Download land and biodiversity guidelines

HUME CITY COUNCIL
LAND AND
BIODIVERSITY
GUIDELINES
1.6 Endangered Species in Hume
Hume City Council has a number of rare and threatened species of native plants and
animals. Each species is unique and a valuable part of our natural heritage.
Under Commonwealth legislation rare and threatened species are protected under
the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Species and vegetation communities of National Significance are listed under this
act. Any actions that may affect a species or community that is EPBC listed requires
ministerial approval, and severe penalties apply if action is taken without approval.
Native Grasslands
In Victoria, rare or threatened species (VROTS) are listed under the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable,
Low Risk (near threatened) or Data Deficient. These terms relate to the risk
associated with these species becoming extinct.
A number of EPBC listed species or VROTS exist in Hume, however, many have not
been seen in a number of years. Some of Hume’s more iconic VROTS or EPBC listed
species are described below.
Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis)
This species is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act and Threatened under the
FFG Act. It has become vulnerable due to the draining and filling of waterbodies,
reduced habitat quality, diseases and introduced fish.
Woodlands
The Growling Grass Frog is about 10cms long, green to brown in colour, with warts
on its back. Growling Grass Frogs use long grass as camouflage, they are carnivorous
and prey on other frogs as well as small lizards and insects. The adult males have a
distinctive call that sounds like a growl.
The Growling Grass Frog was once widespread in South Eastern Australia and
Tasmania, but numbers have declined rapidly since the 1980’s. In Hume Growling
Grass Frogs are found at a number of sites along the Moonee Ponds Creek, the
Yuroke Creek and the Merri Creek.
Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana)
This species is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act and as Threatened
under the FFG Act. It has become endangered due to habitat loss through
agricultural expansion and urbanisation, as well as fragmentation and degradation of
habitat.
Growling Grass Frog
The Golden Sun Moth is roughly the size of a twenty cent piece. The males are
mostly dark brown with grey scales, and their hind wings are bronzy-brown and
black. The females appear much the same although have orange hind wings, from
which the name Golden Sun Moth is derived.
Prior to European settlement the Golden Sun Moth was found throughout the
grasslands and grassy woodlands of South Eastern Australia, occupying continuous
areas between Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. In Hume the Golden
Sun Moth is found in grasslands around Craigieburn and Kalkallo.
Golden Sun Moth
The advice provided in this publication is intended as a source of information only. Hume City Council and its
employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your
particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise
from you relying on any information in this publication.
Images by: 1. - 3. Hume City Council; 4. Simon Bennett
Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar)
This species is listed as Vulnerable under the EBPC Act and as Threatened under the
FFG Act. The Striped Legless lizard has become vulnerable due to loss of habitat,
which is associated with the removal of rocks, pasture improvement, grazing, weed
invasion and urban development.
Striped Legless Lizard
The Striped Legless Lizard is a snake-like lizard that grows up to 30cm long and has
stripes along the entire length of its body. It only occurs in the grasslands of South
Eastern Australia and is rarely seen as it shelters in soil cracks, under rocks or at the
base of native tussock grasses. There are no known populations of Striped Legless
Lizard in Hume.
Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor)
This species is listed as Threatened under the EPBC Act and Threatened under the
FFG Act. The Swift Parrot has become endangered in Hume due to the reduction of
woodlands which are significant for their winter feeding.
The Swift Parrot shares characteristics with both parrots and lorikeets. Swift Parrots
have a bright green, glossy appearance, a blue/purple crown and red and yellow
around the bill and throat to the base of the neck. The shoulders and underwings
are bright red, as is the rump.
Swift Parrot
Swift Parrots spend most of the year in Tasmania, where they breed. Between
February and September, they migrate to mainland Australia, mostly in Victoria, and
have known feeding sites in the Box Woodlands around Sunbury.
Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla)
This species is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and Threatened under the
FFG Act. The Grassland Earless Dragon has become endangered through loss and
modification of habitat, overgrazing, use of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides and
predation from introduced pest animals such as foxes and cats.
Grassland Earless Dragon
The Grassland Earless Dragon is fast moving, mottled light grey and brown, and has
small, rough scales; it is about 15 cms long. They live in rocky native grasslands with
sparse to absent tree and shrub cover. They usually occur on sites with little or no
history of grazing, however, they can also live in degraded grasslands sheltering in
invertebrate burrows.
Matted Flax Lily (Dianella amoena)
This species is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and Threatened under the
FFG Act. The Matted Flax-lily has become endangered through land clearing and
fragmentation of habitat, grazing and urban development. The Matted Flax Lily is
widespread in Hume’s grassland reserves. It can be found in Sunbury, Craigieburn,
Broadmeadows and Kalkallo.
Matted Flax-lily is a matt-forming perennial lily. The leaves are grey-green, narrow
and linear. The leaves have irregularly shaped teeth and a distinct red coloration at
the base. The flowers are large, star shaped, nodding and sweetly fragrant. The
petals are pale to deep blue, the stamens bright orange, and the anther lime-yellow.
Matted Flax Lily (Dianella)
The plant is found in grasslands, grassy woodlands and grassy wetlands, and can
occur in well-drained to seasonally wet soils.
Images: Hume City Council