We are managing a $1m project to protect these tiny lizards. This 6-year project, which is jointly funded by Googong Township and the NSW Government Saving Our Species Fund, will support an extensive conservation program.

Meet the pink-tailed worm lizard

Pink-tailed worm lizards (Aprasia parapulchella) are one of Australia’s tiniest and most mysterious reptiles.

They spend much of their lives underground in ant nests, where they feed on ant eggs and larvae.

Females generally lay 2 eggs in a clutch a year, and hatchlings can take up to four years to reach maturity.

Adults can grow up to 24 cm long. They have a dark head, grey-brown body, and a pinkish tail that they can drop to escape predators and then re-grow.

Pink-tailed worm lizards are legless, so they are easy to confuse with baby snakes. Please don’t handle them!

If you do see a pink-tailed worm lizard, please get a photo and log details of your sighting with us, or with a citizen science website like the Canberra Nature Map (canberra.naturemapr.org).