Rankinia
Encyclopedia
Rankinia, commonly known as Heath Dragons, is a genus containing three species of small agamid reptiles, found in Australia
.
These dragon
s occur in heathlands, sandplains, and wooded country in southern regions of Australia
. They are pale in colour, usually grey-brown, although males develop a reddish hue in the breeding season. This allows them to blend with their habitat, they are a ground dwelling species that dwells amid the leaf litter and sand. Rankinia are timid in their behaviour, and will only briefly break from the cover of vegetation. They have a burrowing behaviour that is unique in Australian dragons, they will cover all but their snouts with a shuffling action, burying themselves in the sand. this behaviour may help the dragons to regulate their temperature.
Many of the subspecies are restricted to a small range. Their distribution in Southwest Australia is represented by two subspecies
of Rankinia adelaidensis; one at the western coast, another along the southeast coast of the region. A third subspecies, Rankinia parviceps butleri is found in a small range near Shark Bay
and Dirk Hartog Island
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
These dragon
Dragon (disambiguation)
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits.Dragon may also refer to:-Literature:* Dragon , a 1990 adventure novel by Clive Cussler...
s occur in heathlands, sandplains, and wooded country in southern regions of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They are pale in colour, usually grey-brown, although males develop a reddish hue in the breeding season. This allows them to blend with their habitat, they are a ground dwelling species that dwells amid the leaf litter and sand. Rankinia are timid in their behaviour, and will only briefly break from the cover of vegetation. They have a burrowing behaviour that is unique in Australian dragons, they will cover all but their snouts with a shuffling action, burying themselves in the sand. this behaviour may help the dragons to regulate their temperature.
Species
Three species are contained by the genus, and subspecies of these have also been described and published.- Rankinia adelaidensisRankinia adelaidensisRankinia adelaidensis is a species of Heath Dragon, small Agamid reptiles, occurring in southern regions of Australia.These dragons are pale in colour, usually grey-brown, although males develop a reddish hue in the breeding season. They are timid in their behaviour, and will only briefly break...
(Gray, 1841) – Western Heath Dragon, Eastern Heath Dragon - Rankinia diemensis (Gray, 1841) – Mountain Heath Dragon, Mountain Dragon
- Rankinia parviceps (Storr, 1964) – Shark Bay Heath Dragon
Many of the subspecies are restricted to a small range. Their distribution in Southwest Australia is represented by two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of Rankinia adelaidensis; one at the western coast, another along the southeast coast of the region. A third subspecies, Rankinia parviceps butleri is found in a small range near Shark Bay
Shark Bay, Western Australia
Shark Bay is a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia. It is an area centred approximately on , 800 kilometres north of Perth, on the westernmost point of Australia. An expedition led by Dirk Hartog happened upon the area in 1616, becoming the second group of Europeans...
and Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island is an island off the Gascoyne coast of Western Australia, within the Shark Bay World Heritage Area. It is about 80 kilometres long and between 3 and 15 kilometres wide and is Western Australia's largest and most western island. It covers an area of 620 square kilometres and is...
.