This fact sheet summarises background

information about the Hooded Scaly-

foot (Pygopus schraderi).

Description

The Hooded Scaly-foot is a large, legless

lizard that can grow to lengths of up to

475 mm. Females tend to grow larger

than males.

The markings on these lizards range from

pale grey to reddish-brown on the upper

body, with a whitish colour underneath.

The upper body often has dark-edges

that form a net-like pattern, or pale and

dark scales that form vague lines. The

Above: Hooded Scaly-foot seen at Terrick Terrick

National Park.

Photo: Peter Robertson, Wildlife Profiles.

Left: Hooded Scaly-foot seen near Lake Ranfurly.

Photo: Peter Robertson, Wildlife Profiles.

Hooded Scaly-foot (Pygopus schraderi)

At a glance• The Hooded Scaly-foot is listed

as threatened in Victoria under

the Flora and Fauna Guarantee

Act 1988.

• It is a large, legless lizard (total

length 475 mm) with hind limbs

that are reduced to a scaly flap.

• The Hooded Scaly-foot varies

in colour from pale grey to

red-brown, with white on the

underside.

• Within Victoria, the Hooded

Scaly-foot is rarely encountered

and is known to exist at only six

sites.

lizard’s darker head gives it a ‘hooded’

appearance.

The Hooded Scaly-foot belongs to the

reptile family Pygopodidae. These legless

or flap-footed lizards differ from other

legless lizards in that their heads are

covered with enlarged, symmetrical scales

and they have smooth scales on the

underside of their body.

Hooded Scaly-foot can be confused with

snakes however a significant difference

is that they have broad and flat tongues,

while snakes have forked tongues.

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HOODED SCALY-FOOT SURVEY 2010

WILDLIFE PROFILES PTY LTD 11 JUNE 2010

Plate 1. Burrow occupied by Hooded Scaly-foot on public lands at Cowra Station.

From examination of Figure 6, it can be seen that the records of the Hooded Scaly-foot, all within the licensed grazing section of Cowra Station, span approximately three kilometres, and are in an area of similar vegetation, potentially habitat, of approximately 400 hectares. Because the habitat appears to be continuous, albeit somewhat variable, within this area, one may consider that the records of Hooded Scaly-foot there are likely to represent one continuous population. While similar habitat extends much further southwards and westwards, it is severely degraded, and no records of the Hooded Scaly-foot were obtained during traverses there. Plate 2 illustrates the low chenopod shrubland habitat at one site where the species was located within Cowra Station public lands during the current study.

Plate 2. Low open chenopod shrubland habitat at site of Hooded Scaly-foot record on public lands at Cowra Station, 26th February 2010. GDA94 UTM coordinates: 582426 6221583

HOODED SCALY-FOOT SURVEY 2010

WILDLIFE PROFILES PTY LTD 11 JUNE 2010

Plate 1. Burrow occupied by Hooded Scaly-foot on public lands at Cowra Station.

From examination of Figure 6, it can be seen that the records of the Hooded Scaly-foot, all within the licensed grazing section of Cowra Station, span approximately three kilometres, and are in an area of similar vegetation, potentially habitat, of approximately 400 hectares. Because the habitat appears to be continuous, albeit somewhat variable, within this area, one may consider that the records of Hooded Scaly-foot there are likely to represent one continuous population. While similar habitat extends much further southwards and westwards, it is severely degraded, and no records of the Hooded Scaly-foot were obtained during traverses there. Plate 2 illustrates the low chenopod shrubland habitat at one site where the species was located within Cowra Station public lands during the current study.

Plate 2. Low open chenopod shrubland habitat at site of Hooded Scaly-foot record on public lands at Cowra Station, 26th February 2010. GDA94 UTM coordinates: 582426 6221583

Habitat

The Hooded Scaly-foot is found across

mainland Australia. Within northern

Victoria it lives on red clay and clay-

loam soils with chenopod shrubland

and native grassland vegetation. It

uses debris and grass to shelter under,

as well as large burrows from other

animals and cracks in the soil. The

Hooded Scaly-foot is known to live in

five main areas in Victoria including

Terrick Terrick National Park, Korrack

Korrack grasslands and areas west

of Mildura such as Lake Ranfurly and

Ned’s Corner Station.

Ecology

Not a lot is known about the ecology

of the Hooded Scaly-foot, however

we do know it mainly eats insects and

spiders. Research has shown that

the species is mostly active at night,

however populations living in the

southern parts of the state may also

be active during the day. The species

is thought to be inactive during the

winter.

Like most legless lizards, the Hooded

Scaly-foot lays a clutch of two eggs once

a year. Pregnant females have been

reported in January and February.

A matter of survival

The Hooded Scaly-foot is listed as

‘Threatened’ under the Flora and Fauna

Guarantee Act 1988 and is classified as

‘Critically Endangered’ in Victoria under

the Department of Sustainability and

Environment advisory list of threatened

fauna. A number of threats to the Hooded

Scaly-foot have been identified and

include:

• Grazing and firewood collection

destroying habitat values;

• Cultivation and trampling destroying soil

and vegetation structure;

• Weed invasion modifying vegetation

structure;

• Altered and inappropriate fire regimes;

• Predation from foxes and feral cats.

How can you help?

The Mallee CMA encourages the public to

help the Hooded Scaly-foot by:

• Controlling pest plants to prevent weed

invasion in known habitat;

• Controlling pest animals such as foxes,

feral cats, and rabbits;

• Minimising soil disturbance by staying

on existing tracks and roads;

• Reducing the impact of grazing by

fencing off patches of vegetation;

• Retaining fallen branches, leaf litter and

twigs from the environment;

• Reducing the use of insecticides in

Hooded Scaly-foot sensitive areas.

Find out more

The Mallee CMA has undertaken a

number of monitoring based projects

to help address knowledge gaps for the

Hooded Scaly-foot. To find out further

information on these projects please

contact the Mallee CMA on 03 5051 4377

or refer to the Technical Bulletins available

on the Mallee CMA website at

www.malleecma.vic.gov.au

Above: Low open chenopod shrubland habitat. Photo: Peter Robertson, Wildlife Profiles.

Above: Burrow occupied by Hooded Scaly-foot on

public lands west of Mildura.

Photo: Peter Robertson, Wildlife Profiles.

Project PartnersPublished February 2011

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