
In a revision of the Tympanocryptis species from south-eastern Australia, Melville et al. (2019) determined that the lectotype of T. lineata applies to Canberra populations which were previously treated as one of four disjunct populations of T. pinguicolla. The remaining three populations were found to be distinct species, with the name T. pinguicolla applied the population in southern VIC.
The previous, much larger distribution of T. lineata was based on a nomenclatural error where the lectotype was erroneously given a collection location of Buchfelde [Loos], SA. Melville et al. (2019) demonstrate that this cannot be the correct location and provide compelling evidence for a collection location in southern NSW or the ACT. See Melville et al. (2019) for further details on both of these issues.
Distribution
States
Australian Capital Territory
Extra Distribution Information
Restricted to the ACT, see Introduction for further details.
Australian Endemic.
IBRA
ACT: South Eastern Highlands (SEH)
Distribution References
Ecological Descriptors
Desert, diurnal, hummock grassland, low open shrubland, low open woodland, low shrubland, low woodland, open scrub, oviparous, tall shrubland, terrestrial, tussock grassland, woodland.
General References
Melville, J., Chaplin, K., Hutchinson, M., Sumner, J., Gruber, B., MacDonald, A.J. & Sarre, S.D. 2019. Taxonomy and conservation of grassland earless dragons: new species and an assessment of the first possible extinction of a reptile on mainland Australia. Royal Society Open Science 6: 190233
Mitchell, F.J. 1948. A revision of the lacertilian genus Tympanocryptis. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 9: 57-86 (taxonomy)
Storr, G.M. 1964. The agamid lizards of the genus Tympanocryptis in Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 47: 43-50 (taxonomy)
Warburg, M.R. 1966. Water economy of several Australian geckos, agamids, and water skinks. Copeia 1966: 230-235
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-Sep-2023 | AGAMIDAE | 19-Sep-2023 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | AGAMIDAE | 11-Nov-2022 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | AGAMIDAE | 05-Jul-2019 | MODIFIED | |
| 07-Feb-2024 | 16-Aug-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 08-Mar-2011 | 08-Mar-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |