Download Brigalow Belt bioregion - WWF

Brigalow Belt bioregion – a biodiversity jewel
Brigalow habitat © Craig Eddie
What is brigalow?
The term ‘brigalow’ is used simultaneously to refer to;
the tree Acacia harpophylla; an ecological community
dominated by this tree and often found in conjunction
with other species such as belah, wilga and false
sandalwood; and a broader region where this species
and ecological community are present.
The Brigalow Belt bioregion
The Brigalow Belt bioregion is a large and complex area
covering 36,400 000ha. The region is thus recognised
by the Australian Government as a biodiversity
hotspot.
This hotspot contains some of the most threatened
wildlife in the world, including populations of the
endangered bridled nail-tail wallaby and the only
remaining wild population of the endangered northern
hairy-nosed wombat. The area contains important
habitat for rare and threatened species including the,
glossy black-cockatoo, bulloak jewel butterfly, brigalow
scaly-foot, red goshawk, little pied bat, golden-tailed
geckos and threatened community of semi evergreen
vine thickets. Sadly, there are already plants and
animals that once lived in the Brigalow Belt that we
have lost forever such as the Darling Downs hoppingmouse and paradise parrot.
Eighty percent of the bioregion lies within Queensland,
the remainder lies within New South Wales. The
bioregion stretches up north to Townsville in Queensland
extending south of Dubbo in central-western New
South Wales. The bioregion is divided into Brigalow
Belt North and Brigalow Belt South.
including eucalypt and cypress pine forests and
woodlands, grasslands and other Acacia dominated
ecosystems.
Along the eastern boundary of the Brigalow Belt are
scattered patches of semi-evergreen vine thickets with
bright green canopy species that are highly visible
among the more silvery brigalow communities. These
patches are a dry adapted form of rainforest, relics of
a much wetter past.
What are the issues?
Nature conservation in the region has received
increasing attention because of the rapid and extensive
loss of habitat that has occurred. Since World War
II the Brigalow Belt bioregion has become a major
agricultural and pastoral area. Broad-scale clearing for
agriculture and unsustainable grazing has fragmented
the original vegetation in the past, particularly on
lowland areas.
Biodiversity hotspots are areas that support
significant biodiversity values threatened
with destruction.
Map 1. Queensland Brigalow Belt Bioregion
What are the characteristics of the Brigalow Belt in
Queensland
The bioregion is charcterised by the brigalow tree
Acacia harpophylla, a wattle tree with silvery foliage
that grows as forests or woodlands on clay soils. The
canopy is usually 10-15m in height, and brigalow is
the dominant tree species. However large areas of
the bioregion are dominated by other communities
What is a bioregion?
Bioregions are relatively large land areas
containing natural ecological communities
with characteristic flora, fauna, and
environmental conditions, and are bounded
by natural rather than artificial borders.
© Environmental Protection Agency 2008
Brigalow habitat © Alison Goodland
What are the issues? continued...
Weeds such as parthenium have invaded many areas
and replaced native ground layer plants. Inappropriate
fire regimes and predation by feral animals, in particular
pigs, cats and foxes, pose additional threats to local
biodiversity.
The bioregion occupies an area nearly 20 percent of
Queensland. Despite the threat to so many species
only approximately 3.6 percent of the region is in
protected areas. Of the 163 regional ecosystems
identified in the Brigalow Belt in Queensland by plant
ecologists, 33 are classified as endangered and 32 as
being of concern.
How you can help
Protect remnant bush in your community or on your land to help provide habitat for all our
native species.
•
Support local efforts to conserve threatened species in your area by joining a local
organisation such as a Landcare or catchment group, natural history or a ‘friends of’ group
or by volunteering for Green Corps or the Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers.
•
Participate in special events, information nights, tree planting days and weed eradication
programs.
•
Help manage threats such as overgrazing, weeds, fire and feral animals to maintain healthy
native vegetation.
© WWF-Australia June 2008
•
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
Golden-tailed gecko © Craig Eddie
Brigalow scaly-foot
Spinifex habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The Brigalow scaly-foot is a legless lizard, lead grey
to greyish brown in colour. The base of the head is
cream to pale brown, darkening towards the snout and
contrasting sharply with the black bar on the base of
the head. This lizard is quite heavy set with a round
snout and moderately large limb-flaps. The scales
are smooth and glossy and usually occur in 18, or
occasionally 20, rows.
Distribution
The core distribution of the Brigalow scaly-foot is within
the Brigalow Belt of Queensland. It extends north to
the southern Desert Uplands bioregion, south west of
Charters Towers, and west to Idalia National Park in
the Mulga Lands bioregion. One specimen has been
recently recorded from Wyaga in New South Wales,
just south of the Queensland border.
Habitat
The Brigalow scaly-foot is found in open forests and
woodlands of ironbark, poplar box, cypress pine, belah,
bulloak, spotted gum, brigalow, gidgee, lancewood
and hickory wattle. They have also been found in vine
thickets. Topography varies from sandstone ridges to
flats and gently undulating plains with clay, loam or
sand.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The Brigalow scaly-foot is nocturnal, which means it is
active during the night.
It shelters beneath sandstone slabs, logs, loose bark,
dense leaf litter and in grass tussocks, including
spinifex. It is also known to climb small trees, using
the trunk and main branches and climbing to heights in
excess of two metres.
On Boyne Island, sap from hickory wattle forms a
major portion of the diet of both adults and juveniles.
While primarily ground-dwelling, individuals from this
population have been recorded climbing the rough
bark of wattles to lick exuding sap. Studies on captured
female species from Boyne Island record the species
laying two eggs in early November with the eggs
hatching in late January.
Scientific Name:
Paradelma orientalis
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species
(International)
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act, 1992
(Queensland)
When
alarmed
it rears
its head
and fore
body and
flickers its
tongue,
possibly
to mimic a
venomous
snake.
Brigalow scaly-foot © S.Wilson
Key Threats
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
Populations of reptiles that live within linear remnants,
such as roadside strips, are particularly vulnerable
to disturbances that remove essential microhabitat
features, for example, rocks, logs, dense leaf litter
and fallen bark. Threats can arise from inappropriate
roadside burns, slashing and road widening.
Feral animals: The Brigalow scaly-foot is vulnerable to
predation by foxes, cats and pigs.
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements by, for
example, removing food sources and shelter.
Did You Know?
Despite their snake-like appearance, the
legless lizards are unlikely cousins of the
geckos.
•
Support pest management activities which seek to address feral animal threats e.g. foxes,
cats and pigs.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing
remnant strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining at least 70% ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt. If possible, leave stick-raked timber piles unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Cleared habitat © Alison Goodland
Collared delma
Poplar box habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The collared delma is the smallest of the legless lizards,
growing to a total length of 15 centimetres with a tail
twice the length of its body.
This lizard resembles a small snake or large worm and
is coloured reddish-brownish on top with a bluish grey
flush to the tail. The head and neck is strongly banded
with broad black and narrow yellow/red bands. The chin
and throat has bold grey to black bands or marbling.
It has a relatively short blunt snout and conspicuous
external ear-openings. Scales occur in 16 rows at midbody.
Distribution
The core range of the collared delma is within south
east Queensland, however, in the Brigalow Belt it
has been recorded from scattered localities including
Millmerran, Warwick, the Bunya Mountains, Expedition
Range, Blackdown Tableland and stock routes west of
Roma.
Habitat
This species is often found in rocky terrain within
eucalypt woodlands dominated by ironbarks, spotted
gum, white cypress pine and smooth-barked apple. The
ground layer often contains kangaroo grass. It has also
been recorded in woodlands of river red gum, poplar
box and brigalow with no significant rock component,
and adjacent to semi-evergreen vine thickets.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The collared delma is a secretive, burrowing flapfooted lizard that shelter under rocks, logs, leaf litter
and in soil cracks. They are most active during the day,
however, also become active during the evening or
twilight during warmer weather.
They are presumed to be solitary and long lived (greater
than 5 years). It feeds on small arthropods including
native cockroaches and other insects and spiders.
All delmas lay two eggs per clutch, with the collared
delma believed to lay around December, hatching in
February or March.
Scientific Name:
Delma torquata
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species
(International)
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
Collared delma © Steve Wilson
Key Threats
Habitat disturbance: This delma is particularly sensitive
to habitat disturbance e.g. rocks being overturned. This
factor is significant when considering that this species
appears to be sedentary, staying within a very small
area and possibly using the same rock for shelter.
Grazing effects: Overgrazing by stock results in habitat
degradation through soil compaction, erosion and
alteration of the vegetation community. Small remnants
and isolated unconnected strips of vegetation are often
used as areas of shade for cattle. The isolation of
remnants combined with heavy grazing pressure may
result in significant changes to remnant vegetation
condition such as loss of plant material and ground
cover.
Invasive weeds: Collared delmas are known to decline
in rocky areas covered by invasive weeds such as
creeping lantana Lantana montevidensis.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides
and road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
Populations of reptiles that live within linear remnants,
such as roadside strips, are particularly vulnerable
to disturbances that remove essential microhabitat
features, for example, rocks, logs, dense leaf litter
and fallen bark. Threats can arise from inappropriate
roadside burns, slashing and road widening.
Did You Know?
The collared delma can be hard to identify
as it looks very similar to some other legless
lizards, for example the immature excitable
delma Delma tincta. A distinguishing feature
of delmas is the unforked fleshy tongue,
obvious external ear-openings and two small
scaly hindlimb flaps that are remnants of
ancestral hind legs. Like some other lizard
species and the gecko, the collared delma
can re-grow its tail if severed or cast-off.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing remnant
strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining greater then 70% ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt. If possible, leave stick-raked timber piles unburnt.
•
Contact your local NRM group to get information on implementing a weed control program in
your area.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
Grassy poplar box habitat © Craig Eddie
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Common death adder
Brigalow habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The common death adder has a short, stout body with
a large triangular head and a thin tail ending in a flat,
soft spine. The tail tip is cream or black and the body
colouration varies between grey to rich reddish brown.
This species’ body is marked with irregular dark-edged
cross-bands. The underside is whitish and flecked with
black or brown. The common death adder’s eyes are
small and inconspicuous. This snake grows to a length
of 70 to 100 centimetres, although the average size
tends to be 40 centimetres.
Distribution
The common death adder occurs from the Gulf region
of the Northern Territory across to central and eastern
Queensland and New South Wales, then through
to southern parts of South Australia and Western
Australia. Once very common in the southern Brigalow
Belt, the common death adder has undergone an
extreme reduction in numbers, due to loss of habitat
and habitat degradation.
Habitat
This snake can be found in a wide variety of habitats
including rainforest edges, shrubby eucalypt and
ooline forests, shrubby Acacia woodlands (particularly
brigalow), grasslands, chenopod dominated shrublands
and coastal heathlands.
Scientific Name:
Acanthophis antarcticus
Conservation Status
Rare - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
Ecology and Life Cycle
Common death adders are reliant on cover in their
habitat, particularly deep leaf litter, logs, rock piles and
bushy shrubs such as currant bush Carissa ovata.
The common death adder ambushes its prey while halfburied in sand, soil or leaf litter, often lying in wait at
the base of trees or shrubs. The tail is segmented and
can be wriggled convulsively like a worm or caterpillar
to lure its prey. The fangs are long and capable of
administering large quantities of powerful venom.
A secretive snake, the common death adder
can lay concealed for hours or days at a time
using cryptic colouration to avoid detection.
Common death adder © Steve Wilson
vegetation condition such as loss of plant material and
ground cover.
The common death adder feeds, during the day and
night, mainly on lizards and small mammals, and to a
lesser extent, birds and frogs. Young individuals usually
feed on reptiles and frogs, whereas adults feed on a
greater percentage of mammals and birds. It is a slow
growing species with a lower food intake compared
with other snakes.
Removal of wood debris and rocks: This species is
threatened by the removal of its microhabitat, which
includes shrubs, partly buried rocks, fallen logs and
leaf litter.
Sexual maturity is attained at 24 months old for the
males and 42 months old for the females. The female
reproduces every second year, with mating usually
occurring in spring. Litters vary in size comprising from
two to 32 fully formed live young usually born in autumn,
with each about 12 centimetres long at birth.
Feral animals: Poisoning through ingestion of cane
toads has been recorded to have caused the death of
common death adders. Continual spread westward of
cane toads into the Brigalow Belt is a major concern,
as poisoning has had a marked effect on coastal and
island populations of the common death adder.
Key Threats
Habitat loss: the common death adder is susceptible to
habitat loss (clearing), habitat fragmentation (isolation
of remnant patches) and habitat modification (changes
to shrub and ground cover).
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements i.e. by
removing food sources and shelter.
Grazing effects: Overgrazing by stock can result
in habitat degradation through soil compaction,
erosion and alteration of the vegetation community.
Small remnants and isolated unconnected strips of
vegetation are often used as areas of shade for cattle.
The isolation of remnants combined with heavy grazing
pressure may result in significant changes to remnant
Did you know?
In contrast to its stout body and sedentary
habits, the common death adder can strike its
prey so fast that the human eye can scarcely
perceive the movement.
How to help
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing remnant
strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Avoid “tidying up” shrubs and removing fallen logs, leaf litter and rocks in common death
adder habitat as this disturbs and diminishes refuge sites.
•
Undertake cane toad control measures where practicable.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining greater than 70% ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt. If possible, leave stick-raked timber piles unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
Common death adder habitat © Craig Eddie
Darling Downs earless dragon
Darling Downs earless dragon habitat © Alison Goodland
Description
The Darling Downs earless dragon is a small, plump,
spiny earless lizard that grows to an average size of 12
centimetres. This lizard is well camouflaged, ranging
from chocolate or reddish-brown to almost black in
colour, marbled with lighter cream. Prominent, thin
pale stripes run down the middle of the back and along
each flank. Young are dark slaty black in colour.
The chin and throat, normally pale, may be seen
occasionally with an orange flush, believed to be
breeding colours. This species has a pink mouth-lining,
short tail and scaly skin covering the ears, giving the
appearance of being earless.
Distribution
The Darling Downs earless dragon is currently thought
to be restricted to the Condamine floodplain region
of the Darling Downs in southern Queensland. It has
been recorded from Jimbour, Bongeen, Bowenville,
Brookstead and Mt Tyson areas across this region.
Habitat
This dragon species is only known to survive in an
intensely cropped area in the Darling Downs. Prior
to cropping, this area was natural treeless grassland.
The soil is cracking black clay, providing the lizard with
ample shelter. Like most dragons, it prefers to forage
in more open ground areas, and uses cultivated areas
that can provide both cover and care areas.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The Darling Downs earless dragon, like most dragons,
is active during daylight hours and has been found
perched upon mounds of soil or stubble, sunning and
waiting for prey to pass. They tend to run quickly into
grass tussocks, stubble and down cracks in the soil
when disturbed.
Their reproductive biology is largely unknown,
however pregnant females have been seen in midspring/summer and hatchlings observed in the late
summer. This lizard is known to eat ants and other
small invertebrates.
Scientific Name:
Tympanocryptis
pinguicolla
Conservation Status
Endangered Environment Protection
and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Endangered - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
The taxonomy
of this
population
is in dispute.
This particular
lizard may be
a completely
new species
or an outlying
population of
another species
of earless
dragon. Further
work is planned
on the genetics
of this lizard.
Darling Downs earless dragon © Carly Starr
Cracking black clay soils © Alison Goodland
Key Threats
Feral Animals: The Darling Downs earless dragon is
vulnerable to predation by foxes and feral cats.
loss of ground cover also leaves the dragon exposed
and unsheltered when the cracks close up after
rainfall.
Changes in land use practices: Future changes in
farming systems, such as an increase in pesticide use,
a new pesticide or reversion to broadacre cropping
practices, may have a detrimental impact on this
species population.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
These areas are often islands of native vegetation in
a fragmented landscape providing important refuge
sites. Threats can arise from inappropriate roadside
burns, slashing and road widening.
Soil structure decline: Lippia Phyla canescens is a
major threat to the maintenance of soil structure in
cracking clay soils across this dragon’s range. Lippia
dries out the soil profile and out-competes other native
ground cover, exposing the soil to erosion and soil
structure decline. This soils distinctive ‘cracks’ collapse,
reducing shelter and refuge sites for this species. The
Did You Know?
The Darling Downs earless dragon has been
heard to vocalise with a high pitched hiss
as a juvenile, and adults with a high pitched
squeak from an open mouth.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native grassland vegetation and avoid
ploughing remnant strips/patches of native grassland.
•
Maintain grassed waterways, roadsides and headlands in paddocks.
•
Be cautious when changing a farming practice and undertake farming practices that minimize
soil structure decline.
•
Be vigilant with feral cat and fox control measures.
•
Reduce the spread of, and control, Lippia where possible. Maintenance of a healthy ground
layer is vitally important.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining greater than 70% ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
•
More research is required on the genetics of the Tympanocryptis genus, including the
Darling Downs earless dragon.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Dunmall’s snake
Bulloak woodland © Craig Eddie
Description
The Dunmall’s snake is a robust, shiny snake with small,
dark eyes and little or no pattern. Its body is uniformly
dark grey-brown above, fading to white on the lower
flanks. The scales of the body are smooth and lightedged. Most of the upper lip scales have paler blotches in
the centre or on the back edge. It reaches a total length
of about 60 centimetres.
Distribution
It is almost entirely restricted to the southern half of the
Brigalow Belt bioregion. Its range extends from Yeppoon
and the Expedition Range in the north, to Oakey,
Glenmorgan and Inglewood in the south. It has mostly
been recorded between 200 and 500 metres in altitude.
Scientific Name:
Furina dunmalli
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species
(International)
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
Habitat
Although little is known about this species, the Dunmall’s
snake appears to prefer open forest and woodland,
particularly those dominated by brigalow, cypress pine
and bulloak. The substrate varies from deep-cracking
black clay to loamy soils.
Ecology and Life Cycle
This extremely secretive snake shelters in soil cracks and
under fallen timber which is embedded in deep-cracking
clay soils.
This snake is active during the night, feeding on small
lizards. It lays eggs rather than live young.
Although the Dunmall’s snake is venomous
and the effects are documented as being
moderately severe, it is reluctant to bite when
disturbed.
Dunmall’s snake © Steve Wilson
Key Threats
Feral animals: The Dunmall’s snake is vulnerable to
predation by foxes and feral cats.
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: The focus
of vegetation clearing in the Brigalow Belt is shifting
from the essentially cleared Brigalow ecosystems
on fertile soils to the eucalypt woodlands on poorer
soils. Consequently the survival of dry woodland/open
forest species with limited geographic ranges and/or
specialised habitat requirements, such as the Dunmall’s
snake, remain uncertain unless conservation action is
undertaken.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
Populations of reptiles that live within linear remnants,
such as roadside strips, are particularly vulnerable to
disturbances that remove essential microhabitat features,
for example, rocks, logs, dense leaf litter and fallen bark.
Threats can arise from inappropriate roadside burns,
slashing and road widening.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing remnant
strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Retain fallen timber and ground cover as these provide essential habitat.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining good ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
•
Leave snakes alone. They are protected under Queensland legislation and it is illegal to
harm them, not to mention potentially dangerous.
To find out more about saving threatened
species check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or
contact the Threatened Species Network at
[email protected]
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Brigalow woodland © Craig Eddie
Five-clawed worm-skink
Five-clawed worm-skink habitat © Alison Goodland
Description
The five-clawed worm-skink is a medium-sized
reduced-limb skink with three fingers and two toes. It is
shiny and wormlike in appearance with dark brown to
greyish colouring above and pale yellow-green below.
Individual scales have a dark spot in the centre, giving
an appearance of a series of lines along the body. This
pattern is more conspicuous in northern populations.
Distribution
The five-clawed worm-skink is distributed throughout
a relatively small area in sub-humid regions along
the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. This
range extends from north-eastern New South Wales to
the eastern Darling Downs in southern Queensland. Its
total range appears to have contracted eastwards and
is now largely confined to relict roadside verges.
Habitat
Queensland populations have been recorded in
remnant native grasslands of the Condamine floodplain,
characterized by deep-cracking clay soils and minimal
to no tree cover.
In New South Wales, this species prefers open woodland
areas with low closely spaced tussock grasses and
scattered eucalypts. This type of woodland is generally
supported by deep cracking, inundation-prone, dark
clay loams adjacent to or on the lower slopes of slight
rises, usually of reddish soil. The five-clawed wormskink has also been found in open grassy paddocks
with scattered eucalypts and moist black soil.
Ecology and Life Cycle
In captivity it has been known to eat crawling insects
and insect larvae. The few known adults collected in
spring were reproductively active, with females carrying
one or two eggs.
Scientific Name:
Anomalopus mackayi
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species
(International)
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Endangered - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
Five-clawed worm-skink © Steve Wilson
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: This lizard
is under considerable risk of extinction. Maintenance
of remnant patches of native grassland in the Darling
Downs is critical for its survival.
Soil structure decline: Lippia Phyla canescens is a
major threat to the maintenance of soil structure in
cracking clay soils across this skink’s range. Lippia
dries out the soil profile and out-competes other native
ground cover, exposing the soil to erosion and soil
structure decline. The soils distinctive ‘cracks’ collapse,
reducing shelter and refuge sites. The loss of ground
cover also leaves this skink exposed and unsheltered
when the cracks close up after rainfall.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
These areas are often islands of native vegetation in
a fragmented landscape providing important refuge
sites. Threats can arise from inappropriate roadside
burns, slashing and road widening.
Grazing effects: Overgrazing by stock results in habitat
degradation through soil compaction, erosion and
alteration of the vegetation community. Small remnants
and isolated unconnected strips of vegetation are
often used as areas of shade for cattle. The isolation of
remnants combined with heavy grazing pressure may
result in significant changes to remnant vegetation
condition such as loss of plant material and ground
cover.
The five-clawed worm-skink lives down cracks
in the clay soils and in permanent tunnellike burrows under well-embedded logs and
rocks.
•
Avoid disturbing remnant strips or patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Manage cropping headlands to retain grass cover.
•
Control and reduce the spread of Lippia and other invasive weeds, where possible.
Maintenance of a healthy ground layer is vitally important.
•
Retain fallen timber and ground cover as these provide essential habitat.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining good ground cover and soil
structure.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Five-clawed worm-skink habitat © Alison Goodland
Golden-tailed Gecko
Cypress pine © Craig Eddie
Description
The golden-tailed gecko has been described as one
of the world’s most beautiful geckos. It is white to pale
grey, intensely patterned with a network of small black
markings over the head, body and limbs, and a bright
yellow-orange blaze down the tail. The black markings
occur more densely towards the tail. The large eyes are
bright orange to red in colour, highlighting the vertically
elliptic pupil. The mouth-lining is dark blue. The fingers
and toes have broad pads, tipped below with a pair
of large plates. This gecko reaches an average total
length of about 12 centimetres with a rather long,
slender tail.
Distribution
The golden-tailed gecko occurs exclusively in
Queensland, with its range virtually confined to the
southern half of the Brigalow Belt bioregion. It occurs
from the Darling Downs, north to Rockhampton, and
north-west to Alpha. Important populations are known
to occur at Barakula State Forest and Allies Creek
State Forest where the largest tracts of native forest in
the southern Brigalow Belt occur.
The distribution of the golden-tailed gecko has
contracted due to land clearing for agriculture and
grazing.
ribbon-like bark (spotted gum, red gums), bulloak and
brigalow/belah. Soils where this species is found can
range from sand and sandy loams through to dense
clays.
Ecology and Life Cycle
This nocturnal species actively forages by night,
hunting insects. By day it shelters in hollow limbs and
stumps, under loose bark either on trees or on the
ground and occasionally, it can even been found out
in the open, clinging to stems, with its netted pattern
effectively camouflaging it in the mottled light. There
is typically a large amount of fallen woody debris and
leaf litter in these vegetation types which this gecko
appears to favour.
Females lay two eggs per clutch but show no parental
care for eggs or young.
Scientific Name:
Strophurus taenicauda
Conservation Status
Rare - Nature Conservation
Act 1992 (Queensland)
Habitat
The golden-tailed gecko is found in a wide variety of
dry open forests and woodlands on a range of soils
e.g. cypress pine, ironbark, eucalypts with flaky or
The goldentailed gecko
is a very
adaptable
lizard, being
equally at
home moving
about in
the trees
and shrubs
(arboreal) or
on the ground
(terrestrial).
Golden-tailed gecko © Craig Eddie
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing: The golden-tailed
gecko has a relatively limited range and land clearing
is continuing throughout this region. This causes a
concern for its long term survival.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
Populations of reptiles that live within linear remnants,
such as roadside strips, are particularly vulnerable to
disturbances that remove vegetation and essential
microhabitat features, for example, rocks, logs, dense
leaf litter and fallen bark.
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements i.e. by
removing food sources and shelter.
Did you know?
This species belongs to a small group of
Australian geckos sharing the unique ability
to squirt sticky irritant fluid from pores along
the top of the tail when under threat. This
fluid has a nasty taste and causes an intense
irritation and a burning sensation if it comes
in contact with eyes.
How to help
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing
remnant strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Retain mature cypress and brigalow trees, dead standing trees, fallen timber and ground
cover as these provide essential habitat for the gecko.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining greater than 70% ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt. If possible, leave stick-raked timber piles unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
•
Ironbark Woodland © Craig Eddie
Grey snake
Grey snake habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
As its name suggests the grey snake is a uniform grey
to olive colour above fading to a pale grey along the
sides, with a white or cream under belly featuring a few
dark flecks. A dark patch or band can usually be seen
at the base of the head in adults. The iris is mostly
black with a fine silvery brown rim around the pupil.
The grey snake generally reaches a total length of
about 70 centimetres.
Distribution
The grey snake occurs from the Fitzroy River near
Rockhampton, to the southern interior of New South
Wales. The core area for this species in the Brigalow
Belt is south of the Great Dividing Range between
Dalby and Glenmorgan.
Habitat
The grey snake favours clay floodplains vegetated
by grassland, and woodlands and open woodlands
of brigalow/belah and eucalypts, such as poplar box.
It occurs on both cracking clays and areas with small
gullies or ditches (gilgais or melon holes).
Ecology and Life Cycle
The grey snake has been found under logs, bark and
soil cracks. It is also known to shelter under fallen and
embedded timber which has usually been stranded
after floating into place on floodwaters. When forced
from shelter by floods, the grey snake will take refuge
amongst the emergent bushes.
They bear 4 to 16 live young each year from January
to March.
While producing venom, they are not considered
particularly dangerous; however care should be taken
with large individuals.
Scientific Name:
Hemiaspis damelii
Conservation Status
Endangered - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
The grey snake is a ground-dwelling species
that is largely active during the night, when
it emerges to hunt frogs and the occasional
lizard.
Grey snake © Steve Wilson
Key Threats
Hydrological changes: Changes in hydrological regimes
such as damming of watercourses, may impact species
reliant on wetlands, waterways or water bodies, such
as the grey snake, which occurs in low lying areas
found on floodplains and near inland watercourses.
Mechanical activities that result in simplification of
habitats, such as leveling of gilgais and melon holes,
will also be unfavourable to grey snakes.
Feral animals: Frog-eating snakes, such as the grey
snake, are at risk of poisoning through the ingestion
of cane toads. They are also eaten by cats and foxes.
Destruction of wetland habitat by feral pigs is a major
threat to this species, along with the associated
destruction of frog habitat and direct competition for
their food source (frogs).
How to help
Retain remnant vegetation, particularly near creeks and rivers.
•
Undertake coordinated feral pig control measures.
•
Avoid removing fallen timber and ground cover as these provide essential habitat.
•
Undertake cane toad control measures where practicable.
•
Leave snakes alone. They are protected under Queensland legislation and it is illegal to
harm them, not to mention potentially dangerous.
•
Control grazing in riparian zones to protect ground cover and reduce soil erosion.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
•
Grey snake habitat © Craig Eddie
Mount Cooper striped lerista
Leaf litter habitat © Alison Goodland
Description
The Mount Cooper striped lerista is a slender skink,
which appears limbless but in fact has very small hind
limbs with one digit each. It is shiny silvery grey to
silvery brown with four narrow dark lines that run from
behind the head to the tail and a broader dark brown
side stripe from the eye to the tail tip. This species has
a movable lower eyelid.
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: Deciduous
vine thicket vegetation has undergone extensive
fragmentation over the last 50 years, due to their
occurrence on fertile soils. This has resulted in
extensive fragmentation. The remaining small, isolated
remnants are often highly impacted by grazing, fire and
weeds.
Distribution
The Mount Cooper striped lerista is poorly known and
occurs only in Queensland. Previously believed to occur
only in a small area near Mount Cooper Station near
Charters Towers, it probably occupies a significantly
wider area. Nearly identical skinks have been found at
Blackbraes National Park, and Kidston Station in the
Einasleigh Uplands and these are almost certainly the
Mount Cooper striped lerista.
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements i.e. by
removing food sources and shelter.
Habitat
The skink shelters among leaf litter and burrows into
loose soil under logs in deciduous vine thickets growing
on yellowish-red deep sandy soils.
Ecology and Life Cycle
Very little is known about the life history and ecology
of the Mount Cooper striped lerista. Most Leristas are
burrowing species which feed on termites and other
small invertebrates. However, it is not known if this is
the case with the Mount Cooper striped lerista. When
disturbed, they usually ‘dive’ immediately into the loose
sandy substrate.
Scientific Name:
Lerista vittata
Conservation Status
Endangered - IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species (International)
Vulnerable - Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature Conservation
Act 1992 (Queensland)
Juveniles and sub-adults usually have a red
or orange flush on the tail.
Mount Cooper striped lerista © Steve Wilson
Logs © Alison Goodland
•
Avoid clearing vine scrub within the species’ known range to protect habitat and
populations.
•
If burning near vine thicket vegetation, leave a buffer and use cool burns in a mosaic pattern
that promote patchiness and leave areas of ground cover unburnt.
•
Avoid disturbance of vine thicket habitat by restricting grazing by fencing if necessary.
•
Contact your local NRM group to get information on implementing a weed control program
in your area.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
Mount Cooper striped lerista habitat © Craig Eddie
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Ornamental snake
Ornamental snake habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The ornamental snake has a stout body, which grows
to a total length of around 42 centimetres. Its body is
greyish brown on top and the underside is cream, often
with darker streaks or flecks on the outer edges of the
belly. The entire head, and at least the fore body, is
very finely peppered with dark brown or black. The lips
of the ornamental snake are distinctly barred.
Distribution
The ornamental snake occurs exclusively in central
Queensland and was thought to be restricted to the
Dawson and Fitzroy River drainage systems. Its
geographic range has recently been extended northeast to the Collinsville district. Habitat clearance has
been extensive in this region.
Scientific Name:
Denisonia maculata
Habitat
The ornamental snake can be found on floodplains,
undulating clay plains and along the margins of swamps,
lakes and watercourses. It also occurs on adjoining
areas of slightly elevated ground with clay and sandy
loams. It has been recorded in woodlands and open
woodlands of coolabah, poplar box, belah and brigalow,
as well as fringing vegetation along watercourses and
grasslands. Ornamental snakes have also been found
in cleared woodlands that contain adequate ground
cover and shelter sites, such as logs.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The ornamental snake is a nocturnal species which
shelters under fallen timber, rocks and bark and in
deep soil cracks. Suitable habitat may support a high
population density, with numbers dropping sharply with
a shift in soil type or topography.
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
It is capable of flattening its body when disturbed
or when squeezing through a narrow space. This
mechanism is also used as a defence posture where
the body is depressed and held in a series of stiff
curves, from which it will thrash about and bite savagely
if approached.
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
The ornamental snake feeds almost exclusively on
frogs. They bear live young with an average of six to
eight per litter.
Ornamental snake © Steve.Wilson
Key Threats
Grazing effects: Overgrazing by stock results in habitat
degradation through soil compaction, erosion and
alteration of the vegetation community. Small remnants
and isolated unconnected strips of vegetation are
often used as areas of shade for cattle. The isolation of
remnants combined with heavy grazing pressure may
result in significant changes to remnant vegetation
condition such as loss of plant material and ground
cover.
Feral animals: Frog-eating snakes, such as the
ornamental snake, are at risk of poisoning through the
ingestion of cane toads. Destruction of wetland habitat
by feral pigs is a major threat to this species, along
with the associated destruction of frog habitat and
direct competition for their food source (frogs).
Mining: There are many coal mines within the species
distribution, and as the industry is experiencing a
boom, the pressures from mining activities are likely to
increase. The impact of this to the ornamental snake
includes additional habitat disturbance, more road
construction and an increase in traffic including heavy
vehicles.
This species should be treated with caution
as its’ bite can produce severe effects.
How to help
•
Avoid removing or disturbing native vegetation, particularly near creeks, water courses or
rivers.
•
Undertake coordinated feral pig control measures.
•
Undertake cane toad control measures where practicable.
•
Control grazing in riparian zones to protect the ground cover and reduce soil erosion.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS.
•
Leave snakes alone. They are protected under State legislation and it is illegal to harm
them, not to mention potentially dangerous.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at
[email protected].
Ornamental snake habitat © Craig Eddie
Retro Slider
Retro slider habitat © Alison Goodland
Description
The retro slider, also known as Allan’s lerista, is a
moderately robust burrowing skink with no forelimbs
and only one digit on the hindlimbs. Its general
appearance is grey or grey-brown above with a dark
spot on each dorsal and lateral scale and dark-edged
ventral scales, particularly under the tail. The retro
slider’s lower eyelid is moveable.
Distribution
The retro slider occurs exclusively in the Brigalow Belt
bioregion. It is only known from the undulating black
soil plains at Clermont, Logan Downs Station and
Retro Station.
Habitat
The retro slider is suspected to favour the root systems
of grass tussocks growing in grasslands on black soil
downs surrounded by scattered gums and groves of
tea trees or bottle trees.
Ecology and Life Cycle
Very little is known about the life history and ecology of
this species. The species has been found under rocks
and logs in open woodland.
The retro slider has not been seen since 1960.
However surveys have been undertaken during suboptimal seasonal conditions, so there is still hope of
finding this species again.
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: Virtually
all of the retro slider’s preferred habitat has been
cultivated and no longer supports natural vegetation.
Small, disturbed or highly modified grasslands occur
on road verges and other public lands.
Scientific Name:
Lerista allanae
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered
- IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species
(International)
Endangered Environment Protection
and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Did You Know?
There have been no recent
sightings of this endangered
species and searches for
the retro slider over recent
years have failed to locate
specimens.
Thirteen museum specimens
comprise the total knowledge
base of the retro slider. All 13
individuals were collected in
three locations (Retro, Logan
Downs and Clermont) in close
proximity to one another,
between 1929 and 1960.
Retro slider © Steve Wilson
Retro slider habitat © Alison Goodland
How to help
Keep an eye out for the species and report any potential sightings to WWF-Australia, the
Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a photo of live or dead specimens is useful
to help identification.
•
Continue organised searches for the species in suitable habitat.
•
Avoid disturbing remnant strips or patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation.
•
Retain fallen timber and ground cover as these provide essential habitat.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining good ground cover and soil
structure.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promotes patchiness and leaves areas
of ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
•
Retro slider habitat © Alison Goodland
Sadlier’s skink
Sadlier’s skink habitat © Eric Vanderduys
Description
Sadlier’s skink is a very small ground-dwelling skink
that reaches up to 63 millimetres in size. It is brown
with some gold flecking and an oily bluish sheen over
some of its scales. The sides of this skink are dark
brown.
Habitat
The basic habitat requirements of this species are
poorly understood. Most specimens have been
recorded from the low lying areas of Magnetic Island,
including woodlands, well shaded gullies and disturbed
garden areas.
Distribution
Sadlier’s skink occurs only in Queensland and is only
known from Magnetic Island, north Queensland. This
species may occur on parts of the mainland, but more
targetted surveys need to be conducted to clarify this.
Ecology and Life Cycle
Very little is known about the ecology of Sadlier’s skink.
It tends to warm itself underneath sun-warmed leaf
litter, to reduce their exposure to potential predators.
When Sadlier’s skink is disturbed it quickly vanishes
under leaf litter and even into crumbly soils.
Scientific Name:
Menetia sadlieri
Conservation Status
Rare - Nature Conservation
Act1992 (Queensland)
Sadlier’s skink warms itself underneath sunwarmed leaf litter, to reduce their exposure
to potential predators.
A captive study showed that one female laid two eggs,
each weighing only 0.05 grams, but these failed to
hatch in captivity.
Key Threats
Loss of habitat and weed invasion: Island species
such as Sadlier’s skink, may have suffered more
than species in any other habitat. Having evolved in
isolation, often in response to specialised conditions,
and lacking reservoirs for re-colonisation, these
species display the characteristics of small populations
including sensitivity to changes in their environment.
Uncontrolled development in lowland areas of the
island may destroy vital habitat.
Sadlier’s skink © Eric Vanderduys
Sadlier’s skink habitat © Eric Vanderduys
How to help
Become involved in community-based on-ground projects such as field surveys to clarify
the extent of the skink’s range and its habitat preferences.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
•
Sadlier’s skink © Eric Vanderduys
Short-necked worm-skink
Short-necked worm-skink habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The short-necked worm-skink is a small, limbless,
burrowing skink with a head and body length of around
11 to 16 centimetres. Its body is a light tan to buff colour,
with darker bluish-brown colour on the head and tail.
The belly is whitish or flesh coloured and the chin and
throat are spotted with dark brown. A dark speckle on
each scale creates a pattern of dotted lines along the
length of the skink. It has a rounded snout and hidden
ear-openings.
Scientific Name:
Anomalopus brevicollis
Conservation Status
Rare - Nature Conservation
Act 1992 (Queensland)
Distribution
The short-necked worm-skink occurs exclusively in
central-eastern Queensland. Its range is restricted to
the northern half of the Mackenzie/Fitzroy/Dawson
catchments, from Eungella in the north to Clermont in
the west and south to Theodore.
Habitat
The short-necked worm-skink is a habitat generalist.
It can be found in a variety of vegetation types
including dry sclerophyll forest, monsoon rainforest
and permanently moist rainforest. It has also been
recorded in vine scrubs and on rock outcrops.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The short-necked worm-skink is a burrowing species,
taking refuge among leaf litter, under rocks and fallen
timber on well-draining soils. When disturbed it burrows
deeper into soft substrates or into rock crevices. It
feeds upon soil invertebrates. One or two eggs are
produced per clutch.
Skinks are the most widespread and diverse
lizard group in Australia. There are nearly 400
species of Australian skinks.
Short-necked worm-skink © Steve Wilson
Short-necked worm-skink habitat © Craig Eddie
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: The focus
of vegetation clearing in the Brigalow Belt is shifting
from the essentially cleared Brigalow ecosystems
on fertile soils to the eucalypt woodlands on poorer
soils. Consequently the survival of dry woodland and
open forest species with limited geographic ranges
and/or specialised habitat requirements, such as the
short-necked worm-skink, remain uncertain unless
conservation action is undertaken.
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements i.e. by
removing food sources and shelter.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation and avoid ploughing
remnant strips/patches of native grassland or woodland.
•
Avoid removing native vegetation particularly near creeks, water courses or rivers.
•
Avoid removing essential habitat such as fallen timber, rocks and ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining greater than 70% ground cover.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Short-necked worm-skink habitat © Craig Eddie
Striped-tailed delma
Striped-tailed delma habitat © Eric Vanderduys
Description
The striped-tailed delma is reddish brown or grey brown
above and cream on the underside. The colouring upon
its head tends to be yellowish and then greyer along
the tail region.
It has a very distinctive pattern of alternating cream
and yellow vertical bars on the lips and side of the head
and a narrow dark stripe along each side of its tail.
Striped-tailed delmas have long snouts and tails that
are around four times the length of the body. It reaches
approximately 40 centimetres in length. The mid-body
scales are in 16 rows.
Distribution
The striped-tailed delma occurs exclusively in
Queensland, with a significant proportion confined
to the Brigalow Belt bioregion. It occurs along the
central Queensland coast south to Keswick Island off
Mackay. It has also been recorded in the far northern
Brigalow Belt from Magnetic Island and a few localities
on the mainland near Townsville, to the foothills below
Paluma. There is a single record from higher altitude,
near Paluma itself.
Habitat
On the mainland striped-tailed delmas prefers low open
coastal forest with grassy understorey. They have also
been found in wet sclerophyll forest on islands and
open woodland in coastal regions.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The striped-tailed delma is diurnal, which means that
it is active during the day. It is extremely shy and is
usually only seen briefly. The striped-tailed delma has
been known to use leaf litter, logs and sheets of iron
as shelter. It feeds upon a variety of arthropods and
usually lays two eggs per clutch.
Scientific Name:
Delma labialis
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species
(International)
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
The striped-tailed delma occurs exclusively
in Queensland, with a significant proportion
confined to the Brigalow Belt bioregion.
Striped-tailed delma © Eric Vanderduys
Striped-tailed delma habitat © Eric Vanderduys
Key Threats
Inappropriate fire regimes: Fire frequency, intensity,
season, type and extent of fires over time, influence
biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Inappropriate
fire regimes can potentially alter ecosystem structure
and impact on the species habitat requirements i.e. by
removing food sources and shelter.
Removal of wood debris and rocks: This species is
threatened by the removal of its microhabitat, which
includes partly buried rocks, fallen logs and leaf litter.
•
Avoid removing fallen logs, leaf litter and rocks in striped-tailed delma habitat as this
minimises vital refuge sites.
•
Become involved in community-based on-ground projects (e.g. fencing remnants to reduce
grazing impacts, reptile monitoring and field surveys).
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network [email protected].
Striped-tailed delma © Eric Vanderduys
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
Woma
Woma habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The woma is a large, stocky, python with an average
length of 1.5 metres but can grow to 2.7 metres. It is
a glossy yellowish or reddish brown to a pale greenish
brown with prominent banding and dark patches above
the eyes. Large adults sometimes lose these bands
and dark eye patches as they get older. The belly of
the woma is cream to yellow with numerous pink or
brown blotches. This is one of only two pythons in the
world lacking heat sensitive pits along the lips.
Distribution
The woma is widespread throughout arid and semi-arid
Australia. In Queensland it occurs in the dry subtropics
from the Northern Territory border east to the Miles/
Glenmorgan area. Core populations are found within
the Mulga Lands and Brigalow Belt South bioregion.
Habitat
The woma is a habitat generalist, occurring in a broad
range of habitats. These include: (a) rocky ridges
vegetated by narrow-leaved ironbark, mountain
yapunyah, ooline, bendee or lancewood, (b) mulga/
poplar box/silver-leaved ironbark woodlands on
sandy and loamy red earths, (c) white cypress pine,
bulloak, carbeen, poplar box woodlands on sandy
soils associated with levees along major watercourses
eg. the Maranoa and Balonne Rivers, (d) brigalow/
belah woodlands on clay soils (rarely) (e) poplar box
woodland on alluvial flats or low hills with clay, loam or
stony substrates, and (f) spinifex grasslands or open
woodlands on deep sandy soils.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The woma is generally considered nocturnal. However,
it can sometimes be encountered basking in the sun.
Unlike other types of pythons which are skilled climbers,
the woma is a ground dweller. It takes shelter within
hollow logs, animal burrows or thick herbage during
the day. In the evening and at night the woma forages
for ground birds, small mammals (including hares and
rabbits) and other reptiles.
An egg layer, the woma lays up to 22 eggs. It incubates
and protects its eggs by coiling its body around the
clutch almost continually until they hatch.
Scientific Name:
Aspidites ramsayi
Conservation Status
Endangered - IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species (International)
Appendix II - Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species (International)
Rare - Nature Conservation Act
1992 (Queensland)
This species is non-venomous but has been
observed eating venomous snakes.
Juvenile woma © Steve Wilson
Woma habitat © Craig Eddie
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: The focus
of vegetation clearing in the Brigalow Belt is shifting
from the essentially cleared Brigalow ecosystems
on fertile soils to the eucalypt woodlands on poorer
soils. Consequently the survival of dry woodland/
open forest species with limited geographic ranges
and/or specialised habitat requirements, such as the
woma, remain uncertain unless conservation action is
undertaken.
Ripping of rabbit warrens: The practice of ripping rabbit
warrens has been known to kill womas, as well as
destroying an important shelter site for this species.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
These areas are often islands of native vegetation in
a fragmented landscape providing important refuge
sites. Management practices of these remnants should
reflect the multi-use nature of these areas.
Feral animals: Juveniles are at risk of predation from
pigs, foxes and feral cats.
Road deaths: Some populations of womas are
particularly prone to mortality from vehicle traffic.
Misidentification: Womas are frequently killed at
property homesteads and other areas, often as a case
of mistaken identity with venomous snakes.
Illegal collecting: The woma is very popular in the
reptile collecting trade, with illegal collecting potentially
impacting on populations of this species.
Did You Know?
Unlike most other pythons, such as the familiar
carpet python, the woma’s head and neck are
about the same width as the body.
This is one of only two pythons in the world lacking
heat sensitive holes along the lips. Most pythons
have heat sensing pits to hone in on warm blooded
animals and birds. However, because the woma
goes after reptiles which don’t radiate heat in the
cool of the night, it doesn’t need the heat sensing
apparatus.
This species is non-venomous, however it is an
unusual python because it actually likes to eat
other reptiles; venomous snakes in particular.
•
Implement coordinated feral animal control measures.
•
Monitor for the presence of reptiles using rabbit warrens before undertaking warren ripping practices
in known woma areas. Use other control measure if possible.
•
Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of native vegetation across the landscape.
•
Retain fallen timber, including stacked timber piles, and ground cover as these provide essential
habitat.
•
Ensure grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining good ground cover.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of ground
cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges or incentive
agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
• Leave snakes alone. They are protected under Queensland legislation and it is illegal to harm them
or interfere with them, not to mention potentially dangerous.
Yakka skink
Yakka skink habitat © Craig Eddie
Description
The yakka skink is a robust lizard with a thick tail and
short legs around the same size as a blue tongue
lizard. Its body colour ranges from pale to dark brown,
usually with a broad dark brown stripe extending along
the back from the neck to the tail. This dark stripe
is bordered on either side by a narrow, pale fawn
stripe. Some of the scales at the rear of its head are
fragmented, so it lacks the symmetrical arrangement of
other skinks. There are several large, plate-like scales
along the leading edge of the ear, partly concealing the
opening.
The average size from head to tail tip is 40 centimetres,
making it one of the largest skinks in the region.
Scientific Name:
Egernia rugosa
Conservation Status
Vulnerable - Environment
Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999
(National)
Vulnerable - Nature
Conservation Act 1992
(Queensland)
Distribution
The core of the yakka skink’s distribution is within the
Mulga Lands and Brigalow Belt South bioregions. Other
populations are scattered throughout the Brigalow Belt
North (east to the Rockhampton area) and Einasleigh
Uplands bioregions, extending northwards to southern
Cape York Peninsula. Recent surveys have detected
populations along the Queensland/New South Wales
border.
Habitat
Yakka skinks occur in a wide variety of vegetation types
including poplar box, ironbark, brigalow, white cypress
pine, mulga, bendee and lancewood woodlands and
open forests. Substrates include rock, sand, clay and
loamy red earth. They can persist in clearings where
shelter sites such as tunnel erosion, rabbit warrens
and log piles exist.
Ecology and Life Cycle
The yakka skink is active during cooler parts of the day,
dusk and sometimes at night. Individuals dig a deep
burrow system under and between partly buried rocks
or logs, or into old root tracts at the base of remnant
stumps. They may also utilise old rabbit warrens,
deep gullies, tunnel erosion/sinkholes or under rural
buildings.
Yakka skink © Steve Wilson
Yakka skink habitat © Craig Eddie
The yakka skink is omnivorous, consuming a wide
variety of invertebrates (beetles, grasshoppers,
spiders) that venture into or near the burrow entrance.
They also consume soft plant materials and fruits.
It produces live young with around six per litter.
Key Threats
Loss of habitat due to clearing and thinning: The focus
of vegetation clearing in the Brigalow Belt is shifting
from the essentially cleared Brigalow ecosystems
on fertile soils to the eucalypt woodlands on poorer
soils. Consequently the survival of dry woodland/open
forest species with limited geographic ranges and/or
specialised habitat requirements, such as the yakka
skink, remain uncertain unless conservation action is
undertaken.
Inappropriate roadside management: Roadsides and
road reserves often provide suitable reptile habitat.
Populations of reptiles that live within linear remnants,
such as roadside strips, are particularly vulnerable
to disturbances that remove essential microhabitat
features, for example, rocks, logs, dense leaf litter
and fallen bark. Road widening and maintenance
works may also impact on yakka skink populations by
destroying burrows.
Removal of wood debris and rocks: This species is
threatened by the removal of its microhabitat, which
includes partly buried rocks, fallen logs and leaf litter.
Ripping of rabbit warrens: The practice of ripping rabbit
warrens has been known to kill womas, as well as
destroying an important shelter site for this species.
Feral animals: The yakka skink is vulnerable to
predation by foxes and feral cats.
An extremely secretive species, its presence
is often indicated by scats near the burrow
entrances.
•
Retain fallen timber and ground cover as these provide essential habitat.
•
Implement coordinated feral animal control measures.
•
Survey roadsides before undertaking road widening or maintenance operations. Flag and
protect suitable habitat and burrows if found.
•
Avoid disturbance of colonies by ensuring grazing practices are sustainable, maintaining
good ground cover or restricting grazing by fencing if necessary.
•
If burning, use cool burns in a mosaic pattern that promote patchiness and leave areas of
ground cover unburnt.
•
Consider entering into a conservation agreement (e.g. Land for Wildlife, Nature Refuges
or incentive agreements through grant programs) for conservation and land management
assistance.
•
Report sightings to WWF-Australia, the Queensland Museum or the EPA/QPWS. Taking a
photo of live or dead specimens is useful to help identification.
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected].
© WWF-Australia June 2008
How to help
• Maintain large, healthy, connected patches of suitable habitat – for example poplar box,
ironbark, brigalow and mulga woodlands.
Queensland Brigalow Belt Reptile Recovery Program
Short-necked worm-skink © Steve Wilson
What is a reptile
Animals of the class Reptilia possess a scaly skin which
is shed periodically, to facilitate growth. Reptiles differ
from other terrestrial vertebrates in that they are cold
blooded or ‘ecothermic’ this means they are unable to
regulate their own body temperature so they rely on
the environment for body warmth. Being cold blooded,
reptiles are not found in very cold regions, and in
regions with cold winters they will usually hibernate.
native vegetation and the consequent fragmentation of
their populations.
What is the Queensland Brigalow Belt Reptile
Recovery Program?
Reptiles are an important part of the natural
environment. Recovery plans set out the research and
management actions necessary to stop the decline of,
and support the recovery of, listed threatened species
or threatened ecological communities. The Queensland
Brigalow Belt Reptile Recovery Plan aims to secure
and improve the long term survival of the 16 species
and to raise awareness of reptile conservation issues
generally within the community.
The future of our reptiles
The majority of Australia’s reptiles are declining in
numbers, in fact one in four of Australia’s 850 reptile
species are in significant decline. Of these Queensland
has the highest number with 41 percent of species
currently threatened. Unfortunately the ecology and
distribution of reptiles is much less well known than
that of either mammals or birds.
The recovery program covers the Queensland part of
the Brigalow Belt bioregion. This region is recognised by
the Australian Government as a biodiversity hotspot.
Those species at the greatest risk of extinction are
those whose declines are driven largely by clearing of
Table 1: Current status of species considered in this recovery plan
Scientific name
Common name
EPBC 1999
NCA 1992
IUCN
Strophurus taenicauda
golden-tailed gecko
Delma labialis
striped-tailed delma
V
V
V
Delma torquata
collared delma
V
V
V
Paradelma orientalis
brigalow scaly-foot
V
V
V
Anomalopus brevicollis
short-necked worm-skink
Anomalopus mackayi
five-clawed worm-skink
V
E
Egernia rugosa
yakka skink
V
V
Lerista allanae
retro slider
E
E
CrE
Lerista vittata
Mount Cooper striped lerista
V
V
E
Menetia sadlieri
Sadlier’s skink
Tympanocryptis pinguicolla
Darling Downs earless dragon
Aspidites ramsayi
woma
R
Acanthophis antarcticus
common death adder
R
Denisonia maculata
ornamental snake
V
V
V
Furina dunmalli
Dunmall’s snake
V
V
V
Hemiaspis damelii
grey snake
CrE = Critically endangered
E = Endangered
V = Vulnerable
R = Rare
R
R
V
R
E
E
E
E
EPBC = Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999
NCA = Nature Conservation Act, 1992
IUCN = World Conservation Union
Golden-tailed gecko © Craig Eddie
How will this be achieved?
The Recovery Plan outlines management actions that
will need to be achieved over the next five years in
order to help the survival of the species. A Recovery
Team has been established to oversee, monitor and
evaluate the delivery of the management actions under
this plan.
Actions include activities such as identifying gaps in
species research, developing and supporting research
priorities, identifying and protecting key habitat
and populations of the species, working with local
government to protect reptile habitat on stock routes,
roadsides and reserves.
By working together with many different stakeholders
across the region the Recovery Team are aiming to
achieve some fantastic conservation outcomes for
reptiles over the next five years and beyond.
What species will it help to protect?
The recovery program focuses on 16 species of
threatened reptiles from the Queensland Brigalow
Belt bioregion. These include geckos, snakes, legless
lizards, skinks and dragons. All of the species are
recognised as threatened under state legislation, and
ten of these are recognised under national legislation
as threatened.
Why conserve reptiles
Generally the community perception of reptiles is not
always positive. However, reptiles are often a useful
‘indicator’ group, meaning a decline in reptile species
or numbers may mirror reductions in other animal
populations. Reptiles also contribute a key service in
the agricultural landscape, preying on production pests
such as rats, mice and insects.
Australia has a rich and unique reptile fauna with over
90 percent of them found nowhere else in the world.
Did you know?
To find out how you can get involved in
the recovery program or for a copy of the
draft recovery plan contact the Threatened
Species Network at [email protected]. To find
out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn.
Sand-swimmer skink © Alison Goodland
© WWF-Australia June 2008
Australia’s most dominant group of animals is the reptiles with over 850 recognised species.
They have an excellent ability to cope with Australia’s extreme conditions. All native reptiles
are protected in Queensland and should not be disturbed or removed.
Sand-swimmer skink © Alison Goodland
References
Golden tailed gecko © Craig Eddie
Publications
Cogger, H., Cameron, E., Sadlier, R., Eggler, P.
1993. “The Action Plan for Australian Reptiles”.
Australian Museum, Canberra
Covacevich, J. A., Couper, P. J., McDonald, K.
R. 1998. “Reptile diversity at risk in the Brigalow
Belt”. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum: 42(2):
475-486.
Drury, W. 2001. “Reptiles under threat in
Queensland’s Southern Brigalow Belt”. WWFAustralia, Brisbane
Dury, W. 2003. “Beneath the Brigalow – Being
Reptile Friendly: A School Education Kit”. WWFAustralia, Brisbane
H. G. Cogger. 2000. “Reptiles & Amphibians of
Australia”, 6th Edition. Reed New Holland, Sydney
Hobson, R. 2003. “Hidden Eardrum, Changing
Colour.” Summer edition, WILDLIFE Australia
Magazine
Hoser, R.T. 1989. “Australian Reptiles and Frogs”.
Pierson & Co, Sydney
Lloyd, R. 2005. A high altitude observation of
the North Queensland Pygopod Delma labialis.
Hepetofauna. 35 (1): 40- 41
Richardson, R. (In prep). “Draft National recovery
plan for Queensland Brigalow Belt Reptiles. Report
to the Department of the Environment, Water,
Heritage and the Arts. WWF-Australia, Brisbane.
Sattler, P. & Williams, R. 1999. “The Conservation
Status of Queensland’s Bioregional Ecosystems”.
Environmental protection Agency, Brisbane
Swanson, S. 2007. “Field Guide to Australian
Reptiles”. Steve Parish Publishing, Brisbane.
Vanderduys, E. 2005. “Additional Information
on Menetia sadlieri, a poorly known skink
from Magnetic Island, North Queensland”.
Herpetofauna. 35 (1): 54-60
Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2008. “A Complete Guide
to Reptiles of Australia”, 2nd Edition. Reed New
Holland, Sydney
Wilson, S. “Reptiles of the Southern Brigalow Belt”.
WWF-Australia, Brisbane
Wilson, S. 2005. “A Field Guide to Reptiles of
Queensland”. Reed New Holland, Sydney
Wilson, S. K. and Knowles, D. G. 1988. “Australia’s
Reptiles – A Photographic Reference to the
Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia”. Collins, Pymble
Spinifex © Alison Goodland
Websites
Australian Herpetological Society
www.ahs.org.au
Australia Zoo
www.australiazoo.com.au/
Australian Reptile Forum
www.australianreptile forum.com
Australian Reptile Keeper Publications
www.reptilepublications.com.au
Australian Reptile Park
www.reptilepark.com.au
A-Z of Animals
www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/
az_of_animals/
Conservation Management Profile – Collared
delma Delma torquata
www.epa.qld.gov.au/publications?id=2094
Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles
www.amonline.net.au/herpetology/research/pdf/
varanidae.pdf
EPBC Act list of threatened fauna
www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/
publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna
Reptiles and Amphibians
www.qm.qld.gov.au/organisation/sections/
ReptilesAmphibians/index.asp
Reptiles Australia
www.reptilesaustralia.com.au/
To find out more about saving threatened species
check out www.wwf.org.au/tsn or contact the
Threatened Species Network at [email protected]
Eucalyptus Woodland © Alison Goodland
© WWF-Australia June 2008
The Reptiles of Australia
www.kingsnake.com/oz/