Bronze-backed Snake-lizard ()

The Bronze-backed Snake-lizard (No image available)

A very rare species, the Bronzeback Snake-Lizard is a legless lizard that grows to be 10 centimeters, (4 inches), in length.  It is a rich fawn colour with darker sides and a light grey-brown belly.

The first specimen was found in 1890 in the Northern Territory but nobody had ever found another in the Northern Territory. They are traditionally found along dry creek-beds and other drainage lines in northern South Australia.  The Bronzeback Snake-Lizards live in the layers of fallen leaves on the ground and it is believed that they rarely, if ever, come out from these leaves. When they are disturbed they will hide in deep cracks in the clay underneath the leaves.

The Bronzeback Snake-Lizard feasts on roach nymphs, larvae, termites, spiders, and other insects in the evening and at night, as it is a crepuscular, (active in the evening), and nocturnal animal. At times the stomach contents of captured specimens have revealed parts of prey suggesting that the Bronzeback Snake-Lizard does not grab hold of its prey very well when hunting.

It is believed that the Bronzeback Snake-Lizard mates sometime just after August and the female lays eggs by Mid-January. It is not apparent how long the eggs must incubate for but it appears that two eggs are laid together.

At times Bronzeback Snake-Lizards have been observed at very high population densities, up to six animals being found per square meter, (10 square feet), in 1978, but it is believed that this is a rare occurance.  What is not so rare is for the Bronzeback Snake-Lizards to lose their tails. Only four of fourty-seven adults collected at one site had their tails intact

Further Information on the Bronze-backed Snake-lizard:

Bibliography:

http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1630
http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/threatened/pdf/bronzeback_dd.pdf