Fauna Spotters logo

Alpine Bog Skink (Pseudemoia cryodroma)

The Alpine Bog Skink is a small, diurnal terrestrial lizard endemic to high elevation habitats in the Australian Alps Bioregion. It relies on intact ground cover in alpine bogs, riparian areas, wet heath and related grassland habitats, so clearing, ski infrastructure, roads, fire and trampling can remove shelter and feeding habitat. It is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and in Victoria.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

Breeding season

The Alpine Bog Skink is live-bearing. Breeding is documented from December to March, with mating probably after February births and young usually born in February. Plan clearing to avoid this period, and retain ground cover during colder months because animals may shelter within vegetation and under surface cover.

Reproductive mode: Live-bearing, viviparous

Litter size: Usually 2 to 5 live young; another source reports up to 6

Incubation or gestation: Gestation length is not recorded

Size at birth: Not recorded

Age at maturity: Assumed at about 1 year

Nest or egg sites: Not applicable for live birth; natural refuge or birth sites are not recorded

Breeding frequency: Not recorded

Confirm timing locally before works, particularly where temperature, snow cover, rainfall and elevation alter activity or breeding conditions.

  • Mating: The breeding season is documented as December to March. Mating probably occurs after females give birth in February, while another account places mating in late summer or autumn.
  • Gravid females: The documents do not give the months when females carry embryos. Use December to March as a precautionary window because this is the documented breeding period and February is the usual birth month.
  • Births: Females usually give birth to 2 to 5 live young in February. A separate source reports births in late summer but does not provide a specific month.
  • Newborns: Newborns are expected from the February birth period. Juveniles were recorded during March surveys, but the duration of the newborn period is not reported.
  • Active period: The species emerges from ground cover to bask during cool, sunny conditions. Dated records of adults and juveniles show activity from December to March, but exact seasonal limits are not recorded.
  • Winter inactivity: Brumation or a defined winter inactivity period has not been recorded for this species. As a general precaution for an alpine reptile, treat May to August as a period when animals may remain sheltered in ground cover, rocks or other surface refuges during cold conditions.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from December to March because breeding, births and young are documented then, with February the peak birth month. Clearing from May to August can also harm animals sheltering from cold, although species-specific winter inactivity has not been documented.

Identification

The Alpine Bog Skink is a small, glossy skink of high elevation wetlands and heath. Field identification can be difficult where it occurs with closely related Pseudemoia species, and photographs or genetic confirmation may be needed for uncertain records.

The body is metallic brown to green brown, usually with a broad dark zone along each side. A black or dark brown stripe is usually visible along the spine, with one pale stripe on each side of the back and a pale line between the front and back legs. The dorsal scales are usually very glossy, sometimes showing an iridescent green sheen in sunlight.

Maximum snout to vent length: 60 mm

Typical colour: Metallic brown to green brown

Key pattern: Dark lateral zone, dorsal stripe, paired pale back stripes and pale line between the limbs

Identification: Separating similar skinks

The Alpine Bog Skink may occur with the Tussock Skink, Pseudemoia pagenstecheri, and Southern Grass Skink, Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii. It is typically darker and more metallic than these species. Breeding males usually lack red pigment on the otherwise pale underside, except in one subpopulation, while the pale line between the front and back legs commonly becomes rose pink to scarlet. Detailed comparison of the dorsal and lateral stripe patterns is required, and hybrids can be difficult to separate in the field.

It can also look superficially similar to skinks in the genera Acritocoscincus and Lampropholis. Those skinks have a different arrangement of large scales on the top of the head. Do not rely on colour alone where species identity is uncertain.

  • Take clear, georeferenced photographs showing the back, side, underside where possible and head scalation.
  • Record the exact microhabitat, weather, elevation and behaviour, particularly basking or sheltering.
  • Use an experienced reptile ecologist and consider genetic confirmation for individuals with intermediate patterning or suspected hybridisation.

Identification: Field signs and behaviour

This is a diurnal lizard. Individuals may be seen basking on grass tussocks, low emergent rocks, the bases of snow gums or low heathy plants less than 1 m high. In warmer conditions they generally remain within ground cover. The species is not known from characteristic tracks, scats, calls, nests, tree hollows or eyeshine, and no species specific slough sign is described in the supplied documents.

Survey detection is strongly affected by weather and cover. Victorian reptile guidance recommends diurnal transects or spot censuses for this species, during peak activity or breeding conditions, with surveys focused on observed or modelled habitat. Surveys should use at least two observers and avoid cold, wet, windy or overcast conditions.

  • Treat an individual seen basking on a tussock, rock or low plant as a potential record, but confirm identification against the similar Pseudemoia species.
  • Minimise disturbance to ground cover and replace any moved refuge feature immediately.
  • Record non detection cautiously because the species can be difficult to detect and may be absent from known sites for up to 12 years after fire.

Distribution: National range

The Alpine Bog Skink is endemic to the Australian Alps Bioregion. Most confirmed records are from high elevation Victoria, with possible occurrence in adjacent New South Wales requiring confirmation in some areas.

In Victoria, the species occurs in subalpine and alpine areas above 1,000 m, with most habitat described as being above 1,100 m. It is recorded from the Alpine, Baw Baw, Yarra Ranges and Mount Buffalo national parks and associated high country. It may occur in adjacent alpine regions of New South Wales, including the Kosciuszko area, but some specimens require confirmation after taxonomic reviews.

  • Victoria: confirmed records include Lake Mountain near Marysville, Mount Baw Baw, Bennison High Plains, Dargo High Plains, Mount Buller, Mount Buffalo, Mount Higginbotham, Mount Hotham, the Bogong High Plains, the Cobberas and Tom Groggin.
  • New South Wales: possible records occur near the Victorian border and in the Mount Kosciuszko and Thredbo area, but the supplied advice identifies a need for species confirmation.
  • Bioregion: Australian Alps Bioregion, IBRA 7.

Distribution: Strongholds and fragmentation

The national population is divided among isolated high elevation subpopulations, sometimes described as alpine sky islands. Confirmed or assessed isolated groups include the Bogong High Plains, Mount Higginbotham, Mount Buller to Mount Stirling, Mount Baw Baw and Lake Mountain. A further 3 to 7 isolated subpopulations are considered likely.

Dispersal capacity appears limited. Without management intervention, the species is unlikely to maintain gene flow between fragmented subpopulations, recolonise distant habitat or move into future habitat as climate change shifts suitable conditions uphill.

Known isolated subpopulations specifically identified: At least 5 areas: Bogong High Plains, Mount Higginbotham, Mount Buller to Mount Stirling, Mount Baw Baw and Lake Mountain

Further likely isolated subpopulations: 3 to 7

Estimated Victorian area of occupancy: 192 km², based on 2 km by 2 km grids of accepted post 1970 records

Population size: The number of mature individuals is not known.

Distribution: Trend and conservation status

The species is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and Endangered in Victoria. The national assessment identifies a restricted area of occupancy and number of locations, continuing declines in area of occupancy, habitat extent and habitat quality, and projected future declines in range and habitat.

Genetic diversity is a concern because subpopulations are isolated. The lower altitudinal limit of occurrence is projected to rise from about 1,000 m to 1,200 to 1,400 m by 2050, which may further reduce available habitat and increase isolation.

Habitat: Habitat types

Habitat is defined by high elevation, moisture and intact ground layer cover rather than by one vegetation community. Areas that are currently unoccupied may still be habitat if they are periodically occupied, historically occupied or suitable for recovery after disturbance.

The species occurs primarily in alpine bog, riparian and wet heath above 1,100 m. It also occurs less commonly in alpine and subalpine grassland, dry treeless heath, drainage lines in subalpine meadows and snow gum woodland.

The species generally uses wetter microhabitats than the Tussock Skink and more open areas than the Southern Grass Skink. Habitat must provide food, water, shelter, basking sites and breeding sites.

Recorded elevation: Above 1,000 m, primarily above 1,100 m

Projected lower elevation limit by 2050: 1,200 to 1,400 m

  • Alpine bogs, boggy creeks and wet heath.
  • Riparian areas and drainage lines in subalpine meadows.
  • Alpine and subalpine grassland and dry treeless heath.
  • Snow gum woodland with suitable ground cover.

Habitat: Structural features

Intact ground layer vegetation is a key habitat feature. The skink shelters within ground cover and uses tussock grasses, low shrubs, low emergent rocks, snow gum bases and low heathy plants for basking and foraging. Structural complexity is reduced by ski run construction and maintenance, clearing, grazing, trampling and repeated fire.

Suitable habitat may remain important even when skinks are not detected. Fire or feral animal impacts can cause temporary or prolonged absence from otherwise suitable habitat.

  • Retain continuous tussock, sedge, heath and other low ground cover.
  • Protect wet depressions, bog margins, riparian strips, drainage lines and unburnt refuge patches.
  • Avoid severing patches or creating bare corridors through bog, wet heath or grassland.
  • Include both existing habitat and suitable higher elevation or potential future habitat when assessing project impacts.

Habitat: Climate and connectivity limits

Climate change is expected to dry alpine bog systems, alter tussock and shrub cover and shift suitable conditions to higher elevations. There is an upper elevation limit where skinks near mountain summits cannot move further uphill. Protecting only habitat above 1,400 m would also increase fragmentation and inbreeding risk, so connected habitat across the elevation range is needed.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The Alpine Bog Skink feeds on small invertebrates in and around low ground vegetation. It forages close to cover and uses warm, sunny conditions to become active.

The documented diet is small invertebrates. The species is terrestrial and generally remains within ground cover during warm conditions, emerging to bask and forage when the weather is cool and sunny. It may clamber among leaves of low heathy plants less than 1 m high.

The supplied documents do not identify particular prey taxa, food plants, home range size or daily foraging distance. For project assessments, retain the ground layer and associated litter, tussocks, low heath, rocks and wetland margins that support both invertebrate prey and cover.

Recorded prey: Small invertebrates

Known foraging range: Not reported in the supplied documents

Key foraging structure: Low ground cover, tussocks, low heath, rocks and wetland margins

  • Search for active individuals around tussock bases, low rocks, snow gum bases, wet heath and low shrubs during settled, sunny conditions.
  • Avoid unnecessary trampling, grading, mowing, slashing or soil disturbance in feeding habitat.
  • Do not assume that a cleared strip is low value because it is not used for nesting. Ground cover supports both feeding and shelter.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in the warmer months, with females giving birth to live young. Breeding habitat is within the same moist, well covered alpine and subalpine habitat used by adults.

Females usually bear live young in February. Mating probably occurs within a short period after birth, although the supplied documents also describe the breeding season broadly as December to March. The species is viviparous, so there are no eggs or nests to protect.

Retain connected patches of ground cover through the breeding season. Disturbance can remove shelter used by adults and young and may expose skinks to predators, heat and drying conditions.

Breeding season: December to March

Birth period: Usually February

Litter size: Usually 2 to 5 live young

Sexual maturity: Assumed at about 1 year

Life expectancy: Estimated at about 5 years

Generation length: Estimated at 2 to 3 years, with another assessment giving 2 to 4 years

Gestation or incubation: Gestation duration is not reported. There is no incubation period because the young are born live.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding occurs in alpine bog, riparian, wet heath, grassland and related habitats where there is dense or continuous ground cover. Females and young may be difficult to detect because the species shelters within vegetation and under surface objects.

Fire, clearing, ski run works, road construction and feral animal trampling can remove or damage the cover used during breeding and after birth. Maintain unburnt, connected patches around known records and suitable habitat.

  • Avoid clearing or heavy machinery access through wet heath, bog margins, tussock cover and drainage lines from December to March where practicable.
  • Have a fauna spotter catcher inspect any disturbed surface objects and ground cover before removal.
  • Retain suitable ground cover around construction edges and prevent sediment, altered drainage and weed spread into bog and riparian habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Refuges

The species shelters in low ground vegetation and under surface objects. Shelter is close to feeding and basking areas and is easily damaged by fire, trampling, grading and vegetation removal.

The Alpine Bog Skink shelters within ground layer vegetation and under surface objects. It uses grass tussocks, low shrubs, low emergent rocks and the bases of snow gums. It may also use leaf cover among low heathy plants.

The documents do not report natural burrow dimensions, nest dimensions, hollow use or den sites. Artificial roof tiles have detected the species in Victorian surveys, but tiles are a survey method rather than a confirmed natural refuge requirement.

  • Inspect dense ground cover, tussock bases, low rocks, fallen material and the bases of snow gums before disturbance.
  • Replace moved rocks, logs or other surface cover in their original position and avoid crushing the surrounding vegetation.
  • Do not remove large areas of ground cover or expose wetland margins unnecessarily.
  • Use hygiene measures and clean equipment when moving between alpine sites to reduce transfer of soil, weeds and pathogens.

Sheltering habitat: Fire recovery and detectability

The species can be undetectable at known locations for up to 12 years after fire. Low fecundity, mortality during fire and slow recovery of alpine vegetation mean that recently burnt areas should not be treated as having no habitat value.

Surveys after fire should account for reduced detectability and should not be used alone to justify clearing of apparently empty ground cover.

Possible post fire non detection period: Up to 12 years at known locations

Artificial refuge survey example: Victorian post fire surveys used secondhand roof tiles, with Alpine Bog Skinks found beneath tiles and basking nearby

Threats: Clearing and development

The main risks are climate driven habitat change, frequent and intense fire, feral hard hoofed animals and commercial development. These pressures reduce ground cover, fragment subpopulations and increase exposure to predators.

Ski buildings, ski runs, snow sport runs, roads, tracks and other commercial infrastructure can remove or degrade habitat. Ski run construction and maintenance reduce the structural complexity of alpine vegetation, and habitat loss has been recorded during upgrades at Mount Hotham. Road construction and maintenance can affect bogs, drainage and wet heath, including through altered water movement and bare ground.

Development can also increase weed spread, cat access, fox activity and hybridisation near infrastructure. The Falls to Hotham Alpine Crossing and road construction near the Dargo High Plains were identified as examples of potential habitat risk in the conservation advice.

  • Map known records, modelled habitat, bogs, riparian areas, drainage lines and connected ground cover before finalising a work footprint.
  • Avoid direct clearing of alpine bog, wet heath, riparian vegetation, tussock cover and snow gum ground layer where practicable.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, access tracks, laydown areas and drainage works out of wetland margins and potential refuge areas.
  • Assess indirect effects including altered hydrology, sediment, weed introduction, increased fire exposure, domestic cats and increased predator access.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher and species competent ecologist where ground cover or surface objects will be disturbed.

Threats: Fire

Frequent and intense fire can kill skinks directly, remove ground cover, alter alpine bogs and increase fragmentation. About 22 percent of the modelled distribution was burnt by high or very high severity fire in 2019 to 2020. A location may remain undetectable for up to 12 years after fire.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of high intensity fire, while fire affected vegetation is more vulnerable to horse and deer damage. Loss of cover after fire can also increase cat and fox hunting success.

  • Avoid planned burning, hot works and unnecessary ignition risk in known or suitable habitat.
  • Protect unburnt patches and wet bog refuges during fire planning and emergency works.
  • Include post fire habitat condition and reduced detectability in impact assessments and survey design.

Threats: Feral animals and predators

Feral horses damage and remove ground cover through pugging, rolling and grazing, with particularly strong effects in bog and riparian habitat. Deer trample and wallow in the same habitats, and 79 percent of 29 Bogong High Plains bogs surveyed showed deer impacts, with fresh wallows in 42 percent. Feral pigs can root in wetland habitat and their impacts are expected to increase in parts of the range.

Cats and foxes may prey on skinks, especially where fire, horses, deer or development remove vegetation cover. Cat hunting success increases in open areas after fire. Reptiles form a minor part of fox diet in alpine and subalpine areas, but their contribution can increase where vegetation is disturbed.

  • Prevent horses, deer and pigs from entering work areas and newly disturbed bog or riparian habitat.
  • Repair or close temporary access routes that could concentrate trampling or create wallows.
  • Keep domestic cats contained at alpine resorts and project accommodation.
  • Do not create open refuge free areas that increase predator access.

Threats: Weeds, hydrology and fragmentation

Willow and other weeds can outcompete ground layer vegetation in alpine bogs, wetlands and riparian areas. Horses, deer, pigs, fire and construction can spread weeds or create bare ground for establishment. Illegal off road driving and road works can reduce water absorption, divert runoff and increase siltation, degrading and drying bog skink habitat.

Small isolated subpopulations have limited dispersal and may not maintain gene flow or recolonise areas after disturbance. Habitat loss at one site can therefore have effects beyond the immediate footprint.

  • Use clean vehicles, plant and footwear before entering alpine habitat and control weeds before seed set where practicable.
  • Keep sediment, spoil and contaminated runoff out of bogs, drainage lines and riparian habitat.
  • Maintain natural drainage and avoid diverting surface water away from bogs or concentrating flow through ground cover.
  • Retain habitat links between occupied and potential habitat rather than isolating small patches.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment and habitat inspection

Survey alpine bog skinks in suitable subalpine and alpine habitat above 1000 m, with priority given to alpine bogs, riparian areas, wet heath, drainage lines, grass tussocks and snow gum woodland. Identification can be difficult where tussock skinks and southern grass skinks occur, so use experienced observers and retain photographs or other evidence for verification.

Review current and historical records, Victorian Habitat Distribution Models where applicable, aerial imagery and project mapping before selecting survey sites.

Inspect habitat within and near the disturbance footprint, including areas up to 50 m from the proposed survey site, for wet heath, bog, riparian vegetation, drainage lines, dense ground cover, grass tussocks, low shrubs, rocks and snow gum woodland.

Treat modelled distribution as indicative because limited survey effort means the species may occur in suitable habitat without a previous record.

Usual elevation: Above 1000 m, with primary habitat generally above 1100 m

Main activity season: Warmer months, with breeding from December to March

Preferred survey period: Spring to early summer, or other warm periods directed by the project ecologist

Survey methodology: 2. Diurnal transects and active searches

Use at least two observers working together to search suitable habitat during warm, sunny and settled weather, when skinks are likely to bask or move through ground cover.

Search visually around grass tussocks, low emergent rocks, the bases of snow gums, low heath below 1 m, and dense ground cover, while avoiding unnecessary disturbance.

Search in the morning as temperatures rise, and start earlier if extreme heat is forecast; avoid cold temperatures, strong winds, rain and overcast conditions.

Use binoculars where they improve detection and record the search track, start and finish times, weather and habitat condition.

Observers: Minimum two observers

Recommended conditions: Sunny, dry and settled weather, with ambient temperature above 18°C for spot censuses

Species behaviour affecting detection: Often remains under ground cover in warm conditions and emerges to bask when cool and sunny

Survey methodology: 3. Spot census

Establish census points along 100 m or 200 m transects, or in representative habitat plots, where the habitat is large enough for active reptiles to be observed.

After a 1 to 2 minute settling and description period, observe quietly for 10 minutes at each census point; use up to 20 minutes only where the plot is large or the species is particularly cryptic.

Use a plot of about 10 m radius where vegetation permits, and record the number of individuals, behaviour, sex or life stage where identifiable, and any distinguishing photographs.

Census duration: 10 minutes, up to 20 minutes where justified

Typical plot: About 10 m radius

Transect options: 100 m or 200 m

Survey methodology: 4. Artificial refuges and repeat checks

Use artificial cover objects where the project requires additional detection effort or where visual searches are constrained by dense ground cover, following an approved species-specific design.

The supplied Victorian guideline identifies diurnal transects or spot censuses for alpine bog skinks, while the fire recovery study recorded 57 alpine bog skinks using roof tiles at Lake Mountain, showing that cover objects can improve detection in this habitat.

If cover objects are used, place them in suitable wet heath, bog margins or dense ground cover, allow them to bed in before checking, and minimise disturbance when lifting and replacing them.

Identify captured animals promptly, return cover objects to their original position and release animals at the point of capture unless an authorised fauna management plan specifies otherwise.

Example detection result: 57 alpine bog skinks were captured under or near roof tiles during 2010 to 2011 surveys at Lake Mountain

Identification issue: Alpine bog skinks can be confused with tussock skinks, southern grass skinks and hybrids

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Use the project ecologist to set the final number of transects, census points, repeat visits and any artificial refuge effort after considering habitat area, detectability, elevation, weather and the risk of false absence.

Record every unique threatened species observation, including non capture evidence where identification is reliable, and record a separate observation for each location or survey event as required by the relevant database.

Submit records to the relevant state wildlife database, including the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas where the work occurs in Victoria, and meet all project, permit and approval reporting conditions.

Submit georeferenced photographs showing diagnostic markings and scale where possible, including photographs of any individual that could be confused with a related Pseudemoia species.

Retain survey tracks as GIS data and record site identifiers, dates, times, observers, weather, habitat, disturbance, search method and identification confidence.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat all suitable alpine and subalpine habitat within and adjacent to the work area as potential habitat, including habitat without a recent record. The species is fragmented into isolated subpopulations and has limited dispersal, so avoid creating additional breaks between occupied or suitable patches.

Potential post-fire absence: The species may be undetectable at known locations for up to 12 years after fire

Projected lower elevation shift: The lower limit of occurrence is projected to increase from 1000 m to 1200 to 1400 m by 2050

  • Redesign the footprint to retain alpine bogs, riparian areas, wet heath, drainage lines, dense ground cover, grass tussocks, low heath and snow gum woodland.
  • Keep disturbance out of bogs, wet heath and drainage lines wherever practicable, because these areas provide shelter, food, water and breeding resources.
  • Retain connected habitat between patches rather than protecting only the highest elevations, because exclusive protection above 1400 m can increase fragmentation and inbreeding risk.
  • Do not assume an apparently unoccupied patch is unused, because fire and other threats can make the species temporarily undetectable for up to 12 years.
  • Prevent changes to wetland drainage, surface runoff and sediment movement, and keep vehicles and machinery out of retained bog and riparian ground cover.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

National status: EPBC Act Endangered

Victorian status: Endangered and listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988

  • Check whether the proposed action may have a significant impact on this EPBC Act Endangered species and obtain environmental advice on referral and approval requirements before work starts.
  • Check state and territory threatened species legislation, wildlife permits, planning conditions and any park or reserve approvals that apply to the site.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that maps potential habitat, survey results, no-go areas, access routes, weather limits, stop-work triggers, handling authority, release sites and reporting requirements.
  • Schedule ground disturbance outside the warmer breeding period from December to March where practicable, and avoid works during warm periods when animals may be active on the surface.
  • Stage works so that retained habitat, movement connections and undisturbed refuge remain available while each work area is cleared.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete a targeted pre-clearance survey in suitable habitat using experienced reptile observers and the approved method before machinery enters the work area.
  • Mark no-go habitat, bog margins, drainage lines, dense ground cover, rocks, logs and other retained shelter features in the field and on construction plans.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block movement into retained habitat or damage bog and wet heath vegetation, and inspect fencing daily.
  • Brief all workers on the species appearance, its similarity to other Pseudemoia skinks, hygiene requirements, access limits and the stop-work procedure.
  • Set out machinery parking, washdown, stockpile and access areas outside retained habitat, and ensure weed and pathogen controls are in place before entry.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls

Keep machinery, people and disturbance within the approved footprint. The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work and must be able to inspect ground cover, bog margins and other shelter features before they are disturbed.

  • Inspect the work area each day before disturbance, especially after overnight rain, fire, heavy machinery movement or changes to the approved footprint.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher with reptile identification experience, working with the machine operator and supervisor rather than inspecting the area after clearing has begun.
  • Keep vehicles and machinery on marked routes, prevent tracking through bogs and drainage lines, and stop work if sediment, fuel or altered runoff reaches retained wet habitat.
  • Maintain exclusion fencing, signage and no-go areas, and repair any breach before work continues.
  • Do not conduct active searches or move habitat features in cold, wet, windy or unsafe conditions unless required under the approved fauna management plan.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat feature handling

  • Clear vegetation progressively in small sections so the spotter catcher can inspect ground cover and allow animals to move towards retained habitat.
  • Retain grass tussocks, low shrubs, leaf litter, logs, rocks and other ground refuges wherever practicable, because the species shelters in ground cover and under surface objects.
  • Before moving a log, rock, tile, dense tussock or other refuge, inspect both sides and the surrounding ground, then replace the feature in its original position if it is retained.
  • Do not roll rocks, remove bark or undertake destructive searches unless specifically authorised, and keep microhabitat disturbance to a minimum.
  • Protect bog hydrology and drainage lines from rutting, pugging, sediment, spoil, concrete washout and altered flow.

During habitat disturbance: Animal response and stop-work triggers

  • Stop work immediately if an alpine bog skink, an uncertain Pseudemoia, or a potentially occupied refuge is found within the disturbance area.
  • Allow the animal to move into nearby retained habitat where safe, or have it handled only by a person authorised under the project approval, permit and fauna management plan.
  • Do not chase, hold or transport an animal unnecessarily; use clean, appropriate equipment and minimise handling time.
  • Release a captured animal as soon as possible at the point of capture or in nearby retained habitat with equivalent ground cover, as authorised by the fauna management plan.
  • Do not relocate an animal across roads, developed areas, fire breaks or isolated habitat, and do not move it to a different mountain or subpopulation without specific approval.
  • Place injured animals in a secure, ventilated container and contact the nominated wildlife carer or veterinarian promptly, recording the animal's location and condition.
  • Stop work and obtain advice if the species is found outside the surveyed area, if more individuals are found than predicted, if habitat is being damaged beyond the approved footprint, or if fire, erosion, machinery failure or contamination threatens retained habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record the date, time, precise location, identification features, photographs, sex or life stage where known, habitat, weather, handling, release location and the names of the observers.
  • Record all stop-work events, injuries, mortalities, relocations, damaged refuges, fencing breaches, wetland impacts and departures from the fauna management plan.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records and incidents to the project ecologist, approval holder and regulator where required.
  • Disinfect hands and equipment between sites and follow the project's hygiene and weed control procedures before entering another bog or wet heath area.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Do not treat completion of clearing as the end of the fauna obligation. The species can remain undetected after disturbance, fire or habitat loss, so assess habitat condition and recovery as well as direct animal records.

  • Complete a joint inspection by the project ecologist and fauna spotter catcher before removing exclusion fencing or opening the site to the next stage of work.
  • Check the retained habitat edge, bog margins, drainage lines, access routes and stockpile areas for stranded animals, damaged ground cover, ruts, sediment, altered runoff and unauthorised disturbance.
  • Inspect retained logs, rocks, tussocks and other refuges that were moved or exposed during works, and reinstate them where safe.
  • Record any mortality or injury, investigate the cause and implement corrective action before further works proceed.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and close-out

  • Monitor retained and rehabilitated habitat during suitable warm, settled conditions using the approved diurnal transect, spot census or other project method.
  • Use repeat monitoring where the work removed or degraded habitat, affected a known record, altered wetland hydrology, or occurred near a fragmented subpopulation.
  • Continue weed, feral herbivore, fire and erosion controls for the period specified in the approval or fauna management plan.
  • Compare monitoring results with pre-work records, including detection method and effort, rather than interpreting a non-detection as proof of absence.
  • Submit the final fauna report, spatial data, photographs, incident log, monitoring results and database records to the approval holder and relevant authorities.
  • Implement offsets or other compensatory measures where required by the EPBC Act, state approval, planning permit or project conditions.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and hydrology

Rehabilitation should restore the wet, open ground layer used by alpine bog skinks and reconnect retained habitat. It should address the causes of habitat loss, not only replace vegetation after construction.

Primary habitat: Alpine bog, riparian and wet heath above 1100 m

Additional habitat: Alpine and subalpine grassland, dry treeless heath, drainage lines and snow gum woodland

  • Reinstate natural drainage patterns and prevent concentration of runoff, erosion, drying or sedimentation in bogs, riparian areas and drainage lines.
  • Re-establish local alpine bog, riparian, wet heath, alpine grassland, dry treeless heath and snow gum woodland communities appropriate to the site and elevation.
  • Use locally appropriate native ground-layer species and retain or replace tussock grasses, low shrubs and other dense cover that provide shelter and foraging sites.
  • Reinstate suitable logs and rocks where they were removed, placing them securely without burying wetland vegetation or blocking natural water movement.
  • Remove temporary roads, pads, spoil and compacted surfaces from habitat and restore ground levels and surface roughness to match surrounding areas.
  • Do not introduce ornamental or non-local plants, and clean machinery and materials before entering the rehabilitation area.

Rehabilitation actions: Control interacting threats

  • Control willow and other weeds before they replace ground-layer cover, while preventing trampling of retained bog and wet heath during weed work.
  • Exclude or control horses, deer and feral pigs in rehabilitated habitat, particularly around bogs, riparian areas and recently burnt sites.
  • Plan fire management with the relevant land manager to protect fire-sensitive bogs and retain unburnt refuge areas, while following the regional alpine fire strategy.
  • Limit cat access and manage predator risks where ground cover has been removed or where fire and construction have created open habitat.
  • Maintain connectivity between rehabilitated and retained patches, and consider climate refuge planning that includes current and potential future habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

  • Monitor vegetation cover, tussock and low heath recovery, bog moisture and drainage, weed presence, feral animal sign, fire damage and erosion at fixed photo points and mapped locations.
  • Undertake alpine bog skink surveys during suitable warm, settled weather using consistent effort and methods so results can be compared between years.
  • Treat successful rehabilitation as recovery of suitable ground cover and hydrology, absence or control of major threats, and maintenance of a connected habitat patch, not simply completion of planting.
  • Continue monitoring for at least the period required by the approval or rehabilitation plan, recognising that the species may be undetectable for long periods after fire or disturbance.
  • Report monitoring results, management failures and corrective actions to the land manager, approval holder and relevant wildlife database or regulator.

Sources