NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Adorned Delma
Delma torquata 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.
Open encyclopedia reference
The collared delma or adorned delma (Delma torquata) is the smallest species of lizard in the Pygopodidae family endemic to Australia. Pygopopdids are legless lizards, so are commonly mistaken for snakes. They are distributed mainly across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, in both forests and some suburban areas. They are active during the day, seen foraging and hunting for small insects.
Wikipedia contributors, Collared delma; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:31:11.926029+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Delma torquata Kluge, 1974
- Name authority
- Kluge, 1974
- Common name
- Adorned 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 torquata 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 |
| Marble-faced DelmaDelma australis Kluge, 1974 | PygopodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Javelin LizardDelma concinna (Kluge, 1974) | 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=torquata 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. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
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:34GZN. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.