Claypan Dragon (Ctenophorus salinarum)

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

The Claypan Dragon is poorly known, and no species-specific breeding calendar has been recorded. It was detected in samphire habitat in Western Australia during November and December, so site activity may be highest during the warmer part of the year, with variation between South Australian and Western Australian sites.

Breeding mode: Not recorded.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Fledging or weaning: Not recorded. As a reptile, the young are not fledged or nursed, but the species-specific period of egg development and young independence is not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding place: Not recorded. Inspect claypan, samphire and adjacent ground habitat for concealed eggs, young and shelter sites before clearing.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may vary between years and between claypan and samphire habitats in South Australia and Western Australia, so surveys should respond to local weather, recent records and observed reptile activity.

• Recorded presence and activity in Western Australia: The Claypan Dragon was recorded in samphire habitat during a survey conducted from 23 November to 4 December 2018.
• Likely warmer-season activity: This is a general agamid pattern rather than a species-specific calendar, and field activity should be checked locally rather than assumed from the month alone.
• Potential breeding and egg period: Breeding timing is unknown, so the warmer-season period is used as a precautionary survey window for mating, laying and recently hatched young.
• Highest clearing risk: Plan pre-clearance searches and fauna handling for all works in the likely active period, with extra care around samphire, claypan edges and adjacent clay-loam ground.

Identification: Appearance and identification

The Claypan Dragon is a small, poorly known dragon lizard. Reliable field identification should be confirmed by an experienced herpetologist where possible, especially if several agamid species occur in the area.

A diagnostic description, adult size range and distinguishing colour pattern are not established here. Treat any suspected record as significant until the identification has been checked.

Photograph the animal from above and from both sides where this can be done without handling it. Record the location, habitat, date, time and weather conditions.

Scientific name: Ctenophorus salinarum

Authority: Storr, 1966

Group: Reptile, family Agamidae

• Use clear photographs rather than relying on a brief sighting.
• Record whether the animal was in samphire, on a claypan, at a playa edge or on an adjacent clay loam dune.
• Do not catch or handle the animal unless this is authorised under the project approval and carried out by a suitably experienced person.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No distinctive call, echolocation ability or reliable call survey method is associated with this species. It should be surveyed as a diurnal ground dwelling lizard, using visual searches and appropriate reptile trapping methods.

A comparison with similar local dragon lizards should be made by a qualified ecologist. Do not assign a record from a distant or unclear photograph.

Field signs: Species specific droppings, nests, odour, stains and other indirect signs have not been established for field use.

Best evidence: A clear photograph, accurate location and description of the occupied habitat.

• Use a regional reptile identification guide and seek expert confirmation for unusual or uncertain records.
• Keep voucher photographs and the original location data with the project fauna records.

Distribution: States and regions

The Claypan Dragon is an Australian species recorded in South Australia and Western Australia. Its full distribution is not well resolved, so apparently suitable samphire and claypan habitat should not be assumed to be unoccupied.

The species is mapped in South Australia and Western Australia. A documented Western Australian record came from the Lake Wells Potash Project Study Area, about 160 km north east of Laverton in the Shire of Laverton.

The available records do not define the full range within either state. There is no overseas range to consider.

Mapped states: South Australia and Western Australia

Documented project area: Lake Wells, about 160 km north east of Laverton, Western Australia

• Check state databases and local records before finalising a clearing footprint.
• Treat records from samphire and claypan systems as relevant to nearby areas of connected or similar habitat.
• Map all observations, including animals found beside access tracks, laydown areas and temporary work areas.

Distribution: Survey implications

A failure to detect the species does not demonstrate that it is absent. Detection can vary with weather, surface conditions, animal activity and the amount of suitable habitat searched.

Survey effort should cover the full range of habitat types within the proposed disturbance area and any nearby areas that may be used for shelter or movement.

Recorded survey: Recorded during a 2018 survey conducted from 23 November to 4 December

Western Australian trapping records: Four records at LW Site 11 and five records at LW Site 12, both in samphire habitat

• Survey samphire margins, claypans, playa edges and adjacent clay loam dunes.
• Search before vegetation removal and again during clearing with fauna spotter catchers present.
• Record the extent and condition of suitable habitat, not just the locations where animals are found.

Habitat: Vegetation and landforms

Look first for the Claypan Dragon in samphire and claypan systems. Habitat may include the margins of salt lakes and other playa features, with adjacent landforms providing additional space for movement or shelter.

The species is restricted mainly to samphire and claypan habitats in the available field records. Low samphire on playa edges may support few reptile species, but it remains relevant habitat for the Claypan Dragon.

Adjacent clay loam dunes should also be checked, particularly where they meet samphire or claypan areas.

Recorded habitat: Samphire at LW Site 11 and LW Site 12, and clay loam dune at LW Site 13

Habitat setting: Salt lake and playa environments, including low samphire on playa edges

• Samphire on playa margins.
• Claypans and exposed clay surfaces.
• Clay loam dunes beside samphire or claypan habitat.
• Edges between vegetated and open surfaces.

Habitat: Site assessment

Walk the proposed disturbance area before works begin and map the habitat mosaic. Include temporary work areas, access tracks, borrow areas, drainage changes and stockpile locations in the assessment.

Avoid treating the open claypan as having no fauna value. Inspect cracks, debris, low vegetation and the transition to samphire for reptiles and shelter features.

Habitat priority: Give particular attention to samphire and claypan areas within or beside the works footprint.

• Mark habitat boundaries in the field before clearing.
• Keep vehicles and machinery within approved areas.
• Prevent unnecessary disturbance to samphire margins and adjacent clay loam surfaces.
• Include habitat condition and connectivity in the clearing assessment.

Foraging habitat: Areas to inspect

The Claypan Dragon's diet and detailed foraging behaviour are not well established. As a dragon lizard, it should be treated as a ground forager that may use both vegetated edges and open clay surfaces.

Search along the edges of samphire, across claypan margins and on adjacent clay loam dunes. These areas can provide basking surfaces and access to ground dwelling prey.

Keep searches slow and quiet. Reptiles may move away before they are seen, particularly when approached by vehicles or machinery.

Diet: Not established for this species in the available field information.

Foraging guidance: Protect habitat edges and avoid assuming that open claypan areas are unused.

• Samphire bases and open gaps between plants.
• Claypan edges and nearby compacted or cracked ground.
• Transitions between samphire, claypan and clay loam dune.
• Low debris or surface features that provide cover beside open ground.

Foraging habitat: Survey methods

Use daytime visual searches, targeted hand searches where safe, and trapping methods designed for small terrestrial reptiles when approved by the project ecologist. Any trapping must include suitable animal welfare controls and regular checks.

A 2018 survey recorded the species using pitfall, funnel and other trapping methods, as well as hand searching. At the relevant sites, traps were open for seven nights.

Documented survey method: Pitfall traps, funnel traps and hand searching were used during the 2018 survey.

Documented trapping period: Seven nights at each 2018 trapping site

• Search during conditions when reptiles are likely to be active, while following the approved survey design.
• Use experienced personnel to check traps and release non target animals safely.
• Stop or modify searching if heat, flooding, dust or other conditions create an animal welfare risk.

Breeding habitat: Features to protect

Breeding sites, breeding months, clutch size and incubation details are not well established for the Claypan Dragon. Do not assume that a site has no breeding value because no nest or juvenile is visible.

Retain suitable samphire, claypan margins and adjacent clay loam habitat until the project ecologist has assessed their value. These connected areas may support adults, juveniles or breeding activity at different times.

Avoid disturbing likely shelter and nesting substrates during clearing. If a gravid female, juvenile or suspected nest is found, pause work nearby and obtain advice from the project ecologist.

Breeding season: No reliable breeding months are established here.

Breeding place: Specific nest or breeding site features have not been established for field use.

• Do not remove habitat around an animal simply because no nest can be seen.
• Keep machinery away from unapproved samphire and claypan areas.
• Use a staged clearing approach where habitat cannot be retained.

Breeding habitat: Response to a breeding record

Stop disturbance in the immediate area until the animal and habitat have been assessed. Record the location, photographs, substrate, vegetation and work activity that was occurring.

The project approval, state requirements and advice from the relevant fauna authority should guide any exclusion, protection or relocation decision. Relocation should not be undertaken routinely or without authorisation.

Management principle: Protect occupied and potentially suitable habitat until breeding value has been assessed.

• Notify the site environmental representative and project ecologist.
• Mark the location without entering or damaging the suspected breeding area.
• Review the clearing method, timing and habitat retention measures before work resumes.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

Species specific shelter sites have not been described in detail. For field planning, inspect the ground layer and habitat edges for cover that could be used by a terrestrial dragon lizard.

Check samphire bases, low vegetation, surface debris, cracks, compacted soil edges and the transition between claypan and dune. These features may provide shade, concealment or protection from predators and extreme conditions.

Avoid turning over or removing cover during preliminary searches unless this is part of an approved method and the material can be replaced carefully.

Sheltering habitat: Likely to include ground level cover in samphire, claypan margins and adjacent clay loam habitat, but species specific shelter data are limited.

• Low samphire and spaces beneath vegetation.
• Cracks and uneven surfaces around claypans.
• Loose debris and other surface cover.
• Vegetation and substrate edges beside tracks and work areas.

Sheltering habitat: Clearing controls

Before clearing, inspect the footprint and mark habitat to be retained. Use a fauna spotter catcher during clearing where required by the approval or site risk assessment.

Clear progressively towards retained habitat where this is safe and approved. Keep machinery speeds low in reptile habitat and pause when an animal is seen.

Trapping welfare: Any trapping or handling must use an approved method, regular checks and suitable protection from heat and exposure.

• Use pre clearing searches and a slow, staged clearing sequence.
• Check stockpiles, pipes, machinery, windrows and temporary materials before moving them.
• Cover or remove artificial shelter materials at the end of each work period.
• Record and report all captures, injuries and relocations.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

The Claypan Dragon's specific threats are not well documented, but disturbance to samphire and claypan systems can affect animals directly and can reduce habitat quality. The species' rare or near threatened equivalent listings warrant a precautionary approach.

Clearing samphire, claypan margins and adjacent clay loam dunes can remove habitat and interrupt movement between habitat patches. Keep the disturbance footprint as small as practicable.

Avoid placing camps, access tracks, laydown areas or stockpiles on habitat that has not been assessed.

Risk level: South Australian Rare and Western Australian Priority 4 listings support conservative habitat protection and survey planning.

• Avoid clearing samphire and playa edge habitat where practicable.
• Fence approved work areas before machinery enters the site.
• Retain connected habitat around unavoidable disturbance.
• Rehabilitate temporary disturbance using methods suited to the local claypan and samphire system.

Threats: Vehicle and machinery impacts

Vehicles can kill reptiles directly and can damage low samphire, claypan surfaces and shelter features. Unplanned turning, parking and off road travel can extend the impact beyond the approved footprint.

Use marked routes and brief all drivers and operators before work starts.

Site control: The approved clearing boundary should be visible and enforced throughout construction.

• Keep vehicles on approved tracks.
• Inspect the work area for reptiles before moving machinery.
• Use spotters during clearing and high risk movements.
• Do not drive across samphire or claypan areas to avoid a short detour.

Threats: Fire, altered drainage and degradation

Fire, altered surface water movement, dust, erosion, rubbish and introduced predators may reduce the quality of samphire and claypan habitat. Construction drainage should not concentrate water or sediment onto habitat margins.

Keep fuels, chemicals and waste away from playa edges and low samphire. Manage spills immediately under the site environmental plan.

Management approach: Use habitat retention, impact avoidance, staged clearing and active monitoring rather than relying only on post clearing searches.

• Prevent uncontrolled fire and avoid unnecessary disturbance to dry vegetation.
• Maintain natural drainage patterns where practicable.
• Control dust and sediment near samphire and claypan habitat.
• Remove food waste and other materials that may attract predators.

Threats: Survey and compliance risk

The species can be overlooked if surveys focus only on open claypans or only on the main construction footprint. A record from a nearby samphire patch should trigger a review of the full habitat mosaic and the proposed work controls.

Confirm the requirements of the approval and relevant South Australian or Western Australian legislation before work begins. South Australian Rare listings are made under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Western Australian Priority 4 is a non statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring.

Status guidance: Apply survey and management effort consistent with a rare or near threatened species, while following the specific project approval and state requirements.

• Use qualified ecologists for pre clearance assessments.
• Train fauna spotter catchers to recognise and report suspected Claypan Dragons.
• Keep location records, photographs and handling details for every observation.
• Review mitigation measures when new records or suitable habitat are found.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Claypan Dragon is poorly known and has been recorded in samphire and claypan habitats. Focus surveys on samphire, playa edges, clay-loam dunes and other intact claypan habitat, especially where clearing or construction may affect these areas.

Map samphire, claypan, playa edges, clay-loam dunes and connected areas before field work starts.

Check current state and Commonwealth conservation listings, project approvals and records databases. Treat the South Australian Rare listing and Western Australian Priority 4 status as triggers for additional care and targeted survey.

Review recent aerial imagery, drainage plans, access tracks, proposed laydown areas and any previous fauna records. Identify habitat that may be overlooked as open or sparsely vegetated ground.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted field survey

Survey during suitable warm conditions when dragons are likely to be active, with searches during daylight. Include more than one visit where habitat is extensive, fragmented or poorly known.

Use systematic searches through samphire and along claypan edges. Search likely shelter sites, ground debris and suitable cover without damaging habitat.

Use approved pitfall and funnel trapping, supported by hand searches, where trapping is justified and authorised. A documented survey in Western Australia used 10 pitfall traps, 10 funnel traps, 20 Elliott traps and 2 cage traps at each site, open for seven nights. Treat this as a survey example, not a universal effort standard.

The species was recorded during a 23 November to 4 December 2018 survey, with records from two samphire sites. Survey timing should be selected with the project ecologist because breeding and seasonal activity periods are not well established.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping and animal welfare

Obtain the required wildlife, animal ethics and land access approvals before trapping. Check traps frequently, protect animals from heat, flooding and predators, and provide suitable shelter in traps.

Use escape ramps or other approved measures in pitfall traps. Close or remove traps during unsuitable weather and at the end of each trapping period.

Have an authorised fauna handler identify, measure, photograph and release animals. Do not handle animals merely to improve detection or obtain photographs.

Survey methodology: 4. Record and report findings

Record the date, start and finish time, weather, survey method, trap effort, search effort and observer names.

Record GPS location, habitat type, vegetation condition, ground cover, nearby disturbance and the animal's condition. Take diagnostic photographs where this can be done without unnecessary handling.

Map all detections and non-detection survey areas. Report records promptly to the project ecologist and relevant land manager, and retain them in the project fauna register.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and permits

Avoid samphire and claypan habitat wherever practicable. Because breeding sites and seasonal movements are not well documented, use a precautionary approach and obtain project-specific advice before clearing.

Check whether the proposal requires an EPBC Act referral or approval. Do not assume that a species is covered or excluded without checking the current protected matter and approval information.

For work in South Australia, check the requirements that apply to a Rare species under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. For work in Western Australia, check current DBCA advice and approval conditions relevant to a Priority 4 species.

A Queensland project must check whether the species occurs in the project area and whether protected wildlife or a breeding place would be affected. Obtain a species management program where required. Use only current state agency advice for permits, handling and relocation.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Set out avoidance areas

Have an ecologist mark samphire, claypan, playa edge and other potential habitat before machinery enters the site.

Keep exclusion areas around retained habitat, animal refuges and any confirmed breeding place. Set the distance from the habitat assessment, construction risk and approval conditions because a species-specific buffer is not established.

Keep vehicle movements, spoil, water discharge, dust-generating activities and storage areas out of retained samphire and claypan habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Complete pre-clearance checks

Survey the approved disturbance footprint immediately before clearing. Search on foot in daylight under suitable conditions, and inspect ground cover, debris and the edges of samphire patches.

Use trapping only where approved and where the ecologist considers it necessary. Do not clear until the survey results have been reviewed and the fauna spotter catcher is satisfied that the work can proceed.

If a dragon, potential breeding place or other fauna refuge is found, mark it, stop the relevant activity and obtain advice before disturbing it.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Plan timing and induction

No breeding months, migration period or breeding-place type has been established for the Claypan Dragon. Plan works outside periods of high reptile activity where practicable, based on local weather, survey results and ecologist advice.

Induct all workers and machine operators on the species, its habitat, exclusion areas, stop-work authority, vehicle hygiene and reporting requirements.

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work if an animal, suspected breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear progressively

Clear in stages and retain escape routes towards undisturbed habitat. Keep a fauna spotter catcher present wherever approved clearing may affect suitable samphire or claypan habitat.

Fence and inspect the work area before each clearing stage. Remove materials and vegetation in a controlled sequence so animals can move towards retained habitat.

Clear the least sensitive edge first and work towards the main disturbance area. Avoid trapping animals against roads, trenches, stockpiles, water bodies or exclusion fencing.

Stop work during unsuitable conditions, including extreme heat, flooding or heavy rain, where animals may be harder to detect or more exposed.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Manage animals safely

Allow healthy animals to leave the disturbance area where this is safe and consistent with the approval. Handle animals only when necessary and only by authorised people.

Use clean, secure containers with ventilation and shade. Keep each animal separate unless the approved handling procedure allows otherwise.

Release relocated animals as close as practicable to the capture location, in suitable undisturbed habitat and in accordance with permit and approval conditions. Do not move animals across major barriers or to unassessed habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Respond to breeding places and other finds

Stop work immediately if an active breeding place, nest, shelter site or concentration of animals is found. Isolate the location and prevent entry by people, vehicles and machinery.

Do not destroy, fill, move or modify the site until the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have assessed it. Obtain any required agency approval before work resumes.

The Claypan Dragon is not known to form colonies or roosts. Apply the same stop-work process if a group of animals or an unexpected communal site is found.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Manage injured animals

Place injured animals in a secure ventilated container in a quiet, shaded location. Do not give food, water or medication unless directed by a wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Contact the project's nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority immediately. Follow the approval and incident response procedure for transport and treatment.

Record the location, time, apparent cause of injury, photographs where appropriate, handler and final disposition.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Maintain clearing records

Record each clearing stage, area cleared, habitat affected, weather, personnel, animals encountered, actions taken and any stop-work event.

Record capture and release locations, permits used, injuries, mortalities and all consultations with the ecologist or regulator.

Keep daily records with the project environmental register and report incidents within the timeframes set by approvals and permits.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Conduct post-clearance checks

Complete a careful inspection after machinery leaves each work area. Use the results to confirm that no animals, refuges or unexpected habitat features remain at risk.

Inspect the cleared footprint, retained habitat edges, trenches, drains, stockpiles and exclusion fences for trapped or injured animals.

Search around machinery, temporary infrastructure and disturbed samphire or claypan margins before the area is handed over to construction crews.

Close or cover trenches and other fauna traps as soon as practicable, or inspect them at the frequency required by the project approval.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review relocated animals

Confirm that every captured animal has a recorded outcome, including release, transfer to care, mortality or other approved disposition.

Check release locations for barriers, active construction, flooding and unsuitable exposure. Report any failed release or subsequent mortality through the project incident process.

Do not undertake additional relocation without approval and advice from the project ecologist or relevant wildlife authority.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitor retained habitat

Monitor retained samphire and claypan habitat for direct damage, erosion, sediment deposition, altered drainage, weeds and vehicle access.

Use the survey methods and effort agreed in the approval or monitoring plan. Repeat targeted searches where construction has affected habitat edges or where animals were detected during clearing.

Compare post-work observations with pre-clearance maps and records, and report changes to the project manager and land manager.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Close out incidents

Review every stop-work event, injury, mortality, unauthorised entry into habitat and unexpected species record.

Identify whether the cause was inadequate induction, poor exclusion fencing, unsuitable timing, equipment failure or a gap in the survey.

Update the clearing method, induction and monitoring plan before the next work stage. Submit statutory reports where required.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the open samphire and claypan setting used by the species rather than install structures designed for birds or bats. Protect natural ground features, drainage patterns and low vegetation for the long term.

Reinstate claypan surfaces, samphire margins and natural ground contours after construction. Use local, clean material where practicable and avoid importing rubble, mulch or unsuitable soil.

Remove temporary roads, pads, spoil and fencing that are no longer needed. Break up compacted ground where this will support natural recovery and will not alter claypan function.

Retain natural depressions, surface cracking, low cover and other ground features that may provide shelter. Do not create artificial water points unless they are part of an approved ecological design.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Control weeds and drainage impacts

Inspect rehabilitation areas for weeds and remove them using methods that do not harm samphire or reptiles.

Prevent sediment, saline water, contaminated runoff and construction waste from entering retained or rehabilitated claypan habitat.

Maintain drainage patterns that support the existing habitat. Avoid ponding, rapid drying caused by diversion, or permanent inundation unless supported by site-specific ecological advice.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Use suitable fauna structures only

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures for the Claypan Dragon. These structures are not established as suitable replacements for its breeding or sheltering habitat.

If a project identifies a confirmed breeding place or shelter feature, retain it where possible and obtain species-specific advice before attempting replacement.

Use natural habitat restoration as the primary mitigation, with any artificial feature included only where an ecologist and the relevant authority have confirmed that it is suitable.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage lighting and access

Keep lighting away from retained and rehabilitated samphire and claypan habitat. Use the lowest practical intensity, direct lights towards work areas and avoid unnecessary night lighting.

Restrict vehicles and people to designated access routes. Install durable barriers where informal access could damage recovering habitat.

Remove barriers that could trap animals, while retaining clearly marked exclusion fencing where it is still needed for protection.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Monitor recovery

Set monitoring objectives for habitat cover, weed presence, drainage, erosion, vehicle damage and Claypan Dragon detections.

Use repeat searches in suitable weather and record effort consistently so results can be compared across monitoring periods. Set the timing and duration through the approval, rehabilitation plan and local ecological advice.

Repair failed rehabilitation promptly. Continue monitoring until the agreed performance criteria are met, and report results to the project manager, land manager and relevant authority where required.

Sources

• Checklist of the Reptiles and Frogs of South Australia, South Australian Government: https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/getDocument/9mqzylfkn
• 27937, Australian Government DCCEEW: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/27937.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/