Clay burrows hoping to save little dragon from 'incredibly lethal' heat

The Canberra grassland earless dragon is a critically endangered species. ( Supplied: Blake Reeves )

You would be lucky to spot a Canberra grassland earless dragon at the best of times, with an estimated 100 or fewer left in the wild. So saving this Canberra critter is critical.

University of Canberra PhD student Ryan Colley, who has been studying the species' genetics since 2020, said the dragons were "very hard to see" outside their burrows.

"You'll occasionally see one running around, but it's very rare," he said.

In a bid to help the tiny reptiles survive, researchers have now made their own dragon dens out of clay.

ACT Parks and Conservation dragon recovery coordinator Ben Croak said the grasslands could be brutal for an animal so small, being unable to survive temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.

Ben Croak says the summer heat in the grasslands can be lethal to the species. ( ABC News: Simon Beardsell )

"The grasslands get incredibly hot in summer," Dr Croak said.

Copyright for this text belongs to ABC Australia.