New lizard discovered in Australia

Ctenotus ora or coastal plains skink

Coastal plains skink — a new species of lizard discovered in Australia that researchers say is already on the decline.

The skink, named Ctenotus ora, lives in the sand dunes along Western Australia's Swan Coastal Plain, a stretch of coastline just south of Perth. A team of scientists says urban sprawl in the region has destroyed much of the little lizard’s natural habitat and is pushing it towards extinction.

"Although it’s a fantastic discovery, it's poor cause for celebration," Geoffrey Kay, of the Australian National University, said in a statement. "Our new lizard is under serious risk of being erased just as suddenly as it appeared to us. Only a few of these lizards have ever been found in the wild, so while we know numbers are low, we are not sure of the exact size of the remaining population."