Dr Lisa Doucette: 'The Grassland Earless Dragon: Canberra's most endangered reptile'

The Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympano cryptispinguicolla) is an endangered species that has experienced both gradual long-term and dramatic short-term declines in both its range and population size. Currently fragmented populations exist only in the native grasslands of the ACT and the nearby Southern Tablelands of NSW. Lisa will discuss issues relating to the decline of this local species and describe the delights and dilemmas of establishing a breeding colony of Tympano cryptispinguicolla at the University of Canberra.

Dr Lisa Doucette is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Applied Biology, University of Canberra.  Her research focuses on the behavioural ecology and thermal physiology of native Australian wildlife and the ability of species to adapt to diverse habitats and changing environments. Lisa’s work at UC specifically focuses on the potential effects of climate change, including the impacts of longer and more severe droughts, on the survival of Australian reptiles. In particular, she is examining the factors leading to the decline of the Endangered Earless Dragon (Tympano cryptispinguicolla) in the ACT and surrounding areas.