The 'dragon' species that was thought to only exist in myths is one of the rarest on the planet.

Thought to have disappeared forever, this strange reptile has reappeared in Australia after half a century.

Dragons have always been associated with majesty, strength and mystery and most people think that they only appear in myths or fiction. But in fact, on earth there really exists a creature called a dragon, although its appearance is not like the dragons we often imagine.

This animal is called the 'grassland earless dragon' , the scientific name of this creature is Tympanocryptis pinguicolla (Abbreviation: T. pinguicolla ) . These are rare creatures that are called 'dragons'. This name has become more popular since they were listed as endangered, to increase public attention to a species that is on the verge of extinction.

T. pinguicolla is a wingless lizard about 15cm long that lives in low grass. Because it has no external ears, it is called the "earless dragon". Due to the severe destruction of its habitat, the last sighting of T. pinguicolla was 50 years ago.

Earless dragon Tympanocryptis pinguicolla.

Tympanocryptis has four species , including: T. lineata, T. pinguicolla, T. osbornei, and T. mccartneyi - located hundreds of kilometers apart. The earless dragon pictured is a subspecies T. pinguicolla, which was once native to Melbourne.

Previously, all four species were lumped together because they were difficult to tell apart. It was only when experts from Museums Victoria used DNA and X-ray evidence that they were identified as distinct subspecies. Because they looked so similar, it took people a long time to realize that one branch of the dragon had disappeared.

T. pinguicolla is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 2019 study suggested that T. pinguicolla may be extinct, as most of its habitat has been destroyed and the last sighting was in 1969 in the Geelong area of ​​Australia. This also makes it the first known extinct reptile on mainland Australia in modern times.

Tympanocryptis pinguicolla is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

In January 2023, ecologists Emi Arnold and Pat Monarch were at Bacchus Marsh, west of Melbourne, Australia, inspecting an artificial habitat created to protect small animals. While examining beneath one of the terracotta tiles, they discovered an earless reptile. Suspecting that their find was the extinct Victorian grassland earless dragon, the pair immediately contacted colleagues and experts in the field.

In June 2023, the rediscovery of T. pinguicolla was announced, confirming its existence after months of field research. The reptile is now part of a reintroduction program at Melbourne Zoo.

Colossal Biosciences Ltd. and Zoos Victoria, Australia then also began a conservation project in October 2023 to preserve the species, as well as sequence its genome. Zoos Victoria is now leading the effort to bring the species back from the brink of extinction and off the critically endangered species list.

Zoos Victoria has also trained a team of dogs to search for dragons at the site where T. pinguicolla was found and at other sites west of Melbourne. They hope to continue searching for more extinct individuals, as Australia has seen a much higher rate of species extinctions in recent decades than any other continent. At least 29 mammal species have disappeared due to habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change.

"We're all in shock, " said Garry Peterson, Zoos Victoria's Director of Threatened Species. " It's a career highlight to see a species that was thought to be extinct resurface. It's incredible because I'll probably never experience something like this again."