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Granite Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella)

The Granite Worm-lizard is a small, fossorial, legless lizard of rocky native grassland, open grassy woodland and derived grassland in south-eastern Australia. It shelters beneath shallowly embedded rocks and in ant nests, so clearing, earthworks, rock removal and changes to grass cover can damage occupied habitat even when animals are not seen.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Granite Worm-lizards are egg-laying reptiles associated with ant nests beneath rocks. Gravid females are recorded in late November and December, while young are observed from late summer into autumn, so avoid disturbing occupied rock and soil patches during this period where practicable.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous, egg laying.

Clutch size: Two eggs.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Size at hatching or birth: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Males reach adult size in their third year. Females reach adult size in their fourth year.

Nest or egg sites: Eggs have not been found in the wild. They are very likely to be laid within ant nests in soil beneath rocks.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Confirm timing locally using recent rainfall, soil moisture and temperature, because these conditions affect movement to the upper parts of ant burrows and detection beneath rocks.

  • Mating: Direct mating has not been recorded. Individuals were observed sharing rocks in September and October, and above-ground movement was mainly recorded in October and November, so mating is most likely in spring.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females have been observed in late November and December. The precise duration that females carry eggs is not recorded.
  • Egg laying: Eggs have not been found in the wild. Laying is likely to occur in ant nests beneath rocks, with late November and December used as the best supported timing from gravid female records.
  • Incubation: Incubation length is not recorded. Eggs are expected to remain in ant nests from laying in late November or December until hatching in mid to late summer, but the exact months are uncertain.
  • Hatchlings: Very small juveniles have been observed in ant nests beneath stones in late summer and autumn. Hatching is thought to occur in mid to late summer, with no recorded peak in juvenile abundance.
  • Active period: Spring is the best detection period, with above-ground movement mainly recorded in October and November. Individuals can still occur beneath rocks in autumn and winter, while hot, dry weather can drive them deeper into ant burrows.
  • Winter inactivity: Formal brumation or hibernation has not been recorded. During the cooler months of autumn and winter, lizards are less reliably detected and may shelter within ant burrows beneath rocks, although individuals can still be found.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from late spring through summer, particularly from November to February, when gravid females, eggs or newly hatched young may occupy ant nests beneath rocks. Clearing can injure or kill lizards and destroy burrows and ant nests at any time of year.

Identification

This species is a rarely seen, worm-like lizard. Most records come from turning suitable surface rocks, rather than from observations of animals moving in the open.

The body is slender and legless in appearance, with a blunt head and a long, round-tipped pinkish tail. The upper body is grey, grey-brown or brown, the head and nape are dark brown to black, and the underside is whitish. Faint dark dots or bars on the dorsal scales can form longitudinal lines along the body and tail.

Identification: Size and sex

Adults reach about 150 to 151 mm snout to vent length and about 240 mm total length. The tail may be voluntarily shed and regrown, and a regrown tail can be conspicuous. Males reach adult size in approximately their third year at about 100 mm snout to vent length, while females reach adult size in approximately their fourth year at about 120 mm snout to vent length.

Maximum snout to vent length: About 150 to 151 mm

Total length: About 240 mm

Adult male size: Approximately 100 mm snout to vent length by the third year

Adult female size: Approximately 120 mm snout to vent length by the fourth year

  • No reliable measured adult body mass is provided in the supplied sources. A published database value of 8.88 g is calculated rather than weighed and should not be used as a field measurement.

Identification: Similar species and field signs

In the ACT and nearby NSW, the species is unlikely to be confused with another legless lizard when the distinctive pinkish tail and prominent eyes are visible. Small animals may be mistaken for a blind snake, but blind snakes have eyes reduced to a dark spot beneath the head scales, whereas this species has prominent eyes.

The species shares some scale features with the Striped Legless Lizard, Delma impar, in parts of NSW and the ACT. Positive identification may require close examination of head and body scales, and tissue sampling is recommended for uncertain records, particularly outside the ACT and adjacent NSW.

Useful field signs are small burrows beneath rocks, ant nests in soil beneath rocks, and the presence of suitable rocks with disturbed or fractured soil underneath. There are no reliable tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or eyeshine records described in the supplied sources.

  • Treat a suspected animal or new population record as requiring confirmation by an experienced herpetologist.
  • Do not remove rocks unnecessarily during searches, and replace each rock in its original position and orientation where practicable.
  • Record rock size, embedding, nearby tussock structure and evidence of ant activity with each observation.

Distribution: States and regional distribution

The species has a fragmented distribution in south-eastern Australia. Records are concentrated in the ACT and adjoining NSW, with additional widely separated sites in NSW and Victoria.

The known range includes the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Records extend through rocky country on or near the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range, from the ACT and the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee river corridors into NSW, and to sites near Bendigo in central Victoria.

Reported NSW localities include areas between Tarcutta and Bathurst, with additional records extending from Albury to near Gunnedah, as well as sites near Dubbo and Buddigower Reserve near West Wyalong. The supplied documents do not assign the populations to named IBRA bioregions.

  • ACT: Molonglo and Murrumbidgee river corridors and adjacent hills, including Mount Taylor, Cooleman Ridge, Urambi Hills, The Pinnacle and Mount Stromlo.
  • NSW: sites near the ACT border, Tarcutta, Albury, Bathurst, Dubbo, Buddigower Reserve and other widely separated locations.
  • Victoria: records near Bendigo and central Victorian sites.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

The largest recorded populations and highest densities are reported from the ACT, particularly the Lower Molonglo Valley and Mount Taylor. In the ACT, the species has a patchy distribution across river corridors, reserves, rural leased land, road verges and other open-space areas.

Many populations are isolated or separated by development and altered land. The Molonglo and Murrumbidgee corridors and adjacent rural land can provide connected habitat where rocky grassland patches remain.

NSW detection history: Detected at 6 of 26 sites surveyed between Tarcutta and Bathurst in an early survey

ACT strongholds: Lower Molonglo Valley and Mount Taylor

Known reserve records: Nine Canberra Nature Park reserves, plus reserves in the Murrumbidgee River Corridor are listed in the ACT action plan

Distribution: Population size and trend

A total national population estimate is not provided. The species is described as having low population density except in the most favourable habitat. A long-term ACT comparison at one reserve found little change in distribution and abundance over the two survey periods, but this does not establish a national trend.

National population estimate: Not provided in the supplied sources

Known population density: Apparently low except in the most favourable habitat

ACT long-term comparison: Little change in distribution and abundance was reported at one reserve over two survey periods

  • Do not infer absence from a negative search because the species is cryptic and difficult to detect.
  • Assess each site in relation to nearby occupied or suitable rocky grassland and maintain records of search effort and habitat condition.

Habitat: Habitat types and vegetation

Suitable habitat is open, well-drained country with scattered weathered rocks and a predominantly native tussock grass layer. The species is associated with rocky parts of native grassland and open grassy woodland, including some derived grassland.

The species occurs in Natural Temperate Grassland, open grassy woodland and grassland derived from cleared woodland. Suitable sites commonly have sparse or no tree cover, little or no leaf litter, native tussock-forming grasses and native forbs.

Important grasses include Kangaroo Grass, Themeda triandra, Wallaby Grass, Rytidosperma, Wire Grass, Aristida, Bothriochloa and Poa. Other plants recorded in suitable habitat include Sorghum, Dianella and Lomandra, together with disturbance-sensitive forbs.

Habitat: Ground structure

The key structural feature is scattered surface rock that is lightly embedded in the soil or rests above more deeply buried rock. Rocks are commonly weathered, fractured and associated with small burrows and ant nests.

In the ACT, occupied sites are typically underlain by Mid to Late Silurian acid to intermediate volcanics. At Tarcutta, animals were found beneath exfoliations from granodiorite boulders.

Common rock size used for shelter: About 10 to 30 cm diameter

Typical tree cover: Sparse or absent, although small clearings within open forest may be suitable

Soil and drainage: Usually well-drained sites with weathered or fractured rock near the surface

  • Retain surface rocks in place, including small rocks and broken rock material.
  • Protect the soil and ant nests beneath rocks from grading, compaction, trenching and repeated vehicle traffic.
  • Maintain a varied grass sward with open spaces between tussocks rather than allowing dense, overgrown grass to develop across all habitat.

Habitat: Elevation and site limits

The supplied species database gives an elevation range of 180 to 815 m above sea level. Records are associated with temperate south-eastern Australia and rocky slopes, river corridors and adjacent open country.

Closed forest or tall scrub with a dense canopy generally appears unsuitable, although isolated open areas and clearings within open forest have supported records.

Reported elevation range: 180 to 815 m above sea level

Climate and activity limitation: Detection is more difficult during hot, dry periods

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Granite Worm-lizard feeds below surface rocks in ant nests and associated soil. It is a specialised predator of ant brood, so suitable foraging habitat depends on intact soil, rocks, ant colonies and native grassland structure.

The main reported food is ant eggs and larvae within ant nests. Small ants and other carnivorous insects are also reported in the supplied sources and species database.

The lizard lives in ant burrows in soil beneath rocks, where it can feed without regularly appearing above ground.

Primary prey: Ant eggs and larvae

Additional reported prey: Small ants and other insects

Foraging mode: Fossorial feeding within ant burrows beneath rocks

Foraging habitat: Foraging habitat and range

Foraging occurs in the soil beneath shallowly embedded, weathered or fractured rocks within native tussock grassland, open grassy woodland and derived grassland. There is no published foraging range or home range in the supplied documents.

Maintaining the ant nest, rock cover and surrounding grass structure is more relevant than providing a particular food plant. Fertiliser, pasture improvement, soil disturbance and removal of rocks can reduce the suitability of this feeding habitat.

  • Avoid disturbing soil beneath rocks during clearing, fencing, utility installation and vehicle movements.
  • Retain native grasses and forbs around rock patches, while managing excessive grass biomass where it forms a dense thatch.
  • Do not assume that non-native grass cover makes a site unsuitable if native plants, suitable rocks and intact soil remain.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in the same rocky grassland and open grassy woodland habitat used for shelter and feeding. Eggs are thought likely to be laid within ant nests, but wild egg-laying sites have not been confirmed.

The species is oviparous. Gravid females have been observed in late November and December. Eggs have not been found in the wild, but are considered likely to be laid within ant nests.

Very small juveniles have been observed in ant nests beneath stones in late summer and autumn, indicating that hatching occurred earlier in spring or summer. The species is estimated to take three to four years to reach adult size.

Breeding season: Gravid females recorded in late November and December

Clutch size: Two eggs

Egg-laying site: Unknown in the wild, but likely within ant nests

Hatching period: Not directly recorded; very small juveniles in late summer and autumn indicate spring or summer hatching

Age at maturity: Approximately three to four years to adult size

Incubation period: Not reported

Lifespan: Not reported

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat is likely to require intact ant nests and undisturbed soil beneath shallowly embedded rocks. Native tussock grasses and low disturbance are associated with suitable sites.

Protect occupied and potential rock patches during the breeding period, particularly from clearing, rock removal, grading, compaction and heavy machinery. The evidence does not support a separate nest structure that can be located above ground.

  • Retain rocks and the soil beneath them in place.
  • Maintain native tussock cover and avoid pasture improvement, fertiliser application and sowing of exotic pasture species in suitable habitat.
  • Use buffers around rocky grassland during works and prevent sediment, weeds and construction traffic from entering the habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Primary refuges

The species is fossorial and cryptic. Its main refuge is the burrow system of an ant nest beneath a surface rock, rather than a hollow, log or above-ground nest.

Most records are from beneath shallowly embedded rocks. The lizards use ant burrows in soil beneath the rocks and retreat deeper into the burrows during weather that is too hot or too cold.

Occupied rocks are commonly weathered and partially embedded, with small burrows beneath them. Rocks used most often are about 10 to 30 cm in diameter, although smaller and larger rocks can also provide shelter.

Typical shelter rock size: About 10 to 30 cm diameter

Shelter location: Ant burrows in soil beneath shallowly embedded or surface rocks

Extreme weather response: Likely to move deeper into ant burrows during very hot or cold conditions

  • Do not lift, move, stockpile or crush rocks in potential habitat without an approved ecological management procedure.
  • If a rock must be lifted during an authorised search, replace it carefully in its original position and avoid collapsing the burrow or damaging the ant nest.
  • Retain connected groups of suitable rocks rather than selecting isolated rocks for removal.

Sheltering habitat: Cover and replacement habitat

Native tussock grasses and low litter cover the surrounding ground, but dense or overgrown grass can reduce habitat quality. Sites with sparse or no tree cover are generally preferred, and planting trees or tall shrubs into suitable open habitat can make it less suitable.

Artificial rock habitat islands and suitable rocks sourced from development sites have been used to link disturbed areas in the ACT. Any replacement habitat should be designed and managed by a suitably qualified ecologist because the lizards also require suitable soil and ant colonies.

  • Keep added rock free of weeds and avoid creating log or rock piles that shelter rabbits, cats or foxes.
  • Minimise soil disturbance when installing replacement rocks.
  • Monitor artificial habitat and nearby native grass structure after installation.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The main project risks are loss and fragmentation of rocky grassland, removal of surface rocks, soil disturbance and changes to the native grass layer. The species can be present beneath rocks without being detected during routine clearing.

Clearing, grading, trenching, road construction, utility works and urban expansion can remove rocks, ant nests, soil and native tussocks. Many ACT sites occur near current or future urban development, including the Molonglo Valley, areas between the Molonglo and Murrumbidgee rivers and West Belconnen.

Removal of bush rock is a recognised threat because it removes shelter, basking surfaces and the substrate supporting ant nests and other organisms.

  • Map rocky native grassland and open grassy woodland before works begin.
  • Fence and sign exclusion zones around suitable and occupied habitat.
  • Keep construction vehicles, laydown areas, spoil, waste and temporary access tracks out of rock patches.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher and a species-specific rock handling procedure where works cannot avoid potential habitat.

Threats: Fragmentation, roads and barriers

The species has a patchy distribution and many sites are isolated. Roads, cycle paths, urban development and other barriers may restrict movement and dispersal, although the size of movements and the effects of particular barriers remain research priorities.

River corridors, rural land and other linked open areas can provide habitat connections between rocky grassland patches.

  • Retain habitat links between occupied patches where practicable.
  • Avoid creating narrow isolated remnants surrounded by frequently trafficked or intensively managed ground.
  • Assess road and path alignments for rock removal, soil compaction, runoff and barriers to movement.

Threats: Vegetation management, fire and weeds

Pasture improvement, fertiliser, long-term grazing, dense grass biomass and weed invasion can alter the grass and soil conditions used by the species. An overgrown sward can reduce habitat quality, but mowing, slashing or fire that is too frequent, too intense or poorly timed can also damage habitat and fauna.

Management should maintain tussock-forming native grasses while retaining gaps and scattered rocks. Weed control should avoid non-target damage, bare soil and disturbance to rocks and ant nests.

  • Do not plant trees or tall shrubs into open rocky habitat.
  • Plan mowing, slashing, grazing and fire around the needs of this species and other threatened fauna at the site.
  • Stage or stagger treatments so that all suitable habitat is not disturbed at once.
  • Prevent weed spread and replace removed weeds with suitable local native cover where required.

Threats: Predators, domestic animals and hydrology

Cats, foxes and other introduced predators are identified as threats to fauna in the relevant grassy woodland and grassland communities. Tail loss can provide an indirect measure of predation pressure, although the supplied documents do not quantify predator impacts on this species.

The species depends on well-drained rocky soil. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific study of hydrology change, but sediment, pollutants, altered drainage and waterlogging can damage the soil and grassland features on which the species depends.

  • Control or exclude cats, foxes and other pest animals around important habitat where practicable.
  • Prevent sediment, contaminated runoff and altered drainage from entering rocky grassland.
  • Inspect erosion and drainage controls after rain and repair failures promptly.

Survey methodology: 1. Map and assess potential habitat

Survey the Granite Worm-lizard, Aprasia parapulchella, as a fossorial reptile that is rarely seen above ground. The most effective method is a targeted search beneath suitable surface rocks in homogeneous patches of potential habitat.

  • Define the study area and map native grassland, derived native grassland, open grassy woodland, rocky ground, rock outcrops and areas with scattered, shallowly embedded rocks.
  • Prioritise well-drained sites with predominantly native tussock-forming grasses, little or no leaf litter, sparse or no tree cover, and weathered or fractured surface rock.
  • Record rock density, rock sizes, vegetation condition, canopy cover, weed cover, soil disturbance and nearby retained habitat before selecting search plots.
  • Treat areas with dense or closed forest or tall scrub as lower-priority habitat unless open clearings or naturally open rocky areas are present.

Survey methodology: 2. Search beneath surface rocks

  • Restrict each search to a relatively homogeneous habitat area rather than applying a fixed area size where rock density varies.
  • Turn every rock that can be safely turned within the selected plot, with 150 to 200 rocks required to provide reasonable confidence in determining presence.
  • Prioritise rocks about 10 to 30 centimetres in diameter that are lightly embedded in soil or rest on soil above deeper rock, as well as weathered and fractured rock material.
  • Replace every rock carefully in its original position and orientation after inspection to protect ant nests, burrows, soil moisture and shelter sites.
  • Inspect the soil surface and small burrows beneath rocks because the species lives in ant burrows and feeds on ants, including eggs and larvae.
  • Do not remove rocks from the site or create new rock piles during a survey unless this is part of an approved monitoring design.

Survey methodology: 3. Time searches for detection

  • Schedule the main search in spring and early summer, when detection success appears highest under warm but not overly dry conditions after rainfall extending over several days.
  • During summer, search in the morning or on cloudy days so that soil beneath rocks is not excessively hot.
  • During late autumn and winter, search on clear sunny days when warming beneath rocks may draw animals towards the upper parts of ant burrows.
  • Avoid relying on searches during hot, dry conditions, when detection is more difficult.
  • Do not use spotlighting as the primary method, because the species is fossorial and is not normally active on the ground surface by day; any night movement is unlikely to provide an efficient substitute for rock searches.

Survey methodology: 4. Confirm and record detections

  • Photograph the animal in place where this can be done without prolonged handling or habitat damage.
  • Record the date, time, coordinates, habitat type, rock or shelter feature, rock dimensions where practicable, vegetation condition and weather and rainfall conditions.
  • Have an experienced reptile ecologist confirm unusual records, particularly in Victoria or outside the core ACT and adjacent NSW distribution.
  • Where identification is uncertain or the record is outside the core ACT and adjacent NSW distribution, obtain several tissue samples where possible through an appropriately authorised specialist, because allocation of single specimens can be less certain in those areas.
  • Do not infer absence from a failed search, because the species is rare, cryptic and difficult to detect even where it is known to occur.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Complete a targeted search beneath 150 to 200 turnable rocks in each relatively homogeneous area of potential habitat, unless a suitably qualified authority approves a different design.
  • Use warm, not hot, conditions after several days of rainfall where practicable, with the seasonal search timing adjusted for local conditions.
  • Document the area searched, the number and size range of rocks inspected, search dates, start and finish times, weather, rainfall, habitat condition and all detections and non-detections.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant negative survey information to the wildlife records database for the state or territory in which the project occurs.
  • Retain photographs, coordinates, field sheets, tissue sample details, handling records and identification advice with the project environmental records.
  • Treat the survey as a detection baseline rather than a guarantee that the species is absent.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Aprasia parapulchella is protected nationally and in the ACT, NSW and Victoria. Before clearing or construction, avoid disturbing rocky native grassland and retain the rocks, tussock structure and ant nest habitat on which the species depends.

National status: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act

State and territory status: Vulnerable in the ACT and NSW, and Endangered in Victoria

  • Retain areas with scattered surface rocks, predominantly native tussock-forming grasses, native forbs and sparse or no tree cover.
  • Do not remove, bury, stack or relocate surface rocks from potential or confirmed habitat unless this is authorised in the project fauna management plan.
  • Protect the soil and subterranean ant nests beneath rocks from excavation, grading, compaction, vehicle traffic and uncontrolled pedestrian access.
  • Retain habitat connections between rocky grassland patches, including suitable areas on rural land, road verges, reserves and river corridors where they provide movement opportunities.
  • Avoid planting trees or tall shrubs in open rocky grassland habitat, because dense or closed canopy conditions are generally unsuitable.

Before habitat disturbance: Check approvals and plan the works

  • Check whether the proposed action is likely to have a significant impact on this EPBC Act listed species or its habitat and obtain an EPBC Act referral or approval where required.
  • Obtain the relevant state or territory wildlife permits, scientific licences, relocation approvals and animal welfare approvals before survey, capture, tissue sampling or relocation.
  • Prepare a species-specific fauna management plan that identifies habitat, search methods, exclusion areas, qualified personnel, handling limits, stop-work triggers, relocation sites and reporting requirements.
  • Stage clearing so that high-quality retained habitat and habitat connections remain available while works proceed.
  • Schedule the main pre-clearance search and any planned disturbance outside periods of extreme heat and dryness, and use the spring to early summer detection window where practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare and mark the site

  • Complete the targeted pre-clearance search before machinery enters potential habitat and repeat the search if the site has changed substantially or the works are delayed into materially different conditions.
  • Mark retained rocks, rocky grassland, ant nest areas, access routes and no-go habitat on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and buffers where fencing can prevent machinery, vehicles, stock and people from entering without fragmenting the retained area.
  • Keep spoil, mulch, construction materials, fuel, sediment controls and machinery outside retained rocky grassland and rock features.
  • Brief all supervisors, machine operators and fauna spotters on the species’ appearance, fossorial habit, habitat features and the requirement to stop if an animal is found.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and supervision

Treat every rock and patch of native tussock grass as a potential shelter feature until it has been assessed. The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to pause the activity and must work directly with the machinery operator.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, access controls and marked habitat at the start of each shift and after heavy rain, vehicle impact or other damage.
  • Keep machinery within approved work limits and use designated access routes that avoid retained rocks, burrows, tussocks and soil beneath shelter rocks.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher to inspect the immediate work area before clearing, excavation, grading or rock disturbance begins each day.
  • Maintain direct communication between the spotter catcher, machine operator and site supervisor, with the operator stopping immediately on the spotter’s instruction.
  • Stop work if an animal is sighted, if a rock or burrow cannot be safely inspected, if exclusion fencing fails, or if works are outside the approved footprint.

During habitat disturbance: Handle habitat features carefully

  • Do not disturb or remove rocks, ant nests, burrows, logs or soil features outside the approved clearing footprint.
  • Where a rock must be moved under an approved plan, have the fauna spotter catcher inspect beneath it first and replace or transfer the feature only under the method approved by the project ecologist.
  • Avoid stacking fallen wood or construction material because piles can provide shelter for cats, foxes and rabbits and can alter habitat conditions.
  • Prevent sediment, weeds, fertiliser and other pollutants from entering retained grassland and rocky habitat.
  • Do not use fire, mowing, slashing, herbicide or soil disturbance in retained habitat unless the action is approved as part of the species and ecological community management plan.

During habitat disturbance: Respond to a detection

  • Stop the relevant machinery and establish a temporary exclusion area around the animal and its shelter feature.
  • Allow only an appropriately authorised and experienced person to capture, handle, identify, sample or relocate the animal.
  • Minimise handling time and keep the animal shaded, cool and secure in a suitable container if temporary containment is authorised.
  • Relocate the animal only under the approved permit and fauna management plan, to nearby retained habitat with suitable scattered rocks, native tussock grass and ant nest habitat.
  • Do not release the animal into dense forest, tall scrub, heavily disturbed ground or habitat without suitable shelter features.
  • Take an injured animal to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian and record the transfer details.
  • Obtain expert identification and consider tissue sampling where the location is outside the core ACT and adjacent NSW distribution or the identification is uncertain.

During habitat disturbance: Record and release stop-work decisions

  • Record every detection, including the coordinates, time, shelter feature, condition of the animal, photographs, handler, action taken and final location.
  • Record all rocks or habitat features inspected, damaged, moved or retained, including the reason for any approved movement.
  • Notify the site supervisor and environmental officer immediately of a detection, injury, unapproved impact, failed exclusion control or stop-work event.
  • Do not resume work in the affected area until the fauna spotter catcher, project ecologist and relevant approval holder have agreed on the control response.
  • Report any notifiable incident or approval breach to the relevant regulator within the timeframe required by the approval or permit.

After habitat disturbance: Check the cleared and retained areas

Completion of clearing does not end the fauna obligations. Confirm that retained habitat and controls remain effective, and use post-clearance information to refine protection and rehabilitation.

  • Complete a post-clearance inspection for stranded, injured or exposed animals, damaged rocks, open burrows, soil disturbance and breaches of retained habitat boundaries.
  • Inspect the edges of retained rocky grassland for machinery encroachment, sediment deposition, weed establishment, dumped materials and altered drainage.
  • Repair exclusion fencing and other controls promptly where construction activities continue near retained habitat.
  • Remove temporary materials, spoil and waste from retained habitat without disturbing rocks or ant nest features.
  • Record the final cleared area, retained habitat area, rock features affected, fauna detections, relocations, injuries and incidents.

After habitat disturbance: Monitor retained habitat

  • Continue monitoring where the approval, fauna management plan or environmental risk assessment requires it, using searches beneath suitable rocks and the same core field records used during pre-clearance.
  • Use the approved artificial substrate or monitoring design where natural rock disturbance would harm habitat, noting that the ACT has tested artificial substrates for monitoring.
  • Compare rock cover, native tussock condition, weed cover, canopy change and confirmed detections with the pre-clearance baseline.
  • Monitor nearby retained habitat for effects from urban development, recreation, roads, cycle paths, changed fire or grazing regimes and predator activity.

After habitat disturbance: Report and manage residual impacts

  • Submit survey, incident, relocation, rehabilitation and monitoring results to the approval holder and relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Provide EPBC Act compliance reporting and state or territory reporting where required by the approval, permit or management plan.
  • Maintain buffers, fencing, access restrictions and weed controls for the period specified in the project approvals.
  • If impacts cannot be avoided or minimised, implement the approved offset or compensatory conservation measure and do not treat rehabilitation as a substitute for retaining occupied habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Recreate habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the species’ shelter and feeding conditions, not just a grass cover. The target is open, well-drained native grassland with suitable scattered rocks, intact soil and connected habitat.

  • Re-establish predominantly native tussock-forming grasses and native forbs suited to the local ecological community, including Themeda, Rytidosperma, Aristida, Bothriochloa and Poa where locally appropriate.
  • Use local provenance seed or plant material and retain gaps between tussocks rather than creating a dense, uniform sward.
  • Reinstate suitable weathered surface rock and fractured rock material only under an approved design that avoids damaging existing habitat and uses weed-free material.
  • Place rock features as scattered shelter elements or approved habitat islands, rather than concentrating them into piles that may encourage rabbits, cats or foxes.
  • Restore stable, well-drained soil surfaces and protect ant colonies and subterranean habitat from compaction and repeated vehicle access.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage vegetation and threats

  • Control invasive grasses and other weeds with targeted methods that minimise damage to native tussocks, native forbs, rocks and ant nests.
  • Replace removed weed patches with local native plants as rapidly as practicable while retaining inter-tussock space for germination.
  • Manage grass biomass with a site-specific combination of grazing, mowing, slashing or burning only where the approved ecological plan supports it.
  • Avoid overgrown grass that reduces habitat quality, but retain a heterogeneous sward because different species require different biomass levels.
  • Use coordinated control of foxes, cats, pigs and rabbits where these pests threaten rehabilitated habitat, and do not create shelter piles that favour them.

Rehabilitation actions: Maintain connections and protection

  • Link restored rock and tussock patches to nearby retained habitat where practicable, including through suitable road verges, reserves, rural land and river corridor habitat.
  • Protect restored areas with fencing, signed access controls or other measures that prevent trampling, unauthorised rock removal, vehicle entry and pasture improvement.
  • Do not apply fertiliser or sow exotic pasture species in restored or retained Aprasia habitat.
  • Use buffer areas to reduce weed spread, sediment and pollutant run-off, trampling, rock removal and other disturbance from adjacent works.
  • Do not install tree or tall shrub plantings that close the canopy over open rocky grassland habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

  • Set success measures for native tussock establishment, native forb recovery, weed cover, grass biomass, rock persistence, soil stability, ant nest condition, predator activity and habitat connectivity.
  • Inspect restored areas after establishment, after major rainfall, after fire or mowing, and at the intervals specified in the approved rehabilitation plan.
  • Use the same rock search method and habitat measurements at each monitoring round, while protecting natural rocks from excessive repeated disturbance.
  • Treat rehabilitation as unsuccessful if rocks are removed or buried, canopy closes, weeds dominate, soil is compacted, or native tussock habitat fails to recover, and revise management accordingly.
  • Report monitoring results and any confirmed Aprasia parapulchella records to the project environmental officer, approval holder and relevant wildlife records database.

Sources