NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Marble-faced Delma
Delma australis Kluge, 1974
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Murray Mallee, South Australia.
Matt from Melbourne, Australia · CC BY 2.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Delma australis is often known as the southern legless lizard, or the marble-faced delma. This terrestrial lizard falls into the category of slender Pygopodidae, a legless lizard. There are 21 known species in the Pygopdidae family in Australia. Marble-faced delmas are endemic to Australia.
Delma australis was first described by Kluge in 1974.
Wikipedia contributors, Marble-faced delma; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:17:26.508815+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Delma australis Kluge, 1974
- Name authority
- Kluge, 1974
- Common name
- Marble-faced Delma
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Pygopodidae
- Genus
- Delma
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderGekkota
- familyPygopodidae
- genusDelma
- speciesDelma australis Kluge, 1974
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Delma. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Rusty-topped DelmaDelma borea Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Butler's Legless LizardDelma butleri Storr, 1987 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Desert DelmaDelma desmosa Maryan, Aplin & Adams, 2007 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pilbara DelmaDelma elegans Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Patternless DelmaDelma inornata Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Gulfs DelmaDelma molleri Lütken, 1863 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Painted DelmaDelma petersoni Shea, 1991 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Leaden DelmaDelma plebeia de Vis, 1888 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Single-striped DelmaDelma labialis Shea, 1987 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Sharp-snouted DelmaDelma nasuta Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Javelin LizardDelma concinna (Kluge, 1974) | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Fraser's DelmaDelma fraseri Gray, 1831 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Delma&species=australis Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:34GYV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.