Focus on Flora and Fauna
(Photo: Steve Wilson)
This is not a snake, but a small legless lizard known as a Collared Delma (Delma
torquate). It is quite rare, and is classed as “vulnerable” under Queensland and Australian
legislation. It grows to around 15 cm in length, and is found in suitable habitats in the
Burnett Mary region. It shelters under rocks, logs. leaf litter and cracks in the soil, feeding on
native cockroaches, other insects and spiders.
This lizard is particularly prone to habitat disturbance, as it tends to stay
in very small areas, often using the same rock for shelter. Landowners who want to help protect this rare lizard can avoid ploughing remnant
native grassland, ensure grazing practices maintain more than 70% of ground cover,
use cool burns in a mosaic pattern than promotes patchiness and leave piles of
fallen timber unburnt.
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