Fauna Spotters logo

Atherton Delma (Delma mitella)

The Atherton delma is a rarely recorded, legless lizard known from north-east Queensland, including the Atherton Tablelands and the vicinity of Paluma. Its habitat use is poorly understood, but records include open forest and the ecotone between open and closed forest, so clearing and ground disturbance in suitable forest-floor habitat should be assessed carefully.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The Atherton delma is an oviparous reptile with very limited seasonal records. For planning, treat spring to early summer as the likely breeding window and the wetter months as the period of greatest surface activity, while recognising that suitable shelter can contain animals in any month.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous.

Clutch size: Typically 1 to 3 eggs, although species-specific confirmation is limited.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Size at hatching: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg sites: Moist, sheltered sites beneath rotting logs or within soil crevices.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Confirm timing locally using rainfall, temperature and pre-clearance survey results, because the Atherton delma has been recorded too rarely to define a reliable annual cycle.

  • Mating: Mating has not been recorded. September to December is an indicative planning window based on the possible spring breeding pattern, not confirmed species timing.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females and the period they carry eggs have not been recorded. September to December is an indicative window aligned with the possible spring breeding period.
  • Egg laying: Egg-laying dates have not been recorded. Plan for possible laying from September to December, in moist ground refuges such as rotting logs and soil crevices.
  • Incubation: Incubation length is not recorded. Eggs may be present in soil or beneath ground cover from the possible spring laying period and should be treated as present until local surveys and advice indicate otherwise.
  • Hatchlings: Hatching and juvenile emergence dates have not been recorded. October to December is an indicative window following the possible spring laying period, and hatchlings are expected to be independent miniature adults.
  • Active period: The species is most active during wetter conditions, particularly after sustained rainfall and on cool, damp nights. November to April is an indicative wet-season activity window for planning, but no species dataset defines monthly activity.
  • Dry season inactivity: During drier periods the species retreats deeper into soil and may have reduced metabolic activity. May to October is an indicative dry-season sheltering period, when animals may be less able to escape machinery.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing can harm sheltering animals, eggs and young in any month because logs, rocks, leaf litter, roots and soil crevices may be occupied. Risk may increase from September to April because this period combines the possible breeding window with wetter-period activity, but no reliable monthly peak has been recorded.

Identification

The Atherton delma is a legless lizard in the family Pygopodidae. It can be mistaken for a snake, particularly when seen briefly or in leaf litter.

The species has a long, limbless body and is very large for a Delma. The supplied sources do not establish a reliable adult snout to vent length, total length or body weight. Juveniles may be less than 9 centimetres snout to vent length and can be difficult to identify in the field.

Pygopodids retain small hind-limb flaps and have visible ear openings, which help separate them from snakes. These features should be checked without unnecessary handling, especially because the tail is fragile and may be shed when the animal is disturbed.

Size: Exact adult measurements and weight are not given in the supplied species profile.

Small-individual threshold: Individuals with snout to vent length below 9 centimetres require particular care because they may resemble Delma tincta.

Sexual dimorphism: No information is provided.

Identification: Distinguishing features

Compared with the striped-tailed delma, the Atherton delma lacks the dark dorsolateral stripe along the tail and has a broader, blunter snout.

Compared with Delma tincta, it is much larger as an adult. Small Atherton delmas can be similar in size and pattern to adult D. tincta, with a dark head interrupted by several narrow pale bands.

  • Check whether the fourth supralabial is below the eye, rather than the third as in D. tincta.
  • Count the midbody scales where safe and practical: Atherton delma has 16, while D. tincta usually has 14.
  • Check the rostral scale: its dorsal margin is flat in the Atherton delma rather than peaked in D. tincta.
  • Take a tissue sample from small Delma with a dark, pale-banded head in north-east Queensland where approved handling and permits allow.
  • Take a photo voucher for records outside the known distribution.

Identification: Field signs and records

There are no documented species-specific tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine records in the supplied sources. Most records have been obtained serendipitously rather than through consistent targeted detection.

One paratype was found dead on a road in November at 7.05 pm. Road-killed specimens should be photographed, accurately located and retained or submitted in accordance with permit and collection requirements.

  • Search carefully beneath sheets of tin, rocks, logs and other large objects lying on the ground.
  • Replace every cover object in its original position after inspection.
  • Treat any small, dark-headed Delma with pale head bands as requiring confirmation rather than relying on a quick visual identification.

Distribution: Known distribution

The Atherton delma has a very restricted and poorly documented distribution in north-east Queensland. The supplied sources do not provide a confirmed population estimate, trend or state-level distribution outside Queensland.

The species was originally described from two individuals from the Atherton Tablelands, at Herberton and near Koombooloomba. More recent collected individuals came from the vicinity of Paluma.

The known Australian range is in Queensland. The records fall within the Wet Tropics region of north Queensland, but the supplied survey profile describes localities rather than a mapped bioregional boundary.

State: Queensland

Known localities: Herberton, near Koombooloomba, Atherton Tablelands, and the vicinity of Paluma

Known strongholds: No stronghold has been established.

Distribution: Population knowledge

Targeted surveys of pygopod lizards on the Atherton Tablelands failed to locate further individuals at the time reported in the survey guideline. The species is therefore difficult to detect, and an absence of records should not be treated as evidence of absence without an appropriate survey and habitat assessment.

No population size, number of subpopulations or population trend is provided in the supplied sources.

Recorded survey return: One individual in 6,840 pitfall trap nights

Population estimate: Not known

Population trend: Not known

Habitat: Habitat types

Habitat information is limited. The strongest direct evidence is from Paluma, where specimens were collected in open forest and at the ecotone between open and closed forest.

The species has been recorded from open forest and from the transition between open and closed forest. Its broader habitat preferences remain almost unknown.

The species is associated with ground-level cover and the upper soil or leaf-litter layer, based on the recommended search methods and general information for Delma species.

  • Map open forest, closed forest and forest ecotones within the project area.
  • Retain and inspect areas with logs, rocks, sheets of metal, thick leaf litter and loose soil.
  • Assess both intact forest floor and forest edges rather than limiting searches to closed-canopy rainforest.

Habitat: Climate and elevation

The known range is in tropical north Queensland, including the Atherton Tablelands and Paluma area. The supplied sources do not define an elevation range, temperature limit or rainfall threshold.

The species may be most detectable under warm, moist conditions, but this is inferred from the possible spring activity peak and general Delma survey practice rather than demonstrated for the Atherton delma.

Elevation limit: Not established in the supplied sources.

Climate limit: Not established. Known records are from tropical north-east Queensland.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Atherton delma's diet and foraging behaviour are poorly documented. Available general information indicates a small-invertebrate diet and feeding associated with leaf litter and ground cover.

The species is described as a carnivore that feeds on small invertebrates, including ants, termites, beetle larvae and other soft-bodied arthropods.

No food plant is associated with the species. Prey is likely to be obtained from the leaf-litter layer, beneath cover objects or in loose surface soil.

Food: Small invertebrates, including ants, termites, beetle larvae and other soft-bodied arthropods

Foraging range: Not known

Foraging habitat: Foraging conditions

General observations suggest that feeding activity may increase during cool, damp nights after rainfall, with animals retreating deeper into soil or cover during drier conditions.

These observations should be treated as indicative only because the supplied government survey profile states that the species' activity period is unknown.

  • Prioritise moist forest-floor habitat, leaf litter, loose soil and ground cover when assessing potential foraging habitat.
  • Avoid removing logs, rocks or other cover objects unless they are being checked as part of an approved survey.
  • Record soil moisture, ground cover and recent rainfall during targeted surveys.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The breeding biology of the Atherton delma is not well known. Spring breeding is possible by comparison with other Delma species, but this has not been confirmed for this species.

The species is reported as likely to lay small clutches of leathery eggs in moist, sheltered places such as beneath rotting logs or within soil crevices. The supplied government profile does not confirm clutch size, incubation period, age at maturity or lifespan.

Breeding may peak in spring if the Atherton delma follows the pattern of other Delma species. This remains an inference rather than a confirmed species-specific timing.

Breeding season: Possibly spring; not confirmed.

Clutch size: Typically reported as 1 to 3 eggs; species-specific confirmation is limited.

Incubation: Not known.

Age at maturity: Not known.

Lifespan: Not known.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Potential breeding sites include moist, sheltered ground locations beneath rotting logs and within soil crevices. Retaining these features is appropriate where the species may occur.

No nest dimensions, egg dimensions or confirmed breeding sites are provided in the supplied sources.

  • Retain moist ground cover, rotting logs, soil crevices and intact leaf litter in potential habitat.
  • Schedule any unavoidable disturbance outside the likely spring breeding period where practicable, subject to project constraints and advice from the relevant regulator.
  • Have a fauna spotter catcher assess suitable cover before ground disturbance.

Sheltering habitat: Likely refuges

The Atherton delma is difficult to detect because it is associated with concealed ground-level refuges. Its shelter requirements have not been studied in detail.

Likely refuges include sheets of tin, rocks, logs, thick leaf litter, rotting roots and loose friable soil. These features provide cover and may support movement through the upper soil and litter layers.

The supplied survey guideline recommends active searching beneath sheets of tin and other large objects on the ground, including rocks and logs.

Artificial cover survey line: The guideline recommends searching beneath sheets of tin and other large ground objects.

Pitfall configuration: Six 10 litre buckets along a 15 metre fence are recommended as a starting configuration for targeted surveys.

Pit depth: Pits may need to be deeper than those used for other Delma species because the Atherton delma is large and may escape.

  • Inspect ground cover systematically and lift objects only where authorised and safe.
  • Replace logs, rocks, sheets and leaf litter exactly as found.
  • Treat removal of ground cover, soil stripping and compaction as potential loss of sheltering habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Survey and handling implications

Pitfall returns are expected to be very low. One individual was captured in 6,840 trap nights, so repeated low or zero captures cannot by themselves demonstrate that suitable habitat is unoccupied.

The species has a fragile tail and may shed it when disturbed. Minimise handling and use photographs and tissue samples only when required for identification and authorised under applicable permits.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The main project risk is loss or disturbance of suitable forest-floor habitat in a very restricted range. The supplied sources provide limited species-specific threat information, so controls should focus on retaining habitat and improving detection before clearing.

Clearing open forest, forest ecotones and associated ground cover may remove potential habitat. Soil stripping, excavation, grading, compaction and removal of logs or rocks may destroy refuges even where the overstorey is retained.

Because the species is very difficult to detect, a failure to record it during a short survey should not be treated as proof that it is absent.

  • Map and avoid open forest, forest ecotones and areas with intact leaf litter, logs, rocks and loose soil.
  • Keep clearing boundaries tight and prohibit vehicle access outside approved work areas.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher during ground disturbance in suitable habitat.
  • Stop work and obtain identification advice if a Delma is found.

Threats: Fragmentation and roads

Fragmentation may reduce the continuity of forest-floor cover and increase edge disturbance. A road-killed specimen has been recorded in November at 7.05 pm, confirming that roads can cause direct mortality.

The supplied sources do not quantify road mortality or define a safe crossing distance.

  • Avoid placing temporary access tracks through known or potential habitat where alternatives exist.
  • Use low-speed controls and inspect roads during evening works in suitable habitat, particularly in warmer or wetter conditions.
  • Record and report any road-killed Delma with a photograph, coordinates and date.

Threats: Fire, predators and other pressures

The supplied sources do not provide species-specific evidence on fire frequency, introduced predators, disease or hydrology change. These pressures may still affect the moist leaf-litter and soil conditions on which the species is likely to depend.

Changes to rainfall and soil moisture may reduce suitable foraging and sheltering conditions. This is supported as a general ecological concern rather than a measured population impact for the Atherton delma.

  • Avoid unnecessary removal or burning of logs, litter and other ground cover in potential habitat.
  • Prevent sediment, spoil, fuel and construction waste from entering retained forest-floor habitat.
  • Maintain existing drainage patterns where practicable and prevent prolonged drying or waterlogging caused by project works.
  • Report unusual mortality or diseased animals to the relevant wildlife authority.

Survey methodology: 1. Map habitat and plan the survey

The Atherton delma, Delma mitella, is an EPBC Act vulnerable reptile. Its ecology and detection methods are poorly known, so surveys should combine targeted searches under ground cover with pitfall trapping and use experienced reptile surveyors.

Define the project area and map vegetation condition, open forest, closed forest and ecotones between them. The species has been recorded in open forest and at the boundary between open and closed forest near Paluma, and was originally described from the Atherton Tablelands.

Treat records outside the known distribution as requiring verification. Small Delma in north-east Queensland can be difficult to identify, particularly when they have a dark head with narrow pale bands.

Known Queensland areas: Atherton Tablelands, including Herberton and near Koombooloomba, and the vicinity of Paluma.

Habitat information: Almost unknown; Paluma specimens came from open forest and the ecotone between open and closed forest.

  • Review current records and consult relevant government databases, museums and local herpetologists before finalising the survey design.
  • Use a combination of hand searches and pitfall trapping because the species is infrequently collected and no single method has been shown to be effective.

Survey methodology: 2. Active hand searches

Search beneath sheets of tin and other large items on the ground, including rocks and logs. These methods are inferred from collection methods used for other Delma species, because most Atherton delma records have been serendipitous.

Timing: The activity period is unknown. Activity may peak in spring if breeding is similar to other Delma species.

Known observation: A paratype was found dead on a road in November at 7.05 pm. This does not establish a reliable survey time.

  • Search suitable ground cover systematically and lift each item carefully.
  • Return every sheet, rock and log to its original position after inspection.
  • Record the location, cover type, vegetation, soil condition and weather for every Delma or possible Delma found.
  • Do not rely on hand searching alone, because detection depends on the presence of suitable cover and survey returns are expected to be very low.

Survey methodology: 3. Pitfall trapping

Use pitfall trap lines as the principal targeted method, while recognising that the expected capture rate is very low.

Published trap effort: One individual was captured in 6,840 trap nights, equivalent to 0.01 individuals per 100 trap nights.

Published trap design: Six 10 litre buckets along a 15 metre fence per trap line.

  • Use trap lines with six 10 litre buckets spaced along a 15 metre drift fence.
  • Consider deeper pits than those used for other Delma because this species is large for a Delma and may escape from shallow traps.
  • Obtain the required wildlife research and animal ethics approvals before installing or operating traps.
  • Check traps at the frequency required by the approval and welfare plan, and provide suitable shelter and protection from exposure.
  • Close traps when they cannot be checked or when weather creates unacceptable risks to captured animals.
  • Continue trapping for the approved effort needed to address the project question, rather than treating a nil result as proof of absence.

Survey methodology: 4. Identification and evidence

Confirm all small Delma from north-east Queensland that have a snout to vent length below 9 centimetres when they show a dark hood interrupted by pale bands. Juvenile Atherton delmas can resemble adult D. tincta.

Adult comparison: Atherton delma is much larger than D. tincta, but juveniles can be similar in size to adult D. tincta.

  • Take a tissue sample from a small suspect Delma where authorised, following animal ethics, permitting and biosecurity requirements.
  • Use the fourth supralabial below the eye, 16 midbody scales and a flat dorsal margin to the rostral scale as identification characters for Atherton delma, noting that these characters require an appropriately trained herpetologist.
  • Distinguish Atherton delma from striped-tailed delma by the absence of a dark dorsolateral stripe along the tail and the broader, blunter snout.
  • Use photo vouchers for records outside the known distribution.
  • Do not release an uncertain identification as a confirmed Atherton delma until it has been reviewed by an appropriately qualified person.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

The guideline does not provide a reliable minimum number of survey nights, search hours, transect length or total area for Atherton delma. The survey design and any alternative effort should therefore be justified against habitat, project impacts and the species' very low recorded capture rate.

  • Combine active searches under ground cover with pitfall trapping using the published six bucket, 15 metre fence design.
  • Document dates, start and finish times, weather, recent rainfall, search locations, trap numbers, trap nights, checking times, personnel, methods and all detections.
  • Report nil results with the same level of detail as positive results, because the guideline warns that unsupported absence claims may not be accepted.
  • Submit confirmed records, photographs, tissue results and location data to the relevant Queensland wildlife database and museum or authority record system.
  • Provide the survey report, identification evidence, permits, welfare records and any proposed mitigation to the project approval authority.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat suitable forest floor habitat and open forest to closed forest ecotones as potential Atherton delma habitat where the species may occur. The species is EPBC Act vulnerable, and the supplied material does not provide a state listing for it.

Retain open forest, closed forest ecotones and intact ground cover wherever practicable. The species has been recorded in open forest and at an open forest to closed forest boundary, but its habitat requirements are otherwise poorly known.

  • Avoid clearing or compacting areas with extensive leaf litter, logs, rocks, sheets of ground cover and loose soil.
  • Keep retained habitat connected to nearby retained forest rather than creating isolated remnants.
  • Limit access tracks, laydown areas, trenching and spoil placement in retained habitat.
  • Do not remove or rearrange logs, rocks or other large ground objects unless they are inspected and the action is covered by the fauna management plan.
  • Use the smallest practicable disturbance footprint and keep machinery within marked limits.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the approval pathway before works begin. Atherton delma is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act, so a proposed action that may have a significant impact must be assessed under that Act.

Listing: EPBC Act vulnerable; no state listing was supplied in the project information.

  • Check whether the action requires EPBC referral or approval and retain the assessment advice on the project file.
  • Check Queensland wildlife, animal ethics, scientific research and fauna handling requirements before survey, trapping, handling or tissue sampling.
  • Obtain any permits required for fauna spotter catcher work, trapping, collection, tissue sampling and relocation.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan covering survey design, trap welfare, daily controls, stop-work triggers, identification, handling, release, injury response and reporting.
  • Schedule the works with advice from the project ecologist because the species' activity period is unknown and may peak in spring.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete the approved pre-clearance survey before disturbance. Use both active searches and pitfall trapping where the project may affect suitable habitat.

  • Mark the approved clearing boundary and all retained habitat before machinery enters the site.
  • Mark logs, rocks, sheets, loose soil areas and forest ecotones that require inspection or retention.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can keep machinery and personnel out of retained habitat without creating a fauna entrapment risk.
  • Brief all workers on the species' appearance, the no-go areas, the stop-work procedure and the requirement to report any possible Delma immediately.
  • Confirm that traps are removed or closed before clearing starts unless the fauna management plan specifically allows trapping to continue.

During habitat disturbance: Daily clearing controls

Use a fauna spotter catcher and a trained ecologist to control clearing near potential habitat. The work team should assume that an animal may be concealed beneath ground cover or in loose soil even when it is not seen.

Inspect the work area each day before disturbance, especially after rain or changes to the approved clearing footprint.

  • Keep the spotter catcher and supervisor in direct communication with the machine operator.
  • Clear progressively in small stages towards retained habitat, where this is safe and consistent with the approved fauna management plan.
  • Stop the machine before the spotter catcher approaches ground cover or directs an inspection.
  • Lift logs, rocks and sheets slowly and inspect the underside and the underlying soil before moving them.
  • Replace retained ground cover after inspection unless the approved action requires its removal.
  • Prevent workers, vehicles and machinery from entering fenced retained habitat.
  • Stop work if an animal is found, if the clearing boundary is uncertain, or if the fauna management plan controls cannot be met.

During habitat disturbance: Animal handling and relocation

Do not handle an Atherton delma unless the person is authorised, trained and permitted to do so. The supplied documents recommend tissue sampling for some animals but do not set out a handling protocol.

  • Photograph the animal in place before handling where this can be done without delaying safe rescue.
  • Have the spotter catcher confirm the identification or refer the animal to the project ecologist or a qualified herpetologist.
  • Use the minimum handling needed for identification, approved sampling and safe relocation.
  • Release the animal as soon as practicable into nearby retained habitat that is similar to the capture habitat and is outside the disturbance footprint, in accordance with the approved fauna management plan.
  • Do not move an animal to an unapproved distant site or across a suspected population boundary.
  • Take tissue samples only where the permit, animal ethics approval and identification protocol authorise them.
  • Send injured animals to an appropriately qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian under the project's approved wildlife care procedure.

During habitat disturbance: Records and stop-work triggers

Record every detection, attempted rescue and uncertain identification. The guideline states that photo vouchers are recommended for records beyond the known distribution.

  • Record the date, time, GPS location, habitat, condition, photographs, identification, handler, action taken and release location.
  • Record any tissue sample number and the laboratory or expert responsible for identification.
  • Stop work and notify the site supervisor and project ecologist when a possible Atherton delma is found, when a specimen is injured, or when an animal cannot be safely captured or identified.
  • Stop work when the approved clearing footprint, exclusion zone, trap controls or fauna management plan cannot be followed.
  • Escalate any record outside the known distribution for expert review and retain a photo voucher.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should check for missed animals, confirm that retained habitat has not been damaged and maintain controls around the remaining forest floor. The available guideline does not prescribe a species-specific post-clearance monitoring duration.

Inspect the cleared edge, retained habitat and any disturbed ground cover after each clearing stage.

  • Check beneath displaced logs, rocks and sheets and inspect loose soil where ground cover was removed.
  • Confirm that no traps, fencing, waste or materials remain in retained habitat.
  • Repair exclusion fencing and replace disturbed cover where this is safe and approved.
  • Repeat targeted searches or trapping if the approved fauna management plan requires it or if a detection occurs during works.
  • Treat any later Delma record as a new fauna incident and apply the handling and reporting procedure.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Set post-clearance monitoring effort through the approval and fauna management plan because the Atherton delma's activity period, habitat use and effective detection rate are poorly known.

  • Monitor retained forest, open forest to closed forest ecotones and connected ground cover for changes in condition.
  • Use the same search and trapping methods where repeat monitoring is intended to compare results, including the six 10 litre bucket, 15 metre fence design where approved.
  • Report survey effort, trap nights, search conditions, captures, injuries, relocations, nil results, habitat loss and control failures.
  • Submit confirmed records and photo vouchers to the relevant Queensland wildlife database, and provide records to the approval authority where required.
  • Review mitigation if works produce a detection, repeated injury, unexpected habitat loss or evidence that the retained area is not functioning as intended.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

Assess residual impacts through the EPBC approval process and any applicable Queensland requirements. The supplied documents do not specify an Atherton delma offset formula or offset location.

  • Do not use an offset as a substitute for avoiding and minimising clearing of potential habitat.
  • Obtain approval for any offset, restoration commitment or biodiversity action before relying on it to address residual impacts.
  • Document the area, condition and connectivity of any retained or restored habitat used in the impact assessment.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild a moist, connected forest floor and retain the ground structures that may provide cover. Species-specific restoration requirements are not established in the supplied guideline, so actions should be adaptive and based on the habitat present before disturbance.

Reinstate a continuous layer of native leaf litter and organic material across disturbed ground where this is consistent with the approved rehabilitation design.

  • Retain and reinstate naturally occurring logs, rocks and other large ground cover in their original or nearby suitable positions.
  • Restore loose, stable soil that can support movement through the upper soil and leaf litter layers.
  • Reconnect retained open forest, closed forest and ecotone habitat wherever practicable.
  • Use locally appropriate native plant species from the pre-clearing vegetation community, because the supplied documents do not identify particular planting species for Atherton delma.
  • Exclude vehicles and machinery from rehabilitation areas until ground cover and soil structure are established.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats and site condition

Maintain the moist forest floor conditions associated with the species' recorded environments without creating artificial waterlogging or erosion. The species' precise habitat requirements are not known.

  • Control weeds so native ground cover and leaf litter can develop.
  • Prevent rubbish, stored materials and repeated vehicle traffic from accumulating in rehabilitation areas.
  • Include tramp ant and other introduced predator or pest management where monitoring identifies a relevant threat and the action is approved; the species is included in national work assessing tramp ant impacts on biodiversity.
  • Manage fire in accordance with the applicable regional fire plan and project approval, avoiding unnecessary loss of leaf litter, logs and soil cover.
  • Do not install nest boxes or create artificial hollows as a default action, because the supplied documents identify ground cover and pitfall and hand-search methods, not hollow use, for this species.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor rehabilitation success

Set measurable rehabilitation targets with the project ecologist and approval authority because no species-specific success thresholds are provided.

  • Measure survival and cover of planted native vegetation and record weed cover, bare soil, erosion and the return of leaf litter.
  • Record the number and condition of reinstated logs, rocks and other ground refuges.
  • Inspect connected retained and rehabilitated areas for signs of disturbance and maintain exclusion controls.
  • Repeat active searches and approved pitfall trapping using consistent methods if species monitoring is required; record effort as search time, locations and trap nights.
  • Treat a confirmed Atherton delma record as evidence of habitat use and submit it to the relevant Queensland wildlife database and approval authority.

Sources