''Tympanocryptis houstoni'', also known as Houston's earless dragon or Nullarbor earless dragon, is one of a documented species of a relatively small dragon belonging to the genus '' Tympanocryptis''.

Habitat

This terrestrial species is found in the low, arid

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 ...

s, and saltbush and bluebush flatlands of

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

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. It occupies chenopod shrublands on clay soils of the

Nullarbor Plain The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of 'no' and 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its no ...

Description

Snout-to-vent length is 6 cm on average.

Etymology

Tympanocryptis: 'hidden ear' Houstoni: Presumably named after T.E. Houston, author of Dragon lizards and Goannas of South Australia and the first to recognise the distinctiveness of this taxon.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16602095 Reptiles described in 1982 housoni Taxa named by Glen Milton Storr