Grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla)

Short answers

Grassland earless dragon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×40×40 cm with dense tussocks of grass and earth tubes.

Grassland earless dragon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–30 °C (temperate grassland of Victoria), basking spot 36–42 °C, at night 10–16 °C.

Grassland earless dragon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3–4, UV index 4–6).

Grassland earless dragon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: Short-lived in the wild: many animals reach sexual maturity in their hatching year and reproduce only once; for earless dragons in general, the BML expert report states 4–7 years.

Grassland earless dragon: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–30 °C (temperate grassland of Victoria)

Night temperature

10–16 °C

Basking spot

36–42 °C

Humidity

40–60 %

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 3–4, UV index 4–6)

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×40×40 cm with dense tussocks of grass and earth tubes

Substrate

A loam floor with tussocks of grass (Themeda), flat stones and invertebrate-dug burrows as essential hides

Feeding

Food

Small insects: ants, small crickets, beetles, spiders

Feeding interval

adults every 1–2 days, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

approx. 12–15 cm total length; snout–vent length 4.5–6.2 cm

Life expectancy

Short-lived in the wild: many animals reach sexual maturity in their hatching year and reproduce only once; for earless dragons in general, the BML expert report states 4–7 years

Origin

The natural temperate grassland of Victoria (south-eastern Australia); long thought possibly extinct, and rediscovered in 2023

Protection status

Critically endangered (nationally threatened or critical); Australian native wildlife, with export strictly prohibited. NOT in the trade – it exists in captivity only within a conservation breeding programme (including Melbourne Zoo, with the first captive breeding at the end of 2023)

Brumation

A winter rest (brumation) of several weeks at about 6–12 °C is needed (a cool temperate climate)

Cohabitation

Keep them singly. Territorial; NEVER keep males together. Put them together only in controlled zoo conservation breeding.

Notes

One of Australia's most threatened reptile species, effectively only in a conservation and zoo context, with no private keeping at all. Arthropod burrows are vital to its survival. The figures are derived from field biology and the breeding programme.

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Related species

• Inland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis intima) – Expert
• Condamine earless dragon (Tympanocryptis condaminensis) – Expert
• Even-scaled earless dragon (Tympanocryptis uniformis) – Expert
• Long-tailed earless dragon (Tympanocryptis tetraporophora) – Intermediate
• Pebble-mimic dragon (Tympanocryptis cephalus) – Expert
• Fortescue earless dragon (Tympanocryptis fortescuensis) – Expert
• Lined earless dragon (Tympanocryptis lineata) – Expert
• Smooth-snouted earless dragon (Tympanocryptis parviceps) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×40×40 cm with dense tussocks of grass and earth tubes), substrate (A loam floor with tussocks of grass (Themeda), flat stones and invertebrate-dug burrows as essential hides), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.