Great Bight Cool-skink (Pseudemoia baudini)

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

The Great Bight Cool-skink is poorly known, and species-specific seasonal records are limited. This bar uses a cautious southern Australian skink pattern for planning work in South Australia, where the species is listed as Rare.

Breeding mode: Likely live-bearing, as in related Pseudemoia skinks, but not recorded specifically for the Great Bight Cool-skink.

Breeding timing: Not recorded. A general spring to summer breeding period is used for planning.

Clutch or litter size: Not recorded.

Incubation or gestation: Not recorded.

Birth or hatching sites: Not recorded. Sheltered ground cover and surface debris should be retained until habitat has been checked.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may shift between years and locations, so local weather, habitat condition and recent sightings should guide survey timing and clearance controls.

• Breeding activity: Treat September to December as the main period when mating and reproductive activity may occur.
• Pregnant females and dependent young: Use extra care from spring through summer because females or young may be present in ground cover and surface debris.
• Warm-season surface activity and survey opportunity: Search effort is generally most productive in warmer months when skinks are more likely to move and bask.
• Reduced winter activity and sheltering: During cooler months, individuals may remain concealed beneath rocks, logs, leaf litter or other ground cover, so absence from searches does not confirm absence from habitat.
• Highest clearing risk: For this Rare species, avoid clearing suitable habitat from spring to early autumn where practicable, and use targeted searches, staged clearing and fauna spotter catcher controls.

Identification: Appearance

The Great Bight Cool-skink is a terrestrial member of the skink family, Scincidae. Detailed field descriptions are limited, so photographs, measurements and locality records should be collected whenever animals are found.

A reliable description of its colour, pattern and body proportions is not established here. Do not identify an animal from a brief glimpse alone, particularly where other small skinks occur.

Use clear photographs of the head, back, sides, limbs and tail. Include a scale, such as a ruler, where this can be done safely.

• Record the animal’s snout to vent length and total length where practical.
• Note the ground surface, shelter feature and vegetation immediately around the capture point.
• Release the animal as close as possible to its capture location, unless an approved wildlife handler directs otherwise.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No call or echolocation behaviour is associated with this species. It should be detected by visual searching, shelter inspection and careful observation during clearing.

Similar small skinks may occur in the same broad landscapes. Confirm records with a suitably experienced herpetologist or the relevant South Australian authority when identification is uncertain.

Identification: Field signs

Species specific droppings, nests, odours, stains and other field signs are not established. Do not rely on indirect signs to clear habitat.

The most useful evidence is a live animal, a clear photograph or a verified specimen record. Search around ground cover and inspect material that will be removed during works.

• Loose bark, fallen timber and rocks
• Leaf litter and dense low vegetation
• Crevices, soil cracks and other ground level refuges
• Edges of proposed disturbance where animals may move during clearing

Distribution: Australian range

The Great Bight Cool-skink is mapped in South Australia. A dependable state and regional range summary is not established, so every confirmed record has value for local planning and conservation assessment.

The species is recorded for South Australia. The relevant regional distribution within South Australia should be checked against current government records before a project is assessed.

Do not assume that an absence from previous surveys means the species is absent from a site. Small terrestrial skinks can be missed where searches are brief or ground cover is not inspected.

Mapped Australian state: South Australia

Overseas range: No overseas range is identified

• Map all observations with accurate coordinates.
• Record the vegetation type, landform, ground cover and condition of the site.
• Retain photographs and survey effort details with the project fauna records.

Distribution: Survey planning

Because the species is listed as Rare in South Australia, survey effort should be scaled to the likelihood of habitat disturbance and the quality of available records. A desktop check, habitat assessment and targeted field search are appropriate where suitable ground cover may be cleared.

Use experienced reptile ecologists or fauna spotter catchers for searches and any handling. Confirm current permit, approval and reporting requirements before work starts.

• Search the full disturbance footprint and a suitable surrounding habitat buffer where access allows.
• Schedule searches when reptiles are most likely to be active, based on local weather and seasonal conditions.
• Use a preclearance inspection immediately before vegetation and ground disturbance.

Habitat: Habitat features to assess

Species specific habitat information is limited. On a work site, assess terrestrial habitat broadly and focus on connected areas with intact ground cover, shelter and low disturbance.

Inspect native vegetation with a continuous or patchy layer of leaf litter, fallen timber, loose bark, rocks or low shrubs. These features can provide movement routes, basking sites and refuges for small skinks.

Record landform and site condition rather than relying only on broad vegetation mapping. Small habitat patches may still be relevant where they connect larger areas of native vegetation.

• Native ground cover and leaf litter
• Rocky ground, shallow crevices and soil cracks
• Fallen branches, logs and loose bark
• Edges between dense vegetation and open ground
• Vegetation corridors linking habitat patches

Habitat: Site assessment

Map habitat features within the clearing footprint before machinery enters. Mark retained habitat and no-go areas clearly for the construction team.

Where habitat is fragmented, avoid creating isolated strips or removing the shelter features that connect retained patches.

• Keep disturbance boundaries as narrow as practicable.
• Avoid unnecessary removal of logs, rocks, bark and leaf litter from retained areas.
• Prevent vehicles and stored materials from spreading into retained ground cover.

Foraging habitat: Ground foraging areas

The diet and foraging habitat of the Great Bight Cool-skink have not been characterised. Treat the species as a ground foraging reptile and retain a range of natural ground surfaces when planning works.

Potential foraging areas include leaf litter, low vegetation, open patches between plants and the edges of logs or rocks. These areas should be inspected before they are disturbed.

Avoid broad conclusions about diet from habitat appearance alone. Record observed behaviour if an animal is seen feeding, moving between cover or basking.

• Search around the bases of shrubs and low native plants.
• Inspect litter and loose cover before it is raked, mulched or stockpiled.
• Keep retained ground cover free from sediment, spoil, chemical spills and construction waste.

Foraging habitat: Construction controls

Stage clearing so that fauna can be detected and moved away from the immediate work area under an approved procedure. Do not deliberately drive animals into exposed areas or toward roads.

Use fauna sensitive practices around retained habitat. Limit night lighting, dust, vehicle movement and temporary storage near likely refuge areas.

• Use a fauna spotter catcher during preclearance and active clearing where required.
• Check felled timber, rock piles, bark and other shelter material before removal or relocation.
• Keep stockpiles raised or positioned away from retained native ground cover where practicable.

Breeding habitat: Features to inspect

Breeding timing, breeding places and reproductive details for the Great Bight Cool-skink are not established. Do not assume that a site is of low breeding value because no nest or young animal is seen.

Inspect sheltered ground features that could protect eggs, young or a gravid female, including soil cracks, dense litter, loose bark, rock crevices and stable cover near vegetation.

Treat connected patches of suitable ground cover as potential breeding habitat until an experienced ecologist has assessed them.

• Avoid disturbing intact shelter features during the breeding season used by local reptiles.
• Keep clearing depths and soil disturbance to the minimum needed for the work.
• Record juveniles, gravid females and repeated observations at the same shelter feature.

Breeding habitat: Preclearance response

If a Great Bight Cool-skink is found, stop work in the immediate area and allow the fauna spotter catcher to assess the animal and its shelter. Check nearby cover before machinery resumes.

If repeated records occur, review the clearing boundary and seek advice from the relevant South Australian authority about additional survey, relocation or protection measures.

Sheltering habitat: Likely refuge features

Sheltering and roosting information is not established for this species. For site management, assume that ground level cover and small cavities may be used during periods of heat, cold, disturbance or inactivity.

Inspect material that provides shade, insulation or a narrow escape space. This includes loose bark, fallen timber, rocks, leaf litter, dense low vegetation, soil cracks and crevices.

Shelter may be difficult to see from the surface. Move cover slowly and replace it in its original position where it is retained.

• Search both the top and underside of loose cover where safe.
• Check the edges of logs, rocks and litter rather than lifting large or unstable material by hand.
• Use tools and safe handling methods for heavy cover.

Sheltering habitat: Clearing practice

Clear in stages from the inside of the work area toward retained habitat where this is suitable for the site and approved by the fauna spotter catcher. This can reduce the chance of animals remaining under machinery or isolated in small clearing pockets.

Relocate habitat features only under an agreed fauna management procedure. Do not move animals or shelter material into unsuitable or unapproved areas.

• Inspect vegetation and ground cover before removal.
• Pause work when an animal is found or when a refuge feature cannot be safely inspected.
• Maintain clear communication between the spotter catcher, clearing operator and site supervisor.

Threats: Clearing and direct injury

The main project risks are the removal of ground cover, direct injury during clearing and the loss of connected habitat. The species is Rare in South Australia, so avoidable impacts should be prevented rather than managed only after animals are found.

Bulldozing, grading, slashing, trenching and earthworks can crush animals and remove shelter. Logs, rocks, bark and leaf litter can also be lost before they are inspected.

Use staged clearing, preclearance searches and fauna spotter catcher supervision where required. Stop work around live animals and suspected occupied shelter.

• Clearly mark the approved clearing footprint.
• Inspect habitat before machinery moves into each work area.
• Keep machinery out of retained habitat and refuge areas.

Threats: Habitat fragmentation

Removing small habitat patches or narrow connections can isolate animals and reduce access to shelter and foraging areas. Design layouts to retain connected native vegetation and natural ground cover.

Keep temporary access tracks, laydown areas and spoil piles out of retained habitat wherever practicable.

• Minimise the width of access routes and service corridors.
• Retain fallen timber, rocks and litter in no-go areas.
• Rehabilitate disturbed ground with locally appropriate native ground cover.

Threats: Fire, weeds and changed site condition

Frequent or intense fire, weed invasion, removal of litter and changes to soil surface condition can reduce shelter and foraging opportunities. Construction activities can also introduce weeds and compact the ground.

Use clean machinery, control weed spread and protect retained ground cover from unnecessary traffic and fire risk.

• Limit hot works and ignition sources near dry ground cover.
• Prevent sediment, chemicals and construction waste from entering retained habitat.
• Monitor rehabilitation areas for weed invasion and loss of ground cover.

Threats: Protection and escalation

South Australian records are listed as Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Confirm the approvals, permit conditions and reporting requirements that apply to the project before clearing begins.

A confirmed record, repeated detection or occupied shelter should trigger a review of the work method and disturbance boundary. Seek advice from the relevant South Australian authority where impacts cannot be avoided.

• Retain evidence of surveys, photographs, coordinates and fauna handling events.
• Report records through the current state biodiversity recording process.
• Use stronger avoidance and retention measures where the project affects a known population or high quality habitat.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Great Bight Cool-skink is poorly known, so survey design should be conservative and suited to a small terrestrial skink. Focus on warm, settled conditions and inspect the ground shelters and habitat features that the project may disturb.

Map all proposed clearing, access tracks, compounds, spoil areas and drainage works against known records and suitable habitat.

Identify rocky ground, fallen timber, leaf litter, low vegetation, soil cracks and other ground shelters within and beside the disturbance footprint.

Check current South Australian listings, permit requirements and any project conditions before finalising the survey plan.

• Obtain recent records from the relevant state department and local databases.
• Review aerial imagery, previous ecological reports, fire history, recent clearing and planned construction activities.
• Treat apparently empty habitat as potentially occupied where survey coverage is limited.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Use a combination of daytime searches, careful inspection of ground shelters and active searches through suitable habitat. A suitably experienced herpetologist should set the method and effort because the species is poorly known.

Search when conditions are suitable for skink activity, such as warm, settled weather. Avoid relying on searches during cold, very hot, windy or wet conditions, when detection may be lower.

Lift or move loose cover slowly and replace it exactly as found. Inspect rock edges, timber, litter, vegetation bases and other likely shelter sites without damaging habitat.

• Use repeated visits where the first visit is affected by poor weather, dense cover or limited access.
• Consider temporary artificial cover only where it is approved, safe and likely to improve detection without creating a new disturbance or trapping risk.
• Do not use trapping, pitfall arrays or other invasive methods unless they are designed, approved and supervised by appropriately authorised personnel.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and effort

Schedule surveys during the local period when the animal is most likely to be active. Breeding timing, seasonal movement and detection rates are not well established for this species, so do not assume that one visit excludes occupancy.

Match survey effort to the size and complexity of the site, the amount of suitable habitat and the level of proposed impact. Increase effort where habitat is continuous, records are nearby or the project involves extensive clearing.

Record the conditions for every search so that a later ecologist can judge how effective the survey was.

• Record date, start and finish time, weather, temperature if measured, wind, recent rain, cloud cover and ground conditions.
• Record search time, route, area covered, shelter types inspected and any limitations on access or visibility.
• Repeat or extend the survey when conditions were unsuitable or the planned area was not adequately searched.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and verification

Record every sighting, sign, shelter feature and relevant absence result. Photograph animals and habitat where this can be done without causing additional disturbance.

Have uncertain identifications checked by an experienced herpetologist. Keep location data accurate enough to guide avoidance and clearing controls.

Submit records to the relevant state authority or approved database where required by permit or project conditions.

• Record coordinates, habitat description, behaviour, condition, photographs and the observer's name.
• Map the proposed disturbance, the observation point and any retained habitat or exclusion area.
• Record all handling, relocation, injury, mortality and release details in the project fauna register.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan the work around the species' South Australian conservation listing and the sensitivity of small terrestrial reptiles to ground disturbance. Avoidance is preferred, and the project ecologist should confirm all statutory requirements before work starts.

Confirm whether the proposed action requires an EPBC Act referral or approval. A state listing does not by itself determine whether an EPBC referral is required.

Obtain all South Australian wildlife permits and project approvals needed for survey, capture, handling, relocation or disturbance. Confirm requirements with the relevant state authority before mobilisation.

If work occurs in another jurisdiction, check that jurisdiction's rules. Queensland projects must assess whether a species management program is required, including where work could tamper with a breeding place. Apply any relevant permit conditions to the project.

• Keep copies of approvals, permits, management plans and contact details at the site office and with the fauna team.
• Use only people authorised under the relevant permit to capture, handle or relocate animals.
• Stop and seek advice if the species is found outside the area or circumstances covered by an approval.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site planning

Redesign the footprint to retain occupied habitat, connected ground cover and shelter features wherever practicable.

Keep machinery, laydown areas, vehicle routes and spoil outside retained habitat. Mark no-go areas clearly before clearing begins.

Set site-specific exclusion areas around confirmed animals, occupied shelters and habitat features. The project ecologist should determine the distance and duration from the risk, visibility, terrain and approval conditions rather than applying an unsupported standard buffer.

• Fence and sign exclusion areas before plant arrives.
• Use a map and ground markers that operators can see from normal working positions.
• Prevent indirect impacts such as sediment, dust, vibration, rubbish, altered drainage and unnecessary night lighting.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a pre-clearance inspection immediately before disturbance, using the approved survey method and suitable conditions. Search the full work area, including access routes and temporary works.

Inspect ground shelters carefully and identify any animal, occupied shelter, injury risk or habitat that can be retained.

Do not clear on the basis of a negative result if the survey was incomplete or conditions were unsuitable.

• Brief the fauna spotter catcher and supervisor on the species' identification features, likely shelters, exclusion areas and stop-work process.
• Mark any animal location and retain the relevant shelter until the ecologist has directed the next step.
• Record the survey, weather, effort, findings and clearance decision before work starts.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing and crew induction

There is no well-established breeding or migration calendar for the Great Bight Cool-skink. Schedule works to avoid periods of likely activity identified by the project ecologist, and use staged clearing where seasonal risk cannot be resolved.

Induct every worker before entering the work area. Explain that animals, shelters and retained habitat must not be handled or disturbed without direction.

Make the fauna spotter catcher's authority to stop work clear to supervisors and operators.

• Include photographs, reporting contacts, exclusion markings and emergency procedures in the induction.
• Prohibit workers from collecting, photographing at close range, feeding or relocating animals.
• Provide a communication method that allows an immediate stop-work instruction across the active work area.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear slowly and in stages, with a qualified fauna spotter catcher present where required by the approval or management plan. The spotter catcher must be able to stop work before an animal or shelter is damaged.

Clear the outer edge of each work area first and progress towards retained habitat, using a sequence approved by the project ecologist. Keep the active clearing area as small as practicable.

Remove vegetation and ground cover in a controlled manner. Pause before disturbing rocks, timber, litter, cracks or other potential shelters so they can be inspected.

Keep machinery out of exclusion areas and stop if visibility is lost or the spotter catcher cannot safely monitor the work.

• Use low-impact hand clearing around retained habitat and known shelter features.
• Do not push debris into retained habitat or leave material that can trap animals.
• Check the cleared surface and machinery path before moving to the next stage.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and breeding places

Only an authorised person may capture, handle or relocate a Great Bight Cool-skink. Handle it for the shortest time needed, keep it cool and shaded, and follow the approved fauna handling procedure.

If an active breeding place, eggs, young, an occupied shelter or any other suspected breeding place is found, stop work in the immediate area. Do not open, move or damage it until the project ecologist has assessed it and the relevant authority or approval conditions have been followed.

The species is not known to form colonies or roosts. If multiple animals are found together, treat the location as a significant occupied refuge and seek direction before proceeding.

• Record the exact location and condition of the animal or breeding place.
• Maintain the exclusion area while advice is obtained.
• Resume work only when the authorised fauna professional and approval conditions allow it.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured or dead animals

Stop work around an injured animal and keep people, vehicles and pets away. Do not provide food, water or treatment unless directed by a qualified wildlife professional.

Place an injured animal in a secure, ventilated container only if authorised and safe to do so. Keep the container shaded and transfer the animal promptly to an approved wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Treat a dead animal as a reportable fauna incident where required by the permit or management plan. Do not dispose of it until the fauna professional has recorded it and advised on collection.

• Contact the project fauna supervisor and the nominated wildlife rescue or veterinary service.
• Record the location, suspected cause, photographs, condition and people involved.
• Report any injury, death or unauthorised handling to the site manager and relevant authority when required.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Stop-work records

The spotter catcher should document each stop-work event, decision and release or relocation. Keep records with the project's environmental register.

Record any departure from the approved sequence, exclusion area or handling procedure and explain the corrective action.

Escalate repeated finds, unexpected habitat use or repeated near misses to the project ecologist before continuing.

• Record date, time, location, activity, people present and outcome.
• Update the site map with confirmed habitat, occupied shelters and retained areas.
• Photograph controls and exclusion markers where this supports compliance records.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no animal or shelter has been left at risk and that controls remain effective during construction. Use the results to adjust work methods and improve later stages.

Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat edge, machinery routes, spoil areas and temporary works after each clearing stage. Look for animals, disturbed shelters, trapped fauna and new hazards.

Check that exclusion fencing and signs remain in place and that no debris, sediment or machinery has entered retained habitat.

Have the fauna spotter catcher or project ecologist sign off each stage before the next stage begins where required by the management plan.

• Search safe accessible areas again when an animal could have been missed during active clearing.
• Remove hazards that can be corrected without further habitat disturbance.
• Record a nil result as well as any animal or incident found.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals

Confirm the release location, time, habitat condition and outcome for every relocated animal. Release only under the approved method and at a location accepted by the project ecologist or relevant authority.

Do not repeatedly relocate the same animal. If an animal is found again, reassess the footprint, exclusion area and habitat retention rather than moving it again without advice.

Inspect the release area for immediate hazards such as exposed surfaces, vehicles, predators, domestic animals and unsuitable drainage.

• Record the animal's condition before release and any identification mark or photograph permitted by the approval.
• Record who handled the animal and which permit or procedure authorised the action.
• Report mortality or failed release outcomes through the project's incident process.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat and construction edges where the approval, risk assessment or unexpected findings require it. The monitoring method should be reviewed if animals are detected after clearance.

Compare observations with the pre-clearance survey and construction records. A lack of detections does not prove that the species is absent.

Submit statutory reports and fauna records by the deadlines in the approval, permit or management plan.

• Report confirmed records to the relevant South Australian authority or approved database where appropriate.
• Include maps, survey conditions, effort, findings, handling, mortality, corrective actions and photographs.
• Keep records available for audits, future stages and rehabilitation planning.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every injury, death, unauthorised disturbance, repeated stop-work event and discovery of an occupied shelter. Include the spotter catcher, supervisor and project ecologist in the review.

Change the clearing sequence, exclusion controls, induction or survey effort where the review identifies a weakness.

Escalate significant incidents to the relevant regulator in accordance with approval and permit conditions.

• Document the cause, immediate response, notification, corrective action and person responsible.
• Brief the workforce before work resumes.
• Apply lessons to all remaining work areas, not only the location of the incident.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should restore the ground structure used by small terrestrial skinks and reconnect retained habitat wherever possible. Design the outcome around local reference habitat and verify it through monitoring rather than relying on generic fauna structures.

Restore natural ground cover, shelter and vegetation structure as soon as construction allows. Use local soil, leaf litter, rocks and fallen timber where they are disease free, safe and approved for reuse.

Reconnect retained habitat with rehabilitated areas where the design allows. Avoid creating isolated strips, compacted ground or abrupt edges.

Protect rehabilitation areas from vehicles, storage, grazing, repeated mowing, fire damage and uncontrolled pedestrian access.

• Replace suitable rocks and timber in stable arrangements that provide ground-level shelter.
• Retain a varied layer of native ground vegetation and litter rather than leaving bare soil.
• Control erosion and reinstate natural drainage without flooding or drying adjacent habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement structures

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures as a default measure for this terrestrial skink. These structures are not established replacement habitat for the Great Bight Cool-skink.

Where ground shelters or breeding places were lost, ask a qualified herpetologist and the relevant authority whether locally appropriate artificial shelters are suitable. Any design should be based on confirmed habitat use and approval conditions.

Use natural replacement features first, such as stable rocks, coarse woody debris and suitable ground cover, placed without trapping animals or creating fire or maintenance hazards.

• Trial any artificial shelter at a small scale only when it has a clear objective, an inspection plan and an exit strategy.
• Record its location, design, materials, installation date and maintenance requirements.
• Remove or modify structures that become traps, collect water, overheat or attract predators.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and lighting

Use locally appropriate native species in revegetation and prevent weed invasion into retained and rehabilitated habitat. Remove weeds by methods that avoid unnecessary disturbance to shelters.

Maintain drainage patterns that support dry terrestrial shelter habitat unless the approved rehabilitation design requires otherwise. Do not create standing water or deep open pits that can trap reptiles.

Limit night lighting at habitat edges. Use the lowest practical intensity, direct light away from retained habitat and avoid unnecessary illumination of ground shelters.

• Use weed hygiene controls on vehicles, machinery and soil movement.
• Inspect rehabilitation after rain and repair erosion or exposed shelter areas promptly.
• Keep chemicals, sediment, rubbish and wash-down water out of retained and rehabilitated habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Set monitoring objectives around habitat establishment, shelter retention, weed control and any confirmed Great Bight Cool-skink records. The project ecologist should select the timing and method to suit local conditions.

Use the same mapped areas and comparable search methods where repeated fauna surveys are undertaken. Record effort and conditions so results can be interpreted.

Continue monitoring for the period required by approval conditions and until rehabilitation is stable enough to be managed as part of the surrounding habitat.

• Inspect rehabilitation for vegetation cover, ground shelters, erosion, weeds, fire impacts and access damage.
• Investigate any animal record, injury or mortality and adjust management where needed.
• Provide monitoring results to the land manager and relevant authority, and retain them with the project completion records.

Sources

• Callawa Level 2 Vertebrate Fauna Assessment - Index of /, Western Australian Government: https://ftp.dwer.wa.gov.au/permit/11168/App%203%20-%20Yarrie%20Callawa%20Vertebrate%20Fauna%20Eco%20Logical%2016112012.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/