While helping out at "Clean Up Australia" in Moulton Wetland today, I saw a beautiful pygopod - Burton's Legless Lizard (Lialis burtonis). These lovely creatures look a bit like long sleek skinks without legs, and are usually colourful and have stripes and spots. Their heads are very elongated with a pointed snout, often with white stripes along the jaws. I have seen light rust-orange animals, and grey animals with longitudinal black stripes, and plain grey, and light brown.
If you've never seen one before, please check out these website links to see pictures -
The little animal I saw was sunning itself on a patch of sand amongst Melaleucas. Most times when I see a pygopod, they are quick to move under a shrub to hide. This one didn't, it just lay there! I stooped down to have a closer look at it, wondering if it was sick or asleep, but no, it was alive and alert, looking at me. It even let me gently stroke its tail. I wish I'd had a camera with me.
It makes me sad to think that sometimes these animals are mistaken for snakes, and needlessly killed.
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