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Mallee military dragon

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Mallee military dragon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Ctenophorus
Species:
C. fordi
Binomial name
Ctenophorus fordi
(Storr, 1965)[1]
Distribution of Ctenophorus fordi
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Amphibolurus fordi
    Storr, 1965
  • Phthanodon fordi
    — Wells & Wellington, 1985
  • Phthanodon hawkeswoodi
    Wells & Wellington, 1985
  • Ctenophorus fordi
    — Manthey & Schuster, 1999

The Mallee military dragon[3] (Ctenophorus fordi), also commonly known as the Mallee dragon and the Mallee sand-dragon,[2] is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is native to the arid parts of southern Australia.[1][3]

Etymology[edit]

The Mallee military dragon's specific name, fordi, commemorates Dr. Julian Ralph Ford (1932–1987). Dr. Ford was an ornithologist, herpetologist and chemist who worked at the Western Australian Museum. He collected the lizard holotype and many of the paratypes.[2][4]

Description[edit]

C. fordi is a small endemic Australian lizard that grows to a maximum size of 5 cm (2.0 in) snout–vent length (SVL).[5] C. fordi displays a dark reddish-orange colouration with a pale dorso-lateral stripe extending from the posterior region of the neck to the anterior portion of the tail.[5] The pale stripe is bordered by a thin, black stripe.[5] The dark orange-brown region enclosed by the pale stripe is flecked with small pale spots.[5]

Geographic range[edit]

C. fordi is found in south-eastern Western Australia, through central South Australia, and into the north-west corner of New South Wales and south-west corner of Queensland.[5][6] What were previously considered to be populations occurring in south-east South Australia, western Victoria and central New South Wales,[5] were reclassified in 2019 as a separate species; the Eastern Mallee dragon.[6]

Habitat[edit]

The main habitat type for the Mallee military dragon includes shrubs and hummock grass.[2] The Mallee dragon lives in sandy arid to semi-arid areas of Mallee woodland and spinifex, as well as vegetated sand dunes.[7][8] It prefers areas of Mallee that haven't been burnt for around 30 years, when spinifex cover is at its maximum.[9]

Behaviour[edit]

Mallee military dragons emerge from dormancy in August, males appear about four weeks earlier than females.[10] Active even on very hot days, they forage in sandy, open areas, and will dash for cover into nearby grasses or low bushes if disturbed or pursued.[11][7][10] Males are territorial.[10]

The signaling behaviour of C. fordi is composed almost exclusively of head bobs, which both males and females produce when they encounter another individual.[12]

Diet[edit]

The Mallee military dragon's diet largely consists of ants.[13][14]

Reproduction[edit]

The Mallee military dragon reproduces sexually, with an oviparous and dioecious reproduction method.[15] Mating occurs in spring. Females produces sequential clutches of two to five eggs over the reproductive season and the offspring hatch from December to March.[15] Males are not territorial and there has been no evidence of male-male aggression.[15]

Conservation actions[edit]

The species C. fordi is listed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as a species of "Least Concern".[1] The Mallee military dragon occurs in several protected areas, including the Sturt National Park in New South Wales, and the Currawinya National Park in Queensland.[3][6]

Threats[edit]

The Mallee military dragon is vulnerable to various threats.[16] These include:

  • Habitat loss from land clearing, degradation by introduced species such as cattle and rabbits, and modification caused by climate change[16]
  • Death on roads[16]
  • Predation by introduced species such as dogs, cats, pigs, and foxes[16]
  • Threats from emerging diseases[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cogger, H.; Melville, J.; Wilson, S.; Craig, M. (2017). "Ctenophorus fordi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T83410150A83453708. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T83410150A83453708.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Ctenophorus fordi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 19 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Ctenophorus fordi (Storr, 1965)". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  4. ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ctenophorus fordi, p. 92).
  5. ^ a b c d e f Garcia JRD, Dyer A (2013). "Trade-off between camouflage and sexual dimorphism revealed by UV digital imaging: the case of Australian Mallee dragons (Ctenophorus fordi)". Journal of Experimental Biology 216: 4290-4298. https://doi.org/:10.1242/jeb.094045
  6. ^ a b c Sadlier, R.A.; Colgan, D.; Beatson, C.A.; Cogger, H.G. (2019). "Ctenophorus spinodomus sp. nov., a New Species of Dragon Lizard (Squamata: Agamidae) from Triodia Mallee Habitat of Southeast Australia". Records of the Australian Museum. 71 (5): 199–215. doi:10.3853/j.2201-4349.71.2019.1700.
  7. ^ a b Swan G, Shea G, Sadlier R (2004) A Field Guide to Reptiles of New South Wales, Reed New Holland, Sydney, New South Wales, ISBN 187706906X
  8. ^ Pianka ER (1972). "Zoogeography and speciation of Australian desert lizards: an ecological perspective". Copeia. 1972 (1): 127–145. doi:10.2307/1442789. hdl:2027.42/149326. JSTOR 1442789.
  9. ^ Nimmo, D.G.; Kelly, L.T.; Spence-Bailey, L.M.; Watson, S.J.; Taylor, R.S.; Clarke, M.F.; Bennet, A.F. (2013). "Fire Mosaics and Reptile Conservation in a Fire-Prone Region". Conservation Biology. 27 (2): 345–353. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2012.01958.x. PMID 23163245.
  10. ^ a b c Swan, M., Watharow, S. (2005) Snakes, Lizards and Frogs of the Victorian Mallee, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia ISBN 0643091343
  11. ^ Wilson S, Swan G (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. ISBN 9781921517280
  12. ^ Ramos JPR (2017). "Quantifying Ecological Constraints on Motion Signaling". Ecology and Evolution 5: 1–14.
  13. ^ Cogger H (2000). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Sixth Edition. Sydney: Reed New Holland. 808 pp. ISBN 1876334339. (Ctenophorus fordi, p. 315).
  14. ^ Abensperg-Traun, Max; Steven, Dion (1997). "Ant-and termite-eating in Australian mammals and lizards: a comparison". Australian Ecology. 22 (1): 9–17. doi:10.1111/j.1442-9993.1997.tb00637.x.
  15. ^ a b c "Mallee Dragon". Encyclopedia of Life. National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Mallee military dragon". Australian Reptile Online Database. Stewart Macdonald. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

Further reading[edit]

  • Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. ISBN 9780643100350.
  • Manthey U, Schuster N (1999). Agamen, Zweite Ausgabe [= Agamas, Second Edition ]. Münster: Natur und Tier Verlag. 120 pp. (Ctenophorus fordi, new combination, p. 48). (in German).
  • Sadlier RA, Shea GM (1989). "The reptiles of Mungo National Park and the Willandra Lakes region". Herpetofauna 19 (2): 9–27.
  • Storr GM (1965). "The Amphibolurus maculatus species-group (Lacertilia: Agamidae) in Western Australia". Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 48: 45–54. (Amphibolurus fordi, new species).
  • Wells RW, Wellington CR (1985). "A Classification of the Amphibia and Reptilia of Australia". Australian Journal of Herpetology, Supplemental Series (1): 1–61. (Phthanodon fordi, new combination, p. 18; Phthanodon hawkeswoodi, new species, p. 18).


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