From assumed barrier to proven threat: first evidence of road mortality in the Monaro grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis osbornei)

This field note documents the first confirmed case of road mortality in the endangered Monaro grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis osbornei), overturning the prevailing assumption that sealed roads function solely as movement barriers for this species. The observation demonstrates that roads can pose a direct mortality threat and highlights the need to explicitly consider vehicle strike in impact assessments, road planning, and mitigation for grassland earless dragons.