Collared delma: Difference between revisions
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== Physical appearance == |
== Physical appearance == |
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The colour/complexion of the Collared Delma changes between it's tail, body and head, having a "bluish/grey tinge", with its body being brown while its head is black with cream/yellow ringed interspaces.<ref name="Endangered Species" /> These cream coloured rings are a distinctive feature of the Collared Delma and usually have one around its head and two to three rings around it's neck.<ref name="Endangered Species" /> In terms of size, the [[snout-vent length]] of a Collared Delma can range from 50mm to about 70mm, with its tail length can range from 103mm to 126mm and having an average weight of around 1.36kg.<ref name="Description">{{cite book |
The colour/complexion of the Collared Delma changes between it's tail, body and head, having a "bluish/grey tinge", with its body being brown while its head is black with cream/yellow ringed interspaces.<ref name="Endangered Species" /> These cream coloured rings are a distinctive feature of the Collared Delma and usually have one around its head and two to three rings around it's neck.<ref name="Endangered Species" /> In terms of size, the [[snout-vent length]] of a Collared Delma can range from 50mm to about 70mm, with its tail length can range from 103mm to 126mm and having an average weight of around 1.36kg.<ref name="Description">{{cite book|last1=Cogger |first1=Harold |title=Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia |page=399 |edition=7th}}</ref> |
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=== Scales === |
=== Scales === |
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==== Habitat loss, disturbance and modification ==== |
==== Habitat loss, disturbance and modification ==== |
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The disturbance and modification to the Collared Delma due to agricultural expansion and urbanisation has posed a threat to the Collared Delma at both a regional and Local level.<ref name="conservation" |
The disturbance and modification to the Collared Delma due to agricultural expansion and urbanisation has posed a threat to the Collared Delma at both a regional and Local level.<ref name="conservation" /> Actions taken by regional and local governments include the monitoring and protection of areas of high occurrence of Collared Delma. Furthermore road measures such as ensuring road widening has no disturbance in its environment as well as Restricting road routes to the public to reduce human disturbance.<ref name="conservation" /> Governments have also discouraged the public removal of rocks in potential areas of habitat.<ref name="Endangered Species">{{cite journal |title=Queensland's Threatened Animals |author1=Lee.L Curtis |journal=CSIRO Publishing |year=2014 |pages=218}}</ref> |
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==== Fires ==== |
==== Fires ==== |
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The overall Queensland government's fire restrictions at both a regional and local level are to preserve the habitat of all animals in the areas including the Collared Delma.<ref name="conservation" |
The overall Queensland government's fire restrictions at both a regional and local level are to preserve the habitat of all animals in the areas including the Collared Delma.<ref name="conservation" /> |
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==== Invasive weeds ==== |
==== Invasive weeds ==== |
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Revision as of 10:49, 27 April 2021
| Collared delma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Pygopodidae |
| Genus: | Delma |
| Species: | D. torquata
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| Binomial name | |
| Delma torquata Kluge, 1974
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The collared delma or adorned delma (Delma torquata) is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. The Delma Torquata being a legless lizard commonly gets confused for a snake, however have easy to recognize differences such as not having a forked tongue or external ears.
Physical appearance
The colour/complexion of the Collared Delma changes between it's tail, body and head, having a "bluish/grey tinge", with its body being brown while its head is black with cream/yellow ringed interspaces.[2] These cream coloured rings are a distinctive feature of the Collared Delma and usually have one around its head and two to three rings around it's neck.[2] In terms of size, the snout-vent length of a Collared Delma can range from 50mm to about 70mm, with its tail length can range from 103mm to 126mm and having an average weight of around 1.36kg.[3]
Scales
Like all lizards from the Pygopodidae family, the Collared Delma has over lapping body scales, with the Collared Delma having body scales in rows of 16.
taxonomy
Discovery and naming
Etymology
Distribution & habitat
Distribution
The Collared Delma is mostly located in the areas of south-east Queensland[3] but however they have been recorded to also have a population within Northern New South Wales.[4] Due to the vulnerability of the Collared Delma, its distribution across Queensland is highly fragmented and only found in specific areas of south-east Queensland; these fragmented habitats are extremely restricted and span only an area to approximately 100m x 100m. This fragmentation of the Collared Delma can be divided into two areas based on phylogeographical changes, costal and inland.[5] These areas include The Bunya Mountains, Blackdown Tablelands National Park, Expedition National Park, Western Creek, near Millmerran and Toowoomba Range.[4] There have also been recorded large concentrations of the Collared Delma located in Western Brisbane suburbs, which include Kenmore, Pinjarra Hills, Anstead, Mt Crosby, Lake Manchester, Lake Manchester and Karana Downs.[4]
Habitat
Within the Queensland region, The collared Delma are mainly inhabitants of eucalyptic and acacia heave woodlands and open forests. They have been found to prefer inhabiting west facing ridge-lines, within the midstory area of open forests under a layer of fallen leaves and loose rock.[4]
Canopy
The species of canopy the Collared Delma reside under also differ based on different area of its distribution. Within the Eastern areas of its distribution, the species of canopy that the Collared Delma inhabit are Silver-leaved Ironbark, Moreton Bay Ash, Gum Top Box, Tallowwood and Queensland Blue Gum. In the areas west of Brisbane, the canopy comprises Red Ash and different wattles such as Brisbane Wattle and the Hickory Wattle.[4]
Grass & soil
There is no specific type of soil the Collared Delma reside in, they have been found to inhabit, sandy loams, grey and black cracking clays, stony lithsols and basalt derived Podzolics. The stony lithsol soil type were mainly abundant in Mt Crosby and Moggill State Forest sites and the Pinjarra Hills and Anstead areas consisted of podzolic soil and basalt rocks.[4]
The soil is usually covered grasses such as Kangaroo Grass, Barved-wire Grass, Wiregrass and Lomandra.[4]
Microhabitat
The microhabitat of a Collared Delma usually consists of longs, rocks, bark and other woody debris. The leaf litter they are reside in usually range from 30 to 100 mm thick.[3]
Ecology & behaviour
Breeding/reproduction
The Collared Delma like all lizards from the Pygopodidae family have a breeding season in the Australian summer, producing two eggs during December which hatch late February to early March.[4]
Diet
The Collared Delma is purely an insectivorous, feeding small cockroaches and spiders. They are diurnal creatures, actively foraging during the day and has only been observed to forage in isolation.
Conservation
Endangered species
Under both the Environment Projection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as well as the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992; the Collared Delma is listed as vulnerable.[2] There have been no documented studies specifically on the dramatic decline in the population size of the Collared Delma. However, based on the scarcity of its sightings as well as its fragmented distribution has made its population vulnerable to local pressures.[6] This include land clearing and urbanisation of its distribution, particularly in south east Queensland.[6] Other threats to the decline in the Collared Delma population include clearing of agriculture, habitat degradation, removal of rocks and ground litter, agricultural chemicals, predation by feral cats and foxes as well as weed invasion.[6]
Conservation actions
Habitat loss, disturbance and modification
The disturbance and modification to the Collared Delma due to agricultural expansion and urbanisation has posed a threat to the Collared Delma at both a regional and Local level.[7] Actions taken by regional and local governments include the monitoring and protection of areas of high occurrence of Collared Delma. Furthermore road measures such as ensuring road widening has no disturbance in its environment as well as Restricting road routes to the public to reduce human disturbance.[7] Governments have also discouraged the public removal of rocks in potential areas of habitat.[2]
Fires
The overall Queensland government's fire restrictions at both a regional and local level are to preserve the habitat of all animals in the areas including the Collared Delma.[7]
Invasive weeds
Public encouragement in the identification and removal of weeds in their local area, such as the Dwarf Lantana will help reduce its threat to the Collared Delma.[7]
References
- ^ Sanderson, C.; Wilson, S.; Venz, M.; Hobson, R. (2018). "Delma torquata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d Lee.L Curtis (2014). "Queensland's Threatened Animals". CSIRO Publishing: 218.
- ^ a b c Cogger, Harold. Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia (7th ed.). p. 399. Cite error: The named reference "Description" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Delma torquata - Adorned Delma, Collared Delma". Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Wilmer, Jessica Worthington; Amey, Andrew; Mcdougall, Carmel; Venz, Melaine; Peck, Stephen; Oliver, Paul (March 2020). "Comparative mitochondrial phylogeography of two legless lizards (Pygopodidae) from Queensland's fragmented woodlands". Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution. 66 (3–4): 142–150.
- ^ a b c "Landholders help protect the threatened Collared Delma". No. 4. Land for Wildlife South East Queensland. October 2010.
- ^ a b c d Approved Conservation Advice for Delma torquata (collared Delma). Enviornment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. 3 July 2008. pp. 142–150.
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