Photos courtesy of AFP and Bangkoko Post
Scientists recently announced the discovery of a new species of lizard fighting to survive among the sand dunes outside Perth in Western Australia.
Read the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about this interesting discovery.
Scientists fear that the newly-discovered Ctenotus ora, or coastal plains skink, will soon be extinct, with urban sprawl rapidly closing in on its habitat.
EXCITING FIND
The discovery was made during research on biological diversity carried out in southwestern Australia.
“The discovery of a new species is a momentous occasion in science,” Australian National University ecologist Geoffrey Kay said. Geoffrey and his colleague Scott Keogh discovered the 6 centimetre-long lizard.
“To find something as yet undetected, so close to one of the country’s largest cities, demonstrates how much we’ve still got to discover,” Geoffrey said.
UNDER THREAT
While announcing the discovery, Geoffrey also warned of the threat to the reptile.
“Although it’s a fantastic discovery, our new lizard is under serious risk of being erased just as suddenly as it appeared to us,” he said. “Only a few of these lizards have ever been found in the wild, so while we know numbers are low, we are not sure of the exact size of the population.”
DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENTS
The small stretch of sand the brown and white skink calls home is steadily being concreted by developers.
“Developments along the coastline near Perth need to consider this new lizard and potentially a large number of other species which have yet to be discovered,” Geoffrey said.
HOT HABITAT
Southwestern Australia is recognised as one of the top 25 biodiversity hot spots in the world, alongside places such as Madagascar and the tropical jungles of West Africa.
“We’ve known for a long time that the southwest has an outstanding diversity of plants, as exhibited by its stunning wildflowers,” Geoffrey said. “But now we’re seeing that the level of diversity in animals, particularly reptiles, is far greater than we had previously imagined.”
Exercises
Read the story. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Ctenotus ora was recently discovered near the city of Perth.
2. Geoffrey Kay in an economist.
3. Ctenotus ora is a mammal.
4. Geoffrey Kay is working for the Australian National University.
Vocabulary
- sand dune (n): a small hill of sand formed by the wind, near the sea or in a desert
skink (n): a family of the lizard species, usually with short legs
extinct (adj): no longer in existence
sprawl (n): a large area covered with buildings that spreads from the city to the countryside in an ugly way
biological (adj): connected with the scientific study of the live and structure of plants and animals
ecologist (n): a scientist who studies the relation of plants and living creatures to each other and to their environment
concrete (v): to cover something with concrete
biodiversity (n): the existence of a large number of different kinds of animals and plants which make a balanced environment
hot spot (n): a place where there is a lot of activity, excitement, etc.
