''Paradelma orientalis'', commonly known as the Brigalow scaly-foot or Queensland snake-lizard, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of legless

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...

in the family

Pygopodidae Pygopodidae, commonly known as legless lizards, snake-lizards, or flap-footed lizards, is a family of squamates with reduced or absent limbs, and are a type of gecko. At least 35 species are placed in two subfamilies and eight genera. They have u ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found 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 found els ...

to Australia and is the only species in the monotypic

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

''Paradelma''. Cogger, H.G. (2018). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Updated Seventh Edition''. Clayton South VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. 1060 pp. (''Paradelma orientalis'', p. 402). As a member of the family Pygopodidae, ''Paradelma orientalis'' is a

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

-like lizard with an elongated tail and no visible limbs apart from a pair of flaps equivalent to the hindlimbs of other lizards. Its body is dark brownish or greyish, with 18-20 rows of glossy scales and a subtle pale sheen. A patch of creamy coloration is present at the back of the head, followed by a black bar. Head scales are large and essentially symmetrical, and the two rows of

ventral scales In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that conta ...

are wide and smooth. The

nasal scales In reptiles, the nasal scale refers to the scale that encloses the nostril.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . Sometimes this ...

contact each other and a large ear hole is visible near the back of the head. Four preanal pores are present. The snout-vent length (to the base of the tail) is 16 cm (6.3 inches). The species is restricted to dry woodlands and rocky escarpments in the

Brigalow Belt The Brigalow Belt is a wide band of acacia-wooded grassland that runs between tropical rainforest of the coast and the semi-arid interior of Queensland, Australia. The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA) divides the Br ...

region of southeastern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. It is unusual among pygopodids in several respects. It is a

nocturnal Nocturnality is an ethology, animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have ...

species which is typically found sheltering under rocks and fallen logs during the day. ''P. orientalis'' derive most of their food from the nutrient-rich

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...

of ''

Acacia falciformis ''Acacia falciformis'', also commonly known as broad-leaved hickory, hickory wattle, mountain hickory, large-leaf wattle, tanning wattle and black wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus ''Acacia'' and the subgenus ''Phyllodineae'' that is ende ...

'' trees, which they access by climbing up the rough bark on the trunks of the trees. Their diet also includes small

arthropods Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chitin, oft ...

. They are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), a ...

with a clutch size of two eggs. ''Paradelma orientalis'' is rated as

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. Th ...

by the IUCN, as it is fairly common and widely distributed among suitable habitat. However, the Brigalow Belt

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

has been heavily modified by cattle grazing, agricultural development, and wildfires, as well as invasive species such as cats, pigs, and foxes. The species may be experiencing slow population decline as a result of these threats, and may have been much more abundant before the arrival of Europeans. ''P. orientalis'' was previously rated as

Vulnerable Vulnerable may refer to: General * Vulnerability * Vulnerability (computing) * Vulnerable adult * Vulnerable species Music Albums * ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997 * ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003 * ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...

by the

EPBC Act The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...

until 2013, and by the IUCN until 2018. Its status was only downgraded once wider sampling established that it occurred in a larger area than previously suspected.

References

Pygopodids of Australia Paradelma Vulnerable fauna of Australia Reptiles described in 1876 Taxa named by Albert Günther Endemic fauna of Australia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Gecko-stub