''Diporiphora nobbi'', also known commonly as the nobbi lashtail or the nobbi, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Agamidae Agamidae is a family containing 582 species in 64 genera of iguanian lizards indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few locations in Southern Europe. Many species are commonly called dragons or dragon lizards. Overview Phylogenetically ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Ecology

The Nobbi Dragon, Diporiphora nobbi, is a lizard species endemic to Northern and Eastern Australia. A part of the family Agamidae which is commonly known as the Dragon Family. The Nobbi Dragon reaches lengths of 20 cm long from the snout to tail, with specific colourations of browns and blacks with two distinct strips running horizontally along its back beginning at the head and finishing at the end of the tail on either side of the spine. The Nobbi Dragon can also be identified as having less than 20 dorsal scale rows at the level of the axilla deferring from other diporiphora species. They reside near and in shrubbery of tree trunks, in arid shrublands, savannas and forests, running on their hind legs when threatened. The Nobbi Dragon is a part of the Diporiphora genus which has 21 species which is distinct from other Agamidae species due to their climbing ability and morphological attributes. Like other reptiles the Nobbi Dragon reproduces sexual and is a oviparous animal laying eggs and embryo's developing inside the eggs. The Nobbi Dragon is a Carnivore that primarily consumes insects and other small invertebrates. They hunt by waiting in an ambush position for their prey, then lashing out, grabbing their prey with their mouths at speed, when within striking distance.

Distribution

''D. nobbi'' is found in the Australian states of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. This range extends predominantly from the Northern Queensland down along the central and eastern regions through to New South Wales, down and west to North-western Victoria and South-eastern South Australia. With Small Patches identified in the North end of the Northern Territory The preferred natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s of ''D. nobbi'' are

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, and

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

. The Nobbi Dragon is distributed across a variety of environments and ecosystems in Australia, from rainforests, dry woodlands, coastal swamplands and vegetation, cool temperate forests and uplands, and dry mallee and spinifex woodlands. This wide distribution has contributed to large amounts of variation in morphological characteristics such as size and colouration. Inside these environments the Nobbi Dragon inhabits the understory layer in dry spinifex grass as well as trunks and hollows, for food and shelter.

Conservation

The Conservation status of the Nobbi Dragon is of Least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. It has been determined that although the Nobbi Dragon is highly sensitive to habitat modification, caused directly or indirectly from humans, the species occupies a very large geographical range spanning from North-eastern to South-eastern Australia where they are determined as common as well as the species having the ability to persist in a variety of woodland and shrubland environments. Thereby from this Status there are no specific regulations, programs, or legislation protecting the Diporiphora nobbi, from direct or indirect human pressures.

Evolutionary Relationship & Traits

The Diporiphora nobbi was first described and established as a new species by Witten (1972) and describing it as a member of the Amphibolurus muricatus species groups differing from the Diporiphora sub species group and was formally named the Amphibolurus nobbi. It was later distinguished that the morphological genetic material traits present within the Nobbi species were the same as the Diporiphora and the species were combined as a singular species. Currently there are two described subspecies of the Nobbi Dragon, these are the D. n. nobbi and the D. n. phaeospinosa. The differentiation of the two subspecies within the Nobbi Dragon is attributed to the vast geographical range, variation and biogeographical barriers contributing to different populations of the Nobbi Dragon adapting and micro evolving to form slight nuance changes in their morphological traits, size, shape and colouration. An example of this is the differing colouration at the base of their tails between individual populations, with some displaying a purple, pink, or reddish colour, whereas others display bright yellow. Between the two subspecies are four differing physical traits distinguishing them. These traits are the arrangement of the postauricular spines on the side of their head behind the ear. The upper auricular spines and nuchal spine arrangement on the base of the head and neck. The paravertebral and dorsa-lateral scale keeling and regularity along the top and side of their back. The dorsa-lateral scale arrangement and keeling of their body scales. And the difference between the strength of the scale keeling and individual scale pattern composition.

Ecology

Distribution

Conservation

Evolutionary Relationship & Traits

References

Further reading