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Jacky Lizard (Amphibolurus muricatus)

The Jacky Lizard, also called the Jacky Dragon or Tree Dragon, is a small, active dragon lizard of south-eastern mainland Australia. It uses native forest, woodland, heath and rocky habitats, and may be injured or displaced during clearing, construction, vehicle movements and removal of fallen timber. It is profiled as an EVNT species, with a Rare listing in South Australia, so works should use targeted fauna surveys and avoid habitat damage wherever practicable.

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

Jacky Lizards breed in spring and lay eggs in summer. Timing can vary with local conditions, latitude and the length of the warm season, so use warm weather and observed activity to refine site controls.

Breeding mode: Egg laying

Mating season: Spring

Eggs per clutch: 3 to 10 eggs

Incubation: 42 to 55 days

Sexual maturity: Males and females mature after more than 1 year

Breeding site: Small burrows are used for egg laying

Young dispersal: From birth

Breeding and activity may start earlier or continue later in warmer northern or coastal areas and may shift after cool, wet or unusually dry conditions.

  • Mating and breeding activity: Mating is documented in spring, with activity expected to increase as temperatures rise.
  • Egg laying and incubation: Eggs are laid in summer and incubate for 42 to 55 days, with small burrows used as laying sites.
  • Hatchlings and young dispersal: Young disperse from birth, so recently hatched lizards may be present around summer laying sites and nearby cover.
  • Daytime activity and basking: Jacky Lizards are diurnal and are commonly active on warm days, basking on logs, branches and rocks.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing is most likely to harm eggs, hatchlings and young lizards from late spring through summer, particularly where burrows, logs, rocks, litter and low vegetation are disturbed.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Jacky Lizard is a fast-moving, long-tailed dragon that often sits on a log, fallen branch or rock to bask. It may run upright on its strong legs when disturbed, then disappear into leaf litter or cover.

Adults are brown, grey or dark brown above, often with lighter patches and darker triangular markings that can form a zigzag pattern. The mouth is orange-yellow to bright yellow, and a small crest is present along the back of the neck.

The tail is long, often about twice the body length. Males generally have a larger body and relatively larger head than females.

Adult length: 25 to 35 cm

Adult weight: 25 to 60 g

Identification: Field signs

Look for a small dragon basking on exposed logs, branches, rocks or low shrubs. When approached, it may run rapidly into leaf litter, under a log or beneath nearby vegetation.

A long tail, robust limbs, spiny neck scales and a low neck crest are useful field features. Handle only when necessary, and never lift the lizard by the tail.

  • Basking on logs, fallen branches or rocks.
  • Running into leaf litter or beneath trees and logs.
  • Using low shrubs, rocky areas and fallen timber as cover.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The Jacky Lizard has no recognised call or echolocation feature useful for routine site identification. Identification should rely on appearance, basking behaviour, habitat and a clear photograph where capture is not needed.

Small individuals may be confused with the Mountain Dragon in parts of the Goulburn Broken Catchment where the ranges overlap.

Distribution: Australian range

The Jacky Lizard occurs across south-eastern mainland Australia. Records and mapping cover several eastern and southern states, but the species is best assessed at the local site scale because its use of habitat can be patchy.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. Museum records describe its broader range as south-eastern mainland Australia.

In Victoria, it is associated with areas including open forest, coastal heath, rocky country and heathland and dune systems such as those around Anglesea.

  • New South Wales.
  • Queensland.
  • South Australia.
  • Victoria.

Distribution: Regional site assessment

Check native vegetation remnants, woodland edges, rocky areas, heath, fallen timber and low shrub cover within and beside the work area. A nearby record should be treated as a prompt for targeted inspection, even where the site appears disturbed.

The South Australian Rare listing applies to the species in that state. Confirm current state approval, survey and handling requirements before works begin.

Distribution: Overseas range

The Jacky Lizard is an Australian species. An overseas range is not recognised.

Habitat: Vegetation and landforms

Jacky Lizards use open, sunny habitats with native ground and shrub cover, basking structures and places to retreat. Retaining the vegetation layers and coarse woody debris around a work area will usually provide better protection than retaining isolated trees alone.

Search open forest, dry forest, woodland, coastal woodland, coastal heath and heathland. Rocky ledges, rocky ground and sandy dune systems may also support the species.

In agricultural landscapes, suitable habitat can persist in woodland remnants, rocky patches, roadside vegetation and areas beneath scattered paddock trees.

  • Open and dry forests.
  • Woodlands with native shrub and grass layers.
  • Coastal heath and dunes.
  • Rocky ledges and rocky ground.

Habitat: Habitat structure

Low shrubs, native grasses, leaf litter, fallen branches, logs and rocks provide cover, basking sites and habitat for prey. Fallen timber should be retained wherever it does not create a direct safety risk.

Avoid treating apparently open ground as unused habitat. Jacky Lizards may move between basking structures and nearby vegetation within a small home range, generally less than 1 ha.

  • Native understorey and ground litter.
  • Fallen timber and embedded logs.
  • Rocks, ledges and exposed basking surfaces.
  • Connected cover between trees, shrubs and ground habitat.

Habitat: Construction site checks

Before clearing, walk the footprint and nearby access routes during suitable daytime conditions. Inspect logs, rocks, low shrubs, leaf litter, woodland edges and piles of vegetation before machinery enters.

Mark habitat features to be retained, particularly large logs, rocky patches, dense low cover and native understorey. Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher where capture or relocation is required.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Jacky Lizard is a daytime predator of small invertebrates and may forage around shrubs, fallen timber, rocks and ground litter. Maintaining these features also maintains much of its prey habitat.

Recorded prey includes grasshoppers, beetles, flies, moths, spiders and other small arthropods. Greens have also been recorded in the diet.

  • Grasshoppers and beetles.
  • Flies and moths.
  • Spiders and other small arthropods.
  • Some plant material or greens.

Foraging habitat: Foraging places

Look for foraging activity around low shrubs, fallen timber, rocky areas, native grasses and leaf litter. The lizard may move between a warm basking surface and nearby cover while hunting.

Ground litter and native shrub and grass layers support insects and spiders. Avoid unnecessary slashing, broad herbicide use, soil disturbance and removal of logs from retained habitat.

  • Low shrubs and native grass layers.
  • Fallen timber and branches.
  • Rocky areas and ledges.
  • Leaf litter and woodland edges.

Foraging habitat: Site measures

Retain a varied ground layer and avoid creating a continuous hardstand edge through otherwise connected habitat. Keep lighting, vehicle movements and storage areas out of retained vegetation where practicable.

If vegetation must be cleared, inspect habitat progressively and stop work if a Jacky Lizard is found. Allow the animal to move into retained cover where safe, or arrange authorised capture and relocation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing and eggs

Jacky Lizards lay eggs and young disperse from birth. Breeding information is limited at the site scale, so treat suitable loose soil, sandy ground, low vegetation and sheltered edges as potential breeding habitat during the warmer months.

Mating is recorded in spring, and eggs are laid during summer. Clutches contain about 3 to 10 eggs, with an incubation period of 42 to 55 days.

A local account records eggs being laid in a small burrow. Avoid disturbing potential burrows, loose soil and sheltered ground during spring and summer where practicable.

Mating: Spring

Eggs: About 3 to 10

Incubation: 42 to 55 days

Young: Disperse from birth

Breeding habitat: Potential breeding places

Inspect small burrows, loose soil beneath vegetation, sandy ground, leaf litter and sheltered edges near logs and rocks. Specific nest dimensions and breeding-site thresholds are not established for routine construction surveys.

Do not fill, compact or drive over a suspected burrow until it has been checked by the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist.

  • Small burrows and loose soil.
  • Sheltered ground beneath shrubs or logs.
  • Sandy dune and heathland edges.
  • Leaf litter near retained cover.

Breeding habitat: Breeding-season controls

For an EVNT-profiled species, schedule clearing outside the main breeding period where feasible, especially in South Australia where the species is listed as Rare. If timing cannot be changed, increase pre-clearance inspection and use staged clearing toward retained habitat.

Do not disturb eggs or occupied breeding sites without the relevant approval and an approved handling or relocation procedure.

Sheltering habitat: Natural refuge

Jacky Lizards shelter in dense ground cover and use logs, rocks, low shrubs and leaf litter for refuge. They also bask on exposed surfaces close to escape cover, so both open and sheltered features should be retained together.

Likely refuge features include low shrubs, native grasses, leaf litter, fallen timber, rocks, small caves and ground crevices. Nearby vegetation is used when the lizard retreats from people or predators.

Large logs embedded in the soil and retained rocky features should be protected from machine access, removal and unnecessary relocation.

  • Low shrubs and dense lower vegetation.
  • Leaf litter and native grasses.
  • Fallen logs, branches and embedded timber.
  • Rocks, ledges and small ground crevices.

Sheltering habitat: Basking and movement

Jacky Lizards are often seen basking on logs, fallen branches and rocks. Keep basking surfaces close to connected cover, rather than leaving isolated exposed objects surrounded by cleared ground.

Their home range is generally less than 1 ha. Maintain links between retained habitat patches where practicable, especially around woodland edges, rocky ground and low shrub cover.

Typical home range: Less than 1 ha

Sheltering habitat: Pre-clearance handling

Inspect refuge features before removal and use quiet, low-disturbance methods. A lizard that is alert, moving normally and able to use all four legs may be allowed to move into safe retained habitat under supervision.

Capture should be undertaken by an authorised or experienced fauna handler. Keep the animal shaded and secure, and arrange release near the capture location unless the original area no longer provides suitable food, water or shelter.

Threats: Clearing and habitat fragmentation

On works sites, the main risks are habitat removal, loss of ground structure, direct injury and increased exposure to predators. Because the species is profiled as EVNT and is Rare in South Australia, use an avoid-first approach and document survey limits and mitigation decisions.

Clearing native forest, woodland, heath, shrubs and ground litter removes shelter, basking places and prey habitat. Fragmentation can isolate small habitat patches and increase the distance between cover and foraging areas.

Retain native understorey, rocks, logs, fallen timber and ground litter. Keep work compounds, access tracks and spoil out of retained habitat wherever practicable.

  • Avoid clearing habitat features that can be retained.
  • Stage clearing toward retained vegetation.
  • Maintain connected ground and shrub cover.
  • Do not remove fallen timber without a site-based reason and approval.

Threats: Grazing, cultivation and fire

Over-grazing and cultivation can simplify the ground layer and remove shelter. Inappropriate fire regimes can also reduce logs, litter, shrubs and other refuge features.

Use patch-sensitive fire and land management. Avoid burning or slashing the entire available habitat at once, and retain unburnt and structurally diverse areas.

Threats: Direct injury and predation

Vehicles, lawn mowers, whipper snippers, earthmoving equipment and machinery can kill or injure lizards. Cats and Foxes are recorded predators, and disturbance can increase exposure in cleared areas.

Use low-speed vehicle controls, fauna spotter inspections and progressive clearing. Secure open trenches, inspect them regularly and provide safe escape measures where trenches cannot be closed promptly.

  • Inspect the work area before machinery starts each day where fauna risk is high.
  • Do not use whipper snippers around logs, rocks or dense cover without checking first.
  • Control domestic and feral predators around retained habitat where lawful and supported by the site management plan.

Threats: Survey and management standard

Use a suitably qualified ecologist or fauna spotter catcher for pre-clearance surveys in potential habitat. Search during the daytime when lizards are active, and record weather, effort, habitat inspected, animals found and any limitations.

For EVNT habitat, avoid known shelter and breeding features wherever practicable. If avoidance is not possible, obtain the required state approvals before capture, relocation or habitat disturbance, and monitor the outcome.

  • Use targeted daytime searches of logs, rocks, shrubs, litter and burrows.
  • Retain habitat features in place wherever practicable.
  • Stop work around an animal, burrow or suspected egg site until assessed.
  • Apply the stricter state or project approval requirement where jurisdictions overlap.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Jacky Lizards are diurnal and are most readily detected when basking on logs, fallen branches or rocks. They may run into leaf litter, low vegetation or beneath timber when approached, so quiet searches and careful habitat inspection are needed.

Map native vegetation, rocky areas, fallen timber, low shrubs, ground litter and likely movement routes before planning works.

Check the relevant state database and local records. Confirm whether the site falls within a listed ecological community or other protected area.

Treat the species as an EVNT species for project planning. Confirm the current state listing and approval requirements in each jurisdiction.

  • Review recent records within and near the subject site.
  • Identify habitat that could support basking, shelter, foraging and egg-laying.
  • Check whether the project may affect an EPBC listed ecological community or another Matter of National Environmental Significance, even though the Jacky Lizard itself is not listed under the EPBC Act.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Search during daylight, when lizards are active and may be basking. Focus on warm, settled conditions and avoid relying on searches during cold, wet or windy weather.

Walk slowly and quietly through open forest, dry woodland, coastal heath, dunes and rocky areas. Inspect logs, fallen branches, rocks, low shrubs, leaf litter and the edges of clearings.

Use one observer at a time where practicable. Pause regularly and scan ahead before moving through cover.

  • Search basking surfaces from a distance before approaching.
  • Inspect likely shelter without turning over logs or rocks unless authorised and necessary.
  • Use repeat visits when the first survey occurs in unsuitable conditions or when habitat is dense and detection is likely to be low.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and effort

There is no species-specific survey effort standard for the Jacky Lizard. Set effort in proportion to the area, habitat quality, vegetation density and proposed disturbance, and document the basis for the survey design.

Give priority to spring and warmer periods when lizards are active. Take extra care around spring breeding and summer egg-laying periods, particularly where small burrows may be present.

Extend the search across all habitat types that will be cleared, including retained edges and connected areas used for escape or relocation.

  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, weather, temperature if measured, wind, cloud, recent rain and ground conditions.
  • Record the area searched, search method, observer names, person-hours and any limitations.
  • Repeat the survey after major changes in weather or site conditions where detection may have been affected.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and identification

Record every observation, including animals that flee before identification. Photograph the animal and its habitat from a safe distance where this will not cause further disturbance.

Jacky Lizards are generally brown to grey or dark brown, often with lighter or darker markings, robust limbs and a small crest. Smaller lizards may be confused with other dragons in areas where ranges overlap.

Map the location of animals, burrows, shelter features, basking sites and likely escape routes.

  • Record the animal's direction of movement and whether it entered leaf litter, vegetation, a burrow or a space beneath timber.
  • Record evidence of injury, abnormal movement, poor body condition or repeated use of a shelter.
  • Provide all records to the project ecologist and relevant biodiversity database where required.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoidance is the preferred control because Jacky Lizards use connected ground cover, logs, rocks, shrubs and litter across small home ranges. Plan clearing around the species' spring breeding period and protect any burrow or shelter found during pre-clearance checks.

Confirm the current listing and permit requirements before works begin. Requirements may differ between NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

The Jacky Lizard is not listed under the EPBC Act, but an EPBC referral may still be needed if the project affects a listed ecological community or another protected matter.

In Queensland, confirm whether the works could tamper with a breeding place. A species management program may be required for protected near threatened animals.

  • Obtain relevant state wildlife, clearing, relocation and rehabilitation approvals before disturbing animals or habitat.
  • Use only authorised wildlife rehabilitators, fauna spotter catchers and handlers.
  • Keep approval conditions and contact details on site.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and buffers

Retain native vegetation, low shrubs, ground litter, rocky areas, fallen timber and logs embedded in the soil. These features provide shelter, basking sites and habitat for prey.

Keep machinery, storage areas, access tracks and spoil away from retained habitat. Use fencing and clear site markers to make exclusion areas obvious.

Where works affect a listed ecological community, apply the relevant ecological-community buffer. A 30 m buffer, increased to 50 m where practical for very high conservation value patches, is recommended for the Illawarra and south coast lowland forest and woodland ecological community. This is not a species-specific buffer.

  • Protect identified burrows, shelter sites, logs, rocks and dense ground cover.
  • Avoid fragmenting retained vegetation and maintain links between habitat areas.
  • Do not remove fallen timber unless it has been assessed and removal is approved.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a final pre-clearance inspection immediately before disturbance. Search the full disturbance footprint and likely escape habitat, with particular attention to logs, rocks, low shrubs, litter and small burrows.

Use a staged approach. Mark all findings and give the spotter catcher time to inspect escape routes before machinery enters.

Where a burrow may contain eggs or an animal, stop in that area and obtain ecological advice before proceeding.

  • Brief the fauna team on the species' appearance, behaviour and likely shelter.
  • Check beneath and around materials scheduled for removal, using hand methods where authorised.
  • Leave suitable habitat undisturbed until the spotter catcher confirms that it can be cleared safely.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Work timing and induction

Schedule clearing outside spring and summer where practicable, especially in areas with potential egg-laying burrows. There is no known migration period that requires a separate passage exclusion.

Induct all workers before entry to the site. Explain the exclusion areas, stop-work process, reporting chain and prohibition on handling wildlife without authority.

Use daily pre-start briefings when clearing is staged or when site conditions change.

  • Tell workers not to chase, catch, pick up or injure lizards.
  • Tell workers never to pull a lizard by the tail.
  • Display the fauna spotter catcher's authority to stop work and the wildlife rescue contact.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clearing should be slow, staged and supervised. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to stop machinery immediately when a Jacky Lizard, burrow or other fauna shelter is found.

Clear habitat in stages from the centre of the work area towards retained vegetation, where site safety and habitat layout allow. This gives animals an opportunity to move into suitable cover.

Remove ground vegetation and loose materials carefully before using heavy machinery. Retain escape routes and avoid isolating animals between machinery and cleared ground.

Do not crush, drag or roll logs and rocks until they have been checked.

  • Maintain a clear exclusion zone around each animal, burrow and shelter feature until inspected.
  • Use hand tools for detailed clearing near habitat features where practicable.
  • Stop work if visibility is poor or the fauna observer cannot safely monitor the clearing face.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and breeding places

Only authorised and appropriately trained people may capture, handle or relocate a Jacky Lizard. The spotter catcher should use the least disruptive method available.

If an active breeding place, small egg-laying burrow or animal using a burrow is found, stop work around it. Do not excavate, fill, probe or move the burrow without approval and ecological direction.

Jacky Lizards are not colonial and do not use bat boxes or communal roosts. Treat each animal and shelter as an individual record and assess nearby habitat for additional animals.

  • Mark the location and establish a temporary exclusion area.
  • Contact the project ecologist and regulator where approval conditions require it.
  • Do not relocate eggs or disturb a breeding place unless the approved method specifically allows it.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured or distressed animals

If an injured animal is found, stop work and keep people, machinery and dogs away. Allow the fauna spotter catcher to assess it before capture.

Place the animal in a secure, ventilated container only when directed by an authorised handler. Keep it quiet and protected from heat, cold and further injury.

Arrange prompt transfer to an authorised wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian. Do not provide food or water unless instructed by the receiving carer.

  • Record the location, time, apparent cause of injury and condition.
  • Photograph the injury only if this can be done without extra handling.
  • Report vehicle, mower, machinery, predator and fire-related injuries through the project incident system.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Daily records and stop-work actions

The spotter catcher should maintain a daily fauna register and advise the site supervisor of all findings before clearing recommences.

Record animals seen, captured, relocated, injured or killed, together with the habitat feature involved and the final action taken.

Keep records for any animal that moves into retained vegetation, even if capture is not required.

  • Record date, time, location, species, life stage if known, behaviour and direction of movement.
  • Record the equipment involved, clearing stage, weather and the names of the observer and handler.
  • Record every stop-work event and the approval or ecological advice that allowed work to resume.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Completion checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that animals have not been trapped in isolated habitat or injured during works. They also provide the evidence needed to improve controls for later clearing stages.

Inspect the cleared footprint, retained edges, material stockpiles, trenches and access routes after each clearing stage. Search for live or injured lizards and check for animals sheltering beneath remaining materials.

Check that exclusion fencing remains intact and that no open trench, pit or pipe has trapped fauna.

Do not declare an area complete until the fauna spotter catcher has finished the agreed inspection.

  • Inspect likely escape habitat and the boundary between cleared and retained vegetation.
  • Remove or cover fauna traps created by construction materials and excavations.
  • Escalate any animal found after the final check to the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocation follow-up

Relocate animals only to suitable nearby habitat, preferably where found or within their home range when the original site no longer provides food, water or shelter.

Select release areas with native vegetation, invertebrates, food plants, basking surfaces and shelters such as rocks, fallen timber, small caves or bushes.

Release recovered animals during the warmest part of the day when forecast temperatures are at or above 20°C for at least three days, as required by the approved rehabilitation or relocation plan.

  • Record the release location, time, habitat condition and person responsible.
  • Avoid releasing animals into isolated patches, active work areas, exposed cleared ground or areas with domestic animals.
  • Do not move an animal across an unsuitable landscape without ecological approval.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and monitoring

Prepare a completion report that compares planned controls with actual outcomes. Include all sightings, captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, breeding places and stop-work events.

Monitor retained habitat and release areas where the approval, risk assessment or ecologist recommends it. Focus on habitat condition and evidence of continued use rather than relying only on sightings.

Use repeat observations to identify whether clearing has increased mortality, isolation or edge disturbance.

  • Map all records in a project database or geographic information system.
  • Report incidents to the relevant regulator where required by a permit or approval.
  • Keep photographs, forms, permits, rehabilitation records and veterinary advice with the project file.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review the controls after each clearing stage and after any injury, death or breeding-place disturbance.

Change the clearing sequence, exclusion arrangements, induction or survey approach where the original controls did not work.

Share lessons with the crew before the next work area is opened.

  • Identify the immediate cause and any contributing site conditions.
  • Check whether the survey timing, observer coverage and machinery controls were adequate.
  • Record corrective actions, responsible people and completion dates.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should restore the habitat features Jacky Lizards use for basking, shelter, foraging and movement. The species lays eggs in small burrows, so replacement structures should focus on suitable ground habitat rather than standard nest boxes or bat roosts.

Retain and reinstate native shrubs, grasses, ground litter, rocks, fallen branches and logs. Use local native materials where practicable.

Restore connected cover between retained vegetation and release areas. Avoid leaving animals exposed in large areas of bare ground.

Recreate a varied ground layer with basking surfaces beside dense refuge, rather than providing only open grass or only dense planting.

  • Replace removed logs and rocks with stable natural features where approved.
  • Retain leaf litter and fallen timber beneath paddock trees and across woodland remnants.
  • Protect restored areas from vehicles, grazing, firewood collection and unauthorised clearing.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Breeding and shelter structures

Do not install nest boxes or bat boxes as a default measure for Jacky Lizards. They are ground-associated reptiles and are known to lay eggs in small burrows.

Where a breeding place has been lost and replacement is approved, have an experienced reptile ecologist design and supervise suitable artificial ground refuges or shallow burrow features.

Place any replacement feature in connected, sheltered habitat with appropriate soil, shade, basking surfaces and nearby cover. Monitor it for use and stability.

  • Do not use artificial structures as a substitute for retaining natural burrows, logs, rocks and litter.
  • Do not create burrows that can flood, collapse, trap animals or expose them to machinery.
  • Do not use bat boxes, bird nest boxes or elevated roost structures for this species unless they form part of a separate approved habitat measure for another species.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and site conditions

Control weeds that smother native ground cover or reduce the availability of insect-rich habitat. Use methods that do not harm lizards, burrows or shelter features.

Provide natural water availability through functioning drainage and retained vegetation. Do not create permanent ponds or artificial water points unless they are part of an approved site design and will not increase predation or trapping risk.

Manage fire, grazing and access so that ground litter, shrubs and fallen timber are retained.

  • Inspect restored areas for erosion, weed invasion and loss of cover after rain and construction traffic.
  • Keep chemicals, washdown water and sediment away from retained and restored habitat.
  • Use low-impact lighting near habitat and avoid directing lights onto basking, shelter or movement areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Set monitoring objectives around habitat condition, use of restored features and animal persistence. Jacky Lizards can be difficult to detect, so a lack of sightings alone should not be treated as proof of absence.

Use repeat daylight searches under suitable conditions, with the same routes and recording methods where possible. Include basking sites, logs, rocks, low shrubs, litter and artificial ground refuges.

Review the monitoring program against the level of risk and any approval conditions.

  • Record survey effort, weather, habitat condition, sightings and evidence of use.
  • Inspect restored areas after major construction, fire, flood, weed treatment or maintenance works.
  • Adapt planting, shelter placement, access controls and weed management when monitoring shows that habitat is not recovering.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Rehabilitation and release standards

Only authorised wildlife rehabilitators should care for injured or displaced Jacky Lizards. Housing should provide hides, a heat gradient, full-spectrum or ultraviolet lighting, suitable flooring and access to water under the approved care plan.

Before release, confirm that the lizard can move normally, climb where required, seek cover and actively take natural food. Release it where found or in suitable nearby habitat within its home range when approved.

Use release sites with invertebrates, food plants, shelters and ample foraging areas. Avoid release into active construction zones or exposed unsuitable ground.

  • Keep rehabilitation records, including admission cause, treatment, feeding, behaviour, release decision and release location.
  • Do not release an animal until it is fit for the conditions at the site and forecast temperatures meet the approved release guidance.
  • Coordinate release timing and location with the project ecologist, land manager and relevant authority.

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