BY DAKOTA TAIT
A legless lizard found in the Hunter Valley has been identified as a brand new species.
The Hunter Valley Delma, discovered in 2012, was originally believed to be a new population of the Striped Delma.
But scientists at the Australian Museum, noticing the species had barred lips and wasn't as strongly striped, conducted genetic testing and confirmed the local lizard was a new species.
It's the first species of legless lizard endemic to New South Wales, but it's believed it could have evaded researchers for so long because it usually lives in burrows and under grass tussocks, and avoids contact with humans.
Scientists say the species is likely to be threatened, due to development, mining, and agriculture across the Hunter Valley.
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| Image credit: Australian Museum. |
