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Bardick (Echiopsis curta)

The Bardick is a small, heavy-bodied venomous elapid snake of sandy and loamy mallee, hummock grassland and tall shrubland in southern Australia. Clearing, changes to fire regimes, removal of spinifex and fallen timber, and feral predators can affect habitat used for shelter and ambush feeding on development sites.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Rare.

Breeding season

Bardicks mate in late spring, carry embryos over summer, and give birth from late summer into autumn. Clearing from late summer through winter can affect newborns, gravid females and animals sheltering in ground cover, timber, rocks and litter.

Reproductive mode: Ovoviviparous. Some sources describe the species as viviparous.

Litter size: 3 to 14 young, averaging about 7.1.

Gestation: Occurs over summer. The exact duration is not recorded.

Size at birth: Young are reported at up to 15 cm. A neonate measurement of 144 mm is also reported.

Age at maturity: Males mature at 29 cm snout to vent length, at 17 to 19 months. Females reach reproductive age at 28 cm snout to vent length, at about 32 months.

Nest or egg sites: Not applicable for live-bearing reproduction. Specific birthing sites are not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Confirm timing at the project site, particularly after local rainfall or unusual temperature conditions, because these cues can alter reptile activity and shelter use.

  • Mating: Mating occurs in late spring, most likely October to November in the Australian calendar. The available species record does not identify a more precise peak month.
  • Gravid females: Females are expected to carry embryos after late spring mating and through summer. The timing is best supported from December to February, but the exact gestation period is not recorded.
  • Births: Births occur in late summer and autumn, corresponding broadly to February to May. No peak month has been identified.
  • Newborns: Newborns are expected to be most encountered from late summer through autumn, after births from February to May. Young are reported at up to 15 cm long, with a separate neonate measurement of 144 mm.
  • Active period: A species-specific active season is not recorded. This general planning pattern treats adults as surface active from early spring through late autumn, with nocturnal activity and reduced winter activity expected for a temperate Australian snake.
  • Winter inactivity: A defined brumation period is not recorded. For clearing planning, June to August should be treated as a period when Bardicks may remain in fallen timber, rocks, litter, dense vegetation, grass tussocks, hummocks or Triodia clumps and may not escape machinery.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from February to August because this combines the documented late summer and autumn birth period with the likely winter shelter period. Clearing can harm newborns, gravid females and animals concealed in ground-level refuges.

Identification

The Bardick is a short-tailed, stout-bodied snake with a large head that is distinct from the neck. It is venomous and has front fangs, so handling should be limited to trained personnel using approved procedures.

Adults reach approximately 600 mm body length, with a maximum recorded snout to vent length of 571 mm and total length of 700 mm. The body is unusually heavy for a small elapid, with a stout trunk and short tail.

Dorsal colour varies from grey-brown, olive-brown, reddish-brown to rich brown. The underside is pale grey-brown. The head commonly has scattered pale flecks, while the throat, anterior ventral scales and lips are white and brown speckled.

Limbs: Absent.

Pupils: Vertical slit.

Fangs: At the front of the mouth.

Maximum total length: 700 mm.

Identification: Sexes and size

The mean adult female snout to vent length is 336 mm. Adult males have snout to vent lengths of 214 to 571 mm, with a mean of 293 mm, and adult females have lengths of 240 to 461 mm, with a mean of 336 mm.

Sex should not be assigned from colour or body size alone during field work. Confirm identification and sex using an experienced herpetologist or approved examination method.

Adult female mean snout to vent length: 336 mm.

Reported male snout to vent range: 214 to 571 mm.

Reported female snout to vent range: 240 to 461 mm.

Identification: Field identification and signs

The combination of a heavy body, large distinct head, short tail, variable brown colouration and pale speckling helps separate the Bardick from other small snakes in mallee and spinifex habitat. No formal comparison with named similar species has been published, so uncertain animals should be photographed and referred to a suitably qualified herpetologist.

The species is terrestrial and nocturnal. Diagnostic tracks, scats, calls, sloughs and eyeshine are not well documented. Absence of a daytime observation does not demonstrate absence from a clearing area.

  • Search beneath and beside fallen timber, rocks, leaf litter, dense matted vegetation, shrub foliage, grass tussocks and spinifex clumps.
  • Do not rely on visual searches alone where suitable sandy mallee or spinifex habitat remains intact.
  • Treat any suspected Bardick as a venomous snake and follow the project snake handling and relocation procedure.

Distribution: National range

The Bardick has a broad distribution across southern Australia, but the eastern population is disjunct and records in New South Wales are very limited. The species extends from south-western New South Wales through western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia to western parts of the continent.

The species occurs from the coast and interior of south-western Western Australia across southern Australia to western Victoria and south-western New South Wales.

The population east of the Flinders Ranges, including south-eastern South Australia, north-western Victoria and south-western New South Wales, is considered disjunct from populations to the west.

  • Western Australia: coastal and inland south-western areas.
  • South Australia: southern areas, including the region east of the Flinders Ranges and south-eastern South Australia.
  • Victoria: western and north-western mallee regions.
  • New South Wales: the south-western corner, at the extreme eastern edge of the range.

Distribution: Known eastern records

In New South Wales, the Bardick is known from two records: an Australian Museum specimen collected in 1974 from the Balranald district and a 1983 record approximately 74 km west of Balranald, near Bidura Station. The two records are within 100 km of each other.

Suitable habitat may extend further north and east into south-western and central-western New South Wales, but the species has not been recorded in New South Wales for at least 14 years in the assessment cited.

Known NSW records in the cited assessment: Two.

Distance between the two NSW records: Within 100 km.

Eastern NSW range position: Extreme eastern edge of the species' range.

NSW population assessment: Considered extremely small.

Distribution: Population information

There is no national population estimate, density estimate or measured home range. A global trait assessment reports the population trend as decreasing, while the NSW assessment considers the state population extremely small.

National population estimate: Not documented.

Population trend: Reported as decreasing by the cited global trait dataset.

NSW population size: Considered extremely small.

Habitat: Habitat types

Bardicks use terrestrial sandy or loamy habitats with structural cover at ground level. The strongest habitat description is for mallee, hummock grassland and tall shrubland associated with local drainage and run-off slopes.

The species inhabits hummock grasslands, mallee areas and tall shrublands on sandy or loamy soils. It is usually associated with run-off slopes and drainage from local rises.

In Victoria, it has been recorded in mallee heath and broombush mallee, usually with scattered Triodia clumps. These communities commonly occur on deep aeolian sands.

  • Mallee and mallee heath.
  • Broombush mallee.
  • Hummock grassland, particularly spinifex grassland.
  • Tall shrubland on sandy or loamy soils.
  • Sandplain and dunefield areas with mallee and a Triodia understorey.

Habitat: Structure and environmental limits

Spinifex, dense low vegetation, leaf litter, fallen timber and rocks provide ground-level structure. Areas described as pristine mallee may be important, particularly where the understorey remains intact.

The species has been recorded from sea-level areas to about 640 m above sea level. No defined rainfall, temperature or climate limit has been established.

Recorded elevation range: 0 to 640 m above sea level.

Important substrate types: Sandy or loamy soils, including deep aeolian sands.

Associated landform features: Run-off slopes, drainage from local rises, sandplains and dunefields.

Foraging habitat: Diet and hunting method

The Bardick is a nocturnal, sit-and-wait predator. It uses terrestrial cover in mallee, spinifex and shrubland habitats and takes a range of vertebrate and invertebrate prey.

Recorded prey includes frogs, lizards, mammals, insects and birds. The species is described as a sit-and-wait or ambush predator.

Its nocturnal activity and ambush feeding behaviour mean that foraging habitat can include sheltered ground beneath vegetation, litter, timber and spinifex, rather than only open areas.

Activity: Nocturnal.

Hunting method: Sit and wait, or ambush predation.

Recorded prey: Frogs, lizards, mammals, insects and birds.

Foraging range: Not documented.

  • Retain connected patches of dense ground cover around drainage lines, run-off slopes and local rises.
  • Inspect retained cover before clearing, particularly beneath Triodia clumps, fallen timber, rocks and dense litter.
  • Use staged clearing and fauna spotter procedures where suitable habitat cannot be retained.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The Bardick produces live young or has been described as ovoviviparous. Clutch or litter size and age at first breeding are known, but a breeding month, gestation period and lifespan have not been published.

Reproductive mode: Viviparous in some sources; ovoviviparous in another source.

Reproductive output: 3 to 14 young or eggs, mean 7.1.

Age at first breeding: About 32 months.

Gestation period: Not provided.

Breeding season: Not provided.

Lifespan: Not provided.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat

Specific nesting or birthing sites are not described. Breeding habitat should therefore be assessed as part of the intact habitat used by adults, with priority given to connected mallee, spinifex and shrubland on sandy or loamy soils.

Avoid assuming that open ground is unused. The species may shelter and reproduce within vegetation clumps, litter and other ground structures that are difficult to inspect during clearing.

  • Retain intact Triodia and other dense ground cover where practicable.
  • Maintain cover around drainage features and run-off slopes rather than isolating small habitat patches.
  • Record all observations and potential shelter sites during pre-clearance inspections.

Sheltering habitat: Known refuges

Bardicks use a range of ground-level refuges rather than tree hollows or elevated nests. Many of these features can be removed or exposed during earthworks and vegetation clearing.

Recorded shelter sites include fallen timber, rocks, dense matted vegetation, leaf litter, overhanging shrub foliage, grass tussocks and hummocks. Spinifex clumps, including Triodia, are specifically identified as shelter.

In Victoria, scattered Triodia within mallee heath and broombush mallee is associated with the species. Retain both the clumps and the surrounding litter and low vegetation where possible.

  • Search beneath fallen timber and rocks before removal.
  • Inspect dense leaf litter, matted vegetation, grass tussocks, hummocks and overhanging shrubs.
  • Treat Triodia clumps as potential Bardick shelter and avoid unnecessary disturbance.
  • Where cover must be removed, clear in stages under an approved fauna management procedure.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter dimensions and other structures

Refuge dimensions, burrow dimensions, den sizes and use of tree hollows are not well documented. No specific burrow or permanent den has been identified.

A lack of visible shelter use during a daytime inspection should not be treated as evidence that the habitat is unoccupied.

Recorded refuge types: Fallen timber, rocks, dense matted vegetation, leaf litter, overhanging foliage, grass tussocks, hummocks and Triodia clumps.

Known refuge dimensions: Not provided.

Tree hollow use: Not reported.

Burrow use: Not reported.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main documented risks are direct habitat loss, altered fire regimes and feral predators. The species' likely low feeding, growth and reproductive rates may increase the effect of repeated disturbance.

Direct habitat loss through clearing is identified as the most immediate and readily identifiable threat in New South Wales. Clearing can remove mallee, spinifex, dense ground cover, fallen timber, rocks and leaf litter used for shelter and feeding.

The very small NSW population and disjunct eastern distribution increase the significance of impacts to remaining habitat. Fragmentation may also separate shelter and foraging areas, although fragmentation thresholds have not been quantified.

  • Survey and map all sandy or loamy mallee, hummock grassland and spinifex habitat before finalising the clearing footprint.
  • Avoid clearing intact habitat on run-off slopes, local drainage features, sandplains and dunefields where practicable.
  • Retain fallen timber, rocks, litter and Triodia clumps within retained habitat.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher during clearing in suitable habitat.

Threats: Fire and ground-cover loss

Changes to fire frequency and fire regimes are implicated in the decline of reptile species dependent on Triodia for shelter. Repeated or poorly timed fire can remove the ground cover and litter structure used by Bardicks.

No suitable fire interval or post-fire habitat age has been established for this species.

  • Protect unburnt refuge patches during planned burns and construction activities.
  • Prevent unnecessary removal of spinifex and other dense understorey cover.
  • Record fire history and the condition of Triodia, litter and fallen timber during site assessment.

Threats: Predators, roads and other project risks

Feral predators, particularly foxes, are regarded as a principal threat in Victoria and are considered likely to affect the species based on its feeding habits and activity times.

Species-specific evidence for road mortality, disease, hydrology change or construction noise is limited. Roads and vehicle movements should nevertheless be managed as potential project risks where they cross occupied or suitable habitat, with any incidents recorded and reviewed.

  • Apply the project's fox and feral predator control measures around retained habitat.
  • Set low vehicle speeds and use fauna awareness controls on access tracks through suitable habitat.
  • Inspect stockpiles, trenches and other excavations daily, or secure them to prevent snake entrapment.
  • Do not leave spoil, pipes or construction materials in ways that remove or block ground-level refuges.

Threats: Sensitivity to disturbance

The NSW assessment describes Bardicks as probably ambush predators with low rates of feeding, growth and reproduction. These traits are considered to make the species vulnerable to threatening processes over the long term.

No species-specific disease threat has been identified.

Documented predator threat: Feral foxes.

Documented direct threat: Habitat clearing.

Documented fire threat: Habitat loss and modification through altered fire frequency regimes.

Disease evidence: No species-specific disease threat has been reported.

Survey methodology: 1. Define survey habitat and constraints

No formal Bardick survey guideline or prescribed survey effort has been published. Survey design should therefore target the species’ known habitat and activity, with methods selected by an appropriately experienced reptile ecologist.

Map hummock grassland, mallee, mallee heath, broombush mallee and tall shrubland on sandy or loamy soils, especially around runoff slopes, drainage lines, dunes and swales.

Give particular attention to sites with scattered Triodia clumps, fallen timber, rocks, dense matted vegetation, leaf litter and low shrubs that can provide shelter.

Treat the NSW population as potentially very small and the species as difficult to detect, because the NSW determination recorded only two records, both within 100 kilometres of Balranald, and no NSW sightings for at least 14 years at the time of assessment.

Known body length: Approximately 60 centimetres maximum in the NSW determination.

Known NSW records in the determination: Two records, both within 100 kilometres of Balranald.

  • Record the extent, condition and connectivity of suitable habitat before selecting survey locations.
  • Search retained habitat as well as the proposed disturbance footprint, because the species may use shelter sites across the local mallee and spinifex area.

Survey methodology: 2. Day habitat searches

Conduct systematic daytime searches of suitable shelter sites, including beneath fallen timber and rocks, within leaf litter, under dense matted vegetation, and beneath overhanging shrubs, grass tussocks, hummocks and Triodia clumps.

Search drainage features, runoff slopes, sandy rises, dunes, swales and adjacent mallee or hummock grassland rather than relying only on open ground searches.

The species is terrestrial and may be associated with spinifex, so inspect the base and edges of Triodia clumps without damaging retained plants or shelter sites.

  • Use experienced observers and record each search path, search area, date, start and finish time, weather, substrate, vegetation structure and shelter features inspected.
  • Do not treat a negative search as evidence that the species is absent, particularly where suitable mallee, spinifex and shelter habitat remains.

Survey methodology: 3. Nocturnal searches and trapping design

Bardicks are primarily nocturnal and sit-and-wait predators, so include night searches where access, safety and approvals allow.

Use slow, systematic spotlighting along habitat edges, drainage lines, tracks and through suitable mallee and hummock grassland, while checking ground cover and low vegetation for movement or exposed snakes.

No species-specific number of spotlighting nights, hours per night, transect length, trap nights or trapping equipment has been published for Bardick. Set effort through a project-specific survey plan rather than using an unsupported fixed number.

If trapping is proposed, obtain approval from the relevant state authority and use a reptile-safe design, with frequent checks, shade, temperature protection and immediate release of non-target animals.

  • Schedule night work during conditions that support reptile activity and safe detection, and record temperature, wind, rain, cloud, moon conditions and recent fire history.
  • Stop or change the method when heat, cold, rain, wind or site conditions could compromise animal welfare or observer safety.
  • Use trapping only where a suitably authorised ecologist can supervise the design, checking regime, animal handling and release location.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Set the final survey effort in a documented, site-specific plan that explains the habitat searched, the methods used, the survey timing, the conditions and the limitations of detection.

Report all Bardick records, including reliable observations, carcasses and injured animals, to the relevant state wildlife database and the project records system.

Retain spatial data for records, searched areas, shelter features, photographs, weather, observers, effort and any animals captured, handled or relocated.

EPBC Act status: Not listed.

State status in the project brief: Endangered in New South Wales and Endangered in Victoria.

  • Confirm the current NSW and Victorian threatened species requirements before fieldwork, because the species is listed as Endangered in both states.
  • Include a clear statement where no Bardick is detected, describing the search effort and why the result does not demonstrate absence.
  • Submit records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide records to the project approval authority where required.

Vegetation associations: Mallee

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

The species inhabits hummock grasslands, mallee areas and tall shrublands on sandy or loamy soils.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Vegetation associations: Heath

In Victoria, it has been recorded in mallee heath and broombush mallee, usually with scattered Triodia clumps.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Vegetation associations: Shrubland

The species inhabits hummock grasslands, mallee areas and tall shrublands on sandy or loamy soils.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Vegetation associations: Tussock grassland

The species inhabits hummock grasslands, mallee areas and tall shrublands on sandy or loamy soils.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Vegetation associations: Hummock grassland or spinifex

The species inhabits hummock grasslands, mallee areas and tall shrublands on sandy or loamy soils.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations: Sandy soils or sand

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

These communities commonly occur on deep aeolian sands.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Soil and substrate associations: Loamy soils

The Bardick is a small, heavy-bodied venomous elapid snake of sandy and loamy mallee, hummock grassland and tall shrubland in southern Australia.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: NSW, SA, VIC, WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Bardick habitat can be lost through clearing, habitat modification and altered fire frequency. Avoiding intact mallee, hummock grassland, Triodia cover and sandy drainage features is the first project control.

Keep intact mallee, mallee heath, broombush mallee, hummock grassland and tall shrubland outside the disturbance footprint wherever practicable.

Retain Triodia clumps, dense understorey, leaf litter, fallen timber, rocks, shrub cover and other known or potential shelter sites.

Avoid clearing runoff slopes, drainage from local rises, sandy swales, dunes and connected mallee or spinifex habitat where these features form part of a local habitat unit.

Maintain links between retained habitat patches and avoid creating isolated remnants, particularly in areas supporting deep aeolian sands and mallee with a Triodia understorey.

  • Use the smallest practicable clearing footprint and place access tracks, compounds and stockpiles in already disturbed areas.
  • Mark no-go areas and habitat features on construction plans and on the ground before machinery enters the site.
  • Do not assume that apparently open ground is unsuitable if it is part of hummock grassland, mallee or sandy habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

Confirm whether the proposed action needs state threatened species approval, a wildlife handling authority or a permit for survey, trapping, capture, relocation or release.

Bardick is not listed under the EPBC Act, but confirm the current Commonwealth listing before relying on that status or deciding that an EPBC referral is unnecessary.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey results, exclusion areas, clearing limits, handling authority, release sites, stop-work triggers, incident response and reporting.

  • Obtain current advice from the relevant NSW or Victorian environment authority before clearing in either state, because the species is listed as Endangered in both states.
  • Include a suitably qualified reptile ecologist and authorised fauna spotter catcher in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Stage works so that habitat is cleared in small, manageable areas and animals can move towards retained suitable habitat where this is safe and lawful.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of the approved footprint and adjacent retained habitat using the project survey plan and the habitat features listed for Bardick.

Mark Triodia clumps, logs, rocks, dense ground cover, drainage features, runoff slopes and other shelter habitat that must be retained or checked before removal.

Install exclusion fencing where it can keep machinery and people out of retained habitat, but inspect the fence regularly so it does not trap or injure reptiles.

Brief all operators on the species’ appearance, its venomous status, the no-go areas, the spotter catcher’s authority and the stop-work process.

  • Keep a clear access route to retained habitat and a safe location for temporary containment if an animal is found.
  • Check that the fauna spotter catcher has suitable snake-handling equipment, secure containers, personal protective equipment and a current release and incident plan.
  • Do not place spoil, mulch, pipes, materials or vehicles on retained mallee, spinifex, logs, rocks or drainage habitat.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Bardick is a venomous, terrestrial snake. Clearing must be controlled by an authorised fauna spotter catcher who can direct machinery, protect the animal and stop work when conditions are unsafe or unexpected habitat is encountered.

Conduct a daily pre-start inspection of the work area, exclusion fencing, access routes, weather conditions, retained habitat and any overnight animal activity.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher ahead of clearing plant and within a safe position to see the active clearing face, ground cover and machinery movements.

Clear progressively in small sections towards retained suitable habitat only where the ecologist confirms that this direction is safe and does not drive the animal towards traffic, workers, water or another hazard.

Use a spotter catcher who can communicate directly with the operator and has authority to stop machinery immediately.

  • Stop work before moving logs, rocks, dense vegetation, Triodia clumps or spoil where an animal may be sheltered.
  • Keep workers clear of any snake until the authorised handler has assessed the animal and made the area safe.
  • Recheck the cleared section, machinery and retained edge before work resumes.

During habitat disturbance: Handling and relocation

Treat every Bardick as venomous and do not permit untrained workers to catch, restrain, touch or pursue it.

If a Bardick is found, stop work, clear people from the immediate area and have the authorised fauna handler assess the animal from a safe distance.

Relocate the animal only when authorised, safe and consistent with the approved fauna management plan, using nearby retained habitat that matches the species’ sandy or loamy mallee, hummock grassland, Triodia and shelter requirements.

Keep handling time as short as practicable and record the capture location, release location, time, condition, method, handler and any identifying photographs.

Venom: The species account records Bardick as venomous, with front fangs.

Known shelter sites: Fallen timber, rocks, dense matted vegetation, leaf litter, shrubs, grass tussocks, hummocks and Triodia clumps.

  • Do not move the animal to an unapproved distant site or across roads, cleared areas or unsuitable habitat.
  • Do not release an injured, weak or apparently compromised animal without advice from the project ecologist and a veterinarian or appropriately licensed wildlife carer.
  • Use a secure, ventilated, temperature-protected container if temporary containment is required, and follow the relevant authority’s handling requirements.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and stop-work triggers

Inspect logs, rocks, leaf litter, dense vegetation and Triodia clumps before removal because the NSW determination identifies these as shelter sites.

Avoid damaging retained drainage features, runoff slopes, sandy rises, dunes and swales that support the habitat types recorded for Bardick.

Although hollow-bearing trees and wetlands are not recognised as Bardick habitat, manage them under the broader project fauna procedure when they occur in the work area and may support other fauna.

  • Stop work for any Bardick sighting, suspected injury, unexpected concentration of suitable shelter habitat, failure of exclusion fencing or unsafe conditions for the fauna handler.
  • Stop work if the animal moves into the active work zone, under machinery, into a stockpile or towards a road until the authorised handler has made a safe plan.
  • Stop work if clearing exceeds the approved boundary or damages a marked no-go area.
  • Escalate any bite, attempted bite or worker exposure immediately under the site emergency procedure and seek medical attention.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident response

Maintain a daily fauna register covering inspections, effort, weather, cleared areas, habitat features handled, fauna observations, relocations, injuries, deaths, equipment incidents and stop-work events.

Photograph the animal and habitat only when this can be done without delaying safe control or increasing disturbance.

Report injured or dead Bardicks to the project ecologist and the relevant state authority as required by the approval or permit.

  • Record a nil result for each controlled clearing day, rather than leaving the fauna register blank.
  • Update the site map after each relocation and mark the release area so that it is not cleared or disturbed later.
  • Review controls after every fauna incident before restarting work.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work should confirm that the approved footprint was respected, that no animals or shelter features were left at risk, and that retained habitat remains connected and protected.

Have the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist inspect each completed clearing section before the next section begins.

Check ground cover, logs, rocks, Triodia margins, leaf litter, drainage features and retained vegetation for trapped, injured or displaced fauna.

Confirm that exclusion fencing, no-go markers and retained habitat have not been damaged by vehicles, erosion, fire or material storage.

  • Close out each section with the cleared area, inspection date, observers, findings and any corrective action.
  • Search any area where a Bardick was seen, handled or relocated before demobilising fauna controls.
  • Keep suitable access for follow-up inspections and rehabilitation works.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained mallee, hummock grassland, Triodia and sandy drainage habitat for damage, weed invasion, erosion, altered fire impacts and loss of shelter cover.

Use the same mapped habitat units and recording standards during follow-up inspections so changes can be compared over time.

Report project Bardick records, incidents, deaths, relocations and monitoring outcomes to the relevant state wildlife database and approval authority where required.

  • Set monitoring dates and duration in the approval, fauna management plan or rehabilitation plan rather than inventing a fixed schedule.
  • Review the controls if monitoring shows loss of connectivity, repeated mortality, predator pressure, inappropriate fire or damage to shelter habitat.
  • Retain all spatial records, photographs, handling forms and database submission references in the project environmental file.

After habitat disturbance: Residual impacts and offsets

Assess residual impacts after avoidance, minimisation, staged clearing and rehabilitation measures have been applied.

If an approval requires an offset or other compensatory measure, ensure it protects habitat that matches the species’ recorded mallee, hummock grassland, spinifex and sandy or loamy soil requirements.

Do not present an offset as a substitute for retaining intact habitat within or beside the project area.

  • Document the area and condition of habitat lost, retained, restored and protected.
  • Obtain advice from the relevant state authority where the project may affect the small or disjunct NSW population.
  • Link any offset or conservation action to measurable habitat outcomes and ongoing monitoring.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild habitat structure

Rehabilitation should rebuild the shelter structure and habitat continuity used by Bardick, not only replace canopy cover. The strongest species-specific targets are mallee and hummock grassland on sandy or loamy soils, with Triodia and ground shelter.

Re-establish local mallee, mallee heath, broombush mallee, tall shrubland and hummock grassland communities appropriate to the site’s soil and drainage position.

Replant or regenerate Triodia clumps and retain natural recruitment of low shrubs, because spinifex is identified as an important association and shelter feature.

Reinstate coarse woody debris, suitable rocks, leaf litter and dense ground cover in retained and rehabilitated areas, using local material where permitted and free of weeds or pathogens.

Restore runoff slopes, drainage from local rises, sandy swales and dune or sandplain features where construction has altered them.

  • Use local provenance seed or planting material selected for the site’s mallee, shrubland and hummock grassland communities.
  • Keep rehabilitation free of spoil, compacted access tracks and stockpiles that remove ground shelter.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a Bardick measure unless they are required for another affected species, because the species uses ground and vegetation shelter rather than tree hollows.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, weeds and predators

Develop fire management with the relevant land manager so fire frequency does not remove Triodia, dense understorey and other shelter habitat across the retained area.

Control weeds that displace native hummock grassland, mallee understorey, leaf litter or shrub cover.

Include fox control in the project’s threatened fauna management where authorised and supported by the land manager, because foxes are identified as a principal threatening process for Bardick in Victoria.

  • Record fire history and post-fire vegetation condition during rehabilitation monitoring.
  • Avoid broad disturbance of intact mallee and spinifex while undertaking weed or predator control.
  • Coordinate fire and predator actions with other threatened fauna requirements in the project area.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and monitoring

Measure rehabilitation success by the return and persistence of Triodia, dense native ground cover, leaf litter, fallen timber, rocks, low shrubs and connected mallee or hummock grassland habitat.

Inspect rehabilitated drainage features, swales, sandy areas and runoff slopes for erosion, compaction and weed establishment.

Use repeat habitat mapping, photographs and targeted reptile searches to assess whether shelter structure and connectivity are developing.

  • Set site-specific completion criteria before works start, including vegetation establishment, shelter feature retention, weed limits, erosion control and protection from unauthorised access.
  • Investigate and correct any failure of Triodia establishment, loss of ground shelter, weed dominance, erosion, fire damage or predator impacts.
  • Submit any confirmed Bardick observation during rehabilitation monitoring to the relevant state wildlife database and update the project fauna register.

Sources