Fauna Spotters logo

Kimberley Deep-soil Blind Snake (Admiralty Gulf) (Anilios howi)

The Kimberley deep-soil blind snake is a poorly known Australian blindsnake recorded in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Sparse records and limited biological information warrant a precautionary approach during site works.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 2.

Seasonal planning

Seasonal activity and breeding information are not documented. Plan surveys and disturbance controls around project risk rather than assuming a low-risk season.

Species-specific months: Not documented.

Month groupings are for planning only and do not indicate known activity, breeding or movement periods for Anilios howi.

  • Survey and pre-clearance planning: Planning window only. No species-specific seasonal activity is known; apply precautions whenever ground disturbance is proposed.

Identification: Appearance and size

This is a small, poorly documented blindsnake. The available description is based on the holotype, so field identification should be treated cautiously.

The holotype is described as 210 mm long, including a 6 mm tail. It has a dark brown back that becomes paler on the underside, with the head somewhat darker than the back.

Identification: Similar species

Other Anilios species occur in the Kimberley. Field characters for separating Anilios howi from similar local species are not documented. Seek expert confirmation rather than relying on colour or size alone.

Identification: Field signs

No species-specific field signs are described. A confirmed live or dead individual is the clearest evidence; record its location and photograph it if this can be done safely.

Distribution: Known range

The species is associated with the Kimberley, but its distribution is poorly documented and records are few.

Atlas of Living Australia records show four records in Western Australia at two distinct 0.1-degree locations, between latitude -14.6 and -14.3 and longitude 125.9 and 126.7. These records do not establish the full range or population size.

Distribution: WA region and status

DBCA lists the species for the Kimberley region and assigns it Priority 2, meaning it is poorly known and known from few locations, with some on conservation lands. This is a DBCA priority category, not a threatened-species listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is recorded.

Habitat: Habitat information

The species' habitat and the conditions at its recorded sites are not documented.

Specific vegetation, soil, landform and moisture associations are not known. Although the common name includes “deep-soil”, this is not a confirmed site-level habitat description.

Habitat: Site assessment

Do not assume that a site is unsuitable because it lacks a particular vegetation type or landform. Treat proposed disturbance within the Kimberley range as a potential encounter area and assess the site before works.

Foraging habitat: Foraging ecology

The species' diet, foraging behaviour and foraging habitat have not been documented.

No prey, feeding observations or foraging locations are known. Do not infer a species-specific diet or use one to rule out habitat from consideration.

Foraging habitat: Precaution on site

During site checks, include the soil and ground material that will be disturbed in the inspection. This is a precaution for a poorly known terrestrial snake, not a claim about where this species feeds.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology and breeding habitat have not been documented.

The breeding season, clutch size, egg-laying site and information about young are not known.

Breeding habitat: Work planning

Do not schedule works on the assumption that any particular month is outside a breeding period. Use the project fauna-risk process and seek specialist advice if a snake or possible breeding site is found.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter sites

The species' shelter sites and sheltering behaviour have not been documented.

No burrows, refuges, soil depths or sheltering substrates have been confirmed for Anilios howi. Do not designate a particular feature as a species shelter without evidence.

Sheltering habitat: Ground disturbance

Where soil or ground material is to be moved, use a careful, staged inspection and disturbance approach. This is a general precaution for works where a poorly known snake may be present.

Threats: Known pressures

Specific threats to this species have not been identified.

Species-specific threats and responses to disturbance are not documented. The limited number of records makes local occurrence and sensitivity difficult to assess.

Threats: Project risk

Clearing and ground disturbance can remove or alter the area being worked on. Apply the project's fauna safeguards, minimise the disturbance footprint and record any encounter so that the site response is informed by evidence.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Species-specific survey methods and detectability are not documented. Survey effort should be cautious and recorded.

Check current DBCA information and available occurrence records for the project area. Do not assume the species is absent because no records are mapped.

Survey methodology: 2. Site inspection

Have a suitably experienced fauna ecologist inspect the proposed disturbance area and ground material that will be affected. Use a careful, staged search appropriate to the site and work method; a negative inspection does not confirm absence.

Survey methodology: 3. Encounter records

Record the date, precise location, site conditions and circumstances of any observation. Photograph the animal where safe, avoid unnecessary handling, and arrange identification by a qualified person.

Vegetation associations

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

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

Ecosystem associations

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

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

Soil and substrate associations

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

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

Water and wetland associations

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

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

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

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

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

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

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

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

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

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

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

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Review and plan

Plan for uncertainty because the species is poorly known and its habitat requirements are not documented.

Review current occurrence information, the proposed footprint and the planned ground-disturbance methods. Confirm the project fauna response and escalation contacts before works begin.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Brief the crew

Explain that the Kimberley deep-soil blind snake is a Priority 2 species and that field identification may be uncertain. Brief workers to pause nearby activity and notify the fauna spotter catcher if a possible snake is found.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Reduce exposure

Mark the approved disturbance footprint, avoid unnecessary ground disturbance and ensure the spotter catcher can observe the work area. These are general precautions, not species-specific habitat prescriptions.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Pause and assess

Respond cautiously to any possible encounter. Do not assume the animal can be identified or safely moved by untrained personnel.

If a possible snake is seen, pause work in the immediate area where safe to do so. Keep people and machinery clear and notify the fauna spotter catcher or ecologist.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Protect the animal

Avoid handling, injuring or pursuing the animal. A suitably qualified and authorised fauna handler should assess the situation and follow the project's approved fauna procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Record and escalate

Document the observation and location, and take photographs only where this can be done without increasing risk. Follow project reporting requirements and obtain expert identification where needed.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Close out records

After an encounter or completed work, keep a clear record and review whether the work approach needs adjustment.

Record the outcome of any encounter, including identification confidence, location and actions taken. Keep the information available to the project ecologist and relevant fauna personnel.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review remaining works

Review the incident and remaining disturbance with the project ecologist. Apply any revised safeguards to subsequent work areas; a lack of further sightings does not confirm that the species is absent.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Reinstate the site

Rehabilitation requirements for this species are not documented. Follow the approved site plan and avoid unsupported assumptions about habitat needs.

Rehabilitate disturbed areas in line with the project rehabilitation plan and site-specific ecological advice. Avoid introducing unapproved materials or changing the ground surface beyond the approved design.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Monitor and report

Record rehabilitation actions and any fauna observations during follow-up checks. Seek ecologist advice if a possible Anilios howi is found; species-specific monitoring methods are not documented.

Sources