Diporiphora winneckei

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Diporiphora winneckei, commonly known as the canegrass dragon, is a small, ground-dwelling lizard native to Australia. It lives in arid areas with less than 500 mm of rain and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Description
The canegrass dragon grows to about 15–24 cm long. It is grey or pale brown to reddish-brown, with a thick grey band along the belly from neck to tail. Each side has a creamy-yellow (female) or silver-grey (male) stripe that runs down the back and meets near the pelvis. Females have some dark blotches between the stripe and the ventral band; males have few or no blotches. A creamy stripe also runs from eye to ear on each side. Its scales are smooth, and it lacks spines or crests. Despite the name, the two visible pores suggested by its scientific name are not visible on this species.

Taxonomy and name
The species was first described in 1896 by Arthur Henry Shakespeare Lucas and Charles Frost. The name winneckei honors Australian explorer Charles Winnecke. The canegrass dragon is closely related to Amelia’s dragon (Diporiphora ameliae), which was split from it as a separate species in 2012. Amelia’s dragon has four ventral stripes and spines, unlike the canegrass dragon.

Habitat and range
Diporiphora winneckei is found mainly where the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia meet, with additional habitat along the northern coast of Western Australia. It prefers desert sand ridges and sandy soils, living among ground litter, cane grass, spinifex, or hummock grasses. It is highly camouflaged and secretive, so it is rarely seen despite not being rare.

Life history
The canegrass dragon reaches sexual maturity at about one year old. It is diurnal (active during the day) and insectivorous, though it will occasionally eat leafy greens or flowers. Breeding occurs from October to April. During courtship, the male performs head bobs to attract a mate; if the female is receptive, she lowers her head. Females can lay four to six clutches per season, with one to three eggs per clutch, in moist sandy soil. Eggs hatch after roughly two to three weeks.

Conservation
Although not currently threatened, the canegrass dragon faces the same risks as many Australian reptiles, including disease, vehicle collisions, habitat modification or loss, and predators such as foxes, dogs, cats, and cane toads.