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Koumala Leaf-tailed Gecko (Phyllurus championae)

The Koumala leaf-tailed gecko is a small, nocturnal, insect-eating gecko that shelters in forest and rocky habitat in mid-eastern Queensland. It is arboreal and saxicolous, with a known elevation range of 200 to 700 m and a reported range size of 193 km², so clearing of suitable forest and rocky features can remove both shelter and breeding habitat on project sites.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Koumala Leaf-tailed Geckos are egg laying and nocturnal. Available field evidence indicates autumn mating, gravid females in December and January, and egg laying in January, but clearing risk remains year round because adults use rocks and tree trunks and no winter inactivity period is recorded.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous

Clutch size: 1 to 2 eggs

Incubation: 65 to 90 days for Phyllurus species under captive conditions; species-specific field incubation is not recorded

Size at hatching: 33.3 mm snout to vent

Age at maturity: Fully mature by 3 years for Phyllurus species; species-specific age is not recorded

Nest or egg sites: Not recorded

Breeding frequency: Not recorded

Confirm timing locally before works, particularly against local rainfall and temperature conditions, because the available records are few and seasonal triggers for this species have not been established.

  • Mating: Mating may occur in autumn, from March to May, based on reproductive condition recorded in April and the reported inference that mating may occur in autumn. April is marked as the strongest month because the male was in peak reproductive condition then.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females were recorded in December 1996 and January 1997. A broader season and peak month have not been established.
  • Egg laying: A female laid two eggs on 6 January 1997. No other egg-laying months or nest sites are recorded.
  • Incubation: Species-specific field incubation is not recorded. For Phyllurus species, eggs are reported to hatch after 65 to 90 days, so eggs laid in January may remain present until March or early April.
  • Hatchlings: No emergence months are recorded for this species. Applying the reported 65 to 90 day Phyllurus incubation period to the January egg-laying record indicates March to early April as the likely emergence window.
  • Active period: Adults are nocturnal, with activity beginning soon after dark. No species-specific seasonal activity pattern is recorded, so adults should be treated as potentially active in every month.
  • Highest clearing risk: The greatest practical overlap of gravid females, January eggs, and likely hatchling emergence is January to April. Suitable habitat remains a clearing risk in every month because the species is nocturnal, uses rocks and tree trunks, and no winter inactivity period is recorded.

Identification

This is a small leaf-tailed gecko in the family Carphodactylidae. It is associated with forest and rocky habitat, and may be found both on rock surfaces and in vegetation.

Adults reach a maximum recorded snout to vent length of 80.6 mm. The reported mean snout to vent length for adult females is 70.9 mm. A hatchling length of 33.3 mm is reported.

The body is adapted for a leaf-tailed appearance. The tail is described as leaf-shaped, which is a useful feature when combined with the species' rocky forest habitat and Queensland distribution.

Maximum snout to vent length: 80.6 mm

Adult female mean snout to vent length: 70.9 mm

Hatchling snout to vent length: 33.3 mm

Body mass: Adult female mean 6.2 g; maximum reported value 11.61 g was calculated from length

Identification: Distinguishing features

The species almost invariably has a fully divided rostral scale, reported in 18 of 19 specimens. Together with the leaf-shaped tail, this separates it from other Phyllurus species in the available identification information.

Some specimens can resemble Phyllurus ossa when the rostral scale is only partly divided. A partial single groove in the rostral scale is straight in P. championae, whereas the comparable groove in P. ossa is Y-shaped.

Identification: Field detection

The species is nocturnal, so targeted searches should focus on suitable forest, rock faces, ledges and other saxicolous features after dark. Species-specific information on eyeshine, calls, tracks, scats, sloughs and other field signs is not well documented.

The species has four legs, is not venomous and has no fangs. Handle any captured animal carefully and keep it in a secure, cool container pending assessment or release.

Activity period: Nocturnal

Venomous: No

Fangs: None

Distribution: Queensland range

The Koumala leaf-tailed gecko is endemic to Australia and is known from a restricted part of the Queensland coast. A national population estimate and quantified population trend have not been established.

The species is known from mid-eastern Queensland, including the Cameron Creek and Black Mountain area near Koumala. The type locality is Cameron Creek, 6.5 km west-north-west of Koumala.

The available information identifies Queensland as the Australian state range. No other Australian state or territory is reported.

State: Queensland

Type locality: Cameron Creek, 6.5 km west-north-west of Koumala

Reported elevation: 200 to 700 m above sea level

Reported range size: 193 km²

Distribution: Strongholds and population information

The Cameron Creek and Black Mountain area near Koumala is the principal locality identified. No additional named subpopulations or strongholds have been identified.

No population size, density, home range or population trend has been reported. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Population size: Not reported.

Population trend: Not reported.

IUCN status reported: Near Threatened, assessed in 2017

Habitat: Habitat type

The species uses forest with rocky areas and has both arboreal and saxicolous habits. On a project site, retain connected forest structure and all suitable rock features within the known elevation band.

The preferred natural habitat is forest with rocky areas. The broader habitat classification is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest.

The species is recorded as arboreal and saxicolous, so habitat assessment should include trees, climbing surfaces, rock faces, ledges and other stable rocky features rather than only ground cover.

Habitat: Forest with rocky areas

Biome classification: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests

Use of vertical and rocky structure: Arboreal and saxicolous

Habitat: Elevation and site features

The reported elevation range is 200 to 700 m above sea level. Species-specific vegetation community names, tree diameter thresholds, canopy cover values and required rock dimensions have not been established.

Before clearing, inspect forest margins, rock outcrops, crevices, ledges and climbing surfaces throughout suitable habitat in this elevation band. Retain habitat links between forested and rocky areas where practicable.

Reported elevation: 200 to 700 m above sea level

Known structural features: Forest, rock surfaces and rocky areas

Climate or vegetation limits: No more detailed species-specific limits are reported

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding period

The Koumala leaf-tailed gecko is a nocturnal insectivore. Its foraging area has not been quantified, and particular prey taxa or food plants have not been identified.

The diet is carnivorous and includes insects. The species is active at night, so feeding activity is expected during nocturnal searches and night-time movement through forest and rocky habitat.

No vertebrate prey, plant matter, named prey species or prey abundance measures have been published.

Diet: Carnivorous insects

Feeding period: Nocturnal activity

Foraging range: Not reported

Foraging habitat: Foraging structure

Search and impact assessments should cover both arboreal and rocky surfaces because the species is recorded as arboreal and saxicolous. Retain forest structure around rocky habitat to maintain access to both potential feeding surfaces and shelter.

A measured foraging distance, home range, density and preferred tree size have not been established.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The species lays eggs, but breeding timing and nesting sites are not well documented. Protect forest and rocky habitat wherever adults are detected because specific egg-laying sites are not described.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous

Clutch size: 1 to 2 eggs

Breeding season: Not reported

Incubation period: Not reported

Age at maturity: Not reported

Lifespan: Not reported

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat

Nest sites, egg-laying substrates, egg dimensions, incubation conditions and parental care are not well documented. Forest containing rocky areas is the best-supported breeding habitat description.

During clearing, treat rock crevices, ledges and adjacent forest as potential breeding habitat until inspected by a suitably qualified person. Avoid disturbing captured adults unnecessarily because breeding status may be difficult to assess.

Sheltering habitat: Likely refuge settings

The species is arboreal and saxicolous and is associated with forest and rocky areas. Specific refuge types and dimensions have not been documented.

Suitable sheltering habitat includes rocky areas and vertical or elevated surfaces within forest. Rock faces, ledges and crevices should be retained and checked before disturbance.

The species is recorded from both arboreal and saxicolous settings, so inspections should not be limited to the ground or to rock alone.

Shelter dimensions: Not reported

Burrows and hollows: No species-specific use is reported

  • Inspect rock faces, ledges, cracks and crevices before rock removal, blasting or earthworks.
  • Inspect trunks, branches and vegetation around rocky habitat during nocturnal searches.
  • Retain connected forest around rocky features where project design allows.

Sheltering habitat: Site handling

If a gecko is found during clearing, stop work in the immediate area and obtain advice from the approved fauna handler or project ecologist. No species-specific relocation distance, release habitat or holding protocol has been published.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The species has a restricted range and depends on forest with rocky habitat, but no species-specific threat assessment has been published. Project controls should therefore focus on avoiding direct loss and isolation of these habitat features.

Clearing can remove the forest and rocky habitat used by this arboreal and saxicolous gecko. Fragmentation can separate rocky features from surrounding forest and reduce the continuity of habitat within its restricted range.

Avoid clearing forest around known rocky habitat. Mark exclusion areas around rock faces, ledges and crevices before machinery enters the site.

Known range size: 193 km²

Known habitat association: Forest with rocky areas

  • Complete a pre-clearance inspection of forest and rocky habitat during suitable nocturnal conditions.
  • Retain habitat links between forest patches and rocky features where practicable.
  • Do not use the absence of daytime observations as evidence that suitable habitat is unoccupied.

Threats: Other project pressures

Species-specific effects of roads, altered hydrology, fire, introduced predators, disease and changes in prey availability have not been documented. These pressures should be assessed where a project changes forest condition, rocky habitat, access or nocturnal activity patterns.

Avoid lighting rocky forest edges unnecessarily during construction and night works. Keep sediment, dust and runoff away from rocky habitat and forest retained for the species.

Species-specific evidence for roads, fire, disease and hydrology threats: Not reported.

  • Assess road and access alignments for loss or isolation of forest and rocky habitat.
  • Control runoff, sediment and dust near rock faces, ledges and retained forest.
  • Review fire planning where burns could remove forest structure or alter rocky habitat.
  • Record any signs of disease, predation or injury and refer them to the project ecologist.

Survey methodology: 1. Nocturnal spotlighting

Survey this nocturnal, arboreal and saxicolous gecko in forest with rocky habitat. No species-specific survey guideline or minimum effort has been published, so the project ecologist should apply the relevant Queensland guidance and set effort according to habitat quality, disturbance risk and the size of the impact area.

Use nocturnal spotlighting as the primary detection method because the species is active at night and uses trees and rock surfaces.

Search retained and proposed-clearing forest, with particular attention to rocky outcrops, rock faces, ledges, crevices and vegetation adjoining those features.

Survey both ground level and climbing surfaces because the species is recorded as arboreal and saxicolous.

No species-specific number of nights, survey hours, transect length or area has been published, so specify these before fieldwork and justify them in the survey plan.

Record the number of observers, start and finish times, route length, area searched, weather, wind, rain, temperature if measured, and the condition of the habitat.

Repeat surveys when weather or access has materially reduced detection, and record the reason for any reduced effort.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted rocky habitat search

During daylight, inspect rocky forest habitat for potential shelter sites, including rock crevices, ledges, overhangs and vegetation immediately around rocks.

Search trees, trunks and branches adjoining rocky areas because this species uses both arboreal and saxicolous habitat.

Do not dismantle or move rocks during a standard survey unless this is authorised under the project fauna management plan and can be done without harming animals or destabilising the feature.

Map each searched rocky feature and classify it as retained, potentially impacted or requiring additional controls.

Survey methodology: 3. Pre-clearance and construction observations

Complete a pre-clearance inspection of all forest and rocky habitat proposed for removal, including habitat that machinery will enter or that may be affected by vibration, access tracks or spoil placement.

Use fauna spotter catchers during staged clearing and treat sightings, animals flushed from shelter and suspected occupied crevices as detection records.

Inspect retained habitat beside the clearing edge before and during works, because the species may move between trees and rocky features.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the current Queensland survey and fauna management requirements to set the minimum number of nocturnal surveys, survey hours, transect coverage and pre-clearance inspections.
  • State the survey limitations clearly where species-specific effort standards have not been published.
  • Submit verified records, including negative survey results where required, to the relevant Queensland wildlife database and any project or department reporting system specified in the approval.
  • Provide coordinates, datum, date, time, observer, method, effort, habitat description, photographs where permitted, and the animal's disposition for every record.
  • Retain field sheets, track logs, photographs and fauna handling records with the project environmental records.

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: Rocky, stony or shallow ground

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

The preferred natural habitat is forest with rocky areas.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: QLD.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

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: Avoid and minimise

Treat forest containing rocky features as potential habitat. The species is endemic to Queensland, has been recorded from the Cameron Creek and Black Mountain area near Koumala, and is associated with forest and rocky areas.

  • Retain forest containing rocky outcrops, rock faces, ledges, crevices and trees adjoining those features.
  • Avoid removing or isolating rocky habitat and maintain connected native vegetation between retained forest patches wherever the project design allows.
  • Keep construction access, spoil, laydown areas and drainage works out of retained rocky habitat.
  • Prioritise avoidance because the documented range is small, with a reported range size of 193 square kilometres.

Before habitat disturbance: Check approvals and plan the works

  • Check the current EPBC Act species list and protected matters search before finalising the impact assessment, even though the species is not currently listed under the EPBC Act.
  • Check current Queensland threatened species listings, permits and authorities before clearing or handling animals.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey effort, clearing limits, authorised handlers, release sites, stop-work triggers and reporting duties.
  • Use staged clearing so the spotter catcher can inspect each work area before machinery enters it.
  • Breeding months and a seasonal activity window have not been established. Obtain current Queensland advice rather than assuming a timing restriction.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

  • Complete the required pre-clearance nocturnal and daylight inspections before disturbance begins.
  • Mark rocky features, adjoining trees and retained vegetation on plans and on the ground before machinery mobilisation.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it will keep machinery, vehicles and people out of retained rocky habitat without creating a barrier to animal movement.
  • Brief operators on the species' nocturnal activity, its use of trees and rocks, the clearing sequence and the stop-work procedure.
  • Confirm a nearby, suitable release area within retained habitat before any animal is handled.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls

Use a controlled clearing sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with the operator. Stop work whenever an animal or potentially occupied shelter cannot be safely managed.

  • Inspect the active work area and exclusion fencing at the start of each shift.
  • Keep the approved clearing footprint, access routes and machinery limits visible to the operator.
  • Use staged clearing from the disturbed edge towards retained habitat where this is safe and consistent with the approved method.
  • Avoid night works in or beside retained habitat unless they are specifically assessed and controlled, because the species is nocturnal.
  • Record weather, work areas inspected, clearing progress, sightings, handling and any corrective action each day.

During habitat disturbance: Spotter catcher and machinery

  • The fauna spotter catcher should inspect the next section before machinery enters it and remain able to direct the operator immediately.
  • Use a slow, controlled clearing sequence that allows animals to move towards retained habitat where this is safe.
  • Do not allow machinery to crush, roll, drag or stockpile rocks, logs or vegetation identified as potential shelter until they have been inspected.
  • Pause machinery when the spotter catcher cannot see the work area, when visibility deteriorates, or when an animal may be within the plant's operating zone.

During habitat disturbance: Animal handling and habitat features

  • Only a person authorised under the project approval and Queensland requirements should capture or handle the gecko.
  • Minimise handling and use appropriate clean equipment and a secure ventilated container if temporary containment is required.
  • Release an uninjured animal into nearby retained forest with suitable rocky and arboreal habitat, at a location approved in the fauna management plan.
  • Do not release the animal into isolated or obviously unsuitable habitat, or across roads and active work areas.
  • Take an injured animal to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer as soon as practicable and record the transfer.
  • Treat rocks, crevices, ledges, trees and adjoining vegetation as potential shelter features and inspect them before removal or relocation.
  • Do not relocate rocks or other habitat features in a way that could expose or crush an animal.

During habitat disturbance: Stop work and records

  • Stop work immediately if a Koumala Leaf-tailed Gecko is found in the active work area and cannot be safely moved or protected.
  • Stop work if an animal is injured, trapped, buried, exposed to machinery or found in a feature that cannot be inspected safely.
  • Escalate any unexpected concentration of animals, repeated sightings or discovery outside the approved impact area to the project ecologist and approval holder.
  • Record the location, date, time, habitat, activity, photographs where permitted, handler, condition, release or treatment site and final outcome.
  • Notify the relevant regulator or wildlife authority when required by the approval, permit or Queensland reporting system.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Confirm that clearing controls worked and that retained habitat remains connected and undamaged. Use post-clearance checks to identify animals, habitat damage and failures in exclusion controls.

  • Inspect the cleared footprint, clearing edge and retained rocky habitat after each staged clearing event.
  • Check that no rocks, ledges, trees or adjoining vegetation marked for retention have been damaged or removed.
  • Repair or replace exclusion fencing and reinstate signs before the next work shift if controls have failed.
  • Complete additional nocturnal searches where an animal was seen, suspected to be present or displaced during clearing.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Monitor retained forest and rocky habitat at the frequency required by the approval and fauna management plan.
  • Use the same search areas and methods where practical so changes in records can be compared over time.
  • Report all sightings, injuries, deaths, relocations, habitat damage, control failures and corrective actions to the project environmental officer.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant Queensland wildlife database and update the project species register.
  • Review the results with the project ecologist and change work controls if monitoring identifies continuing risk.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

  • Assess any unavoidable loss of forest or rocky habitat against current Queensland offset and approval requirements.
  • Do not describe an offset as replacing retained habitat unless the relevant regulator accepts that approach.
  • Document the area and condition of habitat removed, retained, restored and protected for the life of the project.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate connected forest with rocky shelter and climbing structure. The species is associated with forest, rocky areas, arboreal surfaces and saxicolous surfaces, but no particular plant species or restoration densities have been identified.

  • Re-establish native forest vegetation around retained and restored rocky features using locally appropriate Queensland species selected by the project ecologist.
  • Retain or reinstate stable rocks, ledges and crevices that provide shelter and surfaces for a saxicolous gecko.
  • Create continuous vegetation links between retained rocky habitat and other suitable forest rather than isolated planting patches.
  • Use locally sourced materials where practicable and prevent rehabilitation works from covering or destabilising natural rocky features.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for the rocky and arboreal habitat documented for this species unless monitoring or expert advice identifies a specific need.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage threats during recovery

  • Control weeds so planted and regenerating native vegetation can develop around rocky habitat.
  • Limit domestic animal, vehicle and unauthorised access to restored areas.
  • Apply the approved fire management regime for the site and avoid unplanned fire impacts on retained rocky forest.
  • Inspect erosion, sediment movement, drainage and construction waste around restored rocky features after heavy weather and construction events.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitor success

  • Set project-specific success measures for native vegetation establishment, retention of rocky shelter, connectivity and weed control before rehabilitation begins.
  • Inspect restored areas during the construction defects period and at the monitoring intervals required by the approval.
  • Use nocturnal spotlighting and targeted rocky habitat searches to check whether the species returns to restored or retained habitat.
  • Record search effort, habitat condition, sightings, injuries, weed cover and corrective actions, and continue management until the approved completion criteria are met.
  • Revise planting, weed, erosion or fire controls if monitoring shows that rocky forest habitat is not being maintained.

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