''Tympanocryptis houstoni'', also known as Houston's earless dragon or Nullarbor earless dragon, is one of a documented species of a relatively small dragon belonging to the genus ''

Tympanocryptis ''Tympanocryptis'' is a genus of Australian lizards in the family Agamidae commonly known as earless dragons. Description The genus ''Tympanocryptis'' has the following characters. The tympanum is hidden (hence the common name earless dragon). ...

''.

Habitat

This terrestrial species is found in the low, arid

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It m ...

s, and saltbush and bluebush flatlands of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. It occupies chenopod shrublands on clay soils of the Nullarbor Plain.

Description

Snout-to-vent length is 6 cm on average.

Etymology

Tympanocryptis: 'hidden ear' Houstoni: Presumably named after T.E. Houston, author of Dragon lizards and Goannas of South Australia and the first to recognise the distinctiveness of this taxon.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16602095 Reptiles described in 1982 housoni Taxa named by Glen Milton Storr