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Hermite Island Worm-lizard
Aprasia rostrata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyPygopodidae (Legless Geckos)
- GenusAprasia (Worm-Lizards)
- SpeciesAprasia rostrata (Hermite Island Worm-lizard)
About the Hermite Island Worm-lizard
Aprasia rostrata, also known as the Hermite Island worm-lizard or Exmouth worm-lizard, is a species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to the Montebello Islands, Australia. Two specimens of A. rostrata were collected from the Montebello Islands in 1952, before the Operation Hurricane nuclear test. Subsequent surveys decades later failed to find more specimens, and concerns were raised that the lizard's geographic restriction meant it was vulnerable and likely to become extinct. They were not successfully located again until 2006, when four individual specimens were collected from under Acacia coriacea stumps with live ant colonies. The survey demonstrated that A. rostrata is not extinct despite the nuclear test and introduction of other species to the islands, such as black rats. In 2007, the "rediscovery" was published in The Western Australian Naturalist. Wikipedia →
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.